New York Life Insurance agent Michael Girouard wants to educate
the public about life insurance.
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People have an apprehension about buying life insurance,
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Girouard said.
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For one thing, it means you have to look at your own mortality.
But if something happens to you, who looks after your spouse, the
kids or even the dogs?
New York Life Insurance agent Michael Girouard wants to educate the public about life insurance.
“People have an apprehension about buying life insurance,” Girouard said. “For one thing, it means you have to look at your own mortality. But if something happens to you, who looks after your spouse, the kids or even the dogs?
“With estate planning issues, people think it only has value in death. That’s not true. There are different types of life insurance. There’s whole-life, universal-life or temporary known as term insurance. Depending on what people choose, they can use these plans for retirement, tax shelters and more.”
Many people already have life insurance plans, yet, unless the client continues to be vigilant, these plans can change over time. Girouard has personal knowledge of people who thought their plan offered one thing only to find out later they were mistaken. These mistakes can be devastating for those left behind.
“It can’t hurt to get a complimentary third-party review of what you have,” Girouard said. “I’ll be happy to look over someone’s current policy. I can help them realize where their losses and gains are.”
He said many people shopping for insurance think all they need is enough life insurance to pay off their mortgage and debts, but life insurance should look beyond paying off immediate debt.
“What good does it do to pay off a mortgage if your wife is a stay-at-home mom?” Girouard said. “What if she needs training to get a good paying job? What if the kids need money for schooling?”
According to Girouard, proper life insurance planning should be for the long term for those left behind, not just immediate survival. Plans also can be adjusted to fit the needs and budget of the client.
“I’ve found that sometimes the people most able to afford life insurance are the least likely to buy what they need,” Girouard said. “People struggling to make ends meet are snapping it up. They know that if something happens to them, their family will need the help.”
Girouard acknowledged that sometimes people are reluctant to talk to life insurance agents.
“One of the biggest parts of my jobs is educating people,” he said. “When I sell someone a policy, I go through it page by page. It’s not something I have to do, but I want them to understand it. The other part of my job is dealing with misconceptions people have about insurance people. In the past, the ethics of some insurance companies were not in check.
“In California, you have to go through ethics training as part of the training course. New York Life Insurance has, in my opinion, some of the best training in the world.
“Every Tuesday we have training. Salespeople in general have a bad reputation. But in reality, nothing happens without salespeople. Even the sugar for coffee in a restaurant doesn’t get there unless somebody sells it.”
Girouard and his family moved to the Hollister area in 2000 from Morgan Hill.
“We’ve fallen in love with the town,” he said. “We have friends here and really like the atmosphere.”
For more information about life insurance, call Michael Girouard Monday-Friday during regular business hours. He can be reached at 831-521-1969 or 408-452-6028 or by e-mail at mj********@ft.com.
