I spend a portion of my time working in the "voluntary benefits" arena as an enroller, or "benefits counselor". In a nutshell, I enroll benefits for large groups, like schools, hospitals and municipalities, for example. Typically I sit with an employee in a one-on-one meeting and review their current benefits and check to see if they need any other insurance poducts. It's great to meet these folks and help them with insurance products like dental, vision, disability, accident and life insurance.
The majority of my working time is spent working with individuals, however, many of which are self-employed. Realtors, sales professionals, small business owners and other "contract employees" or 1099's for instance, make up a lot of my clients. These great people are just as deserving of having decent insurance products, regardless of the size of their company.
With this in mind, we invite all to visit our site and take a look at some of our voluntary products that can be purchased on an individual basis. There, one can get quotes for products such as life, cancer, hospital indemnity and accident insurance right from our site. And if you see coverage you like you can even start an application!
For some of our other products, like disability insurance and long term care insurance, one can book a short phone call to get a quote as accurate as possible.* We are independent agents and have access to many of the best policies.
As independent insurance agents, we are also independent contractors, which means that we use our own products. Having a disability or cancer plan come out of our bank account instead of a paycheck doesn't change the fact that we need these important insurance plans.
Please take the time to get a quote for yourself or your family. It probably won't cost as much as you think.
*Quotes are not guarantees or offers of coverage and all policies are subject to underwriting.
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. And please subscribe to this blog!
We can presume that most of us enjoy earning a living, getting a paycheck (nowadays direct deposit is the norm) and having some discretionary, or "leftover" money to use after paying our bills. Those funds are what we use for the fun stuff, like eating a meal at a restaurant or seeing a movie or treating a friend to lunch.
But what happens when those funds are no longer available? What if you aren't able to work due to sickness or injury?
For many people (like me) who are small business owners, independent contractors or otherwise self-employed, a serious disability could not only be devastating to a family's finances, but could also damage the business providing the income. But there's a solution!
A Disability Income (DI) insurance policy can help you protect your paycheck, which in turn helps you pay your bills and maybe even have a little leftover for a movie. DI can help you and your business stay afloat when you are unable to work.
There are a few things to consider when looking at DI.
Underwriting looks at your health, your income and the type of work you do. An office worker may have lower rates than a welder because welding is more dangerous. Some insurance companies will require to see your taxes for the last 2 years.
Policies can also be purchased that are solely for keeping the business open.
Individual DI policies may not have all the benefits found in group plans, like maternity coverage. However, there are many more options that can be structured to work for your needs.
Premiums may not be as high as you think, and your coverage can be customized to fit your budget. Given that over 85% of claims are actually for illnesses, like cancer or strokes, that doesn't mean accidents can't happen. Either way, if you can't work, a DI plan will be a great way to avoid guilting your friends and family into contributing to your GoFundMe plan.
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. And please subscribe to this blog!
We have all heard the adage that a good salesperson can sell ice to an Eskimo. But a salesperson with integrity will ask, "Does that Eskimo really need ice, and if not, why are you selling it to him or her?" The question implies that sales people, entrepreneurs, contract employees and business owners must do their absolute best to come off as honest and not shady.
Think about those TV commercials for attorneys. There are two types - the ones who try to act sincere about how they really want to help, and the ones who scream and boast about how much money they get their clients. Neither is awesome, but the latter comes off like a used car salesman. Integrity? I'll plead the fifth.
Selling on need means that there needs to be a discussion (short or long) to find out what the client's needs are. And everyone has different needs, despite what some of the financial "gurus" in the media assume when they give generic advice. That discussion will let everyone involved in the sales process know that we are doing our best by our client.
The Funny Part
I was speaking to the Regional VP for Disability Sales at one of the insurance carriers I represent. We were discussing a YouTube video I had made a few months earlier titled "Can Zombies Get Life Insurance?" In that conversation he asked if vampires could get Long Term Care insurance. "Well, you certainly wouldn't sell them a policy with a lifetime benefit because they don't die. A company could go broke paying that claim!" Once again, this guy showed me why he's a lot smarter than I am.
But the conversation made me think. For several weeks, I have considered the "vampire market" and wondered if there were suitable products for such a niche market. My list looked like this.
