Jeannine McCurrie is a mother of two, recent author, and sudden widow.
"I was a stay-at-home parent and I didn't realize there were things like child care that would come up, and health insurance that I would need to be paying for out of pocket every month, and what the cost is for a hospital visit," Jeannine McCurrie said.
She lost her husband Darrin in 2008 and says thanks to planning ahead, she had the resources to recover at home.
"I know of people who had to go back to work in 2 weeks, 3 weeks and imagine what that's like in the midst of shock and grief," McCurrie said.
She said as a couple with young children, her and Darrin had sat down and listed out all the what-ifs, and she's glad they did. "I really can't imagine what life would be like had we not had those discussions because it really put in place life insurance and last wishes, and things you need to know we all have in our head," McCurrie said.
The McCurries are in the minority of adults who actually put wishes in writing and prepared financially for the worst, according to a new survey by State Farm Insurance. It finds 33 to 44 year-olds the most likely age group to take actions with concerns.
"That makes a lot of sense because these folks that typically have young families that are trying to figure out how they can both manage a budget, but also prepare for retirement, college, and important events coming up," Joe Monk, a representative with State Farm said.
It is recommended to sit down and talk about different scenerios, based on what needs to be decided first and what can wait.
"Put a time specific date about when you're gonna deal with each of these potential unforeseen catastrophes," Monk said.
