Growing up, I often heard people say that your 20s are for figuring things out – for chasing dreams, backpacking across cities, trying different job roles, and maybe making a few impulsive decisions while trying to find your footing. And that’s exactly what I did over two gap years. There’s this unspoken belief that your 20s are like a free trial period for adulthood –  a time when you’re allowed to mess up, bounce back, and just “worry about it later”.

But here’s the thing no one really tells you: life doesn’t wait for you to get your act together. It doesn’t always follow the plan. I’ve learnt that you can create a budget for every dollar, map out your career path and detail your next five life goals, and still find yourself sideswiped by the unexpected.

The myth of “too young to worry”

During my gap year, my father was diagnosed with cancer shortly after retiring. The vulnerability of no longer having an income hit hard. I knew that if his treatment drained our savings, I’d have had to step up and help financially. That’s when it sank in: life doesn’t wait for you to have it all figured out. Illness, accidents, and emergencies don’t check your age or your plans before showing up, they just happen. Thankfully, my father had adequate insurance, and that protection meant we didn’t have to scramble or fall into debt. It made all the difference – and it changed the way I viewed preparedness.

Most people don’t think about these things until something happens. The Life Insurance Association reports that working adults aged 20 to 69 in Singapore are severely underinsured for critical illnesses.1 On average, they only have enough coverage to pay for 26% of the total costs from major health events like cancer, stroke or heart disease. That means the remaining 74% – covering treatments, hospital bills and recovery expenses – must be paid out-of-pocket or by family members. It’s a gap that can undo years of financial progress, especially for younger adults who assume they’re in the clear.

Take for example an acquaintance who was diagnosed with cancer at just 32. He had everything mapped out: a stable job, a home on the way and his finances in order. Cancer wasn’t in the plan and without a critical illness insurance policy, his medical bills became a crushing weight. 

It’s made me think – why is it that when we’re in our 20s, we talk so much about BTO flats, career moves and five-year plans but rarely about insurance? There’s this quiet belief that we’re too young to worry, that nothing serious will happen anytime soon. But if my father’s experience and my friend’s diagnosis at 32 taught me anything, it’s this: peace of mind later begins with the decisions we make today.

Life isn’t all that linear

Singaporeans often view life as a fixed timeline – graduate from university, get a job, buy a house, attain financial freedom – sounds nice in theory. But real life rarely plays out in such a clean, step-by-step way. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of just how quickly everything can shift. Many young adults, myself included, watched as career plans were paused, incomes took a hit and health became more uncertain than ever.

As someone who thrives on planning, I know how reassuring it feels to have budgets and timelines laid out but life has made me see the importance of building in financial safeguards to protect my hopes and dreams when things don’t go to plan. Insurance coverage, whether hospitalisation, critical illness or income protection, isn’t just for older adults or the overly cautious. It’s for anyone who wants to stay financially steady when life suddenly throws them off course.

Building a grown-up buffer – without losing the freedom

There’s a common misconception that the financial commitment of getting insurance means giving up your lifestyle. Sure, it takes some discipline, but over time, I realised that getting covered actually meant giving myself more peace of mind. It takes away the anxiety of “what if something happens?”

I won’t lie – taking that first step felt overwhelming. I had so many questions: “Where do I start?”, “Am I being oversold?”, “Who can I trust?” I spent hours reading up and comparing plans.

What I really needed was a clear, beginner-friendly guide – something that wouldn’t overwhelm me with jargon but would help me understand which products to consider first before consulting a financial adviser representative. 

If that’s how you’re feeling, you’ll be pleased to know that Singlife now has an insurance a Starter Pack to help make that first step a whole lot easier. It is designed to be an informational guide to help you better understand what basic protection might look like at this stage of life – no fluff, no overloading and no pressure to buy more than what makes sense for you. It’s a practical way to eliminate those nagging what-ifs and build a base layer of protection that moves with you.

Of course, everyone’s needs are different. That’s why it’s important to speak with a financial adviser representative, who can guide you through proper fact-finding and needs-based analysis. They can help ensure that whatever plan you choose truly fits your life – not just today, but for the long run. 

Think of the Starter Pack as a helpful first step to get oriented. It’s not about overselling or overwhelming – it’s about giving you the confidence to understand your options and take control of your own pace and your own terms, with the right guidance and support when you need it.

It’s never too late – or early – to start

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 20s, it’s that while we can’t predict everything, we can prepare for some of it. So as you map out your five-year goals and dreams, leave room for life to be messy. And let insurance be the quiet safety net that catches you when things spill over the edges.