Do I Need Disability Insurance? Pt 1

In the world of life and health insurance sales, one product is considered to "undersold" more than others, and that product is disability insurance (DI). Sometimes known as "disability income" coverage, DI is usually sold by agents who work in the worksite or payroll deduction market, such as Aflac, Colonial Life and others who sell benefits in the workplace. These companies typically have a participation minimum, such as 3 or 5 employees having to buy the product, as well as caps as to how much they will pay out.

Then there are agents like myself who work with individual clients, mostly business owners, contract employees or otherwise self-employed people, who don't have access to the previously mentioned companies. Also, many of these people actually have an income that is above average and need higher benefit amounts.

Whether you have access to DI through an employer or not, the question remains: Do you need it? To answer that, we need to ask one more question: Do others depend on your income? Is your income needed to pay the bills, pay off debt, pay for utilities or groceries? Is your family dependent on your income to provide for educational expenses or transportation? 

When I talk to prospective clients I always ask what their number one asset is. They usually say something along the lines of their home, their business or even their car. (One lady told me it was her sparkling personality.) None of those answers was correct. Their number one asset was their ability to earn a living. Without that, they could not pay for the house, or the car or fund their business. 

Our income provides us with the ability to eat, enjoy TV and generally live indoors. I don't know about you, but I enjoy my air conditioning and hot water. 

The premise of DI is clear, but getting a policy can be a little more difficult than life insurance. Both are underwritten on the basis of your age and health, but DI is also underwritten on the basis of the type of work you do and your income. The safer your job, the lower your premium. A real estate agent will generally have a lower rate than a welder. Certain professions are very difficult if not impossible to insure, such as roofers. 

On a sidenote, I once had a client apply for a policy who liked to fly small airplanes. The insurance carrier actually had me complete an additional form for this avocation as I was a bit concerned. After not hearing back for a few days I called the underwriter to get a decision on whether or not the policy would be issued. The nice lady said, "If we were selling life insurance to this guy, I'd be concerned, but with the kind of plane he's flying, I'm not too worried about it." I asked if she thought it was a safe plane and she said, "No, but if he crashes he won't survive to be disabled." 

Sometimes income is verified when the application is taken but I have had occasions when it was verified during a claim. Either way, the insurance carrier will usually ask for a copy of tax returns. This can vary depending on the insurance company. 

In the next post we will look at how much coverage you should look into applying for and a few other nuances of DI. In the meantime, run a quote for yourself. In the upper right corner of this blog is a calculator that will give you a ballpark estimate of what a policy may cost for you. All rates are subject to underwriting, but at least you'll have an idea. Stay healthy and I hope you subscribe and share with your friends. 

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life and disability insurance coverage. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast.

The Ever Changing Covid Landscape

A couple of weeks ago I had a routine follow up visit with my family doctor. Everything was good (thanks for asking!) and our conversation eventually got to Covid. She mentioned that her medical practice had expanded their office hours and was now doing drive up testing on the weekends. "But we can do one on you right now if you want," she said. "I'm pretty sure your insurance will cover it if we do it here in the office."

That sounded good to me and the next thing I know she has what looked like a long cotton swab inserted down my throat. After a slight gag (apparently the sign that I'd had enough) she told me that the results may take a few days. A few days almost turned into a couple of weeks but I eventually found out that I was not infected. 

I was doubly fortunate. First, my results were negative, and given that I live in a designated "hot spot", I had resigned myself to the possibility that I could get the virus. But I was also grateful to have insurance cover the cost of the exam.

Getting a phone call through to this doctor was nearly impossible, so I had to physically drive to their office and ask someone in person for my test results. While there, I asked about the anti-body test that was available at a local blood drive. I had received an email from a local professional organization to come down and donate blood, at which time they would be conducting the anti-body test.

The nice lady, who wasn't my doctor but had access to all of my information, let me know that the anti-body test was not as accurate as previously thought, but more importantly to me, my insurance may not cover the cost. I was under the impression that it would be part of my "donation" of blood, but she looked at me like I was naive. I get that a lot lately.

