September is Life Insurance Awareness Month
Life insurance feels like something you can put off until later. Perhaps when you’re older or when circumstances change, you’ll consider getting some coverage. But this common way of thinking is exactly why Life Insurance Awareness Month exists—to help Canadians understand why this protection matters before it becomes urgent.
September brings Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM), when the insurance industry comes together to help consumers understand how life insurance protects families when they need it most. Most people think of life insurance as just a safety net, but it can also be a useful financial planning tool that gives you peace of mind knowing your loved ones are protected.
Here’s something surprising: younger adults are the most likely to say they need more life insurance, yet they’re the least likely to actually own coverage. This happens because many people think life insurance costs more than it does, or they don’t fully understand what a policy can do for their family. What’s more, many Canadians don’t realize that you can get life insurance without a medical exam, making it easier to get covered than they might expect.
September is the perfect time to ask yourself an important question: Is your insurance still working for your life, your goals, and your legacy? Whether you’re thinking about coverage for the first time or reviewing what you already have, this month gives you the opportunity to make sure your loved ones’ financial future stays secure.
Why September is Life Insurance Awareness Month
Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) gives Canadians a focused time to think about their financial protection needs. Insurance professionals across the country use this month to help clients understand the importance of proper coverage.
The origin and purpose of LIAM
Life Insurance Awareness Month started in 2004 when the nonprofit organisation Life Happens created the campaign. The goal was simple: help people make better decisions about life insurance and encourage families to talk about how it protects them from financial hardship if someone dies unexpectedly. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of this initiative, showing two decades of work to help people understand financial protection.
How LIAM helps raise awareness in Canada
During September, Canadian insurance brokers use LIAM as a natural way to start conversations with clients about protection needs. The campaign gives them a framework to explain different coverage options, including those non-medical life insurance alternatives that many Canadians don’t know exist.
Insurance brokers across Canada help clients during this month, guiding them to make smart choices about protecting the people and things they care about. The campaign offers resources that break down different types of life insurance and how each one meets specific financial needs. This helps Canadians see how life insurance fits into their overall financial planning.
Why September is the chosen month
September works well for LIAM because families are getting back into their routines after summer holidays. Children return to school and adults refocus on work, making September a natural time for planning and getting organized.
This timing lets Canadians ask themselves: “Is your insurance still working for your life, your goals, and your legacy?” September also comes at a time when people often look at their finances before year-end planning starts, making it a good month to think about life insurance needs.
The campaign keeps evolving each year, finding new ways to reach Canadians about life insurance protection. This includes digital tools and social media designed to connect with younger generations who might otherwise delay buying coverage.
Understanding the Role of Life Insurance Today
Life insurance protects millions of Canadians, though many still don’t have enough coverage or any coverage at all. About half of Americans were covered by life insurance as of 2024, and the situation in Canada shows similar gaps.
Protecting your family’s financial future
When you pass away, life insurance provides a tax-free lump sum payment (called a death benefit) to the people you choose as beneficiaries. This money helps your family maintain their standard of living even without your income. Consider how your beneficiaries could use these funds:
Replace your lost income
Cover everyday expenses and outstanding debts
Fund children’s education
Pay for funeral expenses
Create a tax-free inheritance for your family
For parents, life insurance ensures your children’s educational and daily needs continue to be met even if something happens to you. If you have health concerns, non-medical life insurance options make this protection available without the worry of medical exams.
How life insurance differs from other financial tools
Think about retirement accounts or education savings plans—they have specific purposes and restrictions. Life insurance offers much more flexibility. Your beneficiaries can use the benefits for whatever they choose, without any restrictions on how they spend the money.
Life insurance also creates estate planning opportunities that other financial tools can’t match. It can help equalize inheritances among your heirs and provide immediate cash for estates that contain assets not easily converted to money. If you own a business, life insurance can fund succession plans that ensure smooth transitions when you’re no longer there.
September gives Canadians the perfect opportunity to explore how life insurance can do much more than just provide basic protection.
How Advisors Can Start the Conversation
September gives financial advisors a perfect opportunity to discuss life insurance with clients. Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) provides a structured framework for these essential conversations that might otherwise get postponed.
