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We get it: No one wants to think about death—for us or the ones we love. And a lot of people equate life insurance with death. And while it IS there if the worst were to happen, it can also do so many other things, and doesn’t have to break your budget while doing it. Check out these great reasons to consider life insurance:

1. It’s part of a sound financial plan.

Insufficient coverage has severe consequences for many families. Our 2019 Insurance Barometer found that four in 10 households without any life insurance would have immediate trouble paying living expenses if their primary wage earner died. Life insurance helps with planning for your loved ones’ long-term health and happiness, providing you with peace of mind that your loved ones are financially protected.

If someone would suffer financially when you die, you need life insurance just like you need a savings or checking account. The money from the policy’s death benefit can help your family meet many important financial needs like funeral costs, daily living expenses and college funding.

2. It’s not as expensive as you think.

Many consumers believe that life insurance is either too complicated or too expensive to consider, creating a barrier to ownership with only 57 percent of people owning life insurance in 2019. In actuality, life insurance is inexpensive and much more accessible that you think. For a healthy 30-year-old, for example, they can get a 20-year term life insurance policy with $250,000 of coverage for about $13 a month. When you break it down life that, it’s easier to budget for and less scary to think about.

3. It can build cash value over time.

Permanent life insurance has a cash value or cash-surrender value, which means it can build cash value over time in addition to providing a death benefit to your beneficiaries. Just like most retirement and tuition savings plans, cash values can accumulate on a tax-deferred basis and be used in the future for any purpose you wish—a down payment on a home, college tuition or even income for your retirement.

This can be a good option as the borrowing rates tend to be relatively low and it’s not dependent on credit checks or other restrictions. Keep in mind, though, you’re ultimately responsible for repaying any loan as set out, to make sure your beneficiary receives the death benefit you had envisioned for them.

4. Life insurance can be more than just life insurance.

Riders to a life insurance contract or a specific kind of policy, can enhance coverage. For example, you could have a life insurance policy, sometimes called a hybrid policy, that includes a long-term care benefit to pay for long-term care services. If this is something you need down the line, you can take advantage of it, otherwise there is a death benefit for your beneficiary. There are a number of different riders available that can help you customize and boost your coverage.

5. It can help maximize your retirement.

If the financial obligations you had when you first purchased a permanent life insurance policy have ended, your policy can take on a new life and benefit your retirement. Structured correctly, your policy can provide supplemental retirement income via policy loans and withdrawals or even options for long-term care benefits.

Life insurance can also maximize a pension by supplementing a surviving spouse’s income, or established into a life insurance trust to allow you to pass on to your heirs outside of your estate (often avoiding both estate and income taxes).

So, what are next-steps? Why not do a quick calculation to see how much life insurance you may need with our online Life Insurance Needs Calculator here. And then plan on talking to an insurance agents about your needs and budget—remember, they will help you free of charge with no obligation.

by Maggie Leyes | January 8, 2020 | Life Insurance

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year, more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger go to U.S. hospital emergency departments with injuries associated with playground equipment. More than 20,000 of these children are treated for a traumatic brain injury, including concussion.

As the weather warms up and trips to the park become frequent, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the risks on playgrounds and how you can prevent injuries.

Check for Playground Hazards

Nearly 80% of playground injuries are caused by falls. Watch out for these potential hazards when taking kids to the playground, and report any hazards observed.

Improper ground surfaces: Surfaces around playground equipment should have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials. Playgrounds should be free of exposed concrete footings, rocks or tree stumps.

Overcrowded play areas: The area under and around play equipment should be a minimum of 6 feet in all directions while swing set areas should be twice the height of the suspending bar both in back and front of the swings. Structures more than 30 inches high should be at least 9 feet apart.

Unprotected elevated areas: Platforms higher than 30 inches should have guardrails or barriers.

Head entrapment spaces: Openings between rails, bars, rungs and even ropes of cargo nets should be less than 3 1/2 inches or more than 9 inches.

Sharp points and edges: Playground equipment should be free of protruding bolt ends, “S” hooks, and other sharp points and edges.

Visit the American Academy of Pediatrics webpage on playground safety to learn more.

Avoid Strangulation Hazards

The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions that children should not wear or play with anything that could get caught on equipment and become a strangulation hazard.