The second reason I was grateful was that I still have my insurance. Unfortunately, about 5.4 million Americans have lost their medical insurance coverage between February and May of 2020. The nonpartisan consumer advocacy group, Families USA, found that the estimated increase in uninsured workers was 40% higher than the highest previous increase, which occurred during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.  The bottom line of all this is that more people are lacking health insurance that ever before.

As less Americans have health insurance, more are applying for life insurance, especially younger people. Those under 44 years old have posted a 3.9% increase in applications, which may not sound like a lot, but it is when you consider the financial pressure everyone is under. 

Many carriers have tightened up their underwriting procedures during the pandemic, which may be keeping older people from applying for coverage. Or the disparity may be attributed to the way life insurance, as well as over types of coverage, is sold. With companies going to a more digital application process, older folks may not be applying with an agent as they usually would. 

Our agency, Surf Financial Brokers, has tried to make it as easy as possible for everyone to apply for life insurance. People can go to our website and book their own appointment, at which time we give them a call, usually scheduled for 30 minutes, to find out what their needs are and what the budget is.  And if we can find a policy that is a good fit, we can take their application right over the phone. 

Let us know if you need help with your life or disability insurance needs. And as always, stay healthy!

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life and disability insurance coverage. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast.

How To Avoid Using a GoFundMe Page

One of the many faults of our current healthcare system is the dizzying array of deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that come when we least need them. A few months back I spent nearly a week in the hospital. The total bill was over $80,000 and thankfully my health insurance covered the vast majority of it. However, I still had bills to pay. Yes, my deductible is high and I expected that, but there was also the issue of various health care professionals who were not in my network, as well as my loss of income. 

When the dust settled I was on the hook for around $7000. That's a lot of money, regardless of your income. One option could have been to to call the hospital and the other providers and ask to be put on a payment play. There's nothing like making payments for the next 10 years. Or I could have started a GoFundMe page and asked friends to pay for me.

As an insurance agent, I think a GoFundMe page is a horrible approach, yet many people do it. And not trying to sound political here, but I find it ironic that the people who claim to be against socialized medicine are the ones I know that have gone that route. In other words, the very people who think that we shouldn't have to contribute through taxes to assist those who can't pay their medical bills are asking their friends, neighbors and family members to contribute to their medical bills. 

Some will argue that it's different because they are not being forced to pay into a government plan, but the concept of having to chip in when someone didn't have insurance is generally the same idea. Voluntary or not, having a community of people give "assistance" is still a socialized plan. Or is it? 

Sometimes I have these kinds of thoughts and question if I've thinking in the wrong direction. So I picked up the phone and asked a few people I trust and respect for their thoughts on the matter. A couple of them were also insurance agents who I have known and referred clients to in the past. Another group were local business associates I network with locally. I asked them all the same question without being too specific. And for the record, none of these people were extremely political in one direction or the other.

The question posed was as follows: If someone doesn't have health insurance and starts a GoFundMe page to pay their hospital bill, does asking others to contribute amount to socialized medicine?  For the most part, they all said it did. There was a bit of discussion as to the difference between being forced to pay taxes or "contributing" voluntarily, but the general consensus was, in the words of an attorney friend, "If you're having others pay your bills, you've just become a socialist." 

That all being said, there is another option, and that is to shift the burden to an insurance company. With an affordable supplemental plan, such as a Hospital Indemnity plan, these out-of-pocket costs can be reduced dramatically. These plans pay you, not the doctor or the hospital, and can be used at your discretion. Many are available through work, via payroll deduction, and have saved many a family from financial ruin. 

Don't rely on the kindness of others to cover your bills. I've attended too many fish fries and other fundraisers when there's a need, but it could all be avoided by having proper insurance in place to begin with. If you have a question or would like to start the application process, go to our site and book a phone appointment. We'll be happy to assist you. And as always, stay healthy and safe.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life and disability insurance coverage. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast. 

4 Ways We Are Making Buying Insurance Easier

Buying insurance has always been a hassle for most people. I am fully aware that of the stereotype of the high pressure insurance salesman, pushing the client to spend more "for the family's sake". Life insurance agents are painted as cheesy villains, much like used car sales people. I remember commercials on TV that would mention "no salesman will call on you", which implied that you could get a policy without that horrible person coming to your home.

