Embrace Life at American Income Life!

There is no denying everyone needs life insurance. Regardless of age, employment, or marriage and family status, everyone needs final expense coverage. Add to that the need for families to pay mortgages, utilities, and educational or medical expenses, and the reasons to buy life insurance increase dramatically. If a breadwinner dies, his or her family needs financial support to meet its various obligations. Even the death of a dependent generally entails unexpected medical expenses and other final expenses.

Since no one can predict the future, it makes sense for everyone to prepare for the unexpected by purchasing a life insurance policy to help protect their families. Then why are millions of Americans uninsured or underinsured?

According to LIMRA (Life Insurance and Market Research Association), many underinsured Americans believe life insurance is too expensive, lack sufficient knowledge on the topic, or are reluctant to initiate buying. Also, a vast number of households say they have never been approached to buy life insurance.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Affordable whole life and term life policies are available through companies like American Income Life. No matter what your stage of life, what better gift can you give to those you love than the gift of a life insurance policy? It may not be glamorous, shiny, pretty, or high tech, but it can help to financially protect your loved ones in the event of tragedy — and that trumps the hottest new gadget every time!

American Income Life, for When the Unexpected Strikes

Everyone knows someone … a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor … who has suffered a critical illness. No one is immune from its possibility, regardless of age. Like accidents, a critical illness can strike without warning, and its financial repercussions can be devastating.

Here are a few statistics that indicate why a critical illness policy may be just what the doctor ordered.

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability.
• Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States and accounts for nearly one of every four deaths.
• Stroke is the third most common cause of death and, like heart disease, is a major cause of disability.
• Every 34 seconds an American has a coronary event, and every minute an American dies from one.
• In the US, men have slightly less than a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer; for women, the risk is a little more than 1 in 3.
• Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any other type of cancer in both men and women.
• About 1,638,910 new cancer cases were expected to be diagnosed in 2012, and about 577,190 Americans were expected to die of cancer … more than 1,500 people a day.

But you can be prepared. A lump sum critical illness policy from American Income Life can help relieve some of the financial trauma a critical illness can create.

Sources: American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Figures 2012; American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2013 Update

Help Protect Your Financial Future at American Income Life

Family security is American Income Life’s number one priority

Life is uncertain, so we want to live every day with enthusiasm and energy. But that’s not always easy for a cancer patient. The disease itself, chemotherapy, and radiation often leave a patient mentally and physically drained. If the patient can’t work during treatment, there may be the added worry about how to pay the bills.

According to the American Cancer Society:

– Approximately one in two men and one in three women will get cancer in their lifetime.
– 65 percent of cancer-related expenses are not covered by regular health insurance.

People think of cancer-related expenses as the costs for CT scans, PET scans, blood tests, chemotherapy, radiation, etc. But those are just part of the costs of cancer. How will you pay for travel, meals, and lodging if you need to seek treatment at a facility far from home? How will you cover the mortgage, utilities, groceries, car payments, etc., if you are unable to work? A cancer policy can help to ease those financial concerns.

Most American Income Life cancer plans are designed to pay a lump sum cash payment for the first written diagnosis of cancer. Generally, benefit options range from $10,000 to $50,000. Benefits are paid directly to you with no restrictions on how you spend the money and are paid in addition to any other insurance you have.  Pay bills or take a much-needed vacation. It’s up to you!

If you agree it’s time to protect yourself and the ones you love from the financial effects of this dreaded disease, American Income Life can help.

Ride the Wave at American Income Life!

Ride the wave at American Income Life

Looking for that perfect wave?  How about a perfect career instead … one that lets you help others and make fantastic money doing it?

Today is the perfect time to be an insurance Agent at American Income Life. As the general population increases, so does the need for quality life insurance protection. But with more Agents retiring every year, the industry needs to attract new generations of Agents to replenish its resources. And you could be one of them!

