Insuring Success

Make Sure You’re Covered in the New Year
As you read this article you’re probably in the middle of holiday plans. This season is the best time to reflect on the blessings of the current year and to contemplate ways to ensure a good new year. It’s a time to review the things we take for granted and make action plans for needed adjustments; these are commonly referred to as resolutions.

My job is to cause you some discomfort so you’ll make sure you have the insurance coverage you need. You’ve all read stories about homeowner insurance rates and the problems lots of claims can cause. Nursing homes have been hit hard by cuts in the reimbursements made to them for residents that have Medicaid. It’s more and more important to consider long term care insurance because Medicaid might not be available. If you own a business, have you thought about who would run things if you die? Do you have a succession plan?

A most unsettling statistic has to do with life insurance death claims. I receive quarterly reports showing all the claims that have been made by my company and the amount of death benefit paid. Each report is consistent in that the average age of death is 58. Statistically, we know our life expectancy is improving, but there is a large element of luck involved to arrive alive at those ages.

Everything you have in life is dependent on your income—life insurance premiums included. If you have proper coverage, your income could be replaced in case of your untimely death. It isn’t always easy to disturb clients enough to buy, but there are some things I’ve learned about why people buy. There are five major factors in making a buying decision: confidence, quality, selection, service, and price.

Contrary to what you may think, price consistently represents the lowest priority in buying decisions. In fact, more than half of all Americans place the greatest importance on reputation. So it only makes sense that the company you trust to cover your auto, home, health, and business should be the one to insure your family’s most important asset—you. TPW