November 2024 Council Meeting Message
Brothers,
This time of year, we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. I’m thankful to call each of you my brother Knight, and I give thanks to God for all he has helped us do in our community this year.
Like many of you, I became a Knight out of love for my family. I wanted to join other Catholic men in becoming a better man, husband and father. I wanted to be a better protector of my family.
Knights of Columbus is your capable partner in this pursuit. In addition to helping form members in faith, we also offer a variety of insurance products to help you protect your family financially.
One way to protect your family is to start thinking about your family’s future and how an extended care event could make a large impact. Do you know somebody that has experienced an extended care event – if so, how did that impact their family’s situation?
I want to take this opportunity to help you prepare for the possibility that you or your spouse may one day need extended care.
November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month.
With that in mind, I would like to share a valuable resource available to you and your family and would encourage you to check this out.
WhatCareCosts gives you access to view the costs of Skilled Nursing Homes, Home Health Aides and Assisted Living Facilities in your area and across the country. This service is available free of charge to all our members regardless of whether or not you hold an insurance policy with Knights of Columbus. Visit www.whatcarecosts.com/KnightsofColumbus and enter sponsor code “KofC” to get started. We want to help families focus on their time with their loved ones – not the financial cost of caring for them.
Now is the time to prepare for your family’s future needs. As your Knights of Columbus agent, I can help you review your financial goals and ensure you have an extended care plan in place. Come talk to me to set up an appointment.
Thank you for your time, and I wish you and your loved ones a blessed Thanksgiving.
Vivat Jesus!
October 2024 Council Meeting Message
Brothers,
When Father McGivney founded our Order, a key part of his mission was to help Catholic families attain a secure financial future. It was a hard time and place to be Catholic, but he didn’t want them to feel they had to let go of their Catholic identity in order to find that stability. He wanted them to see their Catholic community as a place of security – to know that here, their faith could grow. And here, their families would be protected.
In keeping with that mission, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly recently announced updates to our member benefits. Now, you might not even remember you have these benefits – in a sense, they’re the best kept secret of the Order, but I’m going to do my part in making sure they’re more widely known.
I’d like to highlight some of these updates, starting with one that affects all of us.
Whether or not you are an insured Knight of Columbus, you are entitled to the Member/Spouse Fraternal Benefit. This is an accidental death benefit for all members in good standing and their spouse. The benefit amount varies from $1,500-$5,000, depending on your age, whether you are insured and how long you’ve been a member.
The second update I’d like to call out is the Family Fraternal Benefit, which applies to insured members. It’s guaranteed-issue insurance up to $10,000 to any child under age 18, regardless of physical or intellectual disabilities. This also includes an automatic $5,000 death benefit for children who die before age 61 days, including stillbirths from at least 20 weeks after conception.
Next is the Orphan Fraternal Benefit, which provides $500 monthly to an insured member’s child who has lost both parents, up to age 19. This benefit also includes up to $5,000 per year in college scholarships, with a maximum total of $20,000, per eligible orphan.
Finally, the Widow Benefit offers surviving spouses of insured members the opportunity to purchase life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance or annuities, and she and her children are eligible for scholarships.
We strive to bring Father McGivney’s mission to life by offering you these valuable benefits. I would like to sit down with each and every one of you to walk you through the benefits available to you and your family. Please schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible.
Thank you, and I pray that Blessed Michael McGivney watches over our families this month.
Vivat Jesus!
September 2024 Council Meeting Message
Brothers,
Working with Knights like you and your families every day is a blessing. I truly enjoy my work. With that said, I appreciate a long weekend as well. I hope you were all able to enjoy Labor Day and get some well-deserved rest.
Whenever we have a long weekend, it’s like a little preview of what retirement might look like. If you’re like me, I hope my retirement is one that’s restful where I’m also able to remain productive, be an active member of the Knights, pursue my personal hobbies, and enjoy a bit of travel here and there.
And to those of you who are already retired, I commend you for all the time you dedicate to our Order.
But if you’re like me and not quite there yet, I hope you will take the necessary steps to prepare yourself financially for your retirement. A good way to do that can be through an annuity.
Now, what is an annuity? Simply put, it’s a retirement savings product. You make contributions and, after a specified amount of time, the annuity pays you a regular income stream.
The amount of money you’ll need in retirement can be difficult to calculate. But with a properly structured retirement annuity through Knights of Columbus, you can have retirement income that you cannot outlive, guaranteed.
There are many different payment and plan types you can choose from. Once established, the money within the annuity continues to earn value, before eventually being disbursed according to the options you elect.
