Financial Advisers Not Including Life Insurance in Planning

A survey of more than 2,410 adults —of which 786 currently have a financial adviser—shows that many advisers don’t discuss life insurance with their clients.

Results of the survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Saybrus Partners Inc. showed that about 49 percent of U.S. adults who have a financial adviser and a financial plan have spoken with their adviser about adding life insurance to their financial plan. Among those who have discussed life insurance with their advisers, 15 percent said the conversation took place more than 10 years ago, while 40 percent have discussed it within the past year. While this may indicate that discussions about life insurance are becoming more common, they do not necessarily include a review of existing policies for critical issues such as performance, affordability and potential policy lapse. According to the study, 47 percent of U.S. adults who have a financial adviser and have life insurance said their advisers have never reviewed their existing life insurance policy with them.