Why Every Entrepreneur Needs Life Insurance

published Feb 14, 2020
1 min read

Life Insurance

When entrepreneurs start their businesses, they are usually thinking of the futures of the members of their family, for some way to give their families the same standard of living after they are gone. If you take out a life insurance policy for the sake of your family or legacy, there are some considerations to keep in mind.

What Is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is simply taking out insurance in case you pass away and need to leave some money for your family. Life insurance policies can be found on comparison sites where you can choose the cover that suits your needs. For example, this site specifically compares insurance providers in South Africa, but you can find options no matter where you’re based. All you need to do is answer a few lifestyle questions.

There are usually two types of life insurance policies: term policies and permanent policies. Term policies can last up to 30 years and, should an entrepreneur die during the period of the coverage, their family is entitled to a payment. Permanent life insurance is different in that the term does not expire. It lasts forever. Whether the insured entrepreneur dies today or in 80 years, their family will be entitled to a settlement.

Why Entrepreneurs Need Life Insurance

One major reason for taking out an insurance policy is to protect your loved ones in case something unfortunate happens. We all want our families to be well off after we are gone. A life insurance policy guarantees this by offering a sum after the life insurance policyholder passes away.

Another very common reason for getting a life insurance policy is to use it as a guarantee in one’s business. Entrepreneurs usually have a lot of projects going on, and these projects call for serious cash and monetary obligations to third parties. A lot of loan providers require that an entrepreneur take out a life insurance policy.

Lenders can then recover their money if the entrepreneur passes away. It is quite common for companies to collapse when their founder or owner dies, which leads to a cascade of other events such as layoffs and even closure of the company. When the owner has life insurance, the continuity of such a company is assured.

Shopping for Life Insurance

Now that we understand what life insurance is and why it is important, how does one go about purchasing a policy?

  • Start with an analysis. Perform an analysis of your needs. Know why you are taking out the policy and align the policies you review with your needs. This will make the next step very easy.
  • Compare the companies. Many companies offer life insurance policies. Compare to decide which ones you are interested in and then take a deeper look. Do they pay out as agreed? Do they delay payments? What types of life insurance policies do they offer?
  • Once you know what you need and have decided which insurance companies you like, choose the one that best suits you, your family, and your needs.

Every entrepreneur needs a life insurance policy, whether it is for their family, to protect their legacy, or to mitigate financial risks. Consider taking out cover today.