When you’re young, fit and healthy, you don’t tend to think about being any other way. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, the world is your oyster, the sky’s the limit (you get my drift).
But beware – life can change in an instant. You could suddenly fall ill or injured, or worse case be killed. I know – it’s not something most of us want to think about, but the fact is, we should.
What are your chances?
So just what are the chances something could cut short your current reality?
Well, before you reach the age of 65, you and/or your partner have roughly a:
- 17% chance of dying (but don’t panic – that means you have an 83% chance of surviving!)
- 9% chance of suffering total and permanent disability
- 25% chance of suffering from one of about 40 critical illnesses
- And a 27% chance of suffering a period of temporary disability, leaving you off work for 6 months or more.
A lot of us make plans in case we die. We have life insurance, wills and funeral plans. But what if you live? Well of course that’s great – but what if you have to live with an illness or injury?
Because put another way, these statistics mean, over the past 5 years, 1 in 7 households have experienced a serious illness resulting in an inability to work for 3 months or more. That’s 288 households in New Zealand falling into this situation each week.
Another thing to think about – long time off work is twice as likely to be the result of illness rather than injury – this means no ACC cover.
It’s not a common topic of conversation around the dinner table, but perhaps it is something that needs to be addressed. How would you and your family cope?
What does this mean for you and your family?
What would happen if you couldn’t earn an income because of a disability or illness? How long could you maintain your lifestyle or even survive?
According to a study commissioned by the Financial Services Council, 55% of New Zealand households would be unable to pay all their expenses and maintain their lifestyle 4 weeks after sick leave and annual leave run out. That’s not long!
Time to think about insurance?
If your chances run out and you become one of these statistics, you’ll want (need) some financial security. That’s what insurance offers.
For a free, no-obligation appraisal of your insurance needs, contact me (Jason) at insuranceBASE. With a clear picture of your situation I can offer straightforward advice to help protect you and your family – should you fall victim to the stats!
But don’t worry – be happy
Before you get too worried, your chances are better if you’re happy. It’s true!
- You can live 7.5 years longer if you have a happy outlook on life
- Men who kiss their wives every morning before going to work live 5 years longer than men who don’t. Pucker up guys!
- And lastly it’s statistically proven that people who have more birthdays live longer…
Jason Hennessey. Phone 021 735 905 or contact us.