My dad bought for me my first life insurance policy when I was just 18 years old. When I started life as a working adult, of course, it was only right that I took on the responsibility of paying the quarterly premium. It costs me slightly more than $1,000 a year for what I now know is a miserable $50,000 sum assured on my life plus coverage for critical illnesses till age 50. My dad bought the policy for me from a friend who said that he should get a policy for his teenage son because because it was cheaper to buy whole life policies at a younger age. This, I know now, is quite a standard sales pitch. The fact that his friend was a high achiever (ahem, made a lot of money) who led a team of agents meant that he must be dishing out advice that was right for us......