2 reasons to get life insurance long before you think you'll need it

Liz Knueven 

Carlina Teteris/

• Life insurance is essential for most young families and adults, but many people put off buying it for a long time.
• But, getting life insurance well before you need it is almost always a smart move — it's simple to get, and term life insurance is relatively affordable.
• The younger you are, the cheaper life insurance is, which makes coverage even more affordable to buy sooner rather than later. 
• And, buying it well before the life events that often trigger people to buy life insurance — like a wedding or a new baby — will take it off your to-do list later.
• Yourlifeinsurance411 can help you compare life insurance policies to find the right coverage for you, at the right price »

Life insurance isn't something most people want to think about. But that doesn't change the fact that it's important. 

This type of insurance can ensure that your family and obligations are covered if you die unexpectedly. Financial planners say it's is a must-have for anyone with large debts, young children, or anyone who has someone relying on their income. 

Like any other type of insurance, you have to buy it before you need it. If you're putting off purchasing your first life insurance policy, here's why you really shouldn't wait. 

The younger you are, the cheaper it is

Two inevitable truths of life insurance go hand-in-hand: The younger you are, the less you'll pay for life insurance. And, you're not getting any younger.

Writer Eric Rosenberg shared his experience with getting life insurance, purchasing a policy well before having children. "You can always cancel it later, but you can't go back and find a new policy at a lower rate. Lock it in now and you're set for decades to come," he wrote. 

Getting life insurance now will take it off your to-do list later

Most people only think about life insurance at critical milestones, like getting married, the birth of a child, or buying a house. But, in those situations, there's so much happening. 

Writer Jen Glantz convinced her now-husband to get life insurance before they were even married for this reason." Getting engaged is almost the calm before the storm in life — financially at least," she writes. "After we tie the knot next year, we'll have to decide where to live and buy a house and a car. Then, kids might come next, or job changes ... we may never think to do it or budget the money to pay for it monthly."

Getting life insurance in advance of these events will take one more thing off your to-do list in an already hectic time. It's one less thing on your mind, and not something you'll regret doing in advance.  

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