Adapted from The Word September 26, 2011 W rd The Young man’s ‘whole life’ attributed to his parents’ decision to purchase it Leaders Conference presentation depicts the living benefits of life insurance In 1982, then-new MassMutual agent Tom Waring of Buffalo, N.Y., did not realize the profound and lasting impact a lunch meeting at Pizza Hut would have on his prospective client and his own career. Persistent, resilient, tenacious and focused, Mr. Waring was careful about whom he invested his time with. This particular prospect had made his radar screen because of his own tremendous work ethic and values. At the time, Norm Page was young and single, but his core values led him to purchase a substantial life insurance pol- icy that day. Four years later, he married Sandy, who shared these values, and she purchased coverage on her life. When their son, Adam, was born with spina bifida in 1992, the family faced all the emotional and financial challenges that come with this birth defect, which involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. Over the years, Mr. Waring, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, LUTCF, MSFS, watched as the Pages borrowed from their whole life insurance policies to pay for medical costs related to Adam’s health—includ- ing 10 surgeries—and other special- needs-related help he required. Because of the spina bifida, he has no feeling in his legs from the knees down and has a shunt, or tube, that drains fluid from his brain. As Adam grew, the loans also helped the Pages fulfill a promise they made to each other and to their son—to allow Adam to have a “whole” life and take on the challenges of being the best he can be. Life insurance a savior “In all reality, our whole life insur- Buffalo agent Tom Waring (foreground) interviews clients Sandy, Adam and Norm Page on the stage at the 2011 Leaders Conference in Denver, Colo. Adam Page proudly wears the gold medal he won at the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. In his Leaders Conference address, he chal- lenged the agent audience to reach out to other families and assist them like Tom Waring helped the Pages. Continued on page 2
Transcript
Adapted from The Word September 26, 2011W rdThe
Young man’s ‘whole life’ attributed to his parents’ decision to purchase itLeaders Conference presentation depicts the living benefits of life insurance
In 1982, then-new MassMutual agentTom Waring of Buffalo, N.Y., did notrealize the profound and lasting impact alunch meeting at Pizza Hut would haveon his prospective client and his owncareer.
Persistent, resilient, tenacious andfocused, Mr. Waring was careful aboutwhom he invested his time with. Thisparticular prospect had made his radarscreen because of his own tremendouswork ethic and values.
At the time, Norm Page was youngand single, but his core values led him topurchase a substantial life insurance pol-
icy that day. Four years later, he marriedSandy, who shared these values, and shepurchased coverage on her life.
When their son, Adam, was born withspina bifida in 1992, the family faced allthe emotional and financial challengesthat come with this birth defect, whichinvolves the incomplete development ofthe spinal cord or its coverings.
Over the years, Mr. Waring, CLU,ChFC, CLTC, LUTCF, MSFS, watchedas the Pages borrowed from their wholelife insurance policies to pay for medicalcosts related to Adam’s health—includ-ing 10 surgeries—and other special-
needs-related help he required. Becauseof the spina bifida, he has no feeling inhis legs from the knees down and has ashunt, or tube, that drains fluid from hisbrain.
As Adam grew, the loans also helpedthe Pages fulfill a promise they made toeach other and to their son—to allowAdam to have a “whole” life and take onthe challenges of being the best he canbe.
Life insurance a savior “In all reality, our whole life insur-
Buffalo agent Tom Waring (foreground)interviews clients Sandy, Adam andNorm Page on the stage at the 2011Leaders Conference in Denver, Colo.
Adam Page proudly wears the gold medalhe won at the 2010 Paralympics inVancouver, British Columbia. In hisLeaders Conference address, he chal-lenged the agent audience to reach out toother families and assist them like TomWaring helped the Pages.
Continued on page 2
Adapted from The Word September 26, 2011
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Companyand affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
www.massmutual.com
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and affiliates1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Companyand affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
www.massmutual.com
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and affiliates1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Companyand affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
www.massmutual.com
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and affiliates1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Position correct sizeand version ofMassMutual logoin this position.DO NOT SCALE LOGOS!
