may 2012
CityLight.org 29
Good Stewards
By Keith Seymour
I
n the Gospel according to St. Luke (Chapter
16 verses 9-12), Jesus tells his disciples that the
rewards that God blesses us with in this life and
the next life, is dependent upon our stewardship
of that which the lord has already provided us, in
this life. I mention this because not to long ago,
a very devout and church going friend of mine
who is a small business owner here in Colum-
bia, finally purchased life insurance. We had dis-
cussed the importance and affordability of life
insurance for sometime, however, her decision
was due to a recently deceased and uninsured
relative who was buried almost two weeks after
passing because the surviving family members
were arguing over who would take financial re-
sponsibility for the arrangements.
As a Community Advocate, journalist and life
insurance agent, I have seen this happen all too
often among people from varying racial and so-
cio-economic backgrounds The truth is that fifty
percent of all Americans feel that they are under
insured, and a third of all Americans have no in-
surance at all. Being good stewards of our financ-
es means owning life insurance that protects us
while we are alive, and our loved ones after death.
Among the main reasons for such unfortunate
turmoil occurring on the passing of an unin-
sured loved one, is the myth that Life Insur-
ance is too expensive. Actually, life insurance
is very affordable. As good stewards of the fi-
nancial blessings that the Lord has given us for
the purpose of blessing others during and after
our lives, we need to ask ourselves the follow-
ing questions. "Do we really want to add to our
family's grief by having them argue with one
another about who is going to pay for our final
expenses? This is really a time when they need
to support one another emotionally and spiri-
tually more than ever? Concurrently, we should
also ask ourselves, "Do we really want the money
or property we leave behind to be eaten up by
the cost of our final expenses, or our loved ones
to go into debt? Sadly, this is the case for many
families who failed to plan for life after death.
We must be good stewards with the resources
and knowledge God has blessed us with and in-
vest in some type of life insurance coverage.
Having life insurance and the right type and
amount of life insurance is as equally important
as having a will. As someone with a paralegal cer-
tification who has spoken with several lawyers, I
can honestly state that it takes an average of nine
to twelve months to probate a will, and finally re-
lease the money and property listed in that will
to the beneficiaries. By contrast, life insurance
does not go through probate, and is released im-
mediately upon the insurance company receiving
proof of death from the deceased person's benefi-
ciary (ies), therefore allowing them to take care
of any final expenses, without the added worry
of incurring financial debt. I recently attended a
Business Expo. where I spoke with a funeral di-
rector, who is also a certified insurance agent and
handles pre-need arrangements. According to
her, the average cost for a funeral in South Caro-
lina runs from $9,000-$15,000. If one is going
to be cremated, they are looking at a minimum
average of $3,000-$6,000, depending on whether
or not there is a viewing. This again brings up
the questions, as to where the money is going to
come from to pay these and any other related ex-
penses, if there is no life insurance.
What happens if you have a serious illness or get
into an accident, and survive? Where would the
money come from to keep you and your fam-
ily from going into debt, as well as emotional
and spiritual turmoil? This is where life insur-
ance that can double as disability or long-term
care insurance needs to be in place. American
General Life and Accident provides this added
benefit to the customer at no additional expense.
In closing, I would like to re-emphasize that it is
not only our duty as family members but as Chris-
tians to be "Sensible Stewards" of the blessing the
have been bestowed upon us. (Luke 12: 42-46)
Note: Keith H. Seymour is an active member of
"City Lights, and a Life Insurance Agent for Amer-
ican General Life and Accident, here in Columbia.
He may be reached at cell phone number 803-960-
8785, or e-mailed at keith.seymour@agla.com