Majority of Albertan parents have life insurance but some may be underinsured

- TD Insurance poll reveals more than half of Alberta parents with life insurance do not think they have enough coverage to support their children up until their 18^th birthday --

CALGARY, Nov. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Making sure your kids are doing their homework, eating their vegetables and not hanging out with the wrong crowd - being a parent can be a stressful job. According to new research from TD Insurance, parents in Alberta worry most about how their kids are doing in school (73%) followed by their financial security (72%), and health (71%).

"As a dad, I know that worrying comes with the territory. You're constantly thinking about how you can protect your kids and make sure that they're living the best lives possible," says Dave Minor, Vice President, TD Insurance. "One way to help minimize the 'what if' and ensure your children will be financially protected if the unexpected happens, is by making sure you have enough life insurance."

Nine-in-10 Alberta parents agree that knowing they have the right amount of life insurance would give them peace of mind that their children would be financially secure in the event that something happened to them or their partner. In fact, Canadian parents who understand what protection their life insurance offers are less likely to be quite worried or extremely worried about their children's financial security in comparison to those who don't understand their coverage (34% versus 42%).

Most parents have life insurance, but more than half don't think they have an adequate amount

TD Insurance found 94% of Alberta parents surveyed have life insurance. However more than half (59%) don't think their policy will leave enough money to financially support their children up until their 18^th birthday.

"New shoes, hockey equipment, braces and class trips - raising a child to the age of 18 costs close to a quarter-million dollarsⁱ," says Minor. "No parent wants to think about the worst-case scenario, but it's important to think about what it will take to maintain your family's lifestyle."

Minor recommends parents consider the following expenses as they crunch the numbers to calculate how much coverage they need:

• Your current debts: By purchasing enough life insurance to cover your mortgage and other personal debts, you can ensure your important assets, like your home, are retained by your family.
• Final expenses and taxes: Consider funeral expenses plus any tax you may owe following your death, such as capital gains tax or inheritance tax. Your insurance should cover these expenses without having to sell any important assets like your home.
• Child care and education costs: A four-year post-secondary degree away from home can cost up to $84,000ⁱⁱ, so it's important you consider this cost. If you have young children and are the stay-at-home spouse in your relationship, you'll have to consider additional childcare expenses, too.
• Ongoing income for your family: Determine how much you wish to provide for your family in your absence to help them maintain their current lifestyle. Even smaller costs, such as sports activities can really add up.

For parents in Alberta who do not own life insurance, 38% hadn't thought about it yet, 25% don't think it's necessary and another 13% say it's because they can't afford it.

"Life insurance doesn't have to cost a fortune. One of the advantages of purchasing life insurance early in life is that it is more affordable since premiums are based on life expectancy, which naturally decreases over time," says Minor. "For example, a healthy (non-smoker) 35 year-old female could typically obtain term life coverage worth $100,000 for as little as $11 per month.ⁱⁱⁱ"

Visit the new online tool from TD Insurance to help you understand how much coverage you need, the different types of life insurance available to you and estimate your costs at: http://www.tdlifeguide.ca.

About the TD Insurance Poll

TD Insurance commissioned Environics Research Group (www.environics.ca) to conduct an online custom survey of 1,018 Canadian parents with children of any age living at home, including 133 respondents in Alberta. Responses were collected from October 4 to October 11, 2012.

ⁱ MoneySense, http://www.moneysense.ca/2011/08/10/the-real-cost-of-raising-kids/

ⁱⁱ TD Economics, www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/special/sf0911_education.pdf

ⁱⁱⁱ TD Insurance, http://www.tdlifeguide.ca/content/pdf/FINAL%20_%2011-2750%20-%20TD%20Insurance%20-%20Life%20Insurance%20Guide%20-%20REV%206.pdf

SOURCE: TD Insurance

Liz Christiansen / Caitie Wallman
Paradigm Public Relations
416-203-2223
[email protected] / [email protected] 

Samson Yuen
TD
416-308-8905
[email protected]