Do you have enough life insurance? Really?

A few weeks ago I asked my Facebook followers if they had enough life insurance and, if not, what was preventing them from getting more.

Only two people mentioned cost. Many of the rest weren’t sure how much they needed or where they could turn for objective, unbiased help. A few were pretty confident they had enough insurance…although in reality they may have needed more.

The two most important questions to ask about life insurance are, “Do I need it? And if so, how much do I need?” The answers to those questions trump all other considerations—regardless of what your friendly insurance agent might be trying to sell you.

Here’s what you need to know:

If you have financial dependents, you need life insurance. Minor children are financial dependents. So is a spouse or partner who needs your income to pay the mortgage. Stay-at-home parents need coverage, too, since a surviving parent would likely have to hire childcare help. Some people have elderly parents who rely on them for income or caregiving or both; those people need coverage as well.

If you need life insurance, you probably need a lot. As in five to 10 times your income. The amount will vary according to your earnings, your savings and estimated future expenses, so it’s worth taking the time to get a more personalized estimate. MSN has a life insurance needs calculator here. Bankrate has one here.

Social Security survivors benefits probably won’t be enough. Social Security can provide checks to your survivors, but they won’t replace your income and they have limits. Social Security survivor benefits end at 18 or 19 for the child, while parental benefits (the check a surviving parent gets for caring for a covered child) end when child is 16. Widow’s or widower’s benefits typically don’t start until age 60. You can see what your estimated survivor benefits are at http://www.ssa.gov/estimator/

Insurance you buy through work usually isn’t portable. Many employers provide a life insurance benefit equal to your annual salary, and some allow you to buy more coverage. This may be the most economical way to buy life insurance if you have health issues or other risk factors, but the big downside is that the policy is tied to the job. Lose your job, lose your coverage. If you can, it often makes sense to buy at least some coverage independently.

Permanent insurance is for permanent needs, which most people don’t have. Term insurance covers you for a certain time period, usually 10, 20 or 30 years. Permanent insurance is meant to provide you coverage for life. Insurance agents love to sell permanent insurance, which often has some pretty cool features. The problem is that the premiums can be 10 times what an equivalent amount of term insurance costs. Remember, if you need life insurance, you need to get enough life insurance. Settling for too little coverage could leave your family in a real hole. If you do have a permanent need for insurance—you have a special needs child or an estate-planning issue that requires it—talk to a fee-only financial planner about your options. Otherwise, shop for term insurance at places like Accuquote or Insure.com.

A health insurance shopping site that actually works

Health claim formYou don’t have to wait for the federal government to fix the Obamacare Web site to learn about your insurance options.

HealthSherpa is the creation of three guys who actually seem to know how to program. Instead of fighting your way through confusing interfaces, legalese and a long sign-up process, you just type in your Zip Code and bam! Your options start to show up.

HealthSherpa allows you to modify your results by the number of family members and your income (which determines whether you get subsidies to cut the cost–most people do).

HealthSherpa doesn’t have the links to Social Security and the IRS that would allow you to sign up for a plan directly on the site. But it does offer links and phone numbers to insurers that can help you sign up once you pick a plan.

If only Kathleen Sebelius had hired these guys in the first place…

UPDATE: As commenter Kitty notes below, you’ll still need to go through Healthcare.gov to sign up for coverage if you want the subsidies and other cost reductions available through Obamacare. The HealthSherpa site allows you to see and explore your options, which should make signing up a bit easier.

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No spouse, no kids. Time to cancel life insurance?

Dear Liz: I am 43 and divorced. I have a mortgage and an auto payment. I fully fund my 401(k) each year and am funding a Roth IRA. I also have emergency savings of $30,000 and a term life insurance policy for $350,000. What I don’t have is children or a spouse. I am thinking of canceling the policy, but is this a good idea?

Answer: The most important question to answer about life insurance is whether you need it. If no one is financially dependent on you, the answer is probably no.

Then again, canceling your policy is a bet that your life isn’t going to change — that you won’t someday have a partner who may need your income to pay the mortgage or other expenses, for example. If you’ve canceled your policy, you may find it difficult — not to mention more expensive — to get similar coverage later.

Term insurance is typically fairly cheap. Current quotes for a $350,000 30-year level term policy for a woman your age are typically between $40 and $60 a month. You’ll have to weigh whether the savings is worth what you’d be giving up.

