Family financial security: the best Valentine's Day gift

The best Valentine's Day gift doesn't have anything to do with flowers, candy or dinner. The best gift is financial security, said Gary Parsons, a certified financial planner at Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn Insurance Inc., in a column.

Life insurance and estate planning can provide a secure financial future for families. Life insurance isn't necessarily the most romantic gift, but it's one that is selfless, according to Parsons' column.

Life insurance premiums in large part reflect the buyer's age at the time of purchase. This means that the longer someone waits to get life insurance, the more expensive it will be. In the event of a sudden life-threatening illness, one may not even be able to buy life insurance, resulting in a family's uncertain financial future, Parsons wrote.

Estate planning can give a family intrinsic wealth instead of reliance on the government. Failure to appropriately plan retirement account or pension distributions can make it very difficult for a family, according to Parsons.

Click to read the complete column at Tallahassee.com.