Knights of Columbus annuities come with two important guarantees.
First, your principal is guaranteed. Regardless of market condition or company results, your Knights of Columbus annuity will not lose value.
Second, each Knights of Columbus annuity comes with a guaranteed minimum interest rate. No matter the market fluctuations, your annuity is guaranteed to never earn less than the contractually stated amount on an annual basis.
As you can see, annuities can be a key part of your retirement strategy.
If you’d like to learn more about how annuities can help you, please schedule an appointment with me and I would be happy to discuss your options.
Vivat Jesus!
August 2024 Council Meeting Message
Brothers,
This is an exciting time of year for two reasons.
First, our 142nd Annual Supreme Convention is taking place in Quebec, August 6-8. Supreme night Patrick Kelly will lead us in celebrating the successes of our Order over the last Fraternal Year.
He will announce the number of volunteer hours completed, the amount of charitable donations made, and more. That impact is only possible through our work right here on the local level. I hope that you take asmuch joy in being a Knight and making a difference as I do.
I encourage you to watch the livestream of the Supreme Convention at kofc.org/convention. Or, if you’re unable to watch live, you will be able to find news articles and videos on the website during and after the convention.
Second, I am excited as we begin a new Fraternal Year. There’s much work to be done in our community as always. I pray that Blessed Michael McGivney, whose feast day we celebrate August 13, will watch over our efforts this year and that we will continue to grow in charity, unity, and fraternity. If you’ve benefitted over the past year from any aspect of your experience with the Knights – whether through faith-based activities, volunteer work with your brothers, getting a handle on financial matters or something else – I encourage you to invite a friend or family member into that experience with you. Let’s share that brotherhood with
others.
I pray, too, that through the intercession of our founder, God will bless our families abundantly this year. As always, I am available to discuss how Knights of Columbus can help protect you and your family financially. I hope you will avail yourself of this important benefit of being a member of our Order.
Vivat Jesus!
Council Meeting Message July 2024
Brothers,
Summer is a time of transition for many people. You may know someone who recently graduated high school or college and is now heading into the workforce. Or you may know a couple who is getting married this summer.
These are all joyous occasions that we can celebrate.
At the same time, certain stress can come with any life transition. For a graduate, entering the workforce can take some adjustment. And marrying is certainly one of the biggest life adjustments people can experience. Before long, they may be welcoming children or looking to finance a house.
Any transition in your life is a good time to think about your financial situation and your loved ones who depend on you.
Though life insurance may be the last thing on a young adult’s mind, it may be the perfect life stage to start preparing financially for the future.
On that note, for my brother Knights on the younger side, I have two pieces of good news. And I encourage all my brothers here to consider how this may apply to yourself or your adult children, grandchildren, and other family members.
First, the younger you are, the more affordable permanent life insurance can be, and the simpler the underwriting process is. At a younger age, you’re less likely to have health or medical problems that could make coverage more expensive.
The second piece of good news is that you have options. Maybe you’re not yet sure you want permanent life insurance. In this case, you might choose a term insurance policy, which is an affordable option for temporary needs. If you should decide later that you’d prefer permanent coverage, you may have the option to convert your term insurance.
In today’s day and age when so many of us may feel pressure to spend above our means, I have been heartened to talk to young people who are quite financially literate and eager to set up a responsible financial strategy for their future. Many of them grew up seeing economic problems in the world, and they want to make sure they build a strong financial foundation for themselves.
This summer, no matter where you are in your journey through life — whether you’re undergoing a life transition, or you simply feel that now is the time to think about your financial future — I encourage you to make an appointment with me. I will be happy to discuss your options with you.
Vivat Jesus!
Council Meeting Message June 2024
Brothers,
This month is Father’s Day. Every year at this time, I think of my father and all the father figures I’ve had in my life – spiritual fathers like the great priests who have helped shape me into who I am. My membership in the Knights of Columbus has given me incredible examples of men who have dedicated their lives to the service of others and in their example, made me a better man.
Being a Knight truly is to live a life of service. To give of oneself. When I think about the many ways our Order contributes to our parishes and to our communities, I’m reminded of what St. Paul tells us about giving: “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).
“A cheerful giver” — that perfectly describes what it means to be a Knight.
As a Knights of Columbus field agent, I see in my daily life how Knights give of themselves with joy. When a brother Knight chooses to protect his family through Knights of Columbus insurance, he does so out of love.
He wants to make sure his loved ones are taken care of when he’s gone.
And I remind him that he’s not only protecting his family. He’s furthering the charitable mission of our Order.