Life insurance - Vampires don't die, unless by a wooden stake or sunlight. Life coverage may not be necessary.
Accident insurance - Most accidents will cover severe sunburns, as well as wooden stakes that accidentally pierce the heart.
Long Term Care insurance - I'm not sure if being "undead" is a chronic illness.
Disability insurance - Tricky, because we are assuming that vampires have incomes to protect.
Medical insurance - Assuming vampires need to be hospitalized, what doctor would know how to treat them?
Let us make sure you are purchasing what you need and not what pays the highest commission. And if you aren't sure what you need, you can book a quick conversation with us from our website. We look forward to hearing from you.
Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. 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. And please subscribe to this blog!
A few weeks back I joined an online chat with some people I really didn't know but who had some valuable information to offer. Fortunately, these very nice people welcomed me to their group. One of them in particular, Adam Griggs who is the CEO of CLARAfi, dropped me a note a few days later, which began a conversation.
Adam took a look at some of my videos on YouTube, gave me a word of encouragement, and then suggested that I make a short video explaining my "how and why" I got into the insurance business. To be honest, I initially was thinking, "Yeah, no one really wants to hear that story." But since Adam took the time to watch a few videos, I thought the least I could do would be to consider his idea.
I thought back to my first venture into insurance back in 1985. Having graduated from college with no real job prospects, my father wanted me to work with him at his fledgling engineering firm. Keeping my eyes open for other opportunities, I begrudgingly went to work for him entering data into an MS-DOS program.
There were several issues with this situation, with a major problem being that I was not an engineer. My degree was in Business Management. Also, my old man, who was a micromanager to say the least, wanted me to live at home, work with him, and let him decide what I should eat for dinner. Also, that dinner would include discussions about work, which I had just suffered through a few hours earlier. I was quickly going crazy.
I needed to find a job where I could learn some real world business skills while getting out from under the old man's thumb. One morning I told my father I had a job interview in Raleigh, NC, about an hour away. I didn't really, but my plan was to go there and start looking for work. In the course of a few hours I had managed to find what I thought was a good opportunity with an insurance company.
The job wasn't exactly as presented by the recruiter, who had made it sound fairly easy work with banker's hours and great pay. Instead I found myself driving all hours of the day and night in rural areas doing what boiled down to door-to-door insurance sales. And the product was not something I would not purchase for myself. As a matter of fact, I met several people who were angry about their claims experiences. One even threatened to get his gun and shoot me.
After a few months of this, I realized that my coworkers were leaving and being replaced by a revolving door of new agents. It didn't take me long to jump ship as well, and being young and naïve, I got out of the insurance business altogether for about 15 years.
In 2000, I decided to give insurance another go, but this time would be different. I wanted to learn the business from multiple perspectives, so I worked for various companies as an independent agent. Each company had its own way of doing things, from how they prospected for clients to the ways they collected premiums. I learned how some insurance carriers' products were better than others and when those products were suitable for clients.
About this same time, I had an aunt who had been in a nursing home for over 20 years. She had fallen and broken her hip when I was still in high school. My parents had been left with the responsibility of taking care of her bills and I watched them struggle. Even though my father's engineering firm was doing okay, his finances were stretched. A long term care policy would have been a great help, had one been available for her (and subsequently my parents) when she had gone into a facility.
That's when I realized that selling insurance was more than just a job, but a way to help people who were in bad situations by convincing them to mitigate their financial risks ahead of time. There were plenty of examples of insurance policies keeping people from financial ruin, from strangers to those close to me.
For example, my wife's father had died unexpectedly before I had met her, and his life insurance policy helped her graduate from college and take care of other necessities. We even used some of the proceeds years later to make a down payment on our home.
Making sure that people have the right amount of insurance, their beneficiaries are up-to-date and keeping it all in a budget can be tough. Insurance is a product that most people don't want to buy, so the job is more about convincing them they need it. Because of this, the stereotypical insurance salesperson is high pressure. I prefer to say I use "good pressure", because my intention isn't to get the sale, but to make sure that when something bad happens, my clients won't have to move out of their homes or take a second job to pay the bills.
