Auto insurance is a given for all drivers and adding your teenage driver to the family policy is usually the only cost beneficial option for coverage. However, as your teens grow into young adults, consider speaking with Our featured article of the month, Family Insurance Needs, briefly outlines the major insurance overages that should be in place for a family with growing children. your agent and child about being put on their own policy in order reduce your personal liability and instill more personal financial responsibility.
Homeowners insurance is typically a given considering the fact that many mortgage lenders make it a mandatory term of their agreement. For those that are mortgage free, the insurance is still a very cost effective way to manage the risk of loss. Reviewing the in place policy ever few years is certainly a prudent way to ensure the coverage keeps pace with the value of the potential loss.
An umbrella policy is often overlooked when considering the mandatory overages, but it is one of the more reasonably priced policies providing for a well rounded risk management strategy. Of course the insurance carrier will likely require both the auto and homeowner’s policies be with their company and higher limits of liability in place in order to provide umbrella policy coverage.
As a historical aside, Philadelphia is the home of the first and oldest home insurance company in the country started by none other than Benjamin Franklin.
Disability insurance is coverage often overlooked by many individuals. The coverage is typically offered through work and is sometimes misunderstood for its limitations of coverage. For young and growing families with professionals in their households, this coverage becomes one of the more important coverages due to the probability of its use. Take care in assuming the policy from your employer will adequately protect your income in the event of a temporary or long term absence from work. The devil is always in the details.
Finally, few families underestimate the prudence of insuring their lives against premature death. Policies are now competitively priced and can be easily researched based on term and price. Again understanding the actual coverage in place and the longer implications of the coverage is paramount. Policies purchased when family members were young and healthy may come to term when they are older and in not the same health while a need remains present. Reviewing policy details periodically is again a prudent practice to ensure your familial needs continue to be met.
Considering coverage for your household.
A growing family, by definition, means growing financial obligations – both in the present and in the future. Raising children can increase your insurance needs and heightens the urgency for being properly prepared.
Auto. When a child becomes a new driver, one option is to add the teenager to the parents’ policy. You may want to discuss with your auto insurer ways to reduce the additional premium that accompanies a new driver.1
Home. You should periodically review your homeowners policy for three primary reasons.
A growing family generally accumulates increasing amounts of personal belongings. Think of each child’s toys, clothes, electronic equipment, etc. Moreover, household income tends to rise during this time, which means that jewelry, art, and other valuables may be among your growing personal assets.
The second reason is that the costs of rebuilding – and debris removal – may have risen over time, necessitating an increase in insurance coverage.
Lastly, with growing wealth, you may want to raise liability coverage, or if you do not have an umbrella policy, consider adding it now. Umbrella insurance is designed to help protect against the financial risk of personal liability.
Health. With your first child, be sure to change your health care coverage to a family plan. If you and your spouse have retained separate plans, you may want to evaluate which plan has a better cost-benefit profile. Think about whether now is the appropriate time to consolidate coverage into one plan.
Disability. If your family is likely to suffer economically because of the loss of one spouse’s income, then disability insurance serves an important role in replacing income that may allow you to meet living expenses without depleting savings.
If you already have disability insurance, consider increasing the income replacement benefit since your income and standard of living may now be higher than when you bought the policy.
Life. With children, the amount of future financial obligations increases. The cost of raising children and funding their college education can be expensive. Should one of the spouses die, the loss of income might severely limit the future quality of life for your surviving children and spouse. Not only does death eliminate the future income of one spouse permanently, but the future earning power of the surviving spouse might be diminished as single parenthood may necessitate fewer working hours and turning down promotions.
The amount of life insurance coverage needed to fund this potential financial loss is predicated on, among other factors, lifestyle, debts, ages and number of children, and anticipated future college expenses.
Several factors will affect the cost and availability of life insurance, including age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Life insurance policies have expenses, including mortality and other charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, the policyholder also may pay surrender charges and have income tax implications. You should consider determining whether you are insurable before implementing a strategy involving life insurance. Any guarantees associated with a policy are dependent on the ability of the issuing insurance company to continue making claim payments.
Some couples decide to have one parent stay at home to care for the children full time. The economic value of the stay-at-home parent is frequently overlooked. Should the stay-at-home parent die, the surviving parent would likely need to pay for a range of household and childcare services, and potentially, suffer the loss of future income due to the demands of single parenthood.
Extended Care. The earlier you consider extended care choices, the better. However, the financial demands of more immediate priorities, like saving for your children’s college education or your retirement, will take precedence if resources are limited.
Remember, however, the information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult a professional with legal or tax experience for specific information regarding your individual situation.
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
Citations.
1 – cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/car-insurance/average-cost-of-car-insurance [4/12/19]