One of the most common reasons for buying life insurance is to replace the loss of income that would occur in the event of your death.

When you die and your paychecks stop, your family may be left with limited resources. Proceeds from a life insurance policy make cash available to support your family almost immediately upon your death.

Life insurance is also commonly used to pay any debts that you may leave behind. Life insurance can be used to pay off mortgages, car loans and credit card debts, leaving other remaining assets intact for your family. Life insurance proceeds can also be used to pay for final expenses and estate taxes. Finally, life insurance can create an estate for your heirs.

How much life insurance do you need?

Your life insurance needs will depend on a number of factors, including whether you’re married, the size of your family, the nature of your financial obligations, your career stage, and your goals. For example, when you’re young, you may not have a great need for life insurance. However, as you take on more responsibilities and your family grows, your need for life insurance increases.

There are plenty of tools to help you determine how much coverage you should have. Your best resource may be a financial professional, although there is no assurance that working with a financial professional will improve results. At the most basic level, the amount of life insurance coverage that you need typically corresponds to your answers to these questions:

What immediate financial expenses (e.g., debt repayment, funeral expenses) would your family face upon your death?

How much of your salary is devoted to current expenses and future needs?

How long would your dependents need support if you were to die tomorrow?

How much money would you want to leave for special situations upon your death, such as funding your children’s education, gifts to charities or an inheritance for your children?

Since your needs may change over time, you’ll need to continually re-evaluate your need for coverage.

How much life insurance can you afford?

How do you balance the cost of insurance coverage with the amount of coverage that your family needs? Just as several variables determine the amount of coverage that you need, many factors determine the cost of coverage. The type of policy that you choose, the amount of coverage, your age, and your health all play a part. The amount of coverage you can afford is tied to your current and expected future financial situation, as well. A financial professional or insurance agent could help you select the right insurance coverage.

By Stacy Bush

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