I have been an insurance professional for over three decades, and during this time, I have helped countless families understand the importance of using a variety of financial products such as life insurance, annuities, long term care and disability income policies to protect their families from the “what ifs” that life can throw at them.

Like every other industry, the last year has thrown us all a curve ball. But not all the changes have been bad.

Historically, in order to obtain life insurance, a client would have to complete a physical application and arrange for a medical examiner to come to their home and complete an exam which would entail having blood drawn, urine samples taken and possibly have an EKG as well.

Since COVID has become a part of our lives, the insurance industry has responded by giving professionals like myself a better way of providing the needed products to a wide range of people. By using a wide range of technologies, the average consumer can now purchase life insurance products without having an examiner come to their home. In most cases, usually up to age 60, the application process can be done without the need for that blood draw and physical exam. In some cases, policies can even be delivered electronically.

In our new socially distanced world, even something like purchasing life insurance can be done with the comfort of a “no-touch” transaction while still utilizing the expertise of a seasoned professional.

Thanks to the media, we are all inundated with news about death and sickness 24/7. This has caused many people to think about their own mortality and their concerns that their families will be taken care of should something happen to them. So it is safe to say that the media has raised the profile of my industry. They have become an unintended marketer for the life insurance industry. Coupled with the ease of applying for insurance digitally and the non-medical approach, I am able to reach more people and provide the valuable protection they need.

Mark Milbrod, CLU, CLTC, is a member of the Jewish Business Network of Middlesex County, a program of Chabad of North Brunswick. He and his family live in Dayton, New Jersey. He can be reached at [email protected].