A new survey finds more than one-third of Iowans do not have a life insurance policy.
AAA-Iowa spokesman Nick Jarmusz says most of us don’t like to think about our own mortality, but it’s essential to have a plan in place for the inevitable. “No matter who you are, if you run into a catastrophic situation where you have a serious injury or a death, there are going to be expenses that are associated with that that someone is going to have to pay,” Jarmusz says. “That life insurance policy can help cover those costs so that you’re not burdening others with them.”
The survey found 36% of Iowans have no life insurance. While many people don’t have a policy or don’t have enough coverage, Jarmusz notes it only takes one accident or terminal illness to leave your family in serious financial trouble.
“If you’re married and you have a family, you’re the head of a household, certainly, you’re going to need more coverage because you’re going to want to replace the lost income that you had been earning to support your family,” Jarmusz says. “Even as a single person, there will still be expenses associated with those events that you’re not going to want to pass along to your friends and loved ones.”
A common misconception is that life insurance is too expensive, but he says policies can be tailored for practically any financial situation. “If it’s outside your budget, trying to get some coverage instead of no coverage is going to be better,” Jarmusz says. “You can work with an agent to find coverage that’s affordable and can still provide some relief and some coverage for the expenses that could come up.” Jarmusz says a 35-year-old woman in excellent health who never used nicotine may get $100,000 of coverage for as little as $8 per month.