When someone goes to my website and books a phone appointment to discuss life, disability or long term care insurance with me, I may give them a bit of a nudge to make sure their needs are met. It's all done with their best interests in mind. And that is why I do what I do.
Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. 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. And please subscribe to this blog!
I recently had a conversation with a very nice couple from Greensboro, NC. They both worked as realtors, had three children and seemed like they were doing a good job executing their financial game plan.
As the housing market has been doing well, they have managed to sell more in the last year. They both know that things won't stay this way forever, so they put aside a good amount of money each month for their "rainy day fund". Having the discipline to this and stick to it is rare to find these days, so I told them they were doing an awesome job.
We continued to discuss their other financial issues. They had a decent amount of life insurance on themselves (they probably could have used a bit more) and had started a retirement account as well. This was especially encouraging because it can be a difficult task when one, or in this case both, of the spouses are self-employed. Nobody is deducting money from their paycheck for them.
I was starting to think they didn't need me at all. However, it didn't take long to discover there was one potential landmine that needed to be addressed. I asked them a basic question. "Do you have enough money put aside to help pay bills if you are sick or hurt and can't work?"
They thought about it for a minute and said, "Well, we could dip into our savings."
"You're right. You can do that. But is that what you are saving for? To cover bills?"
They hadn't considered this so I offered a better alternative. "If you couldn't work, you wouldn't have that income. Sure, one of you could pick up some of the slack, but do you want to go through that? Your savings should be for things you want down the road, like a vacation or to buy a nice car. No one saves to pay bills."
"Let's do this," I suggested. "Let's take a look at disability insurance. The premiums won't break your budget but it could keep you from having to go through your savings."
They agreed to look at a few options. As we move through the process I'm sure they will both complete applications. And since they are both fairly young and healthy, they should both have policies to protect their paychecks soon.
Are you setting money aside each month for a rainy day or something fun like a vacation or a boat? Do you really want to have to dip into that money to cover your bills? What if you could shift that risk to an insurance company and let them cover your bills?
If you are a business owner, a contract employee or otherwise self-employed, ask an agent to help you find a disability policy that fits your needs.
Special Offer: If you aren't sure how much disability you need, we have a one-page PDF that can help. To get a FREE copy drop a note to chris@surffinancialbrokers.com and we'll send it to you ASAP.
Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers,
helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care,
cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. 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.
And please subscribe to this blog!
May is once again Disability Insurance Awareness Month, when the insurance industry tries to let the public know the importance of having a disability insurance policy. As I say whenever I sit with a client or talk to a group, the Holy Trinity of insurance is your life insurance, your health insurance and your disability insurance (DI). That's how important it is!
Think about it. If you are sick or hurt and are not able to work, your bills just keep coming. No one is going to let you have a free pass on your car payment, mortgage or phone bill because you are a nice person. In essence, having a DI plan in place is paycheck insurance. That's why people call DI "paycheck protection".
How does it work? Depending on your employment and how you get paid there can be variations. The more common scenario is that you buy a group plan through work or your employer pays for it or both. I have seen instances the employer pays for Long Term Disability (LTD) but the employee pays for their own Short Term Disability (STD) policy.
These types of policies usually pay up to 60-70% of your gross income. Keep in mind that if your employer is paying for your policy and you should start receiving benefits, those benefits will be taxable. This is also true if you purchase your plan through a "worksite*" insurance company and they pre-tax your premiums.
Short term DI usually pays for the first 3, 6 or 12 months of a disability, while long term DI will start paying after those dates. The key is to make sure you have coverage seamlessly throughout the time you are out of work, which is determined by your physician.
Also, group plans will typically cover maternity for 6 weeks (8 weeks if a caesarean is called for). Too many people will drop their DI plan when they decide that they aren't having any more children. I always encourage people to keep their policy, as it is not "baby coverage" as many seem to feel.
On the other hand, if you are self-employed or a 1099 employee, like a realtor or insurance agent, you may need to look into an individual DI plan. These are structured a bit differently in that rates will be determined based on factors like:
Your occupation. A welder or a roofer will pay more than a secretary because their job is more dangerous.
Your health, age and tobacco usage. Just like life insurance, the insurance company wants to know if you are a good risk or not.
