The Risks of Not Having Enough Life Insurance | SelectQuote (2024)

FAQs

The Risks of Not Having Enough Life Insurance | SelectQuote? ›

What are the risks of not having enough life insurance? The biggest risk of not having enough life insurance is that your family will not have the adequate financial protection in the event of your passing.

What Happens If You Have No Life Insurance? Those without life insurance may pass away with financial obligations such as debts and unpaid bills that become the responsibility of their heirs. Their heirs would also need to pay for your final expenses out-of-pocket.

Loved ones might have to take out a loan or arrange a payment plan with the funeral home, or even launch a crowdfunding campaign. If no one steps forward to pay, it's possible the coroner's office will bury or cremate you without a family service.

Why is life insurance important? Buying life insurance protects your spouse and children from the potentially devastating financial losses that could result if something happened to you. It provides financial security, helps to pay off debts, helps to pay living expenses, and helps to pay any medical or final expenses.

Life insurance is there to help your loved ones with financial needs if you aren't there anymore. Consider your mortgage and other debts, how much income would need to be replaced, money to cover a funeral, and college for the kids. Add those up, and you'll have a good idea of how much insurance you'll need.

If you don't have health insurance, you're at much greater risk of accumulating medical bills that you may not be able to pay. In a worst-case scenario, you could be sued and have your wages garnished. You might even be forced into bankruptcy.

Regardless of your age, if you are at a point where you have enough income and assets to comfortably support yourself and the people who depend on you financially, you may not require life insurance. For most people with families, this only happens later in life after their children are grown and self-sufficient.

You can buy either term or whole life insurance; which is best will depend on your needs and financial situation. Life insurance may not be worth if you have no dependents, if you have a tight budget, or if you have other plans for providing for them after your death.

Your financial obligations, current lifestyle and long-term plans will likely play important roles in determining what kind of coverage you obtain. If you can fit the monthly premium into your budget, your 20s are the best time to buy affordable term life insurance coverage.

Permanent life insurance policies usually build up a cash value. This means you get a cash value back if you cancel your policy. The amount would be less than what you paid in premiums for the insurance costs. You may be able to take out a policy loan or use your life insurance policy as collateral for a loan.

What is the main purpose of life insurance? ›

In exchange for a premium, the life insurance company agrees to pay a sum of money to one or more named beneficiaries upon the death of the policyholder. The purpose of life insurance is to help provide financial security to your loved ones upon your death. However, some life policies also offer living benefits.

No one plans to get sick or hurt, but most people need medical care at some point. Health insurance covers these costs and offers many other important benefits. Health insurance protects you from unexpected, high medical costs.

A common rule of thumb is at least 6% of your gross income plus 1% for each dependent. A stay-at-home parent should get enough life insurance to cover the costs incurred by the family if anything should happen to them.

Over the past 12 years, there has been a decrease in overall life insurance ownership, dropping from 63% in 2011. About 100 million Americans are either without life insurance or inadequately insured, acknowledging their need for additional coverage, according to data from LIMRA.

Why do wealthy people need life insurance? Life insurance can be used by wealthy individuals as a way to maximize their after-tax estate and accumulate more money to pass on to their loved ones. Learn more about the ways in which life insurance can be beneficial if you have a large amount of money.

The penalty for not having coverage the entire year will be at least $900 per adult and $450 per dependent child under 18 in the household when you file your 2023 state income tax return in 2024.

You can cancel a life insurance policy by: Let the policy lapse: No matter what life insurance policy you have, you can simply stop paying premiums at any point. The policy will lapse, and you'll lose coverage. Keep in mind that you typically can't recover any of the premiums you paid once the policy lapses.

Life Insurance Is Too Expensive

Many people overestimate the true cost of life insurance and believe that it is too expensive for them. It is true that the cost of life insurance can vary based on several different factors, but getting coverage can be more affordable than you think.

Cons of life insurance

One disadvantage of life insurance is that the older you are, the more you'll pay for a policy. This is because you're more likely to pass away during the policy period than a younger policyholder and will, in turn, cost the life insurance company more money.