Cost of raising children may factor into life insurance decisions

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that a child born in 2013 will cost $245,340 to raise to the age of 18. That does not include the cost of a college education, or any other expenses if the child lives at home after age 17. The largest expense of raising a child is housing, followed by child care, education and food.

What, you ask, does the cost of raising children have to do with insurance? If you have children under the age of 18 and you are considering purchasing or modifying a life insurance policy for yourself or your spouse, the cost of raising and educating children is one factor you may want to weigh. When you purchase life insurance, you should consider expenses your family will need to pay for when you are gone and how the loss of your salary will affect their ability to do that. We recommend you talk to your financial planner, insurance agent or broker when you are making decisions about life insurance. You can also read more about life insurance on our website.

Are you curious about how much you may spend on raising your child? The USDA has a Cost of Raising a Child Calculator.