Talking To Your Adult Children About Insurance

Just because your millennial child is living on their own or perhaps even raising children of their own, that doesn’t mean important parent-child conversations should stop. And this also includes the important protection conversation. Use the following tips to get the conversation rolling.

LIFE INSURANCE

Talk to your millennial child about the importance of considering life insurance as soon as their budget allows. The benefits of your millennial child getting life insurance include:

  • Both term and whole life insurance offer death benefit protection for dependents and financial obligations
  • Rates are based on age and health history, so for many, the younger you are, the cheaper your rates will be
  • Whole life insurance offers many living benefits by building cash value, which can provide the opportunity to use it to help purchase a home, pay for education, and start a business

DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE

Talk to your millennial child about the importance of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst when it comes to possible accidents or illnesses that can affect their ability to earn a paycheck. Disability income insurance can provide the following benefits:

  • Protection for a portion of their income in the event of an accident, injury or illness
  • Replace more of their income, potentially up to two-thirds of it, than an employer group benefit alone may provide
  • Help them and their families to continue meeting financial obligations even when they are not able to receive a paycheck

BUILDING A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS

Approximately one out of every four millennials have $100,000 or more in savings. That doesn’t mean they have large quantities of money in their bank accounts. Instead, that money includes money they have invested into retirement savings, like a 401(k) fund. For those who don’t, it might seem like an unfeasible task to put money away consistently—but explain that if they do so, they will be set up for greater financial confidence:

  • During 2019, millennials represented 36 percent of homebuyers—building a significant savings account helps them avoid missing payments
  • Nearly 50 percent of millennials carry credit card debt, and having a savings account could prevent them from damaging their credit if they can’t make payments
  • Millennials owe an average of $40,000 in debts and could benefit from working with a financial professional to help reduce or eliminate it8

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START

It doesn’t matter where your millennial child is in their life, as recent college grads or new homeowners and parents. Now is the time to have discussions with them about how to help protect their financial future. In doing so, you can make them privy to important topics, including why it’s essential to plan ahead now by considering life insurance, the benefits of disability income insurance, and how to start building their savings.

Related: Using Term Life Insurance as a Protective Measure