As we move through our lives, change is constant. Your health, income, household, and responsibilities can shift from one year to the next. Because change is always happening, it’s a good idea to review your life insurance needs each year. This annual check-in gives you the opportunity to make sure that you have the right kinds of protection in place with coverage levels that are appropriate for your current needs and means.
Quick Links:
When you experience significant life changes, it’s likely that your insurance needs will shift as well. Reviewing your coverage after major changes allows you to continue to provide protection for your loved ones that meets these changing needs. So, in addition to your annual review, there are a few instances where you may want to conduct a reassessment of your life insurance needs and coverage.
The first event that will require an additional review into your policy is any changes within your family. This list could include a wide range of life events, but here are a few that are fairly common.
When you get married or divorced, it’s likely that you will want to change the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. These moves can also change the amount of coverage you need. In the thrill of wedding planning or the torment of divorce proceedings, it can be easy to overlook details like your life insurance policy. Be sure to include it on your to-do list.
When a new child comes into your family, your family’s financial needs suddenly become much greater. The latest USDA estimates suggest that for a child born in 2023, parents can expect to pay anywhere between $16,227 and $18,262 each year to raise that child.
This kind of spending is clearly a huge shift in financial needs, so your life insurance policy might need to be adjusted as well. If you have a whole life insurance policy, consider adding a term life rider to provide added protection while your child is young.
When you’re planning for a birth or adoption, take the time to consider what your expenses will be after the child arrives, both in the short and the long term. If a parent is planning to take time off or scale back work outside the home to care for the child, be sure to account for the reduced income. Also bear in mind that if you want to fund a college education, this cost will be in addition to the estimate cited above.
Sometimes, new household members aren’t children. If you’re caring for a parent or other adult family member who has become disabled, it’s important to assess whether your life insurance coverage will allow them to continue to receive the care they need. That might mean providing for professional long-term care or giving other family members a financial cushion to allow them to take on caregiving responsibilities.
It’s always a good idea to name one or more contingent beneficiaries in case the main beneficiary you name on your life insurance policy dies before, shortly after, or at the same time as you do. This ensures that a loved one will be entitled to receive the benefit from your policy even if you don’t have a chance to make a change following the death of a primary beneficiary.
If a beneficiary dies before you, update your policy as soon as possible. Even if you have already named a contingent or co-beneficiary, you’ll want to name a living person as a primary beneficiary and update contingent and/or co-beneficiaries to ensure that the death benefit is distributed according to your wishes.
Beyond changes within your family, you might come across certain events that also warrant another review of your life insurance policy.
Sometimes, employers provide a certain amount of group life insurance coverage as an employment benefit. While this typically isn’t enough to cover all of an individual’s life insurance needs, it can be part of an overall insurance plan.
If you have life insurance through your employer, make sure you understand whether it will follow you when you’re no longer working there. If not, make a plan to replace the coverage when you need to.
An employment change can also mean a change in income. If you’re moving up (or down) the economic ladder, whether because of a new job, an inheritance, or less fortunate events, assess whether your life insurance coverage is still appropriate. You may need more coverage to protect a higher standard of living, or you may need a new strategy to keep up with premium payments.
A home purchase usually comes with a mortgage, which requires regular payments over a long period of time (often 30 years). Providing enough life insurance to pay off your mortgage protects your family from losing their home in case you can’t be around to make those payments.
The healthier you are, the more affordable life insurance can be. That’s because the underwriting process allows insurance companies to understand how much risk they’re taking on by insuring you—and set your premiums accordingly.
When you’re shopping for life insurance, factors like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure can cost you. Improving your health, on the other hand, could save you money.
If you’ve managed to quit tobacco for at least twelve months, for example, you could be eligible for significantly lower premiums. You could ask your insurer to reconsider your risk classification at this time or simply shop for a new policy using your current health status.
Other health factors that could reduce your life insurance rates include improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, losing weight, and maintaining a healthy BMI for at least a year.
Regular life insurance reviews are essential to ensure that your coverage aligns with your current needs and financial situation, which may ebb and flow with certain life events. Fortunately, these regular reviews allow you to assess whether your current coverage adequately protects yourself and your loved ones. Life events such as marriage, the birth of a child, or purchasing a home may necessitate adjustments to coverage amounts to ensure beneficiaries are sufficiently provided for.
Additionally, life insurance policy reviews help give insight into your policy’s performance. For instance, some life insurance policies may offer various investment or cash value components. Regular reviews allow you to evaluate the performance of these elements and determine if any adjustments are needed to optimize the policy's financial benefits.
If your normal premium payment hasn’t been revisited in a while, then a review of your policy can help determine if you’re getting the most out of your life insurance plan. Over time, premium rates can change due to various factors, including age and health status. A life insurance review means you can evaluate current premium rates and explore options for potentially reducing costs or optimizing benefits.
Further, without regular check-ins with your life insurance agent about policy details, you might miss some important changes. In some cases, policy lapses or terminations can occur unintentionally due to missed payments or administrative errors.
However, regular reviews will help you stay informed about your policy status and take proactive steps to prevent any disruptions in coverage. Plus, you’ll stay up-to-date on any relevant changes that might impact your financial planning strategies.
The bottom line is that regular check-ins with your policy ensure you don’t miss anything and you keep yourself and your family protected with the right coverage. Fortunately, completing a regular policy review is easy with effective planning.
Speaking of planning, if you plan on reviewing your life insurance policy, you can prepare ahead to time to ensure you’re covering all of your bases. With these tips, you’ll be ready to effectively assess your current policy and decide if any adjustments are needed.
First things first, when reviewing your policy, you’ll have to do some prep. For a comprehensive life insurance policy review, it's helpful to gather several key documents. These documents provide valuable information about the policy's terms, coverage, and performance.
A few documents you should have ready to go include:
You can’t make significant changes to your policy without understanding where your coverage currently is. So, there are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
To make sure you have adequate coverage, you’ll need to understand your goals and how they align with your lifestyle. When reviewing your policy, you should determine if the coverage you have makes sense for your needs, especially after a big event, such as a new marriage, buying a home, changing jobs, or entering retirement.
When it comes to life insurance, there are a lot of details that can quickly become overwhelming. So, it’s always best to meet with your life insurance agent to discuss the ins and outs of your policy and receive some professional advice about your next steps.
If you are looking to discuss your life insurance policy further, or understand your options for obtaining coverage, ELCO Mutual has a team of independent insurance agents who are ready to help. For more information on life insurance products, reach out to one of our independent agents today!