Personal
Steve's Story: The Value of Disability and Life Insurance
My battle with cancer several years ago gave me a deeply personal perspective on the value of life and disability insurance. In 2013, my family and my business were growing. I was active and felt like I was in good health. After a visit to my doctor, I was completely blindsided when I heard the diagnosis -- late-stage colon cancer.
As a husband and father of three, my immediate concern was for my family. Could we weather the financial impact during treatment, when I wouldn't be able to work a full schedule? If I didn't survive, would my wife and children be financially stable?
Fortunately, the answers were “yes,” because I had purchased disability and life insurance years before I became ill. After more than 20 years as a financial advisor, I became my first disability insurance claim. Here's how my family and I benefited from the policy:
Financially, it provided the income we needed to continue to live our regular lifestyle – paying bills, even going on a family vacation, and not having to disrupt our long-term saving, college saving and investment planning.
Emotionally, it eliminated my financial stress during a very traumatic time, which allowed me to concentrate on my treatment and recovery.
Today, I am so grateful to be cancer free. And I am an even stronger advocate for taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the risk of illness or untimely death. My advice: Don't procrastinate or think “it will never happen to me”, because it can.
Read more about Steve's uplifting story of survival.