As an agent who has been in the business for years, I can attest that there are a few bad apples in the business. However, those people generally don't last long. Not working in the interest of the client (and only for a commission) eventually weeds them out. And the vast majority of us are generally doing what we think is in the client's interest. 

With all of that said, and against a backdrop of Covid-19, we at Surf Financial Brokers have taken measures to make purchasing life or disability insurance as easy as possible for you. Here are a few ways we have done this:

1. Our quoting engine in the top right corner of the page. Even though this is from just one of our carriers, it gives you a ballpark of what a policy may cost. You know your budget better than we do. Find out what you can afford and work from there. Whether you are seriously considering purchasing a life or disability policy, or just "kicking the tires", you can figure it out without an agent looking over your shoulder. 
2. Our scheduling calendar. Rather than trade emails back and forth to determine a time to discuss your insurance needs, you can now see what times we have available and schedule a time that works for you. We'll give you a call to discuss your needs and go from there. Our calls rarely last more than 30 minutes. 
3. Phone applications. As mentioned in an earlier post, we can take your application over the phone in most instances. Some of our carriers prefer to do a "drop ticket", in which we get your basic information and they have an underwriter take the rest of your information directly. Either way, you can be in the comfort of your own home or office without having to travel to an insurance office. 
4. Contactless delivery. Several of our insurance companies have now made necessary changes to get you your policy without having an agent have to be there to get signatures. 

One of the few good things the pandemic has brought about was much needed change to an industry that sorely needed it. And to honest, it's made our work easier too. Speaking for myself, I can now spend less time prospecting and more time helping the clients we have. As a result, our clients know that we will be available if needed. That gives them peace of mind knowing that their families' financial security is taken care of, and not wondering if the agent who sold them a policy is still in the business.

We realize that you can get a life or disability policy (we also offer a full line of ancillary products) anywhere, but we hope that by making these minor changes you will decide to give us an opportunity to help you secure your family's needs. 

And as always, stay healthy.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life and disability insurance coverage. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast.  

Our Interview With Life and Health Agent Davan Johnson

I asked my good friend, Davan Johnson, to let me pick his brain recently. He's the owner and founder of Davan Enterprises Insurance Agency, as well as a integral part of his community and active member of several service organizations in and around his home town of Bristol, Tennessee. We discussed his insurance business, his thoughts on finding clients and sales in general. He offers great insight and I thought it would be helpful to know what makes us insurance agents tick. 

Thanks for talking with me Davan. First off, I'm curious as to how you got into the insurance business.

I had left a career in the restaurant industry that I thought I was going to retire from but quickly realized that I didn't actually own or have control of my destiny. So I was trying to decide what was next. I knew this time I wanted to do something that created residual and passive income. I chose insurance because I had been around it all my life with my mom using it as a fall back position. She was typically always an employee though, not an agent. But I remember pretending to fill out paper applications in an empty office whenever I had to be at the office with mom. She had a whole office building to herself with multiple offices, kitchen and waiting area. Additionally, I wanted to have a business that would allow me the time and freedom to choose my own schedule, as well as spend time with family for vacation and holidays. I had given up a lot of that working in the restaurant business.

Tell me how you find your prospects.

I used to do a lot of cold calling when I started out. I'd spend my time making lists and driving to make impromptu appointments, wasting a lot of gas going back and forth. Driving ALL day and almost all week to only get one or two appointments, and possibly resulting in one case or actual sale out of that. Now a lot of people make it in the business cold calling and that's great for them, but I have come to realize how I work best. So I begun doing more networking. Joining groups and setting up one-on-one meetings to get to know each other, which present warm leads and referrals. My business is about 90% referrals now. I work smarter, not harder, and these people are actually calling me. They are the ones have need, have time and money to spend on my services. I also positioned myself to offer unique products that most insurance agents don't so I can work with other agents and not be seen as a threat or competitor. 

Is there a product you think everyone should have?

