Some students are covered by their parents’ insurance plans through college, but once they graduate, they have to make ends meet on their own. Securing their own source of insurance is part of the responsibility.

“You never know what might happen,” said Troy Tetzlaff, graduate student in chemistry. “You need the reassurance that the bills will be paid and your materials would be replaced if something happened to them.”

Tetzlaff said he will soon have insurance coverage through the company that hired him. He said the most important factors for him when choosing insurance are the type of coverage offered and the price.

Anne Swift, supervisor of Iowa State’s Financial Counseling Clinic, urged people to ask what kind of medical, disability, retirement and life insurance will be offered by companies’ insurance plans when considering job offers.

She said health insurance and auto insurance are the most important types of insurance to have.

It also is critical for young people just entering the workforce to have disability insurance, Swift said.

“As far as life insurance versus disability insurance, disability insurance is much more important, simply because the chances of being disabled are much higher than the chances of being killed on the job,” Swift said.

She said dangers vary from job to job, so it is important that people choose an insurance that fits their individual needs.

Rachel Bell, sophomore in entomology, said she and her future husband need to decide what to do about medical insurance before they get married in June, because they will no longer be covered by their parents’ policies.

“It will be important to have medical insurance to obtain quality health care at a reasonable cost,” she said.

Jolene Randall, insurance agent at Knapp-Tedesco Insurance Agency Inc., 414 Northwestern Ave., said students are protecting their futures and their financial situations by buying insurance.

“There are things out there to protect people now,” Randall said. “But they have to be aware of it and maybe need some good advice.”

Randall said most people acquire information about insurance from their families and friends.

People should find out what services are covered and should know about any clauses regarding pre-existing conditions in their insurance plans, Swift said.

“There are always going to be exceptions,” she said. “You want the list of exceptions.”

Karyl Ferguson, another insurance agent at Knapp-Tedesco, recommended that people read all the information before choosing an insurance plan.

“If you don’t quite understand or that agent doesn’t make you understand, maybe go to another one. Shop around,” Ferguson said.

She said the most important thing is to buy the most coverage you can afford.

Both Randall and Ferguson said people should at least have health insurance and auto insurance if they drive.

Most young people are not aware of life insurance, Ferguson said.

“The younger you are and the healthier you are, the cheaper the premium is going to be for a long period of time,” she said.

Swift also recommended that students visit several different insurance companies to compare costs, research the companies on the Internet and talk to current and past customers of the companies to find out how well they respond to accidents.

Swift said the Financial Counseling Clinic can help students evaluate insurance plans for no charge. Other clients are charged a nominal fee for the service.