We go to great lengths for our loved ones. We work hard to provide them with a life filled with happiness, comfort and opportunity. In fact, there’s almost nothing we wouldn’t do for our loved one. However, there’s an economic plague in this country of people being under- or un-insured. According to research by LIMRA International, a worldwide association of insurance and financial services companies, the majority of adult Americans do not own an individual life insurance (LI) policy.

Some advisors will sit down and talk your ear off about life insurance in terms of numbers and percentages. At that point, they’ll whip out fancy illustration charts to explain to you why it’s an important financial instrument to own. Numbers aside, I believe there is really only one simple reason to own life insurance and that’s, L-O-V-E. That’s right, it’s love. The bottom line: You buy life insurance to provide financial protection for those you love (and, as the case may be, the business you have worked hard to create). What can say “I love you” better than a promise to provide for the ones you love, while you’re here (living benefits of investment-grade LI), or even after you’re gone.

Maggie Leyes, with the nonprofit LIFE Foundation, asks the critical question: “How long would it be before life would become a financial struggle for your family if you weren’t in the picture anymore?” That’s where life insurance comes in—it helps you plan for the unexpected and ensure the financial well being of your family if you were to die. Ensuring that you have the proper amounts of life insurance in place is right thing to do, and it doesn’t have to be a chore, either. Start with this easy online Life Insurance Needs Calculator.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, the perfect time to take stock of your life insurance needs. Don’t be another statistic of the un- or under-insured. Take the first step by checking out this video and/or the information about the different types of life insurance that are available to find out which may be right for you.