William Penn Life, 2018 (53. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2018-09-01 / 9. szám

Moneywise with Bob Bisceglia, National Sales Director

Being aware and prepared

HERE AT WILLIAM PENN ASSOCIATION, we see the value of life insurance on a daily basis. In 2004, an organization called the LIFE Foundation (now known as Life Happens) wanted to increase awareness of the need for life insurance for people of all ages, socio-economic status, income levels and marital status. Thus, in September of that year, the inaugural Life Insurance Awareness Month (or LIAM to those in the industry) was celebrated. Ever since then, the industry has used the month of September to heighten the general public's awareness about the importance and value of life insurance.

I have written many articles on this topic. This month, I thought that I would review the stories of the spokespersons for LIAM whose lives testify to the values and need for life insurance and see the impact life insurance had on their lives.

2004 - Kwame Jackson

The first spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month was Kwame Jackson, who saw first-hand the benefits of life insurance. You may recognize his name as a runner-up contestant from the TV show, The Apprentice. His mother passed away at the age of 41 when Kwame was only 15, but fortunately, she was prepared. She owned life insurance, and Kwame's opportunities in life were greater because of it. He was able to fund his college education at Harvard because his mother was prepared for the unexpected. According to Kwame, "85% of Americans see life insurance as important - but the vast majority have none or are underinsured." He also stressed that you should "begin to plan anytime there is a milestone in your life, such as getting married, starting a new job or caring for an aging parent-anytime someone is counting on you to be a financial provider."

2005 - Marilu Henner

Actress, producer and author Marilu Henner was the first woman and second overall spokesperson for LIAM. Her father passed away at the age of 52 when she was just 17. Fortunately, just three weeks prior to his fatal heart attack, her father had taken out a small life insurance policy. Prior to his heart attack, her father had gotten a clean bill of health from his doctor. Marilu's story is a clear example that anything can happen at any time. Marilu said that her family "would have been devastated if it were not for the life insurance he purchased....It paid for the funeral and kept us in the house and to maintain our standard of living." She goes on to say that "for around one dollar per day, a 40-year-old man can provide insurance for his family. You're never too young or too old to be thinking about life insurance."

2006 - Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton has a special story as well. The world-renowned figure skater and Olympic gold medalist not only

LIFE i#», INSURANCE

AWARENESS MONTH

BROUGHT TO YOU BY LIFE HAPPENS®

saw the need for life insurance for his mother, who passed away from cancer, but saw the need in his own life as well. He, like his mother, was diagnosed with cancer, yet was fortunate enough to live to talk about it. With a wife and two kids, his health issues stirred discussion about life insurance and its place in the common household. As if cancer wasn't enough to test Scott, a brain tumor surely was. But, again, Scott was able to fight it off. Scott was lucky~twice~but his trials taught him (and remind us) of the need to be financially prepared at any age.

2007 - Molly Shannon

If you enjoy a good laugh, then you probably are familiar with Molly Shannon. The comedian and actress has appeared in many movies and was a long-time cast member on Saturday Night Live. Tragedy struck her family when she was just 4 years old: her mother, sister, and cousin all perished in an automobile accident. Life insurance was, unfortunately, not part of the picture. During her tenure as spokesperson for Life insurance Awareness Month, Molly discussed the hardship and financial difficulties her family faced after her mother's passing. Because of those experiences, Molly said that, "as soon as I became pregnant with my first child, I immediately thought about purchasing life insurance....Purchasing life insurance and taking care of business is part of being a responsible parent, and allows me to go on performing with the knowledge and comfort of knowing that my family is taken care of."

2008 - Donnie Wahlberg

Donnie Wahlberg is no stranger to the impact life insurance, or lack thereof, can have on a family. The singer, actor, producer and burger chain mogul lost his sister before her 45th birthday, and she didn't have life insurance to protect her son. Luckily, the family was able to band together financially and get her son through all the turmoil. But as Donnie pointed out, "not every family is so lucky, and the outcome is usually much worse." In 2008, over 68

4 0 September 2018 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE