Life Insurance Helps Family Members Survive The Unexpected

By Roger Martinez

Luis Rojas was a motorcycle police officer who wrote short stories before he joined the force. He continued to do so as a way of distancing his personal and professional lives. One afternoon, on his day off, he stopped at the store. As he moved his motorcycle onto the street, he was shielded by a large, parked semi. An SUV, who couldn’t see Luis, struck him, and threw him to the street. He died on impact. He was survived by his wife and three children, who were left with the loss of a wonderful man, but also with the burden of bills from his death. He had no life insurance to help with his burial, nor the everyday expenditures.

Mr. Rojas didn’t believe that he needed life insurance, it wasn’t something that crossed his mind. The idea of death rarely does enter a young person’s thoughts or plans. But life insurance is not for people with expendable money, the elderly, or those in poor health. It’s not even for people who live in unsafe areas or are exposed to peril on a daily basis. It is to survive the unexpected — and it’s not as expensive as you’d think.

Life insurance is a product that one could purchase after consulting with a professional and discussing your life insurance needs with your insurance agent.

There are two types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term insurance is what I would recommend for a person with a smaller budget and a need for a large death benefit. Permanent life insurance will provide, to the owner, a death benefit, along with a cash value that will accumulate with a certain interest rate. The amount accumulated has the potential to grow into a large amount, depending on how much the owner is willing to contribute. It should be looked at as a contribution of finances and concern.

Luis’ story is one of heartbreak, but it must be told to remind us that life can be fragile, yet volatile. He wrote about what he saw on the job as a form of release, but couldn’t escape the tragic irony. We don’t know what can happen in a fraction of a second, so we have to protect ourselves by preserving our families’ financial quality of life. Life insurance is the wise way to do this.

Roger Martinez is a State Farm agent in West Covina, California. For more information visit his Facebook page or call (626) 962-0027.