By Brooke Foster

“A true blessing” is how Alfa Insurance Vice President of Life Operations Jan Hopkins said she viewed life insurance after losing her mother. 

It’s one reason she’s passionate about the work she does every day — ensuring Alfa’s customers get the life insurance coverage they need to help make navigating the loss of a loved one a little easier.

“I’ve seen the positive impact life insurance can have on families, including my own,” Hopkins said. “After my mom passed away, her insurance policy took care of all final expenses, giving me one less thing to worry about during such a difficult time.” 

Hopkins said while it’s easy to put life insurance on the back burner, it’s important to prioritize securing coverage — especially when starting a family, getting married or preparing for retirement.

“As we get older, premiums increase; quite often, our health begins to change, making it more difficult to afford the insurance we need,” Hopkins said. “When looking for insurance, buy as much as you can reasonably afford as young as you possibly can.”

Hopkins said there are two types of life insurance — term and permanent. 

Term life provides death benefits within a certain time, typically 10-30 years, and can be a more affordable option. Permanent life offers life-long protection and can build cash value. 

Hopkins’ coworker Brad Spear knows the value of life insurance, too. When Spear was just 12 years old, his father passed away.

Spear said the benefit of a life insurance policy can be invaluable as families grieve and plan after a loss. 

“The death benefit my family received from the policy my father had in place was vital for my mom as she figured out how to move forward,” said Spear, Alfa’s director of life strategies.

Following his own advice, Spear has a policy in place for his two children. 

“I don’t like to think about them growing up without me, but the policy I have in place would ensure their lives would not be interrupted by the loss of my income if something happened to me,” Spear said. “During my time in the Life Department, I’ve seen a sole provider of a family of five pass away tragically, leaving the other parent and full-time child caretaker responsible for generating income. Situations like that make you realize how important it is to be intentional in selecting the right product.”

No matter the stage of life, Alfa offers insurance options to help plan for the future. Visit AlfaInsurance.com to complete a life insurance needs analysis, or contact a local Alfa agent to get the coverage you need today.