Many people remember the classic movie “A Few Good Men” and the famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”

It seems after 35 years in the planning business, to “handle the truth” in the life insurance area is still a problem for many.

In an effort to unmask this subject, I think a little actual experience may add wisdom.  Attending 18 client funerals to date, I must admit that every beneficiary if given the choice to have received more life insurance benefits would have said “YES”.

So, the question that must be answered is “how much life insurance should you own”?  The “truth” is, if you can handle it…ALL YOU CAN GET.  Most people don’t realize that life insurance companies will only issue so much life insurance depending on your situation and based on hundreds of factors.  Your age, your income, your health, and your lifestyle are some of the broad factors that are considered.  And the result could range from 5 times to 20 times your income.

After you determine what you qualify for, now the learning process starts concerning what type of life insurance to own?  And yes, there are good and not so good companies and there are good and not so good policies.

Understanding how life insurance can be utilized to maximize the many living benefits such as spending the death benefit, utilizing the cash value and avoiding term costs are just a few of the many areas that help determine what is BEST for you.  Let’s face it…if you knew you only had six months to live, how much life insurance would you want to buy TODAY?

Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 5040 ROSWELL ROAD, ATLANTA, GA 30342, # 404-260-1600. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Wealth Creation Atlanta, LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. All investments contain risk and may lose value. Investing in the bond market is subject to certain risks including market, interest rate, issuer, credit, and inflation risk. Equities may decline in value due to both real and perceived general market, economic, and industry conditions. Investing in securities of smaller companies tends to be more volatile and less liquid than securities of larger companies. Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, or investment advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. This material contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Guardian or its subsidiaries and such opinions are subject to change without notice. 2018-65423 Exp. 2/20

Article by Chris Ellington CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, RICP®,Founder and President of WealthCreation Atlanta, LLC., he can be reached at chrisellington@wcatl.com or 770-366-6916 www.wealthcreationatlanta.com