Our Life & Health advisers see many people in their communities who proactively manage their farm and business contingency plans, but often put the plans for what would happen if something impacted them personally, on the back burner.
Larina Harris, a qualified FMG Life & Health Adviser based in Gore, says thinking about how your family or business would carry on without you isn't easy. Life & Health is a big topic and sometimes we need help to know where to start.
"I recommend that you start by taking 10 minutes to think about the following three questions. These are some of the questions we ask people to understand their Life & Health cover needs."
Who will look after you and your family if you have an accident, become ill or are disabled?
Do you have enough savings to provide an income for your family, that will allow you to maintain your current lifestyle?
While it can be difficult to think about how your family will be supported, not knowing what your insurance options are, and therefore not making decisions to prepare for the future can be even harder.
If you, or your partner become ill, injured, or disabled will you need to employ extra labour?
We’ve found it’s not always the accident, but the recovery that can be most difficult to cope with. Unfortunately, rehabilitation can take months and if you’re out of action, who will step in to perform the tasks you normally would?
Do they have the skills to do the job, and would they fit straight into the business? What extra stress will this put on you, your business and your family?
While ACC provides excellent support, it does have its limits. It’s worth thinking about the on-going costs and impacts of an injury such as medical and rehabilitation costs.
What would your bank say if you couldn’t meet your financial commitments?
While we all have a different risk-appetite and debt levels, most of us will have some degree of debt like mortgages, vehicle loans, credit cards and even funeral expenses.
Whether you’re an employee, a family in business together, or one of a number of equity partners, you’ll have commitments with your bank. Also, your employees and customers, as well as creditors, are relying on you to ensure that your business can continue profitably even if you physically can’t.
It’s worth taking time to figure out how you’d meet those commitments if something were to go wrong.
If you think your answers to any of these questions aren’t going to meet the needs of your family or your business, now might be a good time to get some advice. Give us a call on 0800 366 466 to speak with one of our qualified Life & Health Advisers.
