If you tune into an episode of Cake Boss, you’ll see Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bake Shop, orchestrating confectionary masterpieces and having fun doing it. Good fortune seems to have parked at Buddy’s doorstep. But before the success came a tough road that he had to travel, which is something he’ll be talking about in his new role as the national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month in September.
Valastro’s dreams of working alongside his father were dashed when, at 54, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died a short three weeks later. Unprepared for this tragic event, Buddy had to drop out of high school to work full-time in the family bakery. His father had no life insurance, putting the support of the family on his young shoulders.
With roughly 600,000 people dying each year in the prime of their lives, and not everyone’s story having as happy an ending as Valastro’s, the need to provide for those you love upon your death is of the utmost importance.
Melissa Snively, of State Farm Insurance, said she has five reasons why she has life insurance, pointing to her four children and husband.
“A lot of people know they should have life insurance and have good intentions but unfortunately some don’t make it a priority,” she said.
Snively urges everyone to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules this month to make sure they have adequate life insurance protection. Her Website, www.snivelyinsurance.com, offers a link to an online life needs calculator at the bottom of the page that helps individuals and families determine the proper coverage amount.
Financial services representative Hank Mart, who has been assisting clients manage their risk portfolios and financial plans for more than 20 years, said every client’s needs are different and he sits down with each to educate, motivate and take action.
“A lot of families don’t know the sources of income they’re entitled to upon the death of a loved one and I can help with that,” he said.
Whether you are purchasing life insurance to pay for burial expenses only, to assist with your family’s living expenses or as a means of tax-sheltered investing, contact an insurance provider this month to determine your needs.
For more information about Life Insurance Awareness Month, visit www.lifehappens.org. To talk to an agent at State Farm, call Snively at 662-3622.
