Promotion for AA Life Insurance
It’s no secret that, as humans, we don’t like to confront the possibilities of ‘What if …?’. What if our family income suddenly decreases? What if I can’t work due to an accident? What if my partner passes away? Thinking about challenging ‘what if’ circumstances and how they may affect your family can be a daunting prospect.
How close are you to a financial crisis?
With the rising cost of living, so many Kiwi families are caught in a daily survival cycle. New AA Life Insurance data shows just how close to the edge we are: 27% of Kiwi mums say they’d face an immediate financial crisis if their partner passed away, and 61% would face financial hardship within three months.
But exploring the what-ifs doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it seems.
AA Life Insurance is proud to be working with journalist, broadcaster and financial expert Nadine Higgins to help demystify life and living insurance for Kiwis. With two decades of experience in national media, she’s a familiar voice to Kiwi audiences from programmes including Breakfast, Seven Sharp, and The Project. Nadine, also a proud mum to sons Frankie and Ari, sat down with Kidspot to share just how reassuring facing those difficult conversations can actually be.
Meet Nadine
Nadine herself, along with her husband Dan, knows firsthand the trials and tribulations that come with starting a family. Nadine and Dan have also opened the conversation with others, and the different ways Kiwis are building their own families and protecting their futures.
We discussed with Nadine how becoming a parent herself changed her mindset around money and advising others about their finances. After experiencing her son’s premature birth, Nadine gained a new appreciation for planning and protecting her family’s future. As a mother, Nadine faced a harsh reality and was forced to confront the ‘what-ifs’ many parents prefer not to think about. That experience reinforced the importance of understanding the options available when it comes to financial protection.
“I totally get that insurance in general can feel quite intimidating because there’s often lots of legalese and policy wording. And sometimes you go, well, I don’t know what type I need, or how much of it I need, so you do nothing. But what that results in is that something like 97% of us insure our cars, but less than half of us insure our lives. And if you think about that, how would my family cope without a car, versus how would my family cope without me? And obviously, lots of the things I bring [to my family] can’t be replaced by a sum of money. But some of the things that I bring to my family, an income and a roof over our heads, can be. So the thing to think about when you’re considering insurance isn’t necessarily feeling intimidated by it. It’s reducing it back down to what are the risks and how can I give my family a backstop, a safety net, and a plan B if anything was to happen to me?”
By teaming up with AA Life Insurance, Nadine offers some practical advice and solutions about what it is to invest in life insurance and what it can do for you.
Where to begin?
Understanding what life insurance is
If you’re unfamiliar with the specifics of life insurance, it’s a contract between you and your insurance provider. By making regular premium payments and provided conditions are met, your insurer agrees to pay a lump sum to your family in the event you pass away or become terminally ill, depending on the plan you have.
Start the conversation
While this is a confronting topic, it’s an important one to have. Nadine explains that in the event you get married, you might include the words ‘in sickness and in health’ in your vows. This does require some maintenance to protect not only yourself but your family, too.
Nadine explains that while facing these conversations is uncomfortable, what is more confronting is having to face these things at a difficult time without having considered your plan B ahead of time. There is no single life insurance plan that works for everyone, and insurers are more than happy to speak with you and assist you in creating a plan and payment scheme that works for you and the needs of your family.
Calculate your costs and finances
It’s also about sitting down and doing the math by calculating your expenses, such as household bills, utility costs, food and health payments. Putting your costs down on paper (or on a screen) is a great way to start navigating your finances, and using those figures to help you determine how much financial cover you could afford in the event of a life-changing event. Nadine herself expressed, like many of us, how easy it is to dismiss the prospect of life insurance before even looking into it. But it’s important not to dismiss it before looking into it; your needs will not be the same as others’, therefore, your own plan will be unique to you. Tailoring your life insurance cover could mean spending the equivalent of the cost of a single cup of takeaway coffee each week.
“Insurance helps buy you some time and headspace”, Nadine notes.
Investing in the future for yourself and your children
When Nadine faced health challenges within her own immediate family members, it made her confront the wider implications of ageing and how it could affect her own children. Having life insurance and putting a will in place has actually given Nadine a lot of relief. Planning ahead can help reduce financial stress and provide greater confidence about the future. Even opening the conversation with your own parents can be a worthwhile step to safeguarding their future.
Think about your own wishes, what safety net you’d like to put in place for your own children. Placing a trusted loved one in a space where they can legally represent you in the event you need it will be a relief for you and your loved one. If the process feels overwhelming, speaking with an insurer, like AA, can help you understand your options and determine the level of cover that’s right for your family.
A final note for Kiwi mums from Nadine
When asked what one piece of advice Nadine would give to Kiwi mums about protecting their family’s future, Nadine said, “Mums get so much advice thrown at them that I would say, you’re carrying so much, let’s work out how we can take a few things off your plate, off your worry list. Because lots of things keep you up at night when you’re a parent, so let’s find one less thing for you to worry about, let’s get some of that financial admin sorted. Let’s make sure that if something happens to you or your partner that you’re not left 13 weeks or less from [financial] disaster.
Parenthood comes with countless responsibilities, and thinking about life’s uncertainties isn’t always easy. But as Nadine explains, taking the time to put plans in place today can provide valuable peace of mind for tomorrow. Rather than dwelling on the “what-ifs”, having a plan can help you feel more prepared for whatever life brings.
Make protecting your financial future simple. Join AA Life Insurance ambassador and financial expert Nadine Higgins for a free webinar during AA Life Week and get answers to all the questions you might have about life and living cover.
For more from Nadine, check out these podcasts:
31 May, 2026
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