Military Appreciation Month: A Hard Look at Life Insurance Gaps for Military Families
May 6, 2025
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As a Navy spouse and Risk Management Advisor, I’ve seen firsthand how military families pour their energy into service, mission, and sacrifice — but often overlook a crucial piece of their financial well-being: life insurance.
Let’s be blunt. Most people don’t associate life insurance with sophisticated financial planning. But here’s the truth: without the right coverage, your entire plan can collapse.
For military families, it’s even more complicated. Yes, there’s SGLI (Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance) and VGLI (Veterans’ Group Life Insurance). But here’s what most military households don’t realize:
SGLI ends when your service does — and if you delay securing private, portable life insurance, you risk applying at a time when health issues or disability payments make you either uninsurable or subject to much higher premiums.
In conversations I’ve had with military transition specialists and veteran advocates, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories.
Service members assumed they could “wait until later” — only to discover that once disability pay kicks in, they face medical exclusions or massive rate hikes if they try to secure outside life insurance.
Others assumed VGLI would “cover them for life,” only to be shocked at how fast the group rates increase with age.
The hard truth? SGLI and VGLI are not long-term solutions for most military families. They were designed as stopgaps, not legacy-building tools.
That’s why military service members and their spouses need to know this — before it’s too late.
Don’t let avoidable ignorance or blind trust in military benefits put your family at risk.
If reading this just scratched an itch — if it sparked a little “wait, I’m not sure we’re fully covered” thought — DM me or set up an appointment. Let’s see if we can change that.
Because during Military Appreciation Month, the greatest way we can honor the ones we love is by protecting their future.
Dr. Trinh An
Risk Management Advisor
Money Umbrella LLC
