Blame George Bailey and Mr. Potter for this month's message, but if I can create a little discomfort before sending you off to enjoy the holidays at the end of the month, then I am doing my job as The Insurance Guy.  

As I was watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Saturday evening, that infamous quote from Mr. Potter reared its ugly head once again. "You're worth more dead than alive," Potter blurted out to George, who was desperate at the time.

So, an obvious reference to a life insurance policy in a famous holiday movie inspired me to leave auto and homeowners and business insurance alone for a month and to remind people about the many ways life insurance can be used to solve problems. So, I am asking you to take five minutes out of your hectic life right now, and answer one very hard question ...

What if you were not here tomorrow?  

I know that"s a rough one and maybe you feel that I am ambushing you at a time when you are more interested in Yule logs, pipers piping and ribbon candy. But, please, answer the question; even if you only do it in your head quickly. My point is, will any of these issues have impact on your family?

    • How will your final expenses be paid? Funerals can be $10,000 to $15,000 these days.

   • Would your family need to replace your income to maintain the lifestyle they are accustomed to?  Also known as being able to continue paying the family bills.
    
   • Is there a balance on your mortgage that you would like to have taken care of? Is there credit card debt you would like to have paid off?

   • Do you have children or grandchildren who you would like to provide education funds for so that they may attend college in the future?

   • Is there an emergency fund that you would like to leave for loved ones?

   • Do you have a favorite charity or cause that you would like to leave money toward?

The good news: Life insurance can solve all of the issues on the list above. How much do you need?  

Thanks for taking a moment to think about all that. I know it isn't as pleasant as thinking about how much it costs these days to purchase all the gifts from the "12 Days of Christmas" ($107,300; up 6.1 percent over last year), but it is really important that you do.

In the meantime, it's a wonderful month. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Dave Bissaillon dabbles in real life while working daily as an account executive at Smith Bros.-McAndrews Insurance Agency in Adams. His occasional column will touch on insurance and other fun stuff.

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