Life Insurance
Insurance 101
Live Chat
Sign In
Apply Now
Life Insurance

5 Reasons to Get Life Insurance Now

By Jake Bronstein Jun 23, 2017

In this article

1. There Are People Depending on You

2. It’s Better to Buy When You're Healthy

3. Technology Makes It Easier Than Ever

4. Your Friends Are (Probably) Doing It

5. It Feels Great

If you financially support anyone in your life, you probably want to make sure they’d be fine even if you were no longer around. That’s where life insurance comes in.

What is life insurance, exactly? It’s an agreement between you, the policyholder, and an insurance company. According to that agreement, if you pass away while the policy is in force, the insurer will provide a certain amount of money to people you’ve chosen (this is your life insurance beneficiary).

Your loved ones can use this money however they want. For example, this “death benefit” can contribute to daily living expenses like rent or mortgage, pay off debt such as student loans or a car loan, cover final expenses for the person who passed away, fund a child’s college education and more.

There’s never been a better day than today to get life insurance checked off your list. Here are five great reasons why.

1. There Are People Depending on You

As long as there are people depending on you, it’s important to make a plan for them financially in case something were to happen to you. If you weren't around anymore, how would your spouse support the family? Who would pay for your children's college education?

One of the most common reasons people get life insurance is because they have started a family and want to make sure their children will be provided for in the future. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to life insurance for parents, such as the age of your kids and how many years it’ll be until they’re financially independent. Parents will also want to consider whether term or whole life insurance is the best choice for them—term life insurance tends to be much cheaper, and in many cases it’s the best choice for parents because it provides the most coverage for the least cost. 

Dependents aren’t necessarily children, though. For example, if one spouse makes significantly more money than the other, or if they don’t work, it may make sense to get a life insurance policy to make sure they can maintain their standard of living in the other person’s absence. For example, if that person couldn’t keep up with the mortgage payments by themselves, would you want them to be forced to sell the house?

Similarly, if you take care of an aging parent, you may want a policy to make sure they’d get the care they need without you. In this case, you might think about the right term length that would cover them for the rest of their life. For example, if your aging relative is 80 or 90 years old, you might feel confident with a 10-year term life insurance policy. If you are taking care of someone who’s younger, you might choose a 20-year term or even a 30-year term life insurance policy.

2. It’s Better to Buy When You're Healthy

As you get older, your risk of dying increases. As a result, the cost of life insurance will go up over time. On average, a 45-year-old will pay 133% more per year for life insurance compared to an equivalent 25-year-old. (Here’s how much more you’ll pay if you wait to get life insurance.)

Life insurance rates depend on many factors, including your overall health, whether you’re a smoker, your weight, your mental health, and, yes, your age. 

Feeling healthy? Perfect. Now is a great time to buy.

3. Technology Makes It Easier Than Ever

Getting a life insurance policy used to mean meetings with agents, going back and forth over pricing and paperwork, and waiting. Lots and lots of waiting. Then we launched Fabric.

Advanced algorithms help us review your application, which lets us allow most of our applicants to skip a health exam. Accelerated underwriting enables us to approve many applicants without a health exam for medically underwritten policies

The online life insurance application takes around 10 minutes and includes questions on your health, lifestyle, profession, financial situation and more. That ranges from whether you’ve had any medical diagnoses to whether you enjoy skydiving on the weekends.

Best of all, you won’t need to talk to a salesy agent trying to upsell you to more complicated and expensive products that you may not need

4. Your Friends Are (Probably) Doing It

If you’re a parent who’s putting off getting life insurance, you may be comforted by thinking your friends are in the same boat. But just because your friends haven’t told you they got a policy doesn’t mean they didn’t.

In 2021, one study found that more than a third of people plan to get insurance in the next year.

Some people you may not expect might have a policy. For example, while insurance is often positioned as a way to replace someone’s income, stay-at-home parents also need life insurance. After all, if the non-working spouse were to pass away, could the surviving spouse afford childcare? Would they need to step back at work (and potentially take a pay cut) to take on more tasks at home? What about everything else that the at-home parent does, from housework to driving a child to after-school activities?