What makes a great insurance Agent?
Good communication skills, honesty, integrity, compassion, and a solid work ethic are high on the list. But your previous work experience really doesn’t matter. When you sit in a room of insurance Agents like the ones at American Income Life, you find every type of occupation represented. Those in the hospitality industry, retail, paralegal, nursing, teaching, criminal justice, and transportation are attracted to insurance because of the potential for greater earnings, the satisfaction of helping others, and the desire for more flexible schedules. But young people new to the workforce are just as likely to be attracted to what the industry offers and to be successful.

What’s it Take?
An insurance Agent needs to be licensed in the States in which he sells but doesn’t need a college degree or other long-term training. You can start earning a great income NOW at a tenured company, such as American Income Life. All you need is a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic.

Becoming an insurance Agent is a smart move! Are you ready to take that all-important first step?

American Income Life Working Class Heroes

When you think of superheroes, who comes to mind? Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are all obvious answers, but there’s one problem — those heroes are fictional. They don’t exist.  Now think realistically. Firefighters, policemen, and soldiers help protect people every day. But wait — don’t insurance Agents do the same thing? Often overlooked, the job of an American Income Life Agent is both honorable and noble. Agents are living, breathing, working class heroes.

Kids idolize superheroes for their superpowers, heroic battles, and flashy costumes. Who says Agents don’t have the same qualities, but on a realistic level? American Income Life Agents have the power to sell life insurance and supplemental health insurance, both of which help provide protection to policyholders and their loved ones.  They have the power of persuasion — to use their stellar presentation skills to convince prospects of the importance of life insurance.  They also have the power to help. American Income Life Insurance Agents are there for customers during the darkest days of their lives, helping them pick up the pieces and deal with adversity.

Agents wage heroic battles against the evil What If Monster by offering customers protection against the “what if’s” in life. What if you died unexpectedly? What if you were diagnosed with cancer? What if you suffered a stroke? What if you died in an accident – would your loved ones be able to grieve, or would they struggle to financially stay afloat? Consider each one of these “what if’s” a demon that you can help American Income Life policyholders combat.

I know you’re wondering about the flashy costumes, right? Just because capes aren’t appropriate in a business professional environment doesn’t mean you’re not a hero. Now don your invisible superhero cloak, get out there, and start helping people!

Life Insurance 101 – American Income Life Answering Your Questions

When you get down to it, life insurance is like a nice leather jacket. You have to find one that’s a perfect fit for you. There are different types of quality, and they seem to come in every size and shape under the sun. But once you find the right fit, you get an overwhelming sense of comfort. Unlike leather jackets though, life insurance can potentially stay with you for the rest of your life.

That being said, not all people need the maximum amount of coverage. If you’re single with no dependents, you won’t need as much life insurance as a person who supports a large family. People with families have more expenses to worry about such as mortgage protection or college expenses for their children. As you can see, life insurance needs aren’t static; they change depending on your circumstances.

There are two main types of life insurance: cash value products and term life. Factors that may contribute to the cost of life insurance include:
• Age
• Gender
• Health
• Family history
• Hazardous activities (parachuting, vehicle racing, bungee jumping, etc.)
• Criminal record

Term life insurance provides coverage for a limited period of time. Term life periods of insurability usually range from five to 30 years. Because of this, term life insurance is usually less expensive than whole life. Premiums can increase due to changes in health, age, or other criteria.

Cash value products are exactly what they sound like; they build cash value tax-free. Potentially, you can borrow against them as long as you’ve met the product requirements. There are several varieties of cash value products including:
• Whole life
• Universal life
• Variable universal life

Whole life insurance provides coverage for your entire life and can also build cash and loan value with premium payments. Whole life has lifelong guaranteed premiums and includes death benefit and cash value.
Universal life is identical to whole life policies, but has greater flexibility in premium payments, guaranteed death benefit, and cash value accumulation.

Variable universal life, often called adjustable life, allows you to invest the cash value part of your life insurance into stocks, bonds, or other programs which may increase your cash value. However, if the investments don’t do well, your cash value could diminish.