Yes, I think there are several but one of the most uncommon ones is Legal Insurance. Unlike any other insurance we carry you don't have to wait for something BAD to happen before you can use it. You can be proactive. It's like an attorney on retainer with the power of a law firm in your pocket thanks to the apps and technology. When I was unemployed for a certain duration trying to figure what my next step was there were two budget items I was resolute not to cancel: My life insurance and my legal plan. People don't know this type of thing exists and yet it is so powerful giving people peace of mind so they don't have to check their checkbook before they can check their rights.

How do you prepare for a client meeting?

I actually use a worksheet to help guide me to the result of the meeting. But also, I try to review their social profiles to learn about them. I use the FOR method: Family, Occupation and Recreation to get to know them. It's all about finding out what is best for the client's needs.

Has Covid affected your practice?

Not much, because I have positioned my agency to be more of a referral business. Because of that it is important to keep the networking relationships strong. And during some of the downtime I've been able to re-evaluate systems in the my business.

What did you do with your first commission check?

Well, after I learned to reconcile a commission statement I most likely saved most of it because I didn't know when the next one would come. We got paid weekly.  I do know that I finally had some gas money and recouped what I spent on insurance licenses. I honestly don't remember how much my first check was which is sad, but I do remember my "can sell date" was 9/29/2012. That was the day I was officially able to sell and write my own policies. In my first month I had earned several awards, but no one was really there to mentor me on "cycles" of insurance or that when you get the BIG checks to hold some back for the slow times. Since then I pay myself a livable income and save the rest as an "emergency fund".  

Tell me about an usual or strange encounter you've had with a client.

The one encounter that comes to mind was when I was completing a life insurance application for a client. I had spoken to the client over the phone several times and the plan was that during our first in-person meeting we complete the app and submit it. This individual had the appearance of a male but when answering the questions on the application, everything was female. It was awkward for me because I had to get past some preconceptions and this was my first experience in this kind of situation. I basically decided that ultimately it was a decision for the underwriter and not me. So I filled out the application as the person responded and submitted it. It was issued! I had heard stories of people doing this before in order to get a more favorable rate, since females can get cheaper rates. Anyway, in this person's case it was legitimate and I was just unprepared for it. 

Thanks for your time, Davan! 

I hope you were able to get some quality information out of this interview. I always enjoy listening to successful agents and learning a thing or two. At Surf Financial we strive to grow and help our clients in the best ways possible. 

If you have any questions about this interview let us know in the comment section.  And as always, stay healthy

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

  

Covid-19 and Disability Insurance

As the pandemic continues to work its way across the country, there is a lot of uncertainty. But one thing is for sure and that is that people who have disability insurance (DI) in place, whether through their employer or bought as an individual plan, are grateful to have it right now. And I don't think any of our clients will be cancelling their coverage any time soon.

More than ever Americans are learning how valuable their DI plan is. In a recent conversation with a local business owner, she asked me if I would prefer short or long term disability during a time like this. Not trying to sound trite, I said it would be best to have both. This is because the Coronavirus can put you in the hospital for a few weeks, and short term DI is good for that, but other ailments may not be getting treated in the meantime. Elective surgeries can be postponed, leaving people out of work for longer amounts of time. 

One thing to be aware of is that if your employer is offering to pay for your DI coverage, that benefit can be subject to income tax. And if that benefit is around 60-65% of your income (which is close to your take home pay), expect to get another haircut from Uncle Sam. In the same vein, if your company offers a Section 125 plan, in which you can have the premiums deducted "pre-tax", again you may be subject to taxes. 

On the other side of things are the people who have to get their own individual policies. This makes up the vast majority of my clients, who are business owners, self-employed realtors or other contract employees. Generally speaking, the people who purchase their own DI are cognizant of why they need this protection. If they can't work, they can't pay their bills. For a affordable premium, these folk can shift the onus to an insurance company. 

Since these entrepreneurs are in different fields of work, from barbers to realtors to attorneys, they all have differing risk factors with their jobs. But the one thing they all have in common is that they have to work with other people who may or may not be contagious. 

As I watch our local news, I see that restaurants are closing temporarily as employees begin to test positive. I applaud them for being proactive and taking action. But if that is your co-worker, how confident or nervous does it make you knowing that you could be out of work due to the virus?

