Are you sure you can’t afford insurance?

Almost everyone knows someone who’s paying back a student loan. According to FinAid.gov, the national student debt total recently surpassed $1.3 trillion. That sounds like a powder keg that could rattle the economy the way the housing market collapse and mortgage crisis did seven years ago.

The presidents of Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University were recently summoned to Lansing to explain large tuition increases. 8.48 percent and 7.8 percent respectively. I believe one of the hot topics of the upcoming election will be the exorbitant cost of higher education and the enormous student debt load that young adults are forced to carry.

I don’t pretend to have a quick-fix solution for the student loan crisis. But I am seriously concerned that it will create an unfortunate domino effect.

When young adults finally complete school, they have to start repaying their student loans. Unless they’re living in their parents’ basement, they also have housing costs. And regardless of where they live, there are car payments and all the other monthly bills that go along with becoming an adult.

Many are also getting married and starting families, so they have significant financial obligations in addition to school loans. And even though it’s another expense, as an adviser, I think it’s very important for a young family to have life insurance.

Sadly, it’s one of the most overlooked aspects of financial planning. Many young people feel invincible and give no thought to life insurance. Nothing bad is ever going to happen to them.

True, some do have insurance through their employer, but in today’s world people frequently change jobs and there can be gaps without coverage.

That’s why I believe it’s vital to actually own your life insurance rather than rely on your employer. Young people, especially those starting a family, need to make certain their loved ones are protected and loans are repaid in the event of a life ending tragedy, especially if there are children involved.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month and I want to make certain that young adults take note. Life is all about choices. For example, do you really need the newest version of your favorite cell phone the very day it’s released? Is the fastest Internet speed worth paying a higher price? Do you really need a $3 dollar cup of coffee every day?

People need to make financial choices all the time. Unfortunately, too many of them make poor financial decisions or simply fail to look at reality. The difference with young adults is that they often have staggering student loan obligations in addition to everything else.

On the local news, you often see or hear about a fundraiser to help a family after a tragic loss. It’s nice to see so many big-hearted people willing to help them pay bills or perhaps fund a young child’s future education.

But responsibility comes with financial obligations, and if you signed for a loan or have children to house and educate in the years ahead, you owe it to your family to review your life insurance and find a way to include the cost in your budget.

Unaffordable? Consider a little budget juggling to free up enough money to cover insurance premiums. You’ll not only be buying life insurance, but also the comfort of knowing you have additional protection for the future.