THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (10/08/06)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

INSURANCE MATTERS
by Joseph Hawryluk

Life insurance awareness

Last month was Life Insurance Awareness Month. With that in mind, I have collected some examples of insurance "don'ts" from my experience in the field.

Family procrastinated: A couple had purchased $25,000 (Plan 20PL) Ukrainian National Association policies for both their teenage sons. I kept encouraging the mother and father also to buy policies. The father said he had group life insurance at work, and the mother said she didn't need any insurance. I kept reminding them to lock in rates while they were still young and healthy. Well, the father retired at age 62, and all of a sudden he didn't have any life insurance for burial costs, etc. His wife called me up to write him up a policy - which I did (at rates that now were twice what they had been when he was in his 50s), and now she also wanted a policy. But her application was rejected by the UNA Home Office - because she had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Family said they didn't need life insurance: On Sunday at the church's coffee hour, I gave a Fourth Wave Ukrainian couple a quote for term insurance for the 29-year-old husband along with an application, since the place where he worked had no employee benefits ($81.50 per year for a $50,000 death benefit, UNA Plan T-5). They said they didn't think they needed it - but promised to think about it. Well, about three months later, he was killed in a freak industrial accident at work. That following Sunday, the wife sheepishly approached me with her two little children to see if we could "do anything about the application now" because it was really a good deal.
Said life insurance was too expensive: A traditional funeral costs up to $15,000. Everyone dies - so why would anybody want their family to pay full price out of their checking or savings account? And, do they have that kind of money available? A whole life insurance death benefit always pays more than what you paid in - so it is less expensive than paying the full price. Ask your UNA secretary.
Didn't understand how life insurance worked: And, finally, a prospect refused to sign the application for the $15,000 whole life insurance policy I presented to him - because he said it was just like a $15,000 Christmas Club account - you only get what you paid in plus a little interest. I couldn't convince him that it was different - that as soon as the policy and death certificate were presented, the UNA would make out the full $15,000 death benefit check out to the beneficiary - no matter if $100 or $1,000 in premiums had been paid in.

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UNA secretaries have all the information. Or, call the Home Office toll-free at 1-800-253-9862.

Osyp (Joe) Hawryluk is a licensed professional sales agent for the UNA.

UNA on the road: Informative displays featured at Washington Ukrainian Festival

SILVER SPRING, Md. - The Washington Ukrainian Festival was held here on the grounds of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on September 16-17. The UNA was represented at the festival by Stephan Welhasch, employee of the UNA Home Office, who was assisted by Maria Lischak, secretary of Branch 15, in setting up and manning the UNA's information table. Seen above are visitors from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, at the UNA's hospitality table. Below, Myroslava Semerey (right), chairperson of the festival, with Lida Chopivsky.

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