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According to A.M. Best, an insurance rating company, fewer than 50% of U.S. households have Life insurance outside of what’s provided by their employer. This statistic begs the question – why have so many individuals abandoned their Life insurance needs? There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to such a question, but there are a couple of common contributing factors.

One factor is the alleged product misrepresentations cited in class-action lawsuits against several Life insurance companies. Another factor is that much of the media focus today is centered on individuals living much longer than previous generations and the resulting need to prepare for the retirement years adequately. This focus has caused many Americans to redirect their attention toward saving for their retirement years and to start placing their money into tax-favored accounts. Consumer trending hasn’t gone unnoticed by Life insurance companies. Despite the fact that most individuals don’t consider Life insurance a good investment option, many insurers have been heavily marketing the investment side of Life insurance policies instead of the death benefit aspect of it.

The protection Life insurance provides through its death benefit is and always has been the main reason individuals purchase Life insurance policies. The funds a Life insurance policy beneficiary receives can serve as a replacement for the income lost by the death of the policyholder. It can also help to secure the future needs of the policyholder’s spouse, children, or other dependents, such as college funding.

Investments can be an important aspect of funding a retirement. That said, investing in the stock market can never be a substitute for a Life insurance policy.

First of all, a Life insurance policyholder has a guaranteed monetary return for the dollars paid in premiums. Since a return on money invested in mutual funds and stocks are never guaranteed, even under the most ideal market conditions, the same can’t be said of these types of investments. This is exactly why most brokers warn their clients not to invest more money than they can afford to lose. Even individuals that have a stock portfolio with a good rate of return must wait while it amasses over time and becomes substantial enough to meet their family’s long-term financial needs. Obviously, a person can die before their stock portfolio makes enough money to cover their family’s long-term needs.

Secondly, stock portfolio values fluctuate; as the market conditions change, as will the value of a stock portfolio. The inconsistency of stocks can create major problems when an individual is trying to ensure that their family’s long-term financial needs will be met if they were to die unexpectedly. For example, if the death occurs while the stock market is in a down cycle and the survivors must sell the assets, then they won’t net as much money as might have been planned and will also pay capital gains taxes. On the other hand, the beneficiary of a properly planned life insurance policy will receive the death benefit tax-free.

In closing, don’t mistakenly underestimate or overlook the value of a Life insurance policy. An insurance agent can help you determine the type and amount of coverage that will best suit your needs.

Almost everyone is aware that eating lots of leafy, dark green vegetables is a healthy choice. Even if we don’t put heaping piles of fresh spinach or kale on our dinner plates, we know that we probably should. New research is unlocking the secrets of why certain veggies are helping us to stay healthy and to minimize the effects of aging.

It turns out that simple broccoli is a very impressive anti-aging food that comes with the added benefit of contributing to heart health. A recent study conducted at UCLA demonstrates that, among vegetables, broccoli is the best source of a chemical called sulforaphane. This chemical helps to activate the body’s own antioxidants, which helps to control cell decline.

And that’s not all. Broccoli is one versatile vegetable. One study that tested broccoli extracts revealed that broccoli can have a direct impact on preventing bladder cancer. The same study found that broccoli helps prevent muscle damage during oxygen deprivation (which is one key to surviving a heart attack).

Dieticians remind us that the way you prepare broccoli and other vegetables has a large impact on the benefits you receive. For instance, consider steaming broccoli rather than boiling it to preserve the nutrients. And never fear that you must eat broccoli every day. Other vegetables that are rich in sulforaphane include kale, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes, collards, and turnips. As a rule, if it has green leaves, it’s good for you, and you are most likely not eating enough of it!

Most employees that leave a job also leave their employer-sponsored medical coverage behind. This can be a chancy move, especially if you don’t have other insurance options readily available to you.

If you’ve already left your job, then you’ve most likely already found out that obtaining affordable Health insurance isn’t the easiest task when you’re between jobs. COBRA is an option that gives you the right to keep your insurance from your previous employment, but the monthly premiums are usually extremely expensive and something that many simply can’t afford while unemployed.

Temporary insurance, which is a short-term form of Health insurance, can be an affordable alternative to the high premiums associated with COBRA. It’s designed to provide a bridge between the gap of finding your next job and leaving your former employer-sponsored plan. Having such a policy can remove the chance of not being protected against unforeseen injury or sickness while you’re between jobs, but pre-existing conditions are usually excluded.

The premiums for short-term coverage policies are usually much cheaper than those for COBRA, but the cost can still seem expensive for someone without a job. Although finances might tempt you to put off insurance until you find another job, you should remember that financial security is the primary reason that individuals purchase short-term health insurance in the first place.

It only takes one unexpected hospital trip or admission to put someone without medical coverage hundreds to thousands of dollars in debt. For example, consider the financial repercussions if you suddenly develop appendicitis and need an emergency appendectomy when you don’t have Medical insurance. The average cost of an appendectomy is between $11,000 and $18,000 dollars. Countless financial studies have cited medical bills as one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in America. Having short-term health coverage to carry you until your next job can help avoid the catastrophe of being responsible for the total cost of medical bills from being uninsured.

Aside from the value of financial protection, short-term insurance also helps to avoid having future health insurance claims rejected under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPAA) laws. In other words, individuals that don’t have a break from credible insurance coverage exceeding 63 days are considered to have maintained a continuous coverage, which means that they won’t be subject to exclusions for pre-existing conditions. And, many approved short-term policies are included in the realm of credible coverage, even if they have exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

Depending on specific state requirements, short-term policies may run for a term of anywhere from 30-days to one year. As far as payment goes, most short-term health insurance plans offer two different options – paying through a monthly installment plan or in a single up-front payment that will cover a specific number of days. Generally, single payment plans are slightly cheaper than monthly payment plans.

Of course, temporary insurance is designed to be just that: A temporary solution to ease your health and financial concerns. It’s not designed to last longer than a year and should never be considered a long-term insurance solution. Once you’ve found another job, you should look into your new employer’s insurance offerings and determine when your new coverage would start if it’s elected.