In the upper right of this page you can run your own quote (it's an estimate subject to underwriting) for disability insurance. It only takes a few minutes so check it out. You may be surprised as to how affordable it really is. 

If you have any questions about our DI plans, or any other plans we offer, feel free to drop us a confidential message from our website. We will respond promptly. And as always, please stay healthy. 

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

Life Insurance and Education Planning (Use Our Free College Calculator)

When I sit down with parents to discuss life insurance, we try to determine the face amount needed by calculating items like debt, mortgage, costs associated with death (funeral expenses, hospital expenses if sick, etc) and loss of income. I also ask people if they would like their children to be able to go to college if the breadwinner were to die unexpectedly. And even though I've had a few parents tell me that their kids will have to pay their own way, most want to contribute to their kids' education costs.

Planning for your child's college expenses can be daunting. First there's the issue of whether or not your child will be attending school at all, much less where they'll go. Technical schools, universities and grad school can be confusing as none of us has a crystal ball to foresee the future or what tuitions will be. 

When discussing education with a client I either talk about using life insurance to fund the education if someone dies, or using a permanent policy to help fund the costs. There are several ways to do this and either option is good and it really depends on the budget we are working with.

A good friend of mine, a single dad with a first grade daughter was looking into college planning a few years ago. We found an indexed universal life (IUL) policy that worked beautifully. By overfunding the policy, he could have enough ready when she was ready to go off to school. On the other hand, if she decided not to attend college, or even better, got scholarship moneys, he could use those funds as a retirement supplement. 

Most people don't realize that when applying for student loans or financial aid, they are required to disclose any college planning funds, like a 529 plan or a Coverdell plan. However, you don't have to disclose any life insurance plans. 

One of the items I use is a college calculator, which determines how much student debt will cost. If you have kids who may want to go to school, check out our calculator (below our retirement calculator). To use it, click here. 

As always, stay healthy and let us know if we can help you.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

A Disability Insurance Story

I've already told you how Disability Insurance (DI) works and why you probably need it. Since we are in the midst of Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM) I wanted to share a story with you.

This is the story of a gentleman named Chris Akers. As you'll see, he's just like the rest of us. His story resonates because any of us could be in the same situation. Take a few minutes to watch as describes what led up to his decision to quit work due to being disabled.

As you can see, Mr. Akers understood early on the importance of purchasing a DI policy. With his policy in place, he has the peace of mind knowing that he can still pay his bills and enjoy his time.

Let us help you with a DI policy. We can take you application right over the phone, so give us a call. And of course, please stay healthy.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

Real Estate Agents and Disability Insurance

In my area there are hundreds, if not thousands, of real estate agents. A lot of these people have become clients of mine over the years as I've built networking relationships with them and their affiliated industries. As a matter of fact, the local realtors have their own networking group that rivals any of the local chambers of commerce. 

Realtors are there own kind of entrepreneurs. There are times when the market is up, like pre-2008 when home loans were available to too many people who couldn't afford them. Let's face it, everyone would like to own their own home, but not everyone has the means to do so. And the realtors sold a lot of homes. Then the crash came and their businesses dried up. A few hung in there but times were lean.

The market rebounded until recently with the advent of the Covid-19 virus slowing things down. Nothing like 2008 (so far) agents can still show homes virtually, so it's more like a speed bump. I personally think the market will come back and the agents can get back to showing property in person. 

With the pandemic as the current backdrop, I've had more interest in Disability Insurance (DI) recently from real estate professionals. Seeing how tight their bills can get while having a drop in income has been a sort of wake-up call, and with the threat of a virus possibly taking them out of work for a few weeks, agents are starting to look into DI. 

I was having a conversation recently with one of my agents, who works in Charleston, SC, on the topic of DI. She also has been getting interest from realtors and others in the sales industry. After speaking with her I asked called some of our other agents on the east coast and they also had an increase in calls. One of the great things about Surf Financial is that we have a great network of agents who are eager to compare notes and study these kinds of trends.

If you're a realtor and interested in what a policy might cost for you, click on the "Get a Quote" link in the upper right hand corner of this post. For job classification, make sure to enter "Class 5" from the drop down box. And if you're interested in a brochure on why real estate professionals need DI, click here. 

