to expect parents to have life insurance as a matter of course?

[probablyoverinsured]

Is it not the first thing you think about when you first hold your newborn? How can I best care for this little one? What do I need to do/sacrifice to ensure their welfare? in any circumstances?

I appreciate you can't be insured for every eventuality, and with the best will in the world, you can think you have taken out adequate insurance, and in the event it doesn't actually pay out for some reason or other.

But it's about £2 a week, in most cases - surely this is factored into the cost of providing for a child, when you do your calculations? I expect there are a few that can't afford it, but most can.

I am just amazed to hear of someone recently, really struggling, with no life insurance payout for the children, because there was no policy.

Am I living in a fool's paradise? Don't most parents have life insurance? Am I just showing my ignorance? Why wouldn't a parent have life insurance? Do you? if not, why not?

My husband and I want it but have either been turned down completely or its a huge amount each month. This is due mainly to being overweight and some additional health issues.

We don’t have it but our house is paid for so if anything were to happen to us he’d have a roof over his head or a house to sell. We also have loads of savings for him. I have been meaning to do it but haven’t done it yet.

Thank you ever so much for telling me what I'm being, what I've had access to, as a randomer on the internet, you clearly know much more about my life than I do.
Tugs forelock to betters

Why the need to be so superior and condescending to someone you clearly don't have a high opinion of anyway, for not knowing something that you find obvious? What are you getting out of that except trying to make yourself look superior (and let's face it to the likes of me as well).

There really is no need for your condescending and belittling tone, we're different from different backgrounds and had different exposure and experiences in life, that doesn't make either of us better than the other, despite what you obviously think.

In some jobs I've had you're lucky to get paid, never mind anything else, so why on earth would I genuinely expect anything other than the bare minimum?

I'm genuinely grateful for the information because I really didn't know, it's something I've never had before, but your snobbery is showing with your delivery in all honesty.

I commented a few times higher up on this thread @Maverickess - I was an underwriting manager for an insurance company.

I think lots of the phrases that insurers use can be very confusing. Insurers also are aware of this and in recent years have worked hard to use less terminology and jargon, and to try to be clearer. You're not on your own in not understanding some of the terms and conditions.

Also, I think "death in service" does imply that it only pays while you're at work. So if you think you understand what something means, it might not even occur to you to look it up just in case you're wrong!

I worked for a very long time in claims and underwriting, and I can tell you now that there are a lot of people who used to get in contact with us because they had no idea at all what their policy covered them for.

You've got nothing to "feel lesser" about at all - insurance terminology is very misleading sometimes.

I don’t know about others, but I’ve gone as far as sought out a family lawyer, so in case something happens to us, my DC can be taken on by my sister. We’re first generations immigrants and my whole family is in another country (as well as my husbands)

Life insurance was a no brainer. Since then we added serious illness cover as well as upped the life insurance to cover the mortgage. I understand it’s not in everyone’s budget but a simple life insurance should be.

I was genuinely horrified to find out that a family I know with 4 kids and 1 income doesn't have life insurance. It seems so utterly irresponsible. There's no shortage of money for it, either.

I didn't have any when DC young -simply couldn't afford it, now I have a mortgage Have now to pay off the mortgage if I die.

I did take out life insurance when pregnant with my 3rd and my shit of an ex husband walked out. However I had to cancel it as my finances got tighter and tighter and I was getting in to debt to pay childcare.
Anyway, I am 38, non smoker, don't drink (never have). No family history of note. However I am overweight. Around 16st at 5 ft 2. I wear size 16-18 clothing. Yet I just plugged my details in to several online comparison sites, plus legal and general (who my previous insurance was with). I'm uninsurable. And flabbergasted. I'm not the kind of size one would think would be uninsurable. Legal and general stated it was simply due to my build.
The only other details after relevance to add were - had low ferritin 4 years ago. Hpv on smear, current is normal. Had a uti last summer. Had asthma, not currently - not on treatment, no admissions or steroids. Under dermatology for acne treatment (but not on any current treatment). Under weight management as self referred for support to lose weight.
No current medical conditions as such. I've been screened for weight related conditions with weight management and nothing found.
So yeah. That's great.

you’re ignorant! i can’t get life insurance because i’ve previously had a very serious illness and the only policy could get would only last five years. i’m 30’s and now fully recovered but it doesn’t matter to them! Thanks for making me feel worse about it than I already do. Mind your own business!

My mum had life insurance and when she died suddenly aged 42 the house got paid off and my dad got a large lump sum. My parents never had much money and most months would struggle. All that money went to my dad's head. He blew the lot and wrecked the house. Unfortunately my mum didn't do a will so everything went to him as he was next of kin. Part of me thinks my mum was sensible to have life insurance but really wish she had done a will. I never got a penny to help myself and find it very sad. My mum would have wanted me to have something.

When I got my mortgage with DH he got life insurance as I earn much less. Was to help me pay off the house if anything was to happen. Was only around £7 a month. I said once we had children I'd want it for peace of mind.

Unfortunately when you have health conditions and say that your mum died from a heart attack, dad suffers with mental health, acholic and had a massive stroke last year it doesn't go well for you. I have had my son who is 2 and managed to get life insurance but I cannot get critical illness and I've tried many different companies. It was actually quite depressing getting rejected for it. £70 odd a month for myself and DH. With the cost of living it isn't extra money I have to be honest but don't want my son to get screwed like me!

I was rejected for life insurance, and so too was DH. DH eventually managed to get some at £70 a month -and that was with a specialist company. But there’s no hope that I will be able to get insured.

Oh knob off OP with your smug sensibleness. Even if did only cost most people £2 a month (which it doesn't) most women, having just squeezed what feels like a sizeable pineapple out of their foof, don't immediately think "Someone fetch me a pen so I can sign up to have money taken out of my bank account every month incase I die". Welcome to the real world where for the next 6 months most women just want a cuddle, a round of applause and a sleep.

We have a mortgage and we declined insurance on it as we had other types of insurance. But even without other forms of insurance we could decline having mortgage insurance. I know some lenders require it though.
Luckily both hubby and I have had life insurance for many years so our premiums are relatively low. Mine is 35 monthly while his is 135 monthly plus he has life insurance paid through his work.