S.J. asks from Gordonsville, VA on March 07, 2009
Should I Get Life Insurance for My Baby?
I have a 14 month old daughter. I am wondering if I should get a small life insurance policy on her, god forbid anything were to happen. I just read on the internet conflicting opinions on the matter. Some say why do you need life insurance on someone who is not bringing in an income to the family and others say life insurance is great in the event of death and it won't leave the family grieving and fincially strapped. I am wondering if any of you lovely laddies have life insurance on your little ones. If so, who did you go through to get the policy and for how much (ex. $10,000, $15,000, etc...). Thank you in advance for your help.
1 mom found this helpful
So What Happened?™
Well after thinking about it and seeing all the responses I bought a small policy of $10,000 with Gerber Life. Hopefully I will never have to use it. Thank you for all of the advice!
More Answers
T.F. answers from Washington DC on March 08, 2009
I would highly recommend purchasing the insurance. We purchased a policy for our daughter through Gerber Life almost immediately after her birth. Total yearly costs for this policy have only been about $60-$70 per year. I also like Gerber because there are different payment options (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually). It's one less thing I have to worry about & it helps me to sleep at night.
Good luck in your search.
K.L. answers from Norfolk on March 08, 2009
You can get the Gerber Grow Up Plan. Its a good one. www.gerberlife.com
Life insurance is not just to compensate for a lost family members income and possibly pay off outstanding debt but its also helpful in paying some of the costs of a burial as well.
N.B. answers from Washington DC on March 08, 2009
Hi, S. - Yes, we had it on our girls. I think it is smart, for the reasons that others have already contributed. I recommend Brian Chippi: ###-###-####. Great guy, not pushy, helpful - give him a call; I'm sure he'd be happy to help you in making some decisions. Good luck! N.
E.F. answers from Richmond on March 08, 2009
Hi S.,
My husband and I went through the same thing a few years back. We decided to get a whole life insurance policy on each of our kids not in the case of death but for the future when it will be harder to get insurance policies. I have a blood disorder and my husbands family has high blood pressure and bad hearts because of this we were concerned that they might not be able to qualify later in life. With their insurance policies they can buy up to $250,000 and never be turned down. Remember we are not raising children we are raising little adults what will they be faced with when they become adults. Good luck!!
E.
D.D. answers from Washington DC on March 08, 2009
Dear S.:
When my first son was born, my insurance agent talked me into a life insurance policy for him. It was for $25000 and was one that I could add extra cash to and earn dividends. That was the real reason I got it - so that it could grow with him. Tragically, I lost my beautiful little boy unexpectedly when he was only 18 months old. The life insurance helped to pay for the funeral expenses and also allowed me to take time off work to cope/grieve. I've since had two more children, and they both have life insurance policies as well (also the kind that I add the extra cash to each month). God forbid I hope I NEVER have to use them, but the kids will at least have that much life insurance when they go out on their own. And, I think it works that the cash value that is built up will mean that they will be completely paid for by the time they are 18 or 21 (I have to check the policy), so they won't even have to pay the premiums.
R.A. answers from Norfolk on March 08, 2009
We had rider on our policy for all 3 daughters. It was only for $7,000, but it stayed in effect until age 25 as long as they lived at home. Unfortunately, we had to use it for our youngest, who died at age 20. Believe me, even if they're not contributing to the family budget, a funeral and marker cost around $7,000. That does not include the plot and vault. You could go cheaper, but that is a good average. Unless you have that "extra" I think a small policy is a good idea. In fact, I've purchased a Gerber Grow-up policy for each of our grandchildren.
K.S. answers from Washington DC on March 08, 2009
I would get one, but not for the obvious reason (i.e., to pay expenses if something happened to her, God forbid). Many child policies are guaranteed renewable & offer the child opportunities to buy additional insurance at certain ages. This is important should your child develop an illness or choose a profession which would otherwise render her uninsurable. You don't need a huge policy-$15k would probably work, but make sure you look for one with the features I mentioned. Sometimes your insurer will allow you to add her & any subsequent children in a rider to your policy. Just make sure to check the terms and conditions. A good agent can really help you. Good luck.
K.L. answers from Washington DC on March 08, 2009
Its definitely a good thing to have. I have two friends who have lost children (one was born with a heart condition and they knew he wouldn't survive; the other died from complications of the croup). Both families had to pay out of pocket for funeral expenses because they didn't have life insurance for the baby.
My husband and I have bought a small policy for our son through an auto loan that covers expenses if death is incurred while in one of our vehicles. We are buying a house this summer and will be purchasing bigger policies for all three of us.
Many policy that you purchase for children are paid in full when they turn 21. My parents have one that they purchased for me as a child and its been paid in full. I have the option of increasing its value at any time without needing a physical or anything like that.
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