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Life insurance isn’t just for working women. All women can benefit from the peace of mind that a policy can provide. That’s why you need to consider life insurance. It can help pay off the mortgage and other debts, cover funeral costs and provide your family with enough money to continue enjoying the standard of life you’ve created for them.
Should women take out life insurance?
Yes. Women should consider taking out life insurance. Whether you’re the main breadwinner or a stay at home parent, you have a lot of financial responsibilities and people relying on you; something life insurance can take care of when you die. You might consider life insurance if you are:
Working
Life insurance can function as income replacement if you die while you’re still working. If you work and have people depending on your income, even if it’s not full-time, it’s particularly important. A policy can pay off debts like your mortgage and car loan, as well as ensure that your family can enjoy the same standard of living if you’re no longer there to pay for things like tuition fees, utilities and food.
A single parent
If you’re a single mum, life insurance can ensure you’re still able to support your child financially. You can even tailor your policy so that your child is able to receive payments in increments over a number of years, rather than as one lump sum payment.
A stay at home parent
If you’re a stay at home parent and you die, your partner would need to hire someone to do all the essential day to day duties you currently do, including child care, housekeeping and transportation. So that they don’t need to reduce their working hours, impacting their income, you need to think about getting a life insurance policy to cover the costs of all these essential household duties.
Single
Even if you don’t have others depending on you, if you die, any debt you leave behind will be passed on to your family. To avoid burdening them with your finances during a particularly difficult time, you can take out a life insurance policy. It’s also a good idea to take it out when you’re younger as you can take advantage of cheap premiums.
A business owner
If you own your own business, a life insurance policy can be used to pay for payroll, operating costs and more while your estate is being settled and ensure your business stays afloat.
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How much does life insurance cost for women?
Women tend to pay less than men for life insurance, largely because they have a longer life expectancy and are less of a risk to insurers. The cost of life insurance depends on factors including age, sex, health, smoking status and your job. The table below gives you an idea of how much you’re likely to pay.
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What are the advantages of life insurance for women?
Some of the pros of life insurance for women include:
- Financial security for your family. Whether you're the primary breadwinner or a stay at home mum, life insurance can safeguard you and your family's future if you're no longer there to look after them.
- Terminal illness benefit. Many policies will pay out the full benefit amount if you are diagnosed with a terminal or critical illness, helping you pay for medical bills and living expenses.
- It's generally cheaper for women. Women tend to pay less than men. For example, a policy with HBF for a non-smoking 25-year-old male was $40.50 compared to $27.69 for a female.
- Life insurance is usually tax-free. Life insurance payouts to your beneficiaries are usually tax-free, meaning if you take out a $1 million dollar policy, that's exactly how much your family will get.
Are there disadvantages of life insurance for women?
Here are some of the cons of a life insurance policy for women.
- It's an added expense. You probably already have lots of bills to worry about and a monthly life insurance payment is simply adding to the pile. The question really comes down to whether you're willing to risk it.
- You need to take some time to look for a policy. It's not the most fun task, but it is necessary to shop around if you do plan to buy.
What types of insurance should women look at getting?
Because there is more than one life-changing thing that can happen to you, there's more than one life insurance type out there. These include:
- Life Insurance. This pays your beneficiaries (generally your family) a lump sum when you die or become terminally ill. It's usually used to pay off the big things: your mortgage, car loan, school fees, and acts like an income you can no longer provide to pay for things like utilities, food and household duties if you're a stay at home parent.
- TPD (Total and Permanent Disability). This pays you a lump sum if you become totally and permanently disabled and can't work again. It's essentially like getting your retirement payment early so you can continue to pay off debts, loans and daily expenses.
- Income Protection Insurance. If you become sick or injured and need to take some time off work, this pays you a monthly income, usually at 75% of your current salary.
- Trauma Insurance. This pays you a lump sum if you're diagnosed with a critical illness or injury. It's helpful to pay for immediate medical expenses, home modifications, rehab and more.
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Bottom line
Whether you're the main breadwinner or a stay at home parent, life insurance can provide financial security and peace of mind. You can begin comparing policies here.
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