SoFi Blog

When you start a new job or need to select company insurance benefits during open enrollment, you’re given a menu of options, such as dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. While opting for life insurance is pretty much a no-brainer, assessing your needs and reading the fine print can be flat-out daunting.

It’s tough to focus on future needs when current bills and student loan payments loom. We get it. And it’s even tougher to think about the end of your life when you’re so focused on living it to the max. But making sure you not only have life insurance, but also have the right amount is part of adulting—a very important part, especially if you have or are considering a family.

When you can’t make it home for Thanksgiving, throwing (or attending) a Friendsgiving dinner party is the next best thing. Friendsgiving is the perfect occasion to give thanks with your closest friends, gorge yourself on terrific food and drinks, and, of course, watch some football.

This annual get-together of great friends and food has increased in popularity over the years, and one reason for that is the cost of air travel. For example, if you live in San Francisco and want to spend the four-day Thanksgiving weekend with your family in New York City, a non-stop, round trip ticket will cost anywhere from $738 (JetBlue) to $1222 (American). If you work in a demanding professional career, your career goals might force to you stick around town. But a tight budget or work obligations shouldn’t mean you have to miss out on what many people believe to be the best holiday of the year. You’ve got friends—lots of them—and some of them might be in the same position as you are.

Life insurance: as you yawn, roll your eyes and think to yourself that there couldn't possibly be anything less interesting to read— we acknowledge your lack of enthusiasm.

After all, life insurance is something that many people, especially healthy and young professionals, put off or don't consider at all. Perhaps it's due to a sense of invincibility, or maybe a notion that life insurance is for our parents.

Five years ago, running a startup wasn’t even close to being on Michael Zanetti’s mind. But life is unpredictable—and that’s exactly how he likes it. As a veteran with combat experience in the Army, Michael thrives on unpredictability. After all, in the Army, every mission requires a contingency plan.

After serving in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and receiving a Bronze Star, Michael went on to serve in the National Guard. He transitioned from the military into civilian life in 2011, and earned an MBA in 2014 from Thunderbird School of Global Management. A year later, he partnered with his friend Brady Bagwan—also a former army officer—to co-found TradesFactor, a professional network for people in the skilled trades.