Using LIAM to engage clients
Advisors can use LIAM as a natural conversation starter. Bringing up life insurance unexpectedly can take clients by surprise, so setting a specific time to discuss coverage helps clients mentally prepare. Starting with personal examples or stories about clients who benefited from proper coverage creates a comfortable atmosphere. Focus on goals rather than mortality to keep discussions positive—talk about funding children’s education or supporting retirement plans first, then connect these to life insurance protection.
Explaining non-medical life insurance options
Many Canadians are pleasantly surprised to learn that no medical exam term life insurance exists. This option appeals particularly to those concerned about health conditions affecting rates, individuals previously denied coverage, and those with hazardous occupations. When explaining simplified issue insurance, advisors should clarify that the application process often involves answering just a questionnaire that takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Tailoring advice for different life stages
Insurance needs change as people move through different stages of life. Young adults often benefit from inexpensive term options, especially when someone becomes financially dependent on them through marriage or parenthood. Middle-aged clients entering peak earning years need coverage for mortgages, retirement planning, and potential healthcare costs. For seniors, protection focuses on surviving spouse income and legacy planning.
Tools and resources for Canadian advisors
Canadian insurance companies offer various digital tools to support advisors. Illustration software helps calculate premiums and demonstrate policy benefits. Insurance needs analysis tools assist clients in determining appropriate coverage amounts. Many providers offer cloud-based platforms that allow advisors to create custom presentations, manage policies across carriers, and track client engagement statistics.
Reaching the Underinsured and Younger Canadians
Young Canadians know life insurance matters, but they’re not getting the coverage they need. Life Insurance Awareness Month gives us a chance to understand why this gap exists and what we can do about it.
Why young adults delay buying life insurance
Young people today are waiting longer for the usual reasons to buy life insurance. About 63% don’t have immediate plans to marry, and 84% aren’t planning to have children soon. More concerning, over half (54%) of uninsured Canadians have no plans to buy coverage at all.
When you ask why, the reasons make sense. Gen Z adults worry about cost (31%), they’re dealing with debt and other financial priorities (29%), they don’t understand how life insurance works (26%), and some just keep putting it off (23%). What’s striking is how much financial stress younger Canadians feel—89% of Gen Z adults report high levels of anxiety about money.
Overcoming affordability and awareness barriers
The problem is that many young adults think life insurance costs more than it actually does. These misconceptions about price, combined with confusing insurance language, keep people from getting coverage.
Here’s another issue: workplace benefits can create a false sense of security. About 33% of Gen Z workers rely only on what their employer provides, yet 89% worry that their workplace benefits aren’t enough. Even more telling, 56% are concerned about losing this protection if they change jobs.
Using digital tools and social media to connect
Social media has become essential for reaching younger Canadians where they are. Facebook alone has 2 billion monthly users, giving insurers a real opportunity to connect with potential clients in spaces they already use. The key is providing value instead of making sales pitches—answering questions, sharing useful information, and building trust.
This approach is working. Online interest in life insurance has grown significantly, and non-medical options are becoming easier to access through simple digital applications. For younger Canadians who might otherwise delay getting coverage, these streamlined processes remove many of the barriers that once made life insurance feel complicated or overwhelming.
Life Insurance Awareness Month gives Canadians a chance to think seriously about financial protection. September is when families settle back into routines, making it a natural time to review what coverage you have or explore options if you don’t have any yet.
It’s understandable that many young adults put off buying life insurance. They know they need it, but cost concerns and confusion about how it all works often get in the way of taking action.
What many don’t realize is that you can get life insurance without going through medical exams. These simplified options just require filling out some health questions, making coverage available to people who might have been hesitant before.
Life insurance does more than just pay out when you pass away. Permanent policies can build cash value that you can access while you’re alive, and the money your beneficiaries receive comes to them tax-free. This creates financial opportunities that other investment options simply can’t match.
Your insurance needs change as your life changes. Young families need different coverage than middle-aged professionals or retirees. That’s where working with an advisor during this awareness month can help you figure out what makes sense for your situation.
Life insurance is really about taking responsibility for the people who depend on you. Whether you’re just starting to look into coverage or reviewing what you already have, September is the perfect time to make sure your insurance still fits your life and goals.
At Maple Bay, we understand that choosing life insurance can feel overwhelming. We’re insurance brokers, which means we work with different companies to find you the right coverage at the right price. When you’re ready to protect your family’s financial future, contact us to explore your options.