
An Honest, Practical Guide from The Lambert Agency of Austin, TX
If you happen to be in your 20s, life insurance is likely one of the last things on your mind. You’re most likely focusing on building your career, paying off debt and student loans, and fostering relationships as you progress throughout your first decade of life where you have true independence. Enjoying the freedom of young adulthood is great and all, but there may be a question which pops up from time to time, especially when your friends are buying their first home, starting a family, and checking off major milestones. That question is:
“Do I actually need life insurance in my 20s?”
The answer to this question is: “Yes, you do need life insurance in your 20s”. It’s one of the best financial decisions you can make and it’s typically quite affordable, as you have your youth on your side, and your health on your side in most cases. Throughout this post, we’ll explain exactly why a life insurance policy in your 20s is the right choice to make, how it all works, and which type of life insurance coverage makes the most sense for someone in your age range.
Premiums are Usually Significantly More Affordable in Your 20s
Life insurance premium pricing is primarily based on two major factors: your age at the time of application and your overall health. When you’re in your 20s, you’re most likely going to be healthier than someone in their 50s. For this reason, you’ll often be placed into a lower risk category with insurers. This lower-risk category allows the following:
- Lower monthly premiums
- Long-term guaranteed pricing (20-year or 30-year term policies)
- Higher coverage amounts for less monthly premium
An example of this could be how a healthy 25-year-old may pay as little as:
- $12–$18/month for a $250,000 policy
- $20–$28/month for a $500,000 policy
Those same types of policies would likely cost 2-4x more when purchased between the ages of 35 to 45. Here at The Lambert Agency, we let all of our clients in their 20s know this: Your 20s are the decade where life insurance is affordable enough to lock in pricing for 20 or 30 years without having it affect your budget.
You Lock In Coverage Before Health Issues Begin to Creep Up
Many people will not think about life insurance in their 20s, yet your 20s are usually the healthiest years of your adult life. When you make the decision to purchase life insurance now instead of later, you’ll usually be provided with the following benefits:
- Price protection before excess weight gain issues, blood pressure conditions, or other chronic conditions develop.
- The ability to lock in a “preferred” or “super preferred” health class for decades to come, resulting in better premium pricing
- The best levels of coverage available if you’re healthy and in your 20s, even if your future health changes
As health issues begin to appear as you age, your life insurance rates may begin to rise when a new quote is requested. Even worse, you could become uninsurable altogether if your health is poor. Choosing to secure coverage early on in your 20s will be one of the best decisions you make and you’ll most likely save money on monthly premiums as well.
It Protects Your Growing Financial Life
When you’re in your 20s, you may believe you don’t need a life insurance policy because you typically do not have that many assets, yet there are still responsibilities a high-quality life insurance policy can very much help in protecting. These responsibilities may include the following:
Student loans
Some private loans may require a co-signer, and if something were to happen to you, your parents or a loved one, or whoever co-signed on the private student loan may end up becoming responsible for repayment of those loans.
Spouse or partner
If you happen to be married or co-habitating with your partner, you’re both likely to have financial responsibilities, such as monthly bills or living expenses. A proper life insurance policy helps to protect the overall financial wellness of the household you share with your spouse or partner.
Future family planning
When you choose to purchase life insurance now, you’re better prepared long before any children enter the picture. When you’re properly prepared, you can be reassured your future family will be taken care of financially should something happen to you in the future.
Credit card debt or personal loans
Life insurance coverage may help out your spouse, partner, and family members avoid excess financial burden. Even if you do not have any dependents yet, life insurance is there to create a strong financial foundation should something happen and provide your loved ones with the financial stability they need in their time of grieving.
Employers Often Do Not Provide Enough Coverage
When you’re in your 20s, you may have found a fantastic job with good work-life balance, a nice salary, and true purpose behind the work involved, yet even the best of the best jobs will often lack the right level of employer-sponsored life insurance coverage. A typical employer-sponsored life insurance policy will include the following elements:
- 1× salary (this is often not sufficient enough for any long-term needs)
- Coverage which ends when you leave your job
- No control over the policy type or monthly premium price
- No guarantee that coverage will be offered at your next employer (no carry-over)
Purchasing your own life insurance policy will provide you with much needed:
- Control
- Portability
- Predictability
- Real protection
Life Insurance is Perfect for Budgeting Purposes
Life insurance is one of the few financial products where you’re able to truly lock in:
- A fixed monthly cost
- A fixed term length
- A fixed benefit amount
When you’re establishing your monthly or annual budget, you’ll be able to immediately factor in how much you’ll be spending on life insurance premiums for the next 10, 20, or 30 years. As you begin to earn more as you progress throughout your career, the fixed-cost pricing of a term-life insurance policy purchased in your 20s remains the same, ultimately allowing you to have more financial flexibility in the future.
Life Insurance Builds a Financial Foundation for Future Goals
When you begin planning for your future in your 20s, it creates a long-term advantage. Many of our clients in their 20s will choose life insurance for the following reasons:
- Supporting long-term savings strategies through lower premiums
- Protecting a future mortgage should the client become a homeowner
- Planning ahead for any future children to ensure financial stability
- Preparing for business ownership should the client pursue entrepreneurship
- Securing lower permanent life insurance costs later in life as a strategic option
If you’re planning on:
- Buying a home
- Starting a business
- Marrying
- Having children
Then choosing to purchase life insurance in your 20s becomes much more affordable and less complicated if you choose to do it now instead of later on in your 30s or 40s.
Life Insurance in Your 20s Provides Your Future Family with Peace of Mind
Even though you may not have any dependents today, your 30s and 40s will arrive much quicker than you anticipate. Life can certainly change fast and choosing to secure the right level of life insurance protection in your 20s will help those you care about most when you find the right person to start a family with.
What Kind of Life Insurance Should Someone in Their 20s Get?
The Lambert Agency will typically recommend the following type of life insurance policy for most young adults in their 20s in Austin, Texas:
Level Term Life Insurance (Most Affordable)
- 20-year or 30-year fixed premium costs
- High coverage for a much lower cost than in your 30s or 40s
- Ideal for long-term budgeting, as the costs remain the same throughout the term of the policy
Our team of Austin, Texas based life insurance experts will assist you with comparing and contrasting any life insurance policy you’d like to explore further and help you choose the best fit for your long-term goals.
So, Should You Get Life Insurance in Your 20s?
Yes, you definitely should, and you’ll most likely thank yourself later on down the road. Choosing to purchase life insurance in your 20s provides you with:
- Lower-cost premiums throughout the duration of your policy
- Guaranteed coverage in most cases
- A stronger financial foundation for future assurance
- Protection for your loved ones
- Peace of mind for decades to come
The most important question to ask when choosing to buy a life insurance policy is typically “when?”, not “why?”. Choosing to purchase life insurance in your 20s instead of your 30s or 40s will help you save a significant amount of money over a 20 or 30-year term life policy.
Considering Purchasing Life Insurance in Your 20s? The Lambert Agency Can Help
If you’re in your 20s and contemplating whether or not to buy a life insurance policy. The Lambert Agency can help make the process simple. Here at The Lambert Agency, we help you with:
- Comparing Austin’s top-rated insurers
- Finding the best available pricing
- Helping you understand your options in plain English
- Customizing coverage based on your goals
Whether you happen to be 22, 25, or 29, the best time to purchase a life insurance policy is before you need it.
Ready to See What Life Insurance Coverage Looks Like for You?
You’ll want to contact The Lambert Agency located in Austin, Texas for a quick quoting process with no pressure and no confusing insurance jargon. Your future self and your future family will be glad you did. We look forward to hearing from you soon.