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Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Is your dog blacklisted by insurers?

Dog teethMy column today, “10 dog breeds that rile insurers up,” discusses how your pet’s breed could cause some companies to deny coverage or charge you more.

The breeds include various types of terriers commonly called “pit bulls,” as well as Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Cane Corso and Mastiffs.

These so-called “breed lists” aren’t used by all insurers and tend to change as the types of dogs involved in attacks change (something that’s often related to breed popularity). There’s a reason that “nippy” dogs such as Chihuahuas and dachshunds aren’t on these lists: although they may be more likely to bite, they can’t do the damage that a bigger breed can. The average insurance claim for a dog bite is nearly $30,000, which implies a whole lot of pain.

If you own a dog that’s on an insurer’s breed list, or if you simply want to avoid expensive lawsuits and the possibility of harming others, there are plenty of ways to reduce your liability to dog bite claims. Among them:

Shop around. Every insurer has different criteria, so getting quotes from a number of different companies can help dog owners find coverage. An insurance broker who is knowledgeable about various insurers’ policies can help with the search. Larger insurers may be more accommodating than smaller ones. For example: State Farm, the largest homeowners insurance company, says it does not discriminate by breed but does require dog owners to answer questions about their animals’ history and behavior.

Spay and neuter. Sexually intact dogs are more likely to bite than spayed or neutered animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mind your kids. Don’t leave infants or young children alone with any dog, the CDC advises. Teach children not to approach unfamiliar dogs and to remain still if approached by dogs they don’t know, or to roll up into a ball and stay motionless if knocked down by a dog. (If an unfamiliar dog is leashed and with its owner, make sure your child asks the owner first if the dog is friendly and if it’s okay to approach. Your child should know to let the dog sniff first before petting.) Kids should be taught not to disturb dogs that are eating, sleeping or tending puppies. Most dog bites occur “during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs,” according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, so be vigilant about how your child behaves with dogs. Don’t let a child or anyone else tease or threaten a dog.

Don’t encourage aggression. Wrestling or even tug-of-war can trigger aggressive behavior in your pet. Dogs that have already demonstrated such behavior (lunging, biting)  “are inappropriate in households with children,” the CDC notes. Yes, such dogs can be trained, but the risk to your kids is too high.

Socialize and train your dog. The CDC recommends teaching all dogs “submissive behaviors,” such as rolling over to expose their belly and giving up food without growling. Training can help with these behaviors and others that can make dog ownership easier. Shelters and pet stores are two places to look for low-cost training. Use a leash in public so you can control your dog, the AVMA advises.

Dog bites are no joke. They send some 800,000 Americans every year to emergency rooms and other medical providers for treatment, according to the AVMA. Half of those victims are children, since kids are much more likely to be seriously injured if bit. (I was going to include a photo of what a dog bite did to a young girl’s arm, but decided it was just too graphic.) Senior citizens are the next most common victims.

So do the right thing. Your dog–and your neighbors–are counting on you to be a responsible owner.

 

 

 

“Cheap” insurance could cost more in the long run

Dear Liz: My homeowners insurance just went up 25%. I’ve made no claims and made no changes. I want to get quotes from other providers, but I’m afraid I’m going to get some type of “teaser” rate. I tried changing companies a few years ago and the rate was good, but when it came time for the renewal, they doubled the price! Again, I made no changes nor had any claims. So, now I want to change, but I’m afraid of falling into the same trap. Any suggestions?

Answer: You can’t assume you’re locking in a low rate for life when you buy homeowners insurance. Companies that want to expand their market share may lower their prices awhile to lure customers away from their competitors, then raise premiums when their claims costs go up or they simply want to cut their risk.

The company’s reputation for customer service should be at least as important a factor as price in your decision-making. Check the complaint surveys that many state insurance departments maintain on their websites to see which companies have the best (and worst) reputations.

One way to reduce your homeowner premium is to increase your deductible. Raising the amount you pay out of pocket from $250 to $1,000 can lower your premiums 25%. You should be paying small damages out of pocket anyway, since filing small claims can cause your rates to rise.

You also should shop around every few years, even if a company doesn’t dramatically raise your rates, to make sure you’re getting a decent deal. But again, chasing the lowest-cost insurance could be only a short-term win — an insurer that charges slightly more could be the more stable, and consumer-friendly, choice.