Personal Finance

Life Insurance Awareness Month in September is a reminder to make sure all of your life insurance needs are adequate and up-to-date.

A lack of life insurance had a devastating effect on this family when its patriarch died unexpectedly. Palak Patel tells her story.

The death of her father taught Palak Patel how short life can be and how important life insurance can be.

My parents moved to this country to live the American Dream. They wanted to make something out of nothing, so they bought a convenience store.

When I was just 12, my mother had to deliver the news that my father had been killed while pursuing that dream. This missing link in my life hurt my family both emotionally and financially. I grew up without feeling protected. I lost all sense of hope for a while, wondering how my sister, mom and I would get by.

On top of all this, my father’s lack of life insurance really made my family struggle.

I know my father loved us, but the financial burden we faced was too much to bear. It became common to have to say “no” to buying many of the things we needed.