A question for all you dads out there – how different do you feel about life now you have children? In the vast majority of cases, there will have been a complete turnaround. Gone is the brash, brave, and – let’s face it – slightly foolhardy young man, and in its place is a ‘kind of’ responsible adult who worries a lot about the future they can give their kids. It’s a huge difference in attitude and one that can be difficult for many men to get a firm grip on.
Ultimately, your life becomes more about limiting the risks of life, rather than diving in head first without a thought for your mortality or the consequences. Sure, there are risks you need to take if you want to become a success, but as every successful investor will tell you, it’s limiting your exposure to risk that will have the biggest impact on your chances of accomplishing your goals. With this in mind, here are a few life risks that are worth limiting as a dad. Read on to find out more!
Estate Planning
First and foremost, how secure is your family’s future when the time comes for you to shuffle off this mortal coil? Most Americans don’t have any estate plan at all, but without one, you are running a huge risk that your loved ones won’t get the financial security you want for them, without a real – and expensive – struggle.
Insurance
Also, how much money are you worth to your family? Even if you have no estate to talk of, you can ensure they get a good payout if you die. According to wholelifeinsurance.co, the earlier you start paying into a plan, the more your pot will grow. And if you want to give your wife, partner and children a healthy future when you aren’t around anymore, it’s vital you build that fund as much as possible.
Emergency Fund
As discussed over at nerdwallet.com, life has a habit of throwing people under a bus when they least expect it. Things can be going great one minute, but the next you could lose your job, suffer an injury, or find out you have a serious illness. If you don’t plan for these events, you and your family could end up in a dangerous financial position. Set up an emergency fund as soon as possible, which will help you get over the many pitfalls life can throw at you. Ideally, you should have around six months worth of salary put away, to give you a chance to recover from anything – or to help you make other plans.
Your Choice Of Partner
It’d be good to think that you have met the love of your life and will be happy until the end of it. But statistically, it’s unlikely. While no one really knows why so many marriages end up in divorce – which is incredibly expensive – there’s a good chance it’s one of two things. First, we aren’t choosing the right people in the first place. And second, that we aren’t trying hard enough to make it work. Furthermore, if either of you has bad financial habits, the chances are you will be much worse off in the future. So, as a final point, perhaps you might want to put off that shotgun wedding, or that spur of the moment trip to Vegas to be married by an Elvis impersonator – it might save you a lifetime of financial worry.