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Life insurance from your employer is a valued benefit for millions of American workers.  Employer life insurance is a form of group life insurance that’s offered to you and your coworkers. It’s typically a set dollar amount at smaller companies and a multiple of your salary at larger companies. The multiple is commonly one to three times your current salary.  The Benefits of Employer Life Insurance It costs you nothing (or very little).  A big upside to life insurance from your employer is that it’s usually free. And if there is a cost, it usually only amounts to a few dollars a month.  You don’t have to take a medical exam.  Life insurance from your employer is typically offered to every employee regardless of his or her health status. This can be a big plus if you have any health conditions. A health condition can make it difficult to get a life insurance policy on your own.  It’s convenient.  There’s no need to consider multiple quotes, schedule a m...

Americans can no longer make excuses for why they haven’t purchased life insurance. According to the  2021 Insurance Barometer Study , those who are uninsured appear to want more convenience in the life insurance process, citing that they haven’t been approached about it (46%), it isn’t offered through their employer (42%), and they haven’t gotten around to it (62%) as reasons they don’t have coverage. But a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic is that obtaining life insurance has never been simpler. This means that no one—especially the 31% of people who say they’re more likely to buy life insurance because of the pandemic and the 47% who say they haven’t gotten around to it—has a reason to wait to purchase life insurance. Plus, our data shows that people don’t regret purchasing life insurance. In fact, they regret  not  purchasing it earlier, with 39% of those who have life insurance saying they wished they’d purchased it at a younger age. These findings are from the ...

About half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Along with exercising more and eating better, many people aim to get a better handle on their finances.  If you’re in that camp, we’re here to help. Here are some surefire steps to create a more financially secure future for you and your loved ones.  Create a budget. The first step toward getting financially fit is to create a budget. Everyone needs an understanding of how much they’re earning, how much they’re spending, and how they’re going to meet their current and future financial goals. The Federal Trade Commission has information on  how to create a budget . Once you outline your budget, make sure to stick to it. Also make sure to regularly revisit it and adjust it as needed. Control and minimize debt. Your budget will help you keep track of where your money is going. It will also help you identify areas where you’re overspending. It’s critical to cut out any excess spending. Also work to minimize your debt lo...

If you’re like me, your social-media feeds are jammed with headlines about getting “healthy and fit” in the new year. Of course, they’re referring to diet and exercise and common resolutions to drop pounds and work out more often. But it’s just as important to be concerned about your financial fitness—where you can also drop some baggage and get some strength training without going near a gym. (In fact, if you have a subscription to a gym membership but aren’t going, that’s one financial fix you can make right now.) Here are some tips to consider for any age: IN YOUR 20s: Workout: Have a portion of each paycheck deposited into your savings account, or take advantage of bank programs that “round up” or have other automated savings features. Trust me, you won’t feel this burn. Diet: Start making coffee at home or at the office instead of going for expensive lattes. Fewer calories, and more money in your pocket. This is a good time to consider getting  life insurance  (whether yo...

We get it: No one wants to think about death—for us or the ones we love. And a lot of people equate life insurance with death. And while it IS there if the worst were to happen, it can also do so many other things, and doesn’t have to break your budget while doing it. Check out these great reasons to consider life insurance: 1. It’s part of a sound financial plan. Insufficient coverage has severe consequences for many families. Our  2019 Insurance Barometer  found that four in 10 households without any life insurance would have immediate trouble paying living expenses if their primary wage earner died. Life insurance helps with planning for your loved ones’ long-term health and happiness, providing you with peace of mind that your loved ones are financially protected. If someone would suffer financially when you die, you need life insurance just like you need a savings or checking account. The money from the policy’s death benefit can help your family meet many important finan...

Underwriting, premiums, contestability period — terms like these can make insurance words seem like a foreign language.  Fortunately, a good insurance professional can help you make sense of it all. So can the definitions below. We explained them in recognition of Financial Literacy Month. Read on to understand some commonly misunderstood insurance words. 16 Commonly Misunderstood Insurance Words Accelerated death benefit:   An accelerated death benefit, often as a rider (see below) to a policy, lets you use some of the life insurance death benefit before you die. This is an option if you’re terminally ill. People often use the accelerated death benefit to pay off debt, cover hospice costs or take a special trip with their families.   Annuity:  These are financial instruments that some insurance companies offer that allow you to save money on a tax-favored basis and create an income for life. You choose one that meets your needs, such as how you will pay for it ...

Scott Rider is one of the most optimistic and energetic people you could meet. He’s an avid biker, engaged in his community, and loves nothing more than to spend time with his family. He also needs help tying his shoes. At 47, this Olympic-caliber runner, athlete, businessman, husband, and father found out he has Parkinson’s disease. So much in his life has changed in the years since he’s been living with this degenerative disease. But one thing hasn’t: his financial well-being. He credits disability insurance with making that possible. You can  watch his story here . You see,  disability insurance  is there if you get sick or injured and are unable to work. It replaces a portion of your income until you recover and can return to work. Or in Scott’s case, the payments continue for the rest of his working career since he will never be able to return to the job he loved. Many people don’t think about getting this important—but often overlooked—insurance. Scott is a big advo...