• “It’s too costly.”

• “My wife will re-marry.”

• “I’m in good health.”

• “It will never happen to me.”

• “I’ll do it later.”

We buy insurance to protect against risks that would have devastating financial impacts. We have medical insurance because of the huge cost of major medical expenses. We buy homeowner’s insurance, because if our house burned down and was un-insured, few of us could afford to rebuild our home and to replace all of the contents.

Why bother buying life insurance? Because the unexpected does happen. Accidents happen. Serious illnesses strike unexpectedly. Buy life insurance because you love your family and it would be devastating to them if you were suddenly not around.

What can life insurance do for your survivors? Some uses of life insurance include:

• Providing cash flow or income for your family.

• Paying for medical expenses of a lingering illness.

• Providing income for mortgage or rent payments.

• Providing money for an education for your children.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that premature death happens. People die at young ages and leave families behind. If you scan the obituaries, you will regularly see situations where men and women in their 30s, 40s and 50s have died.

While men traditionally often have the larger income, increasingly women are the primary breadwinners or in a single parent role they may be the only income source. What happens when the primary breadwinner dies and there is little or no life insurance?

As financial counselors, we groan at these situations, knowing that some simple term life insurance would have made all of the difference. Life insurance proceeds could have provided a cushion for the survivors and could have made the mortgage payments. Put yourself in our shoes. Imagine trying to help a widow who can’t afford to bury her husband and will have to sell the home quickly because there isn’t enough money for house payments.

Let’s face it. You and I are not immortal. We work, we enjoy the company of friends and family, we enjoy some recreation or fun, and we try and do some good things along the way during our lives. We never know when the final bell will ring for us and we won’t be around.

If you were suddenly out of the picture, what would happen to your family? Would they have enough income to live on? Would they be able to rebuild their lives? If you’re not sure, call your insurance person or financial planner right now.