That’s what sets Knights of Columbus apart. Members who’ve purchased a Knights of Columbus insurance product or invested with Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors are doing business with an organization that aligns with their Catholic faith.
Through the business activities and the contributions of state and local councils, Knights of Columbus was able to donate more than $185 million to charity last year alone. That doesn’t even include the nearly $21 million distributed through Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund via grants by donor clients. 1 To be a Knight is to be part of a culture of giving – and in terms of business, it’s a culture that turns insurance premiums into charitable impact.
Whether it’s supporting new mothers in need, delivering Coats for Kids, bringing relief after natural disasters, or supporting seminarians, the number of people who depend on our help is countless. And the extent of our reach would not be possible without our insurance program.
As the Fraternal Year comes to a close, I want to congratulate you all for the many successes you’ve achieved as a council. When we come together under our principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, we truly make a great impact.
Thank you, and I wish all of the fathers here many blessings this Father’s Day.
Council Meeting Message May 2024
Spring is here, at least by the calendar, and it will soon be summer. Perhaps you’re planning your summer vacation. Maybe you’ve not only planned it, but you’ve already booked your hotel, VRBO®, or Airbnb®. Maybe you’ve gone so far as to purchase plane tickets…or maybe your vacation spot will be within driving distance. You’re already thinking of the clothes you’ll have to pack and those new pieces that you’ll have to buy. You’ve got a little extra cash saved to buy some special souvenirs. You are researching the area and finding the interesting historical sites to visit. Seeing where the fun spots are…checking out the local places
to dine. How do you want to plan your week away?
I’ll admit it, I enjoy doing that research, especially when I’m driving. I like looking at maps and seeing what sights there are to see, the historical venues, the local restaurants. I like looking online (and maybe even getting some old-fashioned travel brochures) to check out my travel destination. If I’m driving, I like to pick a route. Not necessarily the fastest on my GPS though. The fastest route often bypasses the interesting sites.
(Think historical Route 66 and all the interesting places along that road!) When I’m all done and I’ve got everything laid out, I have a certain sense of accomplishment. I know I’m going to have a good time because I’ve looked at many options and picked the ones that mean the most to me.
I think of working with you, my brother Knights, in much the same way. When I sit down with you and your spouse, we start with a financial needs analysis. We “drop a pin” on your map to show where you are now. We enter a destination of where you want to go. What do you want to see for your family if the unforeseen happens? That might be a situation where one of our products, life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, or a retirement annuity, may be needed. Think of that product as the vehicle that gets you or your family farther along to a better place on your financial road map. Much like a vacation, we’ll make stops along the way, take a look “under the hood,” and make sure the strategy is still
“running on all cylinders.” There are many options to discuss, even within the different lines of products available, to help you get to where you want to go.
Do you have a strategy? May I have the privilege of helping you and your family develop one or fine tune the one you have? I’ll be calling soon to set up a time to get together to discuss your financial road map.
Vivat Jesus
April 2024 Council Meeting Message
We spend six weeks each year during Lent fasting, praying and almsgiving. We hope to unite our fasting and praying with Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and praying in the desert, to focus on preparing both our innerand outer selves to celebrate the great Easter feast. We give alms to identify with that great sacrifice of God giving His only begotten Son. With Easter on March 31 this year, I hope this finds that you had a very blessed celebration of this central Christian feast! Easter certainly brings thoughts of newness and renewal.
We hope our fasting, praying and almsgiving renews our closeness to God.
As Spring settles in, I observe the many rituals of the season. I think of newness and renewal. Outside beds are prepared for new planting. I see the new blossoms on trees and flowers reaching full bloom, lengthening of daylight, and a rush of sounds and sights not seen for many months. Schoolchildren begin to count down the days to summer vacation. Parents do the same counting down…perhaps without the joy of the children!
Spring seems to elicit looking forward.
As I look forward this Spring, I am renewed in my mission to meet with my members. I want to keep you apprised of any changes you might want to consider in your insurance program. I hope you will keep me apprised of any changes in your circumstances. Adjustments can be made to make sure that you are on the path to reach your goals. The Order offers a diverse array of products and services to help you do that. Together we can complete or
update your financial needs analysis. This can show where you stand and helps discover any gaps in protection you might have. Our products: life insurance, retirement annuities, long-term care insurance and disability income insurance, are our core products to help protect you and your family.
I’ll call on you soon to see if it makes sense to arrange for a meeting.
Vivat Jesus!
March 2024 Council Meeting Message
Happy Easter! Easter is the very end of March, the 31st, so I will take this time to hope you
conclude your Lenten observances with a celebration of the Resurrection!
