The global pandemic changed consumer perceptions about life insurance. And with September being Life Insurance Awareness Month, it serves as a time to help consumers understand the importance of life insurance and how it can help protect a family’s financial future.

According to LIMRA, (Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association) 7-in-10 Americans agree that the pandemic has been a wake-up call to re-evaluate their long-term financial goals, which may include life insurance.

“The pandemic jolted consumers awake to the crucial importance of life insurance,” says Tim Heslin, President of AIG Life US. “By including life insurance as part of a holistic financial plan, individuals and families can begin to prepare for the unexpected, today and in the future.”

How do you start the conversation?

Having a conversation about life insurance with a loved one can seem unsettling or morbid, but it does not need to be. AIG Life & Retirement offers tips to help get the conversation started:

Find the right opportunity: Major life events such as marriage, having a child, or buying a home present an appropriate opportunity to start a conversation.

Set aside dedicated time: The topic of life insurance isn’t something to bring up lightly, like in the car on the way to the grocery store. Set aside dedicated time when both you and your loved one are at home and relaxed.

Do your homework: Do some online research or speak with a licensed life insurance representative who can provide information on the different types of life insurance.

Approach it as a financial plan: Rather than making it about death, frame the conversation around protecting the family financially if one of your paychecks was to suddenly stop.