Monday:
The night air is getting crisper, the kids are
back in school, and football season has just kicked off — such are
the perennial comforts that herald the arrival of autumn.
As with the advent of spring, many people use the month of September to embark on the seasonal to-do list in preparation for the colder weather that's just around the corner. Yet of all the things that come to mind during this time, your own mortality probably isn't one of them. But as long as you're in the planning mood, why not add a life insurance evaluation to the list? You do, after all, want to ensure you have a plan in place to ensure your family can keep the traditions and lifestyle you've worked so hard to establish should the unthinkable happen and you're no longer around to provide for your loved ones. Failure to plan for the unexpected could leave your family in serious financial strife, the strain of which is only compounded by their grieving process.
As with the advent of spring, many people use the month of September to embark on the seasonal to-do list in preparation for the colder weather that's just around the corner. Yet of all the things that come to mind during this time, your own mortality probably isn't one of them. But as long as you're in the planning mood, why not add a life insurance evaluation to the list? You do, after all, want to ensure you have a plan in place to ensure your family can keep the traditions and lifestyle you've worked so hard to establish should the unthinkable happen and you're no longer around to provide for your loved ones. Failure to plan for the unexpected could leave your family in serious financial strife, the strain of which is only compounded by their grieving process.
Tuesday:
As with most things in life, now is always better
then never, and sooner is always better than later. In the case of
life insurance, these platitudes are especially true — the longer
your procrastinate, the bigger the risk and oftentimes, the higher
the premium. Fortunately, September is Life Insurance Awareness
Month, also known as LIAM, which makes now the ideal time to explore
your life insurance options. Sponsored by the Life and Health
Insurance Foundation for Education, or LIFE, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the goal of helping Americans make intelligent and
informed insurance decisions to protect their families' future
lifestyles and finances, LIAM is now in its ninth year, and continues
to campaign for awareness of this crucial product.
According to LIFE's
website, www.LifeHappens.org,
“Our goal is to help consumers better understand these (life and
health insurance) products and where they fit within their overall
financial plans. LIFE also seeks to remind people of the important
role insurance professionals perform in helping families, businesses,
and individuals find the insurance products that best fit their
needs.”
Wednesday:
Partnering with an insurance professional is
always better than going it alone when it comes to shopping for and
purchasing the right insurance plan. With “partnering” as the
operative word, LIFE encourages you to do your own due diligence and
research, which is why their website is replete with helpful tools,
informative articles and insightful anecdotes on life insurance and
several other financial planning tools and resources. Being informed
of the myriad types of available insurance products and policies will
only help your insurance advisor pinpoint a product to meet your
wants and needs upfront, rather than wading through what can be a
dizzying array of policy options. Furthermore, there's a lot to be
said for knowing as much about the product you're buying as possible
— not only does it reduce the chance that you'll make a foolish
purchase, but it affords you the ability to speak intelligently about
precisely what you're looking for when you meet with your advisor.
Thursday:
Even if you already own life insurance, it's well
worth your time not only to check out the Life Happens website, but
also to schedule a review with your agent or advisor. The coverage
you currently have may not be enough, you may be in a position to
buy a policy that addresses estate planning needs, or you may need to
update your beneficiaries due to life changes such as births and
deaths, or weddings and divorces. Your advisor should address all of
these points with you: If he or she doesn't ask you a number of
questions to determine if you could benefit from a change in policy
type or if you've experienced a life change that requires an
adjustment to your policy, make sure you bring it up with them. And
no matter how much you know about life insurance, you shouldn't feel
shy about doing so — it's part of their job.
Friday:
If you don't already have a trusted insurance
professional, the Life Happens website can help you find an ethical
and knowledgeable agent or advisor in your area who can serve your
needs. Another way to find a good advisor is to ask around. Odds are
good that a family member or friend is already working with an
advisor they trust, and would be more than happy to make a
recommendation. And when you do meet with him or her, you may be
pleasantly surprised by how easy and affordable buying life insurance
can be, especially if you have the guidance of a professional to
complemenr your own cache of knowledge.
It doesn't matter what
stage of life you're in, if you already own a policy, or even if
you've never thought about life insurance before, the time to act is
now. Make September the time of year when you get your insurance
ducks in a row, and your family or business will always be protected.
Now that's a comfort we could all use.
