“I’VE never felt so vulnerable about this disease until now”, I told my neurologist in an unusually poignant voice.
Diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (simply called lupus) in September 2007, I have managed to conquer the physical and emotional odds of having the rare, chronic and debilitating disease and I have a great family support system to be thankful for.
I decided to go public on this, not only to create awareness on the disease that killed former Philippine President Marcos but to share what I would consider the most prudent financial decision I’ve assured of myself for my family prior to the diagnosis that could secure my children’s future- a great amount of life insurance.
Life insurance is insuring against the many risks of life. We could use the events of September 11 as a stark reminder of sudden loss of lives though these sudden losses of lives do happen every day, every minute. Life insurance is designed more so if you have children under 18 years old but it is also a great help for those depending on your paycheck or income.
Unfortunately, for a lot of families, when faced with financial crisis, it’s the life insurance that is usually dismissed from the family budget. For others who don’t have it, they don’t realize its value until it’s too late. I have been very adamant in reminding my husband that regardless of circumstances, the life insurance payments are first and foremost in our budget. It is a must –have, not a choice. In fact, life insurance is the core of a sound financial plan. We have 2 minor children who will greatly benefit from the proceeds.
About 4 years ago, a woman approached me in my kiosk at the mall while I was still in the business of financial planning. She said her husband passed away, she’s left with 3 minor children and debt from funeral expenses. Her grief is now compounded with having to struggle on how to support these minor children all by herself, lest to pay the funeral expenses, since the decedent husband didn’t leave anything for them to rely on.
No longer in the financial planning field, I will remain a great advocate of life insurance. It is life insurance that gives me peace of mind that my family will be secured in the future.
The key is keeping a great amount of life insurance while the children are young. You won’t need as much when they are financially independent. If squeezing premium payments in your tight budget is an issue, term life is a great choice.
Ask yourself this question, “What will happen to your family when you die today?” Are you ready? Insure yourself not for yourself, but for your family.
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Evangeline is a California registered tax preparer, a legal document assistant for the general public, and a freelance paralegal offering assistance to various attorneys. She can be reached at her office at 2451 Colorado Blvd. #2, Eagle Rock, CA 90041 or at her marketing location inside the Eagle Rock Plaza. Her phone number is (323) 550-1869 or you can check her website at: www.evangelinegiron.net. She is a member of the court-endorsed California Association of Legal Document Assistant (CALDA) and an Associate Member (Non-attorney) of the LA County Bar Association (LACBA).
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Note: Evangeline is not an attorney nor does she provide legal advice. She is a bonded and registered Legal Document Assistant and prepares legal documents per the specific direction of clients.