I’m Hooked

I was in a fly-fishing shop a while back, discussing this mutual addiction with the shop owner. “Heck, I’d fish in a bucket before I quit fishing,” he said. My people.

Our business is a lot like fishing, and thankfully for both of us, I won’t wax on that simile, other than to provide a cautionary tale:

A little over a year ago, an agent of ours thought she’d hooked a big one. $25MM face amount, premium structured at just over $1M a year. The client needed the coverage and could afford the premium. The client put the process on hold because she was trying to quit smoking. Down to ‘a few a day’, she was sure she could qualify for a non-smoker policy about a year down the road.

Well……you guessed it. She’s still smoking.

Which is even worse now—because she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. And while her prognosis is good, and she’s completed her treatment, we’re probably 3+ years from getting her a policy.

Today, more than at any other time in the 30 years I’ve been doing this: We really do need to lean on the clients who need life insurance. Maybe to the point of discomfort for all involved.

By the way-

I’m a catch and release guy, but I have no earthly idea how that plays into this metaphor.