Here are some additional tips about life insurance:
• Term life policies can be converted to whole life policies
• Insurance should not be purchased as an investment tool
• If there is misleading information on an application for insurance, the insurance company isn’t obligated to provide full coverage

American Income Life has additional life insurance products and services that you may be interested in. When you think of life insurance, make sure you research the companies you plan to deal with. Look for financial strength ratings to make sure the company is stable and can pay claims. American Income Life has earned the A+ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating from A.M. Best Company (as of 6/11). To learn more about life insurance, visit American Income Life. Our Representatives would be happy to talk with you about the products and services we offer.

Source: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/opinion/2011/11/7/41550/Life-Insurance-101

Customer Appreciation at American Income Life – Showing Customers You Care

Do you consider yourself to be a great salesperson? Do you strive to keep your customers happy, or are you just focused on selling? Great salespeople don’t just stop at the sale — they go above and beyond to make the customer feel appreciated. It’s been said that it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an old one. In order to thrive as a salesperson, it’s important to retain customers, which are a primary source for generating new leads.

In the insurance industry, a large percentage of an Agent’s new business comes from existing customers. According to the “80/20” rule, many Agents find that 80% of their new business comes from 20% of existing customers. Since the hard part — gaining a customer — has already been accomplished, it’s important to remain in the good graces of your current customers to increase the chance that they’ll purchase from you again in the future. Satisfied customers are more likely to provide profitable leads, since they trust you and the reliability of your products.

Simple acts that indicate you care about a customer can make all the difference in your success as an insurance Agent with American Income Life. Always greet your customers with a smile and eye contact — no matter what! Handwritten thank-you notes and birthday cards are ways to let your customers know that you care about them as people, and not just for their business. Going that extra mile by following up with customers and keeping in touch sets you apart from other, money-hungry salespeople.

Emphasize the value of the customer and give them not just what they expect—give them more than they expect. Get to know your customers as people. Find out about their interests and families so that when a new American Income Life product is available that fits their needs, you’ll know where to go for an almost guaranteed sale.

Keep in mind that your job doesn’t stop at the sale. Continue to do thoughtful things that indicate you care about your customers and their business. The job of an American Income Life insurance Agent is both honorable and noble — you’re here to help protect people during the darkest days of their lives. Now that’s something to smile about.

Top Reasons Why You Need Life Insurance

While the concept of life insurance implies a certain sense of morbidity, the truth is that, eventually, we all die. At American Income Life we believe that life insurance protects the dependents of the policyholder, provides income while the family adjusts to the loss of the breadwinner, funds specific financial goals, and pays for debt and taxes. With nearly two-thirds of Americans living in middle-income households, going without life insurance can prove to be a fatal mistake.

Accidents and illnesses happen. Life insurance is a selfless way to help make sure your loved ones can survive financially without you. Everyone agrees that it’s important to insure your car in case of an accident, but what if that accident turns deadly? Life insurance is necessary for the ‘what ifs’ in life.

A life insurance policy from American Income Life can help allow the family time to grieve without worrying about returning to work immediately. Consider it one last act of love and kindness to help fund costly funeral and burial arrangements.

Another advantage of life insurance is that it can help fund specific financial goals. Since life insurance can help pay off a mortgage or send children to college, it’s important to be insured when purchasing a home or starting a family. When the breadwinner is no longer alive to save for these endeavors, a portion of the policy’s death benefits can be set aside for necessary funding.

Purchasing life insurance before it is needed will help protect loved ones from significant debt and taxes following the policyholder’s death. A prolonged illness can rack up medical bills, while property taxes can cause additional headaches for the family.

In life, no one is immortal. When people are dependent on you, it’s important to buy a life insurance policy before it’s too late. Accept the inevitable and continue providing for your family posthumously. Visit American Income Life to learn more about the available life insurance products.

American Income Life Founder Bernard “B” Rapoport, Success

American Income Life Founder B. Rapoport

How is success measured?
If by the obtainment of wealth, then Bernard “B” Rapoport is successful.