As always, please stay healthy and let us know if you have questions. We also appreciate your referrals to this blog and our website. 

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

The Disability Waiver of Premium

You have decided to purchase that life insurance policy you have been thinking about. Now you have the peace of mind knowing that if you were to die unexpectedly your family could stay in there home, your kids will have the money to go to college if they wish, and your spouse will be able to handle everyday expenses. But there's one thing that is still nagging you. What if you get sick or hurt, and are unable to work? Will you be able to keep paying for that life insurance policy?

The last thing you need at that point is to have your life insurance pulled out from under you. But there is good news. Most life insurance policies have an optional Disability Waiver of Premium (WP) that you can add on when you purchase your policy. What the WP does is insure that if you are disabled and can't pay your premiums, the insurance company will pay the premium for you. Basically, it's insurance on your insurance. 

In a previous post, I told the story of my client who purchased life and disability policies at the urging of her husband. A few years later she was seriously injured in a house fire and her disability policy paid as it was supposed to. When she recovered she called me one day to ask about her life insurance policy. "They haven't drafted out of my bank account. Is my policy cancelled for non-payment?" she asked.

The answer was that the policy was still in force and that the WP of premium was triggered because we used the same insurance company for both policies. When she went on claim for her disability policy, the company cross-referenced her life policy and began paying her premiums for her. She didn't even realize she had the WP on her policy. 

When you take out a life insurance policy make sure to ask about the WP. It's usually very inexpensive and can give you the peace of mind that if you were to be sick or hurt and unable to work, your life insurance will still be in place, giving your loved ones the security you want.

Let us know if you have any questions and feel free to subscribe. And of course,stay healthy!

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.

A Great Disability Insurance Story

As it's Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM), I thought I'd share a story about one of my clients. We will call her Mary to protect her identity. 

Several years ago, Mary had married one of my clients, who insisted that she purchase some life insurance and a disability policy. Mary was reluctant at first, but agreed and purchased both because "my husband told me to." She was very sweet about it all and I think she was just humoring me as well as her new spouse. Each of the newlyweds were small business owners. 

A year or so after she was approved for her policy she was at home when she smelled something burning. A fire had started around an electrical outlet and she managed to get out of the house, only to realize that her beloved pets were still inside. She went back in to rescue them but the fumes and smoke were too much. The fire and rescue people found her alive but burned badly. 

I was totally unaware of the situation until I read a mention of it on Facebook. Not sure of her condition, I called her husband who said she had been moved to a burn center out of state. He had already forgotten about the policy she bought, so I sent him the claim forms, which he forwarded to her mother who was taking care of her (he had to tend to his business).

Within a few weeks the insurance company was sending out the benefit checks. Mary was unaware of any of this because she was heavily sedated. Every few months I would get copied on correspondence from the company as they continued to pay the claim. After months of healing and rehabilitation, Mary was able to leave the care of her medical team. I heard she was back in town but hadn't seen her, so I was surprised when she crept up behind me in a Mexican restaurant and gave me a hug. 

"I just want to say thank you for making sure I had that policy and following up," she said. "That money came in handy while I was away!" We spoke for a few more minutes and she left. Even though she was still on the mend she looked great and I was happy to see her in good spirits.

I share this story people because it shows how a good disability policy works. Even though the vast majority of claims are actually for illnesses, her story resonates and has led to more people asking for this coverage. In these times of Covid19, people are starting to realize the value of good insurance and we are here to help. 

If you're curious as to how much a policy like this would cost, run yourself an estimate on the "Get A Quote" tool in the upper right of the page.  Stay healthy and let us know if you need anything.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient

Get You Some Insurance and Relax

The Greek word for "insurance" is "asfalisi", which literally means "security".  Not like a security guard, but more like a security blanket. In other words, insurance makes us feel secure knowing that if something bad should happen to us, like an accident or health crisis, our bills will be taken care of and so will our loved ones.

People love to "get away from it all", with trips, vacations, hobbies or music. We all need something to take our minds off of the everyday issues we deal with, from work to family, traffic to bad neighbors. There's a lot of stress out there and some in the medical community point to this stress as the root of a gamut of medical problems. And the cause can be those nagging little voices in the back of our heads letting us know if we get sick or hurt, we still have bills to pay.

