This week, many people celebrated Halloween, a
time for scary movies and adorable children dressed in fabulous costumes. This
time of year, my memories always revert to when my daughter was little. We live
in a great neighborhood, particularly for Halloween, which is why it attracts
hundreds of trick-or-treaters every year. When my daughter was young, we always
started the evening at a neighbor’s home for a quick dinner and to “ooh” and
“ahh” over the cute costumes. Along the route, there are houses, which
distribute candy for the kids, and adult stops, intended to keep the parents
happy and warm.
Each year, my husband would push our daughter
in her stroller accompanied by two other dads doing the same with their
children. Three-year-old children in costumes and laughing dads - I hope this
conjures up a memory in your life.
By the time the three kids were in
kindergarten, the two other dads had passed away unexpectedly. The first, our next-door neighbor,
was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and died at the age of 48. His doctors
discovered it at such a young age that they hadn't even recommended regular
screenings yet. The other neighbor was 43-years-old. He’d been enjoying a
Saturday evening dinner with his family when he suddenly suffered an aneurysm.
He died after being on life support for a few weeks.
Unfortunately, the outcome for the two
surviving families differed significantly.
One of the dads understood and valued life
insurance. He worked in the financial industry and planned for his future and
his family’s. His wife was able to continue sending their children to their
private schools, keep their vacation house, and maintain their membership of
the country club. He put adequate coverage in place at a young age, with the
intention of outliving the need or converting when the time came to continue
the coverage, that his loved ones did not lose their familiar lifestyle along
with their dad.
The second family did not have the same
outcome.
The neighbor was a wonderful husband and dad
and loved his family very much. As a way of showing just how much they meant to
him, he mortgaged their home to the max to purchase an art studio for his wife
so she could pursue her dreams. Unfortunately, he died before the studio was up
and running. The only life insurance he had was the term coverage provided by
work, which matched his salary (those of us in the business understand all too
well that this does not cover much outside of final expenses). His family lost
their home and were forced to move to an apartment in another
town. The children had to change schools, and there was no money left to
run the art studio. We still miss them.
Never forget that what we do is important. Though we can get
caught up in the business side of our work – sales goals, prospecting, market performance – our focus is
preparing for the unexpected, so they can continue providing for their
families in death, as well as they did in life. What we sell allows families to
enjoy piano lessons, college years,
and vacations. Be proud of what we do and help your clients prepare for
what life hands them.
If you're interested in speaking with one of
our sales consultants about accessing our marketing tools to help position IUL
as the right solution for your clients, click the button below.
Cynthia Callis has been an award-winning
insurance wholesaler for 15 years. She has worked all across the country
partnering with agents and financial advisors to find workable, revenue
producing solutions that best meet their clients’ insurance needs. She blends a
consultative sales approach and disciplined business knowledge with a deep
grasp of insurance solutions. She has earned the trust of her agents and is
viewed as a valued business collaborator.
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