Value of a Homemaker and the Importance of Life Insurance

There are several mistakes people tend to make when deciding on life insurance coverage but one of the most common ones involve deciding on who needs insurance and how much should they be covered for. A glaring example out here concerns married couples that only decide to insure the breadwinner or working member of the family. Yes, insurance is taken out for all the right reasons – to cover funeral expenses, to repay outstanding debts, to look after the children’s education, all in the case of the untimely death and absence of the wage earner. But, what about the parent who stays at home – to look after the house and the children? Most of the times, the homemaker is given the short shrift and passed over in terms of insurance on the grounds that he/she is not a contributing member to the family’s expenses. But this couldn’t be further away from the truth than possible. Read on to know more about the value of a homemaker and importance of his/her life insurance.

Losing a spouse can have a severe impact on the emotional and financial life of a family. And if the death was an untimely one, the absence can be all the more devastating. In the event that the stay at home parent was the one who died, adjusting to life after the loss can be quite a feat. It is at this time that the value of the homemaker comes to the fore. Suddenly the family is overcome by chores and tasks such as cooking, cleaning, childcare, laundry, carpooling, and shopping. The day to day running of a household takes time and effort that can also add up to a significant cost if these same services are outsourced to professionals. In order to ensure that your family lives as comfortably as possible, it is therefore imperative for even the stay at home parent to be insured.

When deciding on the amount of coverage required for the homemaker’s insurance, here are some important factors to be considered:

• Covering childcare expenses – If you have young children, think about how much you will end up spending on childcare in your absence. Even if they are of school going age, you might have to consider after school care or other extra curricular activities. If the wage earner of the family works a five day week at work and spends a significant amount of time commuting to and from office, you will need to factor in all these details to reach a realistic number to spend on the amount of day care hours needed and how much it would cost. Take all these expenses into consideration when deciding on the amount of coverage you require.
• Maintaining a lifestyle – When the homemaker of the family dies, the family is often left floundering. Suddenly juggling a host of daily chores and duties, expenses could rise due to the need to outsource certain services such as laundry, cleaning, etc. A life insurance policy could help cover these added costs and you can rest easy knowing that your family will be taken care of even if you are not there.
• Looking after the children’s education – A life insurance policy is the perfect vehicle to cover the costs of your children’s education. With the ever-increasing growth rate of tuition fees over the years, this is something every parent hopes to plan for and life insurance might be the best way to ensure that your children go to college and at least some part of the expenses (if not all) may be covered by your foresight in purchasing a life insurance policy.
• Leaving behind an inheritance – As a parent, there is nothing that you wouldn’t do for your children. You always want them to have the best and hope that you can save enough for them along the way. Buying an insurance policy is way to build up a nest egg for your children to use when they need it the most. You may not be around but you still have ways to help your family, even in your absence.
• Looking after funeral expenses – The price tags associated with funerals nowadays is frankly shocking. Without the buffer of an insurance policy that is paid out at the time of your death, many families would not be able to afford a funeral at all. Ask around and include burial costs and the like into your coverage amount.

There is no need to be conditioned into believing that the worth of an individual is measured by the income he or she generates. In a family, the homemaker is as much a contributor as the wage earner and the financial losses suffered in his or her absence indicate just this. Therefore for a little extra money each month, both members of the family should be adequately insured and peace of mind can be thus assured.