As women embark on or continue in their professional lives, they also navigate through financial waters. Anecdotally, over the past several decades, women have become more engaged in the workforce financially literate and instances may even be the “CFO” of their households. Many women are now the breadwinner or co-breadwinner for their household1.
My goal is to emphasize the importance of insurance coverage to women in their professional lives, in addition to financial literacy.
Historically, women have not been the primary breadwinners in American households2,3. From my own experience, women of my generation were not educated by their parents in the finer points of financial management and investments (including the acquisition of insurance assets). So, I ask: are women routinely asking themselves what I consider the most important questions pertaining to insurance coverage? For example, what is appropriate coverage for me from a life insurance perspective? From a disability perspective? How do I become better educated about the myriad of insurance products that are available in the marketplace?
Women and investing is frequently talked about. Unfortunately, women and insurance is not talked about nearly as frequently. I believe that this topic is vital as the number of households today that are dependent on women’s professional income increases1,2. Today, women actively contribute to the financial well-being of the American household and, in some cases, can be the sole breadwinner1.
I encourage women to ask themselves, “Have I adopted a methodical and proactive approach when it comes to acquiring insurance?
Women tend to live longer than men and are therefore more likely to need formal, “paid for” long-term care assistance4. As a result, it is crucial for women to prepare for a time when long-term care insurance might be vital to their independence, health and welfare.
I think there are a few simple steps that any woman can take to become more aware of her unique insurance needs and to make certain she and her family are adequately and appropriately covered.
I’d like to note that these steps should be taken in collaboration with a professional financial planner, your employer’s human resources team, or an insurance specialist.
When working to put her plan in place, a thorough review of the products available in the marketplace is both constructive and advantageous for women.
After consideration, some women might find that insurance is not always the answer. However, as a woman, considering insurance in addition to other investment options may be the right choice for protecting the financial stability of her household in the event she is no longer able to provide.
I encourage you to reach out to your insurance professional to look into all options.
1 https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2009/10/16/6789/the-shriver-report/
3 https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/demo/p60-259.html(Table A-4)
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