• Never attach or allow children to attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines or pet leashes to play equipment
• Leave sweatshirts with drawstrings and necklaces at home
• Remove bike helmets when playing on the playground

Be Cautious of Too Much Sun Exposure

The National Program for Playground Safety reports that only 3% of public playgrounds assessed had full sun protection from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., peak exposure hours, while 30% had partial shade. The remaining 67% of public playgrounds were exposed to full sun during the peak hours.

• Limit playtime at peak sun exposure time and familiarize yourself with the signs of heat illnesses
• Avoid burns; if playground equipment is hot to the touch, it is too hot for your child’s bare skin

Allow Only Age-Appropriate Activities

The Consumer Product Safety commission lists age-appropriate equipment in the Public Playground Safety Handbook. And remember, there is no substitute for parental supervision, especially for young children.

Originally posted by National Safety Council (NSC)

Too much sun can cause skin cancer, but that doesn’t mean you have to hole up all summer. Build up your solar smarts and learn how to enjoy the light of day. Here’s how to stay healthy and protect your skin all summer long.

by Better Homes & Gardens

The summer heat brings the need to use more water, whether it is watering your lawn and flowers or filling up the pool, overall use skyrockets in the summer months.

Here are 7 ways that you can save water, which will help the environment and your wallet!

1. Water at Night or in the Morning

Watering your lawn, flowers or garden is a must during the summer to keep your plants healthy and alive. However, it uses a lot to keep plants alive. While you don’t need to use less, it is important to use water smarter.

Watering and using sprinklers at night or in the morning is the best time of day to do it. Not only are these the coolest times of day, but they are also the times that will allow your plants to absorb as much as possible.

Midday is the hottest, and the water you spray will evaporate quickly because of the daytime heat. Cooler temperatures will allow for more time to soak into the soil.

Early and evening times are also the cheapest times of day when it comes to water usage, because they aren’t “peak usage” times, which will help keep your bill to a minimum.

2. Use the Dishwasher

This may seem like it doesn’t save anything, but dishwashers that are Energy Star certified are actually made to conserve water. This is much more efficient than washing each dish by hand because of the running sink. Washing dishes by hand can use up to 25 gallons, while using an Energy Star dishwasher uses as little as three gallons.

However, using the dishwasher only saves water if you run it when it is completely full. Running half loads will use more of it and cost energy, and will not save money or be efficient. Be sure to only run the dishwasher with full loads.

3. Go to the Carwash

Going to the carwash will save water because they recycle it. There are a lot of carshwashes that are cheap and quick, which will save time and money as well. In the long run, a five dollar car wash will probably cost you less than washing it at home and having your utility bill increase.

Washing your car at home can use up to 100 gallons if you do not have an automatic shut-off valve, and if you do it can still use 30 gallons in a 10-minute wash.

Commercial car washes recycle anywhere from 10% to 80% of runoff from the wash, so it is important to make sure that you are going to a carwash that does recycle.

This will keep your utility bill down, and also require less clean water usage, which is a win for you and the Earth!

4. Keep Filtered Water in the Fridge

Keeping water in the fridge will reduce the need to run the faucet waiting for it to get cold enough to drink.

Instead, keeping a large pitcher of filtered water in the fridge will keep it cold, easily accessible, and always ready for you to drink. It will also save you from buying single-use plastic bottles from the store because you can use it to fill reusable bottles when you’re on-the-go. Quick and easy!

5. Use a Rain Barrel

Using rain barrels is a great way to harvest runoff for gardens and other outdoor uses. Rain is free to collect and is great for watering gardens. It is easy toadd a rain barrel to your backyard, and can save many gallons over the course of the summer.

6. Keep Grass Longer

The next time you mow your lawn, raise the clippers up a level so that the grass is cut longer. You won’t notice much of a difference, and this will help your grass stay green.

When grass is cut too short, it requires more water to stay green. Keeping the grass longer will require less watering and keep your lawn looking green and healthy.

The lowest setting should almost never be used, because it requires the most watering in summer. It is recommended to set your mower to either the setting below the highest or at the one below that. The highest setting is best for extremely dry climates to prevent damage from over-clipping.

7. Use Public Pools or Waterparks

Public pools, rec-centers and water parks are a great way to cool off. They are also a great way to spend family time or meet people in your neighborhood.

by Home Advisor