Women and Asset Protection – How Insurance Can Help

Women are successful professionals, business owners, and knowledgeable investors. At some point in their lives, women may have to manage their own finances due to divorce, widowhood, or remaining single.

Every day, women face a variety of risks to their life, their health, and their property. Although you can’t eliminate many of these risks, you can take steps to guard against resulting financial losses. Insurance is the primary way to provide needed protection. It can provide both peace of mind and financial security to you and your loved ones. Many types of insurance are available to help guard against devastating losses.

• The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased.
• A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, is found only in the long-term care insurance policy. It should be noted that carriers have the discretion to raise their rates and remove their products from the marketplace.
• Additionally, a long-term care policy may not cover all of the expenses associated with a person’s long-term care needs.

Life insurance

Life insurance provides funds for your loved ones when you die. If you’re a working woman, your income can have a significant impact on the quality of your family’s lifestyle, even if you’re part of a

two-income household. Life insurance helps protect your family by providing proceeds that can be used to replace your lost income if you die prematurely.

Maintaining a household is a full-time job, and you have many important roles and duties. If you die, your surviving spouse may have to pay for services such as child care, transportation for children, and housekeeping. Proceeds from your life insurance can help your spouse pay for these services.

Many women find themselves providing care for both children and elderly family members. Unfortunately, these added financial responsibilities often continue after your death. Life insurance provides a source of funds that can be used to help pay for these expenses as well.

Life insurance is also important for women business owners. If you die while owning your business, life insurance can be used to provide cash for company expenses such as payroll or operating costs while your estate is being settled. Also, life insurance can be a useful tool for women business owners when structuring buy-sell arrangements or providing benefits to key employees.

Health insurance

Health insurance can safeguard your assets from the high costs of health care. You may lack the financial resources needed to pay medical expenses associated with a health crisis, and the costs of physical exams, prescription drugs, hospital stays, pregnancy, and routine medical conditions can add up and cause you to suffer financial hardship if you must pay for them entirely on your own.

Frequently, women obtain their health insurance through their employer or as a dependent in a family health plan. If health insurance isn’t available through an employer, you may be able to obtain coverage through an association, club, or other organization or on your own by purchasing a private health insurance policy directly from an insurance company or the Health Insurance Marketplace. Generally, health insurance pays for all or a portion of specified medical costs. The cost and range of protection that your health insurance provides will depend on your insurance company and the particular policy you purchase.

Auto insurance

There are many reasons why you should have automobile insurance. People can be injured and property damaged as a result of an automobile accident. Liability claims against you can put your assets at risk. Loss or damage to your auto can also occur through theft, vandalism, or natural disasters. Auto insurance protects you against these risks.

A personal auto policy is a contract between you and your insurer that specifies each party’s rights and obligations. State law and/or your auto lender may require that you purchase at least a minimum amount of coverage. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to buy additional protection. You can compare auto insurance policies in terms of price, coverage, exclusions, and reputation of the insurer.

Depending on the policy, disability income insurance benefits may be paid for a specified number of years or until you reach retirement age. Some policies pay benefits if you cannot work in your current occupation; others might pay only if you cannot work in any type of job.

If you pay the premiums yourself, disability benefits are usually free of income tax. The policy will stay in force regardless of your employment situation as long as you pay the premiums. Disability income insurance premiums are based on your age, occupation and the amount of potential lost income you are trying to protect as well as the specifics of the policy and what additional benefits are added. A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, is found only in the policy. It should be noted that carriers have the discretion to raise their rates and remove their products from the marketplace.

Homeowners insurance

If you own a home, either with someone else or on your own, it’s probably one of your most valuable assets. So it’s important that you protect yourself against unexpected financial loss to your home and possessions.