— 2 —
• Young man’s ‘whole life’ Continued from page 1
• • •
This reprint must be used in its entirety and must not be altered in any way.
MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)
and its affiliated companies and sales representatives, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. The Word is a weekly publication for the MassMutual field force.
ance was a savior for us,” said Mr. Page,telling his family’s story at Mass-Mutual’s Leaders Conference in Denver,Colo., in August. “Everything’s not cov-ered [by health insurance]. Without theloans, we would never have been able togive him all the physical therapy, braces. . . all the different things that healthinsurance didn’t cover. We used our poli-cies to get him the tools he needed to livehis dream.”
For Adam, a natural athlete who lovessports, that dream was to play hockey.While he couldn’t play standing onskates, he could pursue his passion as amember of a sled hockey team. His par-ents thought he should try it.
“I got on a sled for the first time, andI was hooked. I knew it was something Icould compete at,” Adam told theLeaders Conference audience.
Perseverance pays off At 13, Adam began to take the sport
seriously, trying out for the United StatesJunior National Sled Hockey team, thefeeder program for the U.S. men’snational team. He didn’t make it the firsttime, but persevered, trained harder andmade the team at 14.
A year later, at 15, he became theyoungest player ever chosen for themen’s national team, competing againstmen twice his age. The team traveled theglobe and won the world championshipin 2009. In the semifinal game againstCanada, Adam scored his team’s onlygoal in regulation time and the winningshootout goal.
Then, in 2010, when Adam was just17, he fulfilled another dream when hisU.S. team won the gold medal at the
Paralympics in Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada.
An abundant life Norm and Sandy Page said they have
always looked at what Adam could do—not what he couldn’t do—and that lifeinsurance has helped Adam live a life ofabundance.
“We knew immediately the kind oflife we wanted for him . . . happy andsuccessful . . . and not a financial burdento anyone in our family,” Ms. Page said.“We bought more life insurance afterAdam was born to make sure that hecould have the life we wanted for himeven if we were no longer there.”
In closing his Leaders Conferencepresentation, Adam acknowledged howthe living benefits of life insurance havehelped him realize his dreams and chal-lenged the agent audience to reach out toother families and assist them like TomWaring helped the Pages.
“When my dad bought life insurancefrom Tom Waring, he had no idea howmuch he would use it in his future,”Adam said. “Those policies helped myparents take care of me, and they gaveme all of these amazing opportunities. Ihave been fortunate to enjoy the benefitsof our life insurance while both my momand dad are still alive.
“I encourage and challenge you tofind those young men and women whohave the same value systems as my par-ents. I encourage and challenge you tofind those young men and women whoare not yet your clients and show themthe benefits life insurance has for the liv-ing. Find those young men and womenand tell them our story.”
Currently pursuing a bachelor’sdegree in sports management, Adam is amember of the 2011 U.S. sled hockeyteam with a goal of playing in the 2014Paralympics in Russia. He recentlyapplied for his own life insurance policywith MassMutual.
* * *
The decision to purchase life insur-ance should be based on long-termfinancial goals and the need for a deathbenefit. Life insurance is not an appro-priate vehicle for short-term savings orshort-term investment strategies. Whilethe policy allows for loans, purchasersshould know that there may be little to nocash value available for loans in the pol-icy’s early years.
Access to cash values through bor-rowing or partial surrenders will reducethe policy’s cash value and death benefit,increase the chance the policy will lapseand may result in a tax liability if thepolicy terminates before the death of theinsured.
The information provided is not writ-ten or intended as specific tax or legaladvice and may not be relied on for pur-poses of avoiding any federal tax penal-ties. MassMutual, its employees and rep-resentatives are not authorized to givetax or legal advice. Individuals areencouraged to seek advice from theirown tax or legal counsel.
Insurance products issued by Mas-sachusetts Mutual Life InsuranceCompany (MassMutual), Springfield,MA 01111-0001, and its subsidiariesC.M. Life Insurance Company and MMLBay State Life Insurance Company,Enfield, CT 06082.
