How to create a safety net for your family

No one wants to think about what would happen to their family if they were unable to work. But if you were to fall ill, have an accident or even pass away, your partner and children could be left with much less income than before. Even if you’re not the primary earner in your home, the loss of your earnings could have a devastating effect. It’s important to think about these things before they happen, even if it’s not very pleasant. There are lots of things you can do to prepare for a situation when you can’t bring any money in or might not be around anymore.

Get Income Protection or Critical Illness Insurance

If you can’t work for a short time or are diagnosed with a serious illness, it helps to have a way to keep money coming in. If you suddenly can’t work, you might have only a little income or even none at all. One of the insurance types you can consider is income protection, which will pay out for a short time if you can’t work. It can cover things such as your mortgage and bills. It’s especially useful if you’re self-employed and don’t have a company sick pay scheme. Another option is critical illness insurance, which will help you if you’re diagnosed with one of several illnesses.

Take Out Life Insurance

Death is a difficult thing to think about, but it’s something we’ll all have to face some day. While we all hope that our children will be grown, and we’ll be long retired by the time it happens, you can’t predict the future, so taking out a permanent life insurance policy is one of the most sensible things you can do. If you do die while your children are still growing up, you want to know they won’t have to worry about money when you’re gone. One of your biggest expenses now is probably your mortgage. If you read a guide to home insurance, it will recommend life cover to help pay off your mortgage after your death. As well as helping them keep their home, it could cover other costs too.

Write a Will

Another way to prepare your family for after your death is to write a will. This is important if you have assets and if you have dependants. You can have a say in what happens to your children, as well as who receives your money and personal possessions. It doesn’t take long to write one up and make sure it’s legal, but it could make a significant difference if anything happens to you. If you’re a single parent, you might find it especially important to specify who will look after your kids.

Incorporated into this is planning for your funeral. It is not something we really want to think about, but buying a funeral plan, either upfront, or using monthly installments, can be a way to relieve a financial burden on your family, and most importantly, your children. A service like Co-op Funeral Directors offer plans that run from 2 years to 25 years, and help to take not just the financial burden away, but also the uncertainty that you are doing the right thing.

Build Emergency Funds

Another way to prepare for illness or accidents that take you out of work is building an emergency fund. You may already have one to deal with repairs in your home and other emergencies. But you might think about building it up a little more, in case you need enough money to live on for a short period. Some people save between three and six months’ income, just in case.

Start preparing for these situations, and you’ll be grateful if anything ever happens. If it doesn’t, you’ll still be glad you took the right precautions.

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