Women Are Forced To ManUp In This Recession

Forgive the title to this post, but thank God we have women in this country who will do what is needed to keep family’s finances intact. I read an article today that referred to the current recession as a “mancession” due to the fact that more men than women have lost their jobs.

It’s not a small disparity either. Apparently the jobless rate for men is 9.6% while for women it is 7%. What that means is that the balance has shifted and it is women who are carrying the burden of family income more now than ever in the past.

So, for all you men….and women, who have in the past thought it was the prudent and reasonable thing to protect that breadwinner’s income with life insurance forsaking the other spouse as inconsequential in the whole financial scheme, hold your horses! Have the roles changed?

First of all, that was the wrong attitude before the mancession and surely now the logic of both adults in the household having adequate life insurance should be starting to sink in. Certainly the financial impact of a lost breadwinner can put the fear into a family, but so to can the financial impact of a lost homemaker. Do you think for a minute that you can replace what a stay at home mom (or dad) does for free?

I guess where I’m headed with all of this is that if this recession gets us all to take a look at the value of life insurance as more than just cash income replacement, well, we can attach a little value to the whole experience.

Bottom line. Actually my hope is that the life insurance lesson is just one of many that we as Americans take to heart from this whole economic meltdown. Personally I think we are better, far better, than we have been acting for the last 30 years.