Are You Playing Checkers or Chess?

Many people don't have a complete financial gameplan in place.  They buy life insurance, have a 401k through their employer and only insure their paychecks through a work sponsored program.  In other words, they are only thinking of one move at a time. This can be a fatal mistake when it comes to planning for you and your family.

On the other hand, forward thinking folks look at the big picture. They aren't just thinking of their needs for the present, but down the road. They know that their needs will change with time because their situations will change. Kids will be born and need to be raised.  Illness or unemployment can affect a families finances.  When making a financial plan, there can be a lot of landmines.  Just like a good chess player, these people are thinking several moves ahead.

In any game, whether it's chess or football or Monopoly, you have to play offense and defense. Think of offense and making money and defense as protecting what you have worked for. Insurance is playing defense in that sense and can be important in the case of an illness or accident. 

Take life insurance for instance. There are many types of coverage and depending on what your own situation is, you may need to buy several policies over your lifetime. Term is great during your working years, when you are still paying off a mortgage and want to make sure your kids have funds to go to college if they want to. And term life coverage is very affordable. 

As you get older and the house is paid off, you may want to look at coverage that is permanent, like a whole or universal life policy. You probably won't be looking for cash accumulation in that scenario, but instead something to relieve the burden of burial costs from your family. 

Of course, your income (or the incomes nowadays) is how you provide for you family and pay the bills. If you were to unexpectedly get sick or hurt and became unable to work, your family's financial situation could become a nightmare. And unlike the possibility of your death, you may still need care, which could involve paying someone or having a family member take time from their job. Either way, a disability policy could provide insurance for your paycheck. 

Finally there are the costs of aging. We all want to think of retirement as a time to kick back, travel and spoil the grandkids,but we rarely think ahead of a time when our health is failing and we can no longer be independent. The only time we consider it is when we see our parents or grandparents in that predicament. In the case of my father, who refused to go to a nursing home but could no longer care for himself, we had to bring in a private caregiver company. He pension and other small income streams were eaten up quickly each month. Desperate, he began dipping into his home's equity. 

Life happens and bad things can occur at any point of our lives. Planning ahead and making sure you have your bases covered is a sign of "financial wellness". Shifting risk from your own wallet to that of an insurance company (life, disability or long term care) is a smart move.

So the question to ask yourself is, "Am I playing checkers or chess when it comes to my finances?"

At Surf Financial Brokers, we know which plan is more successful.  Let us help you become a chess player.

If you have any questions or comments, please let us know and stay healthy!

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, located in North Myrtle Beach, SC, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.