Should You Have a Home Phone?

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With the increasing popularity of cell phones, home phones may become a thing of the past. Roughly half of US homes have dumped their landlines, bringing up an important question: Do you need a landline? Here are some pros and cons of having a home phone.

Sense of Security

In the event of an emergency, your home phone should still work. This is especially true if the cell tower was to go down leaving you with no cell service. You would still be able to have a working phone. With many home security systems, a landline is required. Cord cutters are less likely to use a home security system than other millennials. Cable modems can require the continued use of the landline in order to work over the internet.

Telemarketing Calls

By ditching your home phone, you are less likely to receive unsolicited sales calls. There are options to place your number on no calls lists, but some organizations are exempt from following these guidelines. Other companies have even found ways to circumvent this restriction. The No Call Registry will only keep your number on the list for one year. So you have to remember to re-register yourself each year to avoid these annoying telemarketing calls.

Cost Options

Many cell plans offer rates that are cheaper than having a landline. Since you only have to pay for the plan that you want, you have more flexibility in regulating your costs. On the flip side, if you have other services it can cost you more to get rid of your home phone line. Depending on what plans you select and other services that you use, this point can be both a pro and a con for having a home phone line.

Loss of Phone

Since cell phones tend to be on your person when you leave the house, they can be subject to getting lost. You may forget your cell phone at the office and not have it when you need it. Someone could also steal your phone and then have access to any personal information that you had stored on your phone. You may even have dropped your cell phone in the toilet and will have to do without it until you can get a new one. In these types of cases, it may be to your benefit to have a home phone.

Whether you decide to keep your landline or not is a personal preference. There are pros and cons to either option. Do what works best for you.