
Our favorite fictional characters have a tendency to live quite dicey and dramatic lives – it's part of their allure and charm, in the end. However, these risky endeavors come at a price, and it's one which puts their loved ones' futures at risk. As these T.V. characters combined have given us hours of entertainment, tears and shock value, we think we at least owe them just a little financial advice.
Check out this list of fan favorites whose purchase of life insurance might have made a lasting impact. Hopefully George R. R. Martin and Shonda Rhimes will require note when drafting their next pieces of art.
Bonus: our Life Insurance Awareness Month video during the day is featured below.
Ned (Eddard) Stark, Game of Thrones
For Bet on Thrones watchers who haven't read the books, the death of Ned Stark after season one was the most shocking of twists. Stark is beheaded for treason, a crime that he falsely admits to to be able to protect his loved ones. Whether it was unexpected for us, it was certainly unexpected for him and the family, who probably might have used additional financial support as a direct consequence of his death. For example, added militia like Daenerys has 24/7.
Wile E. Coyote, Looney Toons
Like Captain Ahab to The Whale, Wile E. Coyote has sought (unsuccessfully) to trap his prey, the street Runner, for a long time. Along the way, he's been banged and bruised and pitched off cliffs. We've never been clued in to the personal life of Wile E., but if he has a mate and pups in your own home, they need guaranteed financial protection. With a job as perilous as this one, coverage probably costs a pretty penny, too.
Ilana Wexler, Broad City
Ilana is our favorite free spirit, but judging from her current work ethic, an economic plan – or any type of plan – isn't going to cross her mind for some time while. A minimum of if she purchased life insurance now, her parents could repay her debts (we're assuming she's a lot) – or help you put around the epic funeral we're sure she'd want.
Norma Bates, Bates Motel
Maybe we're over simplifying it, but if Norma Bates had life insurance, perhaps poor Norman might have started fresh after his mother died, leaving the motel behind and Marion Crane alive.
Walter White, Breaking Bad
This may be sacrilege to say about such a beloved show, but when Walter White had felt his family would be looked after upon his passing, do you think Albuquerque could have been rather less bloody?
Leslie Knope, Parks & Recreation
At the end of its penultimate season, Parks & Recreation superstar Leslie Knope discovers she's having triplets. One baby is scary enough, however the considered needing to offer three could throw anyone right into a tailspin. It definitely sent Leslie's husband Ben into one. Quickly investing in a life insurance policy, for spouses, was frivolously excluded from the closing episode.
Ted Mosby, How I Met Your Mother
In season five of HIMYM, Ted Mosby, everybody's favorite long-winded romantic, buys a house for his wife and youngsters, even though they don't yet exist. It is a rash reaction to seeing his mother get married for the second some time and an optimist's wild investment in his future – wild we say because the house was entirely dilapidated at purchase. Having a mortgage on his shoulders, this is actually the perfect time for Ted to buy life insurance, to ensure that if he passes unexpectedly, his soon-to-be-real family will be able to pay off the mortgage and live comfortably.
Chandler Bing, Friends
In season nine of Friends, Chandler Bing former …well, something which were built with a good paycheck and involved following “WENUS” (Weekly Estimated Net Usage Systems)…quits his job and becomes an advertising intern. Pursuing his dream meant leaving from a planned future, and he did so at any given time when he also wanted to begin a family, a risky move that certainly impacted his financial future. Nobody should rely on their savings to aid their loved ones after they're gone, but they really, really shouldn't if they are likely to be spending it within their lifetime, say throughout a career transition. If Chandler had life insurance, he'd realize that whatever risks he was taking in the present, his family would be looked after later on.
Lucious Lyon, Empire
Lucious Lyon rose out of poverty to create a business empire which includes a successful music label, a super hot nightclub, a bubbling champagne brand, along with a type of shoes. His relationship together with his family members have had its ups-and-downs (a couple of his sons turn him set for murder at the end of season one), but we still believe Lucious really wants to know everyone will be okay after he's gone. He should invest in life insurance – especially considering the industries on which he's built his wealth are some of the most precarious out there. There's no telling if or when Lucious's empire will fall, but he can have guaranteed security having a life insurance policy.
Anyone, Grey's Anatomy
With bombs, plane crashes, shooting sprees, electrocutions, and more, working at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (named after two dead characters, we might add) is a hazardous endeavor for a long time, well before McDreamy's car crash a couple weeks ago. Anyone who even considers the high-risk career choice of becoming a Grey's Anatomy doctor should invest in a life insurance to financially protect themselves.
Learning Using their Misfortunes
While these fictional characters clearly didn't have life insurance calculators readily available, we've one us actual life people may use. Find out if you need life insurance. Oh, and if you haven't seen any of these shows – better reach it! They're classics.