While we usually can't prevent the unexpected from happening, sometimes we can get some protection. Insurance is meant to safeguard us, at least financially, should certain things happen. But there are numerous insurance options, and many financial experts will say you need to have them all. It can be difficult to determine what insurance you really need.
Purchasing the right type and amount of insurance is always determined by your specific situation. Factors such as children, age, lifestyle, and employment benefits play a role when you're building your insurance portfolio. There are, however, four types of insurance that most financial experts recommend we all have: life, health, auto, and long-term disability.
Life Insurance
The greatest benefits of life insurance include the ability to cover your funeral expenses and provide for those you leave behind. This is especially important if you have a family that is dependent on your salary to pay the bills. Industry experts suggest a life insurance policy that covers 10 times your yearly income. But that's a number not everyone can afford.
When estimating the amount of life insurance coverage you need, remember to factor in not only funeral expenses, but also daily living expenses. These may include mortgage payments, outstanding loans, credit card debt, taxes, child care, and future college costs.
According to a 2018 study by LIMRA, formerly known as the Life Insurance and Market Research Associations, one in three families might not be able to meet their day-to-day expenses within a month of the primary breadwinner's death.
Health Insurance
Statistically, you and your family are just one serious illness away from bankruptcy, according to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health in 2019. In the Journal's survey of more than 900 Americans who filed for personal bankruptcy between 2013 and 2016, more than two in three bankruptcies were caused by medical problems—from bills, income loss due to illness, or both.
Those numbers alone should incentivize you to obtain health insurance or review and possibly increase your current coverage. But with rising co-payments, increased deductibles, and dropped coverages, health insurance has become a luxury fewer and fewer people can afford. When you consider that the national average cost for one day in the hospital was $2,517 in 2018, even a minimal policy is better than none.
Long-Term Disability Coverage
Long-term disability insurance is the one type of insurance most of us think we will never need. Yet, according to statistics from the Social Security Administration, three in 10 workers entering the workforce will become disabled and will be unable to work before they reach the age of retirement.
Often, even those workers who have great health insurance, a nice nest egg, and a good life insurance policy don't prepare for the day when they might not be able to work for weeks, months, or ever again. While health insurance pays for hospitalization and medical bills, you're still left with those daily expenses that your paycheck generally covers.
Auto Insurance
On average, there are six million car accidents in the U.S. every year, according to the National Safety Council. An estimated 38,800 people died in car crashes in 2019 alone. The number one cause of death for American's between the ages of five and 34 was auto accidents, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in 2009 data (the last available data). Over two million drivers and passengers received treatment in emergency rooms in 2009, and the costs of those accidents, including deaths and disabling injuries, were around $70 billion.
While not all countries require drivers to have auto insurance, most do have regulations regarding financial responsibility in the event of an accident. Countries that do require insurance conduct periodic random checks of drivers for proof of insurance. If you do not have coverage, the fines can vary by country and can range from the suspension of your license, to points on your driving record, to significant fines and custodial sentences.
For more information or should you have any questions, please get in touch, Rob (+6) 011 515 656 49 www.rgwealthsolutions.com
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