Dave Says: When to Start Buying Life Insurance?

Dear Dave,

What’s the minimum age at which you recommend buying life insurance? I’m 27-years old and married, no kids and we’re doing pretty well with our debt-reduction. Currently, we only have $10,000 in debt remaining and this includes some student loans and a mortgage.

Sheldon in Salt Lake City, UT

Dear Sheldon,

You need life insurance at this point. Your wife’s current lifestyle is dependent on your income, and you want her to be well taken care of financially if something should happen to you. The need may not be quite as pressing as if you had children, but it would be bad if you died prematurely and she found herself saddled with a bunch of debt on top of that.

At your age, life insurance is not very expensive. If you’re healthy, you could get around $400,000 in coverage for $25 or $30 a month. You’ve got some responsibilities to think about, my man. Good, level term life insurance is something you need to look into.

- Dave