If by the happiness an individual possesses, then too can Mr. Rapoport claim success.

And if measured by the difference an individual has made, the people they have affected, and the legacy they leave behind, then B might just be one of the most successful Texans of the past century.

Long before he was a corporate CEO of American Income Life, human rights activist, and one of America’s most generous philanthropists, B was a central Texas adolescent living through the worst economic disaster in our country’s history. It was in the midst of the Great Depression that B, now 94 years old, first observed the rampant poverty and racial inequality that permeated through not only Texas, but the rest of the Western world. His parents, both Russian immigrants, were quick to educate B of the hardships faced by so many like themselves, and in doing so, they instilled a fiery passion for change in young Bernard Rapoport.

In September of 1936, B began studying economics at the University of Texas. Six years later, with a degree in hand and an increasingly business-savvy mind, B met Audre Newman, a Waco native who shared – and continues to share – a passion for political change with her now-husband. Upon marrying, the two relocated to San Antonio, where B’s business career and, soon after, philanthropic career began to take shape.

In San Antonio, B worked for a number of years selling insurance. It wasn’t long before B opened his own agency, Pioneer American, in Audre’s hometown of Waco. The venture proved to be so successful that by 1951 – only two years after starting the business – B, with the help of $25,000 borrowed capital, founded another business: American Income Life. AIL would grow exponentially over the following decade, and following a stint in Indianapolis, B moved the emerging business’ home down to familiar territory in Waco.

Business went well for B – very well. With his newfound wealth, B was given the opportunity to support the causes and issues that impacted him so strongly as a youth and continued to impact him into adulthood: poverty, immigration, workers’ rights, education. A lifelong Democrat, B’s support of populist and socialist causes – undeniably affected by his early studies of Marx – was not limited to simply contributions; B established relationships with several prominent Democratic leaders, affording him a hands-on opportunity to present his view of a better society to prominent lawmakers such as Senator Ted Kennedy, Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and President Bill Clinton.

With B no longer at the helm of American Income Life, B assumed a more active role in philanthropy, using $46 million of his own money to establish the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation in 1986, its mission being to further promote peace, justice, and education. In addition to funding schools and youth programs in he and Audre’s hometown of Waco, the foundation funds scholarships to B’s beloved alma mater, the University of Texas, where B would serve as the University’s Board of Regents Chairman from 1993 to 1997.

B’s service and generosity to the University resulted in the Rapoport Center, an on-campus establishment that facilities dialogue among academics, advocates, and anyone else interested in combating the human rights violations and justice issues that Bernard “B” Rapoport has spent his life fighting against.

At 94 years young, B still resides in Waco alongside his wife of seven decades, Audre.

How would you personally define “success?” Would your definition include Bernard Rapoport? Would it include yourself? To learn more about the Bernard Rapoport charitable contributions visit the American Income Life official giving website.

American Income Life SGA Supporting Workers Rights

Jim Surace is a State General Agent for American Income Life in Ohio and one of the leading partners of the Surace-Smith Agencies. When Issue 2 came up on the polls, Jim wrote a letter addressing his opinion about the issue, and submitted it to a newspaper for publication. In his letter, Jim informed the public on the unfairness Issue 2 would bring to the working people. Issue 2 would have limited the worker’s rights at work, as well as their income.

For those who are not familiar with Issue 2, it was a plan made by Ohio Governor John Kasich in favor of restricting bargaining rights for unionized government workers.

Like American Income Life, Jim Surace is a supporter of unions and the right to a fair workplace; which is why Jim made sure he contributed to inform the public of the issue. He, along with union supporters and activists, showed up and voted ‘no’ to Issue 2. In a record breaking turnout since the early 90s, 46 percent of the Ohio population showed up to vote and 60 percent voted ‘no’ to Issue 2.

Read more on Jim’s letter on Issue 2 on the official American Income Life company blog!