I recently felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and embarrassment. Not over something I had done but over something that I didn't do. You see as the General Manager for one of the leading Insurance Advisory