Homeowners insurance provides coverage, up to policy limits, if your home and possessions are damaged or destroyed. It can also provide you with coverage for liability claims, medical expenses, and other expenditures that result from property damage and bodily injury suffered by others. If you have a mortgage on your home, your lender typically will require homeowners insurance. Even if you own your home outright, you should still consider buying homeowners insurance to protect your interests and safeguard your assets. The cost of homeowners insurance depends on several factors, including the amount of your coverage, any endorsements you add to the policy, and policy deductibles. Condominium and co-op insurance, although similar, differ in some respects from standard homeowners insurance. And if you rent your home, you may want to look into insurance for your contents.

For additional protection, consider umbrella insurance. Umbrella liability insurance (ULI) provides additional liability coverage in excess of the liability coverage provided by other insurance policies, such as homeowners, renters, and auto insurance. By providing liability protection above and beyond these basic coverages, ULI can help protect you against the catastrophic losses that can occur if you are sued.

Disability income insurance

The threat of a major disability poses one of the greatest risks to your income. Disability income insurance is important in helping protect your income, especially if you’re not able to work for an extended period of time.

Disability income insurance helps protect your income by paying you a benefit that replaces part of your earned income, up to policy limits, when you can’t work as a result of an injury or illness. You may be able to obtain short-term or long-term disability coverage, or both. In general, disability insurance can be split into three types: private insurance (individual policies bought from an insurance company), group policies typically provided through your employer, and government insurance, such as Social Security disability benefits and social insurance provided through state governments. If you’re applying for benefits under a private insurance policy, you’ll probably be subject to a waiting period (elimination period) before benefits are paid.

Long-term care insurance

Your chances of needing long-term care increase as you get older. It’s particularly important for women to plan for the potential expenses of long-term care since they are more likely to need long-term care than men due to longer life expectancy.

Long-term care insurance pays a selected dollar amount per day (for a set period) for the type of

long-term care described in the policy. Depending on the benefits you select, care can be provided in a variety of settings, including your residence,

assisted-living facilities, adult day-care centers, hospices, and nursing homes. Most policies pay benefits when the insured experiences certain physical or mental impairments. The cost of insurance is based on the insurer, the age of the insured, the health of the insured, and the benefits selected.

Business insurance

Owning a business often requires you to make a significant investment of your time and finances. You don’t know what difficulties may lie ahead for your business, so you need to be protected.

Whether you are just starting a business out of your home or you manage a multimillion-dollar enterprise, no matter how careful you are in running your business, accidents happen. As a business owner, you may be interested in several different types of insurance coverage: property and casualty insurance, liability insurance; and group health, life, and disability insurance coverage for you and your employees. You can buy these types of insurance separately, or you may be able to purchase a package of insurance covering many different potential hazards.

A last word

The bottom line is if you haven’t developed and implemented an asset protection plan, your wealth and assets are vulnerable to potential future creditors, and you could suffer significant financial hardship.

Insurance can be a vital asset protection tool in your arsenal against the many different risks that could result in devastating losses.

Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.

The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax planning or legal advice. We suggest that you consult with a qualified tax or legal professional.

LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial.

This article was prepared by Broadridge.

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Keri Pugh

Keri Pugh is a Wealth Advisor with Fusion Financial Group, an independent financial planning firm and fiduciary based in Denver, CO. Keri has over 20 years of experience in the industry, as both a financial advisor and Principal. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Northern Colorado and is an alumna with national sorority Delta Zeta. Keri holds a variety professional licenses, carries the esteemed mark of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), meeting rigorous education and experience requirements in key areas of financial planning, as well as the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), a symbol of her dedication to upholding the fiduciary standard for clients. As a wife and mother to two young children, Keri is particularly drawn to working with thriving families and women. This is not only reflected within her practice but also in her regular sponsorship of the local PTA and volunteer work with the elementary school. Outside of the office, Keri enjoys traveling, skiing, and the Colorado great outdoors with her family. She often lines up movie marathons for the family and, in line with many clients, is a beginner golfer and a wine enthusiast. To learn more about Keri, connect with her on LinkedIn.