For Gen Z, “adulting” isn't theoretical anymore.
Careers are taking off. People are getting married. Babies are being born. Homes are being purchased. Businesses and side hustles are becoming real sources of income.
And somewhere between building a career, paying rent or a mortgage, managing student loans, investing and trying to enjoy life, there's another financial conversation that may need to happen:
Life insurance.
It probably isn't the most exciting thing on your financial to-do list. And if you're young and healthy, it can be easy to think, “I'll worry about that later.”
A lot of people your age apparently feel the same way.
Gen Z knows there's a gap
According to 2026 research from LIMRA, an insurance and financial-services research organization, 45% of Gen Z adults say they need life insurance or need more coverage.
So why aren't more people addressing it?
Among the reasons Gen Z consumers gave:
- 38% believe life insurance is too expensive.
- 33% aren't sure what type of coverage to buy or how much they need.
- 33% simply haven't gotten around to it.
That tells us something important.
For many young adults, the issue isn't necessarily believing life insurance has no value.
It's figuring out where it belongs among everything else competing for their attention and money.
“But I'm only in my 20s.”
Your age isn't necessarily the most important question.
A better question is:
Would someone else be financially affected if something happened to me?
Maybe you recently got married.
Maybe you and your partner just bought your first house.
Maybe you have a child.
Maybe your parents rely on you financially.
Maybe you've started building a business with someone.
Or maybe you've taken on financial obligations that wouldn't simply disappear if you were gone.
Those are the kinds of life changes that can turn life insurance from something you'll “deal with later” into something worth understanding now.
“I have life insurance through my job.”
Great. Now find out what you actually have.
Employer-provided life insurance is one way many young professionals receive coverage. In fact, LIMRA's 2026 research found that 39% of Gen Z life insurance owners cited coverage through work as a reason they own life insurance.
But don't stop at checking the box during open enrollment.
How much coverage do you have?
Would you keep it if you changed jobs?
Who is listed as your beneficiary?
And most importantly:
What would that amount actually cover?
If you don't know the answers, that's a good place to start.
“Isn't life insurance expensive?”
This is one of the biggest misconceptions keeping younger adults from exploring their options.
The cost of life insurance isn't one universal number. It can vary based on factors including your age, health, the amount of coverage, policy type and underwriting.
So instead of assuming you can't afford it, first find out what your options actually look like.
You may decide coverage isn't a priority for you right now.
But make that decision based on your financial situation—not an assumption.
Don't start with the policy. Start with your life.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is starting this conversation by asking:
“What kind of life insurance should I buy?”
Start here instead:
“What am I trying to protect?”
Maybe it's replacing your income for your family.
Maybe it's making sure your partner isn't left with a mortgage they can't comfortably afford.
Maybe it's providing for your children.
Maybe it's protecting a business you've started building.
Once you know the problem you're trying to solve, you can begin evaluating the financial tools that may help solve it.
Strategy first. Product second.
Your financial plan is growing up with you
Your 20s and 30s come with a lot of financial firsts.
First real salary.
First 401(k).
First investment account.
First home.
First child.
Maybe even your first business.
Life insurance doesn't have to be something you wait to think about until you're “older.”
It can simply be another part of building a financial foundation that protects what you're working so hard to create.
If you're not sure whether you need life insurance, how much coverage makes sense, or how insurance fits alongside your investments, retirement planning and other financial goals, you don't have to figure it out by yourself.
At Hyde Legacy Group, we help clients look at the entire financial picture and build strategies around where they are today and where they're trying to go.
Your financial life is growing. Your strategy should grow with it.