Your income. Determining your benefit amount is dependent on how much money you earn, so the insurance carrier may ask for a copy of your tax returns. We have one company that ask for it when you file a claim.
Another important factor is the "elimination period", which is like a deductible, but in time instead of money. If you have a 14 day elimination period, that means that the policy won't start paying out benefits until the 15th day of your illness or accident. Elimination periods can vary from 7 days to 6 months, and like the deductible on your car insurance, the higher you go, the less the policy will cost you.
Also, keep in mind that individual plans will not cover maternity.
In Part 2 of this topic we'll discuss how to determine how much coverage you need. In the meantime, please stay healthy!
*Companies that offer voluntary benefits like DI, dental, vision and other ancillary insurance products.
Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. 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. And please subscribe to this blog!
Insurance agents have reputations as pushy salespeople similar to those who sell used cars. When I originally went into the business I was fully aware of this and was resistant to even get into the industry. To be honest, the first company I worked with was guilty of feeding into this stereotype. The reason for this was that instead of trying to be a consultant and helping the client structure a plan with a group of good policies we had to work with, we only had one product. And for the most part, we would only meet with the customer once.
We were trained to be aggressive and to get out of someone's home or business with a check in hand. As my coworker would say, "Your income is in their wallet and you need to do everything possible to get it out of there." We dubbed this "guerilla selling", since we would rush in, try to make a few bucks and get out.
Unfortunately this left me with the impression that all insurance sales were like this. I was young and naïve. My 23 year old brain knew that I did not want to do this kind of sales for the rest of my career. So I got out of insurance and went into selling office supplies, then retail management.
After a few years I decided to rejoin the insurance workforce, but this time things would be different. No high pressure selling for me. For the most part, things were much better than the first time around and I noticed that many of my coworkers were of the same mind as me.
Sure, there were those agents here and there that insisted on being pushier than the rest of us. Those agents rarely stuck around for long because much of their sales did not stay on the books. One of the nice things about selling insurance is the residual commissions, but if someone cancels their policy too soon, those commissions go away.
We had veteran agents who offered to mentor the newer reps. If we had a case we were working on, we could run it by them and get feedback. The most often asked question from them would be "Is this in the best interest of the client?" In other words, "Are you helping the client or yourself?"
This gave me a much better perspective of what an insurance agent was supposed to be doing. That stereotype of a pushy insurance agent was fading from my mind.
But why does that stereotype still persist? One answer may be the product itself. Let's face it, no one really wants to buy insurance. It is a product that we buy hoping to never use. Also, it's not tangible. You can hold your policy, but in essence, it's just a promise on a piece of paper. Unlike a car or a home or a video game, you can't enjoy it (unless you enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having it).
I like to use the "saving up for" test when it comes to sales. Ask someone what the next big (or small) purchase is that they are saving up for. You will get answers like a down payment on a home or a new flat screen TV. No one saving up for Long Term Care insurance or a disability plan.
And the fact that some insurance has to be mandated should tell you something. If a state government says you are required to have auto insurance, you can infer that if they didn't there would be a lot more uninsured motorists driving around. The same goes for mortgage companies requiring homeowners insurance.
Speaking for myself, I don't want to "high pressure" someone with something they obviously don't want but most like need. With that in mind I use what I call "good pressure" selling, which means that, like a family member who is looking out for their best interest, I'm going to do my best to help someone make the best decision, not just for my client, but for their family as well.
If you think your agent is too pushy you don't have to do business with him or her. But be aware that most are looking out for you and your family. By asking questions and building a rapport we hope to earn your trust and dispel the idea of the pushy salesperson.
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. And please subscribe to this blog!
On occasion I work with enrollment companies helping people with their voluntary benefits. We have the usual line-up of products, with life insurance and disability plans available for the employees that we meet with. By far, the most requested products are the dental and vision plans. As a matter of fact, the employees will walk in to our one-on-one meetings and say something along the lines of "all I want is my dental and vision".
There are those of us, myself included, who don't have access to group policies through an employer. For people who are small business owners, contract employees or otherwise self-employed, getting a good individual plan has been difficult.
On an individual basis, dental plans are available but can be rather pricey. There are usually waiting periods as well, which can make the product unattractive to many people. With all of this in mind, I have been a bit resistant in including a dental plan in our line up of products. That is, until now.
