What No One Wants To Talk About: Planning For the Unthinkable.

Imagine being 34 years old, the father of five young children. You are young, strong, invincible. Suddenly, thanks to an eighth of an inch long piece of fencing wire being propelled from the blade of a lawn mower into your neck, you are paralyzed from the neck down. You are told you will never walk again. Never be able to provide for your stay-at-home wife and those five children you love so much. This is what happened to my father when I was twelve years old. He was standing on the porch, leaning over talking to me, when suddenly he fell to the ground. Our lives would never be the same. Of all the things rapidly changing around us, one thing we did not think of is the fact that going forward it would be difficult to get him a new life insurance policy since his health had so drastically changed. If it were not for the term policy he had already purchased that he was able to convert to whole life, there would have been no safety net for our family in the event he died after the term ended. Life insurance is not something most people want to talk about, but I have always been a very vocal advocate of it. When MassMutual offered to compensate me to promote their Convertible Term Policy, I jumped at the opportunity!

Though my parents did not have much money back then, deciding to purchase that policy for my dad was one of the best decisions they could have made. For my husband and I, we run a business that is dependent on my husband. If something were to happen to him tomorrow, I would have no way of supporting our four children in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed. We have seen this happen several times. About five years ago, we had a family friend tragically pass away. He was 27 years old with a stay-at-home wife who homeschooled their two children. Because they bought into the mindset that 'your chances of dying young are so slim, it is not worth the cost each month,' they had no life insurance in place. After his sudden, unexpected death, out of financial necessity, she went to work and placed her kids in school, something he would have never wanted. If money is tight, know that for as little as $10 a month, you can help ensure your family has some protection in place.

There are people who, while they can easily afford it, do not feel it is necessary. Whether it is because they are young, in good health, stubborn, do not want to face their mortality or whatever their reasoning may be, they do not take the time to put a policy into place. Last year, my husband's father unexpectedly passed away at 61. His wife was in her late 40's, and together, they had a 14-year-old old son. If he had not had a life insurance policy in place, his wife and son would not have been able to stay in the home he had built for them, and she would not be able to support them on her teacher's salary. We were all so grateful to have the policy to help with funeral expenses and to have the peace of mind that our step-mother and brother would be okay financially. Think about the people in your life and how they would live if something happened to you. Is it important to you that your spouse is home with your kids? Do you want them to be able to continue living in the beautiful home that means so much to you? Life insurance is one way of making sure those you love are not only taken care of but can continue the type of life you would want for them to live.

Why am I talking about life insurance? Well, as I already stated, I have always been a very vocal advocate of it. We make sure Daniel is insured at all times with a policy that can be converted to whole life if needed. However, as we are building this new house, our obligations are changing. While we have enough coverage to protect our current lifestyle, adding a new home means we need to reevaluate our current policy and make sure there is enough protection to pay off the house if something were to happen to one of us. The bank requires you to insure the home itself but if you want to ensure your families' ability to stay in that home you want to make sure you have enough life insurance to make that possible.If you are considering purchasing life insurance for your family, whether you have none in place, need additional coverage or a different kind of coverage, MassMutual Direct Term Insurance makes it so easy via a simple and intuitive online application process! For those between the ages of 18 and 64, coverage ranges from $100,000 to $3,000,000 (subject to restrictions).

If cost is the primary issue, term life insurance may be a great option. Term life is affordable with premiums payments remaining the same for the amount of time that works best for you. For example, if you have a 20-year mortgage, you could get a 20-year term policy to have extra coverage in place for the duration of your loan. Depending on your age, if your needs or life change, like my dad's did, you may have the option to convert to a permanent life insurance policy, many times without any medical questions or exams during the conversion period, which is years 2-10, (depending on your age). Converting also allows you to access different types of permanent life insurances that are designed to last one's lifetime and builds cash value.The great thing about MassMutual is they have a 165+ year legacy of helping people protect the ones they love! Applying is such a simple process! I walked through all the steps myself, and it was a way easier process than the last time we applied! With just some basic information, they will get you a quote right away. You choose which option is best for you and your family and fill out the simple online application. It should take about 25 minutes, and in most cases, you'll get a decision instantly! They email you a link to sign documents online, and you are covered, subject to underwriting approval. In many cases, you will need a medical exam to finalize. So if you were already considering getting a life insurance policy or adding additional coverage, or if I convinced you how important it is, definitely consider MassMutual. It will give you so much peace of mind knowing you have put plans in place to help your family continue the standard of living that is important to you, even if you are no longer there to provide for them.

MassMutual Convertible Term is a term life insurance policy (ICC18TFC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111.