It's time to face the numbers

We all tend to avoid the unpleasant parts of life. This is true of little things (leaving the dishes to “soak” a little longer); bigger things (“Wait, did you say it’s April 14th?!); and yes, really big things.

In our industry, we see statistics that spell this out every day. You know the ones I mean:

• Only 4 in 10 American adults have a will or living trust

• 21 percent of Americans have no retirement savings, while an additional 10 percent have less than $5,000 in savings

• 1 in 3 working Americans don’t have adequate disability insurance

As you know, the depressing list goes on. And yes, it’s spring and no one wants to think gloomy thoughts while the sun is shining and birds are singing outside your windows, but someone needs to think about this stuff if these stats are ever going to improve, right?

Related: Growing up Gen X: How our past affects our financial planning

This month’s issue examines a couple of areas in which our industry is looking for solutions. “An uphill battle” discusses five ways to convey the value of disability insurance to your clients and their employees. As Trey Balding writes, “Only 54 percent of working Americans have disability insurance—down from 65 percent in 2017. Not surprisingly, employees are most likely to acquire the product via their employer. This presents an opportunity for brokers and benefits consultants to think about ways to engage or re-engage with clients around the topic of disability insurance.” We hope a few of the ideas will provide some motivation and strategies heading into Disability Awareness Month.

And be sure to read “LOLA: The next big thing in benefits?” for a closer look at how personal loss prompted the creation of two businesses that are helping employees and employers who have suffered family deaths. With the support of several key brokers, Esther Cardenas Pipoly and Mollie Lacher are hoping their experiences with the death of loved ones can prompt big changes that will benefit employees on a very large scale.

And speaking of change, don’t miss our cover story about Tim Doherty, the 2019 BenefitsPRO Broker of the Year. Doherty’s thirst for knowledge and track record of innovation and leadership within the industry exemplify the type of advisors we look for each year.

Sure, there’s a lot of work to be done, but there are also a growing number of strategies, tools and role models to help along the way.

Read more: 

• Doing things the right way(s)
• Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
• Money talks. Will the health care industry listen?