Monday, August 16, 2010

Insurance: What About The Children?

For the average parent, just the thought of losing a child sends a rush of emotions that so quickly paralyzes the heart and the mind so much so that we cannot even complete the thought.  But we must.  Not so much for the children's sake but more for ours.

If we cannot even think about the loss of a child for a minute, then you have to know that if this inconceivable occurrence were to happen and unfortunately it does, most of us would be rendered incompetent to function, make arrangements or important timely decisions.
I have forced myself to think about it long enough to know that if something were to happen to any one of my children, my mental state would be such that I would be of no assistance to my husband with trying to find money for anything at a time like that or for a long time thereafter.

Some would argue that Life Insurance's main purpose is to replace an income and since most children do not earn an income which contributes to the household finances, "children don't need life insurance", but I beg to differ.
A working family with little or no savings will need money to pay for the final arrangements.  Where is the money going to come from if there is no insurance plan in place to pay for the expenses surrounding a death in the family?  Where?

This is a difficult and uncomfortable subject to think about but again, you must, not only for your sake but for your remaining family's sake.  Low to middle income working parents think about this and ask yourselves these questions:

  1. How will you pay for the final arrangements if your child dies? (please, God Forbid)
  2. How long do you think it will take you to recover, if at all?
  3. Will your Health Insurance plan cover Bereavement Counseling or Psychiatric Care? (which I know for a fact I would need.)
  4. Do you think you will be able to return to work after your 1 week bereavement time off is up?
  5. How will your household function financially if you are unable to return to work right away?
These are critical questions and genuine concerns that need to be considered when thinking about Life Insurance for your family.

Adding a Child Insurance Rider-(Policy) to your Insurance policy or purchasing a stand alone Insurance plan for your child is so very inexpensive.  Depending on your Final Arrangement and Insurance Benefit choices, there are policies available for less than $10 per month.  We insure our houses, our cars- no hesitation, but when it comes to the most important beings in our lives, our children... we hesitate.  Why?

There are different types of coverages available for children.  Term Life Insurance is a lower premium policy which typically is guaranteed for a specific period of time.  Whole Life Insurance is generally a higher premium plan but can last for the rest of their lives and provides the opportunity to build a cash value savings over the life of the active policy.  Regardless of your choice, they both provide options to fit your budget.

I am a Licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent and Broker/Owner of Coltrane Insurance.  If you do not have Life Insurance on yourself and/or you children, please contact me for a free quote and assistance with planning for the unexpected should it happen.  Life happens and so does Death, so please, be prepared.

Tina Little-Coltrane - Life Insurance Advisor
Coltrane Insurance - 1-800-755-2896
Tina@TinaColtrane.com