The milestone events in our lives are usually the ones that give us the greatest joy. However, they can also be associated with dramatic changes so it is a good time to make sure we are protected financially.
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For most of us, our lives are characterised by an increasing amount of responsibility from the start of our working lives up to the time our children leave home and spread their own wings.
As we go on this journey and as we seek to provide the best lifestyle for those we care about, there are certain events that will signal a dramatic leap in financial responsibility. Responding to these changes in the right way is critical to maintaining our financial independence and family security.
Let’s look at these key events to shed some more light on how we can protect ourselves and those we love.
The great Australian dream
It is still the dream of most Australian families to own their own home and put their ‘roots down’, so that they can create a comfortable and secure lifestyle. The day you sign on the dotted line of your mortgage document, you also take on a financial responsibility that is dependent on your ability to earn income.
Chances are that once you buy a home you are not going to want to give that home up if sudden death of a partner occurs or if an illness or injury stops you from earning income temporarily or permanently.
That means it is more vital than ever to insure properly to cover the value of the mortgage as a basis for the security of that asset and your lifestyle.
All in the family
The birth of a child, perhaps more than any other event, gives us a sense of responsibility and awareness of the preciousness of life. It also bring the joys – and sometimes challenges – of caring and providing for them.
The last thing that any of us would want to do is to put the welfare and security of our own offspring at risk. However, the reality is that as soon as a child is born a financial liability is created that can turn out to be a disaster if it is not matched with adequate insurances.
This cover is not only for immediate needs, such as paying off a mortgage, but it needs to replace income for the entire period that your children are dependent on you for food, shelter, education and the things that you want them to have in life.
As you can imagine, this can mount up to a massive amount, so it’s important to get professional help to properly assess the type and extent of cover needed.
Climbing the ladder
It’s not uncommon these days for many of us to change jobs several times over the course of our career. These changes can often be motivated by the prospect of gaining a higher level of income.
Have you ever noticed, however, that the more you earn the more you tend to spend? Our lifestyles and spending patterns generally grow along with our income growth and for most people, once they have achieved a particular lifestyle they don’t want to give it up.
This means that our personal insurance must be constantly reviewed each time we step up in income to ensure that we have reduced so far as possible the risk of having to take a backward step in lifestyle, no matter what life throws at us.
After all, we are only human!
As we get older we all gain a greater sense of our mortality and the randomness of life, where illness and injury can strike when least expected. As our responsibilities grow at each of life’s milestones, it is vital that we don’t gamble on our future security.
Having a trusted financial planner can help us properly manage the financial protection we need along the way. In fact, it may be the most important financial decision we ever make. Call to action
Do you have any friends or family member whose lives have been affected by a sudden illness or injury? How did they cope financially? Join the conversation.