Similarly, some single people need life insurance for a few different reasons. If you have co-signers on your loans (like parents who put their names on your student loans), those people could be responsible for some or all of your debts after you pass away. To protect them just in case, you might choose to get a policy to cover your debt. You might get an insurance policy for the time and amount left on your mortgage, to ensure that your spouse could afford the house in your absence. If you co-own a business, you might even get a policy to help your co-founder keep the company running through the disruption of your no longer being there.

5. It Feels Great

Being a great parent starts with checking off the basics. You know the relief you feel when you take care of a lingering chore? That’s the feeling that most of our customers report after discovering how easy we make checking life insurance off the list.

Fabric exists to help young families master their money. Our articles abide by strict editorial standards.

Fabric by Gerber Life exists to help young families master their money. Our articles abide by strict editorial standards.

Information provided is general and educational in nature and is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, financial, legal, or tax advice. Laws of a specific state or laws relevant to a particular situation may affect the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of this information. Federal and state laws and regulations are complex and are subject to change. We make no warranties with regard to the information or results obtained by its use, and disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or reliance on, the information.

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a mobile experience for people on-the-go who want an easy and fast way to purchase life insurance.


Written by

Jake Bronstein

Related Posts

Life Insurance

Types of Life Insurance, as Explained by Mom's Favorite TV Shows

Learning about life insurance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s how our favorite TV shows help us understand the types of life insurance.

By Jessica Sillers
Life Insurance

When Not to Get Life Insurance

Life insurance is helpful for a lot of people…but not everyone. In fact, here’s a list of people who shouldn’t bother getting a policy.

By Jessica Sillers
Life Insurance

‘My Life Insurance Costs Four Lattes’: How Much Life Insurance Costs in Real-World Terms

How would life insurance really fit into your budget? Here’s how real quotes compare to actual items you buy through the year.

By Jessica Sillers

Fabric Picks

Life Insurance

Should I Get a No Medical Exam Life Insurance Policy Even If I’m in Good Health?

Several life insurance options exist with no medical exam. If you’re in great health, no-exam term life insurance is likely your best fit.

By Jessica Sillers
Life Insurance

Why Women Need Life Insurance — But Aren’t Getting It

The life insurance gender gap shows that women are less likely to have the coverage they need than men. Explore reasons and ways to close the gap.

By Jessica Sillers
Life Insurance

What It Means to Surrender a Life Insurance Policy—and How to Know If It’s Right for You

If you have a permanent life insurance policy that has a cash value, you might be considering surrendering your policy as a source of cash. That’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

By Jacqui Kenyon
Fabric by Gerber Life Logo

About Fabric

iOS

/

Android

Download Fabric’s iOS mobile app through the Apple App Store
Download Fabric’s android mobile app through the Google Play app store

© 2023 Gerber Life Agency, LLC

Term Life Insurance Policy Series ICC22 2205-4004 WSA and Accelerated Death Benefit Rider policy series ICC22 2205-2623 WSA (and state variations where applicable) issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Cincinnati, OH which operates in DC and all states except NY, and distributed by Gerber Life Agency, LLC using Fabric Technologies. Gerber Life Agency, LLC is an affiliate of Gerber Life Insurance Company (est. 1967). All are members of Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern). Issuance of coverage for Term Life Insurance is subject to underwriting review and approval. Please see a copy of the policy for the full terms, conditions and exclusions. Product provisions, availability, definitions and benefits may vary by state. Payment of benefits under the life insurance policy is the obligation of, and is guaranteed by, the issuing company. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuer. Products are backed by the full financial strength of the issuing company.

All sample pricing is based on a 30-year old F in Excellent health for the coverage amount shown and a 10-year term policy, unless otherwise stated. Gerber Life Agency, LLC (GLA) is an insurance agency licensed to sell life insurance products. GLA will receive compensation from Western-Southern Life Assurance Company for such sales. The NAIC Company Code for Western-Southern Life Assurance Company is 92622.

Western-Southern Life Assurance Company's A+ Superior A.M. Best Rating: Superior ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations (second highest of 13 ratings; rating held since June 2009). Ratings are subject to change from time to time. The ratings shown here are correct as of 09/03/2022. For more information about a particular rating or rating agency, please visit the website of the relevant agency.

Plan like a parent. is a trademark of Fabric Technologies, Inc.

Gerber Life is a registered trademark. Used under license from Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. and Gerber Products Company.

In the State of California, Gerber Life Agency, LLC is known as and does business as Gerber Life Insurance Agency, LLC.

FBGL_A1_0331