We’ve all been in that zone. We’re chilling with our friends, having a beer, and someone brings up an interesting topic for discussion—life. We throw statements like ‘What is life but a passing dream’ and feel like resident philosophers in our friend circle. We debate that we must seize each day before its too late and ‘time runs out’. Carpe diem or for those who don’t understand—YOLO—you only live once (To be perfectly honest, every muscle in my body is aching to get at the guy who made this sorry abbreviation popular! Why, Drake, why?). We don’t actively think about it, we don’t want to seriously talk about it, but it’s always at the back of our minds. We’re all gonna die one day. And it sucks. So we don’t think about it and just hope and wish that we just die in our sleep like the lucky ones. So what are you going to do about dealing with death? I’d say buy life insurance. Here’s why I think it’s the smartest darn move you’ll ever make:
- Death is Inevitable (You know it, but do something about it!)
The truth is that you never know when the grim reaper comes knocking on your door. One moment, you’re gorging on that yummy bacon you just made. Mmmm, so good! And the next moment, you’re dead. Heart attack, the doctors say. What I’m trying to say is that these things are unpredictable, but death is the most predictable thing in your lifetime—it will come one day. It’s like you’re blindfolded and you can hear the freight train coming but you don’t know when it’s going to hit.
Some people choose to be really smart about this taboo conversation topic. You might call me morbid, but I think that you should think about death. It may actually help you prepare for the worst and at least secure your loved ones. You might be gone, but they’ll still be there and it’s your responsibility to look after them come what may. That’s where life insurance comes in. When you’re gone, the beneficiaries (be it your wife or your daughter) will receive a lump sum amount of money so that they are able to deal with the financial mess that you’ve probably left behind. They will be financially secure which in today’s day and age is the one thing you do not want to lose! It’s a material world, people!
- Think of it as an Investment
Did the morbid talk scare you a little? Still don’t want to think of the inevitability of death, do you? Want to put off thinking about buying life insurance policy in case of your demise still? Well then, I’ve got another argument for you because I’m smart like that. It’s a savings game. There is something Return of premium (ROP) term life insurance which covers you for a certain amount of time (say, 25 years). If you haven’t died in that interim, well then, good for you! You and your family still get the money at the end of those 25 years. Phew! No money wasted and you get a huge amount all in one go! If you choose to go with permanent life insurance, it’s technically a savings plan; you also get great tax benefits. It’s also a good investment strategy. The premium may be high on permanent life insurance (which covers your entire existence on planet earth), but it grows in cash value which means that your beneficiaries are going to get an amount higher than the one you invested which is so cool (Be sure to read the fine print on this one), well, except that you’re dead. Sorry about that. But thank God for your family who might have lost their only earning member. Chew on that for a second.
The whole idea is not for me to disturb you, although it is very amusing to see people go pale at the mere mention of their inevitable demise. But I want to wake you up from your slumber of denial. There are a lot of life insurance companies with a whole host of good deals to offer—Protective, Legal and General America, Globe Life. If you’re confused about what policy would best to suit your needs, there are some online aggregator sites like accuquote.com, selectquote.com or intelliquote.com that will give you some of the top life insurance policies. You can have all your tabs open side by side and knock yourself out with the comparing and contrasting. That might just help you make an informed choice. I hope I have convinced you to be smart about things and choose a good life insurance policy so that you don’t have to see your family burdened by debt and you can truly rest in peace.