March is Ethics Awareness Month for the insurance industry. Oxford Languages defines ethics as “moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity” In many professions there is an ethical code that practitioners are to observe. In medicine, we’ve boiled down the Hippocratic oath to, “First, do no harm.” Attorneys have the American Bar Association’s “Model Rules of Professional Conduct.” In psychology there are codes of conduct for both treatment and for research.
The insurance industry is no different. Here at the Knights of Columbus I think all members are
familiar with our founding principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. These have been ingrained in us.
However, there are also four Core Values that all who represent the Knights subscribe to. By “represent the Knights” we include Supreme Officers, employees, independent contractors like me, and other vendors and contractors who are expected to live up to our four Core Values.
From our Code of Ethics and Conduct handbook the Core Values are these:
Integrity: Firm adherence to ethics, honesty, and a moral code.
Professionalism: Promoting the highest standards in all we do.
Excellence: Leading by example and constantly striving to be the best.
Respect: Treating each other with the highest regard.
I consider it an honor to be assigned to serve your council and I take seriously my responsibility to care for each of you members. Furthering Blessed Michael McGivney’s vision of caring for the
widow and orphan is my goal. I hope to always live up these Core Values in all my work with the council and with each and every one of you.
Vivat Jesus!
February 2024 Council Meeting Message
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve been reading about different kinds of parties to throw to celebrate Valentine’s Day. One site online listed 35 different suggestions, from a Fondue Night to a party centered on serving a heart shaped pizza. I guess Valentine’s Day is another well-established holiday to celebrate and I’m also guessing that the greeting card industry is happy. (The candy companies and florists are right there with the greeting card industry.) From individual cards that adults send each other to the packs designed for school kids to give to classmates, the stores are stocked with a myriad of selections.
The celebration of love is always popular After all, isn’t love what every holiday celebration is about?
Whether it’s a birthday, wedding anniversary, or holiday, it’s all about love! Valentine’s Day, though, sees love get a spotlight. We celebrate our love for another.
Insurance is all about love. Most people buy insurance because they love someone. A husband buys life insurance because he loves his wife and children. If he’s not there to provide for them he wants to make sure they can stay in the same home, enjoy the same lifestyle, provide a college education for his children.
With many two income families, wives buy life insurance for the same reasons.
Long Term Care Insurance and Disability Income Insurance help protect the family from the vagaries of life: Needing care in the home or in a long-term care facility or being hurt or sick and unable to work affects the family. These products help protect the family one loves.
Even our retirement annuity products help the ones we love. With forward thinking and fiscal discipline, a retirement annuity helps spouses spend their retirement years knowing they can have a guaranteed lifetime income. Less worries for the ones we love.
All the products we have available are centered around protection; protecting the ones we love. Is your protection where you want it to be for your loved ones? Let’s meet and discuss what you want. I’ll give you a call or feel free to contact me.
Vivat Jesus!
Council Meeting Message January 2024
Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a joyous and merry Christmas.
All of us start the new year afresh. We make resolutions. Let’s plan now to look back at the end of 2024 and be able to say, “I kept those resolutions to improve myself, to improve my relationship with my family and friends, and my relationship with God!” An improved prayer life is the goal of many. I know I’ve made that resolution almost every year. Some years I do better than others.
But here are few things I’ve found about making resolutions that helped me.
First, I don’t want to make a resolution that is not possible to keep. I’ve got to be realistic. I can’t go to an extreme. For example, to improve my prayer life, I can’t go from praying for 15 minutes in the morning to reading a chapter of the Bible, attending daily Mass, reciting the rosary, and saying the Liturgy of the Hours each day. For me, that’s too much of a jump. I’m going to follow that for a day or two and then something will get me off track. Myself, I need to take baby steps.
Maybe start with saying the rosary each day. I’ve got to make my resolution achievable.
The same is true of all those other resolutions we make.
I can’t go from being a couch potato to running six miles a day…but I could start by walking a mile each day as an achievable step in that direction.
I can’t starve myself trying to lose weight…but I could cut out snacks between meals as a start. Again, an achievable step.
I might want to read more, so I can start by reading a chapter a day in a book.
You get the idea. The resolution has to be reasonable, achievable, and specific.
Now here is one resolution that is reasonable, achievable, and specific: Resolve to meet with me to update the information on your family’s financial needs analysis. (Or maybe you need to complete a financial needs analysis.) Let’s see where you stand. Your financial health is critical to your family’s future security. As yourfield agent I’m charged to meet with each of my members each year. We can take a look at your goals and aspirations and make sure you’re on track to keep your family appropriately protected.