We have recently begun to offer a plan through one of our carriers, Manhattan Life, which solves many of the issues we have been concerned with. And even better, this plan not only covers dental, but vision and hearing too!
Another reason we have begun to offer these plans is because Medicare does not provide coverage for dental, hearing or vision and many of our clients have requested information for these services of late.
Here are a few of the basic features*:
No networks. You can go to any provider.
A $100 deductible per year per person.
The plan is available to people from ages 18-85.
You can include up to 3 children.
You can choose your annual maximum benefit of either $1000 or $1500
Guaranteed Issue (No health questions)
Guaranteed Renewable. You can keep it as long as your like as long as you pay the premiums.
No waiting period for preventative and basic dental services.
Benefits for hearing exams and hearing aids.
(For a more detailed list of services, click here.)
As mentioned above, not having a network means you can go to any provider. One thing to keep in mind though is that your doctor may or may not file your claim for you. The patient may have to pay the bill in full and submit the claim on their own. Because of this we recommend asking your doctor before receiving services so there are no surprises.
One of the nice parts of this plan is that if one does not use the full maximum benefit for dental, they can use the balance for vision or hearing services. One of our partner agents was telling me how he only used a small portion of his benefits on the dental plan one year, so he used the balance to get new eyeglasses. That's maximizing your plan!
We have added a quoting tool to our website, but for your convenience you can run your own quote here. If you like your quote you can even begin the application, which is easy to complete and only takes a few minutes.
Not everyone wants or needs dental insurance. But for those who do, we hope you take a few minutes to look at the plan and run your own quote. In the meantime, please stay healthy!
*Plans vary from state to state. Be sure to ask for a brochure for your state.
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. And please subscribe to this blog!
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.
Speaking on behalf of a large contingency of Americans, I'm exhausted of the amount of information, and yes, disinformation, about the Coronavirus and the numbers that go with it. Millions out of work, tens of thousands (at the time of this writing) infected and thousands dying. It's all so depressing.
As if those numbers weren't bad enough, businesses are shuttering their doors, supply chains are thinning out and rats are running amok in New Orleans. As I watch the markets each day I realize how truly fragile our economic lives are when a major catastrophe comes down the pike. Some have referred to our economy as a house of cards, which may or may not be true, but we all should take the time to reassess our own business situation. If your home suffered from a minor earthquake, you would reinforce your foundations, right? Maybe we should do that for our professional lives as well.
As an insurance agent, I suggest that all salespeople, business owners, independent contractors and otherwise self-employed take a serious look into disability insurance. Your number one asset isn't your house or car, but the ability to earn a living. And if you get sick and can't work, the bills don't stop coming.
With all of that said, there are some good things in the news. The public is seeing who the truly important people are. The working middle class, like cooks, cops and, of course, nurses and other healthcare workers, are taking the brunt of this crisis. We tell our military "Thank you for your service" all the time, but do we express appreciation to the ones who pick up our garbage, cook our food, and deal with us in this service based economy? My guess would be not often enough. Take the time to be extra nice to the person who has to ring up your groceries or deliver your mail.
In a previous post we discussed the reality that there are different types of life insurance and that all are good for some people, but not all are necessary for all people. As this series progresses, we'll take a look at each type of life insurance and discuss their pros and cons. For now let's look into term life coverage.
Term life is, as it's name states, good for the term of the policy. A 20-year term is good for 20 years, and in that 20 years, the price won't go up on you. At the end of the term, in this case 20 years after the purchase date, the policy will typically end. In some cases the insurance company will continue to policy as an annual renewable term (ART), which means each year the price will increase.
When is it a good idea to buy term coverage? Most people will purchase this during their working years, which is usually when they can quantify the time they need coverage. For instance, if you are pretty sure that your home will be paid off in 20 years and in that same amount of time your kids will be grown and on their own, a 20 year term policy is appropriate.
My favorite term life story is about a friend of mine who told me he borrowed money from a relative and needed to secure the loan with a life policy, in case he died before he was able to repay the loan. The insurance carrier required a paramed exam and my friend's wife was confused when the nurse showed up at their house. Apparently he did not tell his spouse about the loan and had to come clean.
