by Thomas P. Smith Jr.

The end of the year is fast approaching and the Christmas season is in full swing. You are likely very busy running errands, planning celebrations and preparing your family for a joyful and holy holiday. Hopefully, you haven’t waited until the last minute. Holidays can be stressful if you haven’t taken the proper steps to be ready. And don’t ever allow yourself to forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Most of us are procrastinators. It is part of human nature to put things off, especially when a task seems difficult or makes us uncomfortable. And we always believe we have more time than we really do, and that time quickly passes. Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were celebrating Easter?

Unfortunately, this compulsion to procrastinate applies to life insurance. The Life Insurance Marketing Research Association (LIMRA) reaffirmed this through a study conducted in September during Life Insurance Awareness Month. One in four households plans to buy life insurance for the bread-winner or another member of the family in the next 12 months. Of course, we know what happens to the best laid plans, and many of these families are unlikely to follow through on this goal.

During the struggling economy, families have been forced to re-evaluate their financial situation. Fiscal responsibility is at the forefront of their thoughts. They are paying off debt and saving more than in previous decades. Life insurance ranks lower and they are willing to wait. A month quickly becomes a year, yet 70 percent of those surveyed agreed that life insurance is the best way to protect against premature death of a wage-earner.

Less than half of all households in North America have individual life insurance. You probably know a friend or relative who is uninsured or underinsured. Maybe it’s your family who lacks coverage. What if, when you are ready, it’s already too late? May I ask: what are you waiting for?

This season, follow through on the promise to keep your family financially safe and secure by meeting with your professional Knights of Columbus agent. Give a gift that shows how much you truly care.