I’ll contact you soon to see if an appointment should be our next step.
Vivat Jesus!
Council Meeting Message December 2023
As we approach the end of the year, and our thoughts turn to the angelic declaration of “Peace on Earth” and “Goodwill to Men!” We remember Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace where he prays “Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!… Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last…”
In our lives there is much going on: scurrying around buying a Christmas tree, getting it decorated; looking for that perfect gift for our spouse, our kids and maybe grandkids. There are parties and school Christmas shows. Seems like we’re busier than ever.
But let me ask you to slow down for just a few minutes and consider some financial issues that come up at the end of the calendar year.
1. Because we’re so late in the year, you may have met your individual or family deductible on your health insurance plan. Financially this may be the opportune time for some minor procedure to be scheduled; or that visit to a specialist you may have put off. The same is true about dental insurance and sometimes even for vision coverage. Check with your Human Resource office or your health insurance carrier for details.
2. When it comes to health insurance, do you have a Health Savings Account? Do you have to spend the money that’s in there by year end? Some plans have a “use it or lose it” feature. Do you have to make a decision about how much to contribute next year? These are a couple of time sensitive issues. Again, make sure you check with your HR office or health insurance carrier.
3. If you have earned income for the year, will you contribute to a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or 401k? Are you eligible to contribute more based on the “catch up” provision? Now is the time to start making plans.
4. Speaking of IRAs, have you received your required minimum distribution for this year? If not, the Internal Revenue Service penalty is a hefty 50% of the amount you should have received!
All of these issues come with rules and regulations, and each individual situation is different. I’d be happy to discuss them with you.
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us be thankful for all the graces God has showered on us, especially the gift of his Son, our Savior!
Vivat Jesus!
Council Meeting Message November 2023
Top 10 Facts to Know About Long-Term Care Planning
November is National Long-Term Care Awareness Month, an event recognized by Congress and a number of States. To mark the occasion, here are ten interesting facts shared by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.
# 1 – Americans are living longer, in large part due to advances in medical care and public health. Life expectancy in the US for those reaching 65 was 20 years on average in 2019.
# 2 – By 2030, one in five residents in the US will be age 65 or older.
# 3 – The number of people in need of long-term support services (LTSS) in the United States is already at 14 million and expected to grow to 27 million by 2050.
# 4 – Average out-of-pocket costs are $140,000 for those individuals who utilize paid long term support services (LTSS). 17 percent will spend over $100,000 on LTSS. Almost 9 percent will spend over $250,000 on LTSS.
# 5 – By 2040, the total prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the US is expected to approximately double from 7.2 million to nearly 13 million, with 8.5 million women and 4.5 million men expected to develop dementia.
# 6 – For those requiring high levels of LTSS, individuals and families pay 55 percent of long-term care costs out of pocket.
# 7 – Currently, the majority of older single-person households are female. Women comprised 74 percent of solo households age 80 and over.
# 8 – Some 7.5 million Americans have some form of long-term care insurance. Two-thirds of all new individual long-term care insurance claims pay for care needed by women.
# 9 – The long-term care insurance industry paid out $11 billion in benefits to some 310,000 individuals with insurance protection in 2019. The number will increase each year as the current number of policyholders grow older and, as a result, are more likely to begin their claim.
# 10 – 69.5 percent of new claims start after the policyholder reached age 80. If you live a long life, you are very likely to need long term care. You will be very glad you have a policy to pay benefits.
https://www.aaltci.org/about/long-term-care-awareness-month-2020.php
Contact me today to learn more about the Knights of Columbus Long Term Care products.
Vivat Jesus
Council Meeting Message October 2023
Think you are too old for coverage? Maybe not
You are never too young or too old to consider purchasing life insurance. If you have a financial need for coverage, or will in the future, a permanent life insurance policy can be just the thing you need.
When you are young and presumably healthy, coverage will be very inexpensive when compared to purchasing the same policies when you are older.
If you’ve put off purchasing coverage, or you realize that you may need additional insurance, the Order may still be able to help you, even if other companies cannot. In fact, in 2012, the issue age of our permanent life insurance products was extended to age 80. Naturally, your health, and whether or not you smoke, will be taken into consideration, so underwriting standards for risk and age apply.
This change came in response to a question I’ve heard before: “My wife and I are almost 80, do the Knights offer anything to take care of our final expenses?” And it can also help the members who thought they were “too old” to attain our coverage.
This extension of our coverage ages allows me to help members I couldn’t help before. I look forward to discussing coverage with you. Please schedule an appointment with me today.
Vivat Jesus