Term life can be very affordable, as it is only coverage for death and builds no cash value. You can't borrow against it either. With this in mind, it's can still be a great value.
There's a school of thought that states that people shouldn't buy permanent coverage, which we'll discuss later, but instead should buy term and invest the difference in premium. My experience shows that people will purchase the term coverage and say that they'll do the investment part at a later date, which never comes.
A great feature of most term policies is a conversion feature. This allows you to convert all or part of the coverage to a permanent policy with no health questions or additional underwriting. Let's assume that in 10th year of a $500,000 policy you have a heart attack. Even though you've survived, the heart attack may prevent you from buying additional coverage. But you can convert, say $25,000, to a permanent policy. The remaining $475,000 will still be there, but now you have some coverage for final expenses that will always be there for you, as long as you pay the premium.
Note: When you convert a term policy, the premium is based on your age at the time of the conversion, not the age you originally purchased the policy.
Term life insurance can be a great fit for young families and people on a budget. If you aren't sure if term would work for you, drop us a note. Or you can book your own phone appointment from our website. We want to make buying insurance easy for you. In the meantime, 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. And please subscribe to this blog!
Hopefully, you go to your physician once a year for an annual checkup. The logic behind this is to make sure you are in good shape and if there is a problem it can be dealt with before it gets out of hand. The same is true of your "financial wellness".
In that vein of thought we at Surf Financial Brokers ask, "Have you had an annual life insurance check up?" It only takes a few minutes and could save your loved one a lot of pain down the road. First, make sure you have enough life coverage. Many people think they can get away with a small policy through work, but it's probably not enough to keep your family in their home and retain their lifestyle if something were to happen to you. And if you in a two-income family like many other Americans, your income definitely helps pay the bills. A quick and easy way to determine the amount of life insurance you need is with our calculator. It only takes a few minutes to plug in some numbers and get a pretty accurate amount of coverage. Make sure you have enough coverage to pay off debt, cover education costs for your kids, replace income and costs associated with death, such as an extended hospital stay. Don't forget to include final expenses, like burial or cremation fees, funeral expenses etc.
Second, make sure your beneficiaries are who you want. When you took out your policy years ago, you picked out who you thought were the right people to be your beneficiaries. We recommend that you take another look at whom you have chosen and make any adjustments that may be needed. An irresponsible adult child or a deceased loved one may not be as suitable as you thought originally. Have your agent get you the correct forms for beneficiary changes. Keeping your beneficiaries up to date will save your loved ones a lot of time and expense.
This was the case when my father passed away this year. He had three life policies that had not been looked at in years, even though I asked. One policy had his father and mother listed as the beneficiaries.They had died in 1970 and 1992 respectively. Another had my mother listed as the primary beneficiary, but she had died in 2011. The third policy was the really confusing one, as he had listed his business as the beneficiary. Again, the business had been shut down years earlier.
Which leads us to the last part of the check up. Let your family know who to contact if they need help at your death. Unfortunately, life insurance agents come and go. The trusted agent you purchased your plan from may or may not still be in the business, or they may have gone to work for another carrier. If your original agent is no longer available to help you, contact the company and request a new agent of record to assist you. Leave this information available for your loved ones so they don't have to waste time and money trying to file your claim. And be sure to keep documents like life insurance policies where your family can find it, like a safe or lockbox. My sister has a file that her adult children are aware of that has all of her insurance information in one place.
If you need help or have questions, please let us know.
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. And please subscribe to this blog!
Recently, Chris Castanes, the president of Surf Financial Brokers, has released his first book, "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at his career in sales. Part primer and part memoir, this books gives you the inside scoop on recruiters, sales managers and crazy customers.
If you are considering a career in sales or are already in the business of selling, this book can give you the lay of the land so that you will see the obstacles before they become problems. Drawing from a career selling insurance, office supplies, retail and even telemarketing, "You're Going To Be Great At This!" is filled with lessons learned and plenty of "dumb stories".
And if you are a customer, client, buyer or consumer, there's something in the book for you as well. With a mixture of humor and a little bit of bad taste, "You're Going To Be Great At This!" might give you a chuckle or two.
"You're Going To Be Great At This!" is available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle edition and can be found here.