Are you the breadwinner of the family? What would happen to your loved ones if you were to die too soon? Could your spouse and children stay in their home? What about debt? Who is going to pay those bills? Can the kids go to college? And what about those day-to-day expenditures, like when the refrigerator breaks down or you need a car in a pinch?

Sure, you could do something like a GoFundMe page, but why not avoid all of that by purchasing a life or disability insurance policy from now?  And with a pandemic all around us now is a great time to call us at Surf Financial Brokers and have a conversation.

We hear people always say that life is too short to suffer through all the aggravations and stress. Let us help you get a little more peace of mind with coverage that is affordable. And stay healthy!

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient

DIAM Is Here!

May has been designated as Disability Insurance Awareness Month, which is a great idea when you consider that Disability Insurance (DI) is one of the most undersold, yet necessary products offered. There are a lot of misconceptions about the product and how it works, along with some screwy ideas of when to get rid of it.

When I speak to a group on the topic of different types of insurance, I discuss the "Holy Trinity of Insurance" (covered in a previous post), which are life insurance, health insurance and DI. Oddly enough, some people insists that they can't afford it, but don't understand that it protects their greatest asset, their ability to earn a living. Being able to earn an income allows us to purchase the things we want, like a home or car. If we can't work, we still need to pay for things we need, like housing, groceries and utilities.

And yes, DI covers Covid-19, as long as you don't have it when you apply for a policy.

Check out the short video and let us know if we can help you preserve your greatest asset.




Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient

The Money Machine 2023

Recently I had a conversation with one of my favorite clients. She's had her life insurance with me for a few years. I've tried to convince her that she needs some disability insurance, as she is single and lives alone. No kids and no one else to help her pay the bills. As a self-employed person, her income is above average. She was hesitant, mostly due to the premium payment.

"Let me ask you a question," I said. "But first, I want you to think about your annual income. Get that number in your head."

"Okay, I have the number," she said. "What next?"

"Now imagine that you have a small machine in your house that prints money." A smile crossed her face as she thought about it. "Every year that machine prints the same amount of money as your income." She was curious. "My question for you is would you insure that machine?"

She sat up and said, "Well, yeah. It's printing my income. That's a lot of money!" That's when it hit her.

"You're the machine," I said. "And if you, as a machine, break or go offline and can't work, you won't be able to pay your bills."

She completed that application that day. And she gave me a few referrals as well. Thanks, money machine! Let us help you insure your paycheck. 


Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient. 

Cold Calling In Insurance (and other places)

When I first got into sales professionally I was taught to cold call and the mentality that went with it. I was selling accident plans door-to-door in rural areas of North Carolina and the hours were grueling. We'd have a meeting in the morning of a local diner and then spread out to assigned areas throughout the county.

Dropping by someone's home unannounced was the nature of the work, and many times the people were home. If someone was home, I'd go through my spiel only to be told that they wanted to wait for their spouse to come home and discuss it over. The whole scenario was dumb.

Through all of this I learned that how to introduce myself to total strangers, how to persevere through a lot of rejection, but most importantly, not to be afraid of the cold calling process. Knocking on doors was easy if you could handle people not wanting our product.

A few years later I sold office supplies for a small company. With just a few accounts I had adopted from a previous salesman and barely any knowledge of the products, I had to develop my own strategy to build a clientele. Using my experiences from the world of accident plans, I methodically worked one office building at a time, walking in with something in my hand to give out other than a business card. I would distribute our new catalog, or a sale flyer that I designed myself (this was before everyone had a computer with a word processor).

Working B2B was so much easier than calling on people in their homes and my success rate was above average when you consider the resources I was given. People were happier to see me at their businesses than their homes.

That office supply company was okay, but there was no room for growth and I didn't want to be an old guy asking people if they needed paper clips. I eventually got back into insurance again, but I decided to call on businesses to grow my book of business. Many times the sales calls result in individual policies, so it all works out.

Cold calling has gone by the wayside for most people nowadays. There are other ways to get clients, but I still use those basic skills to work a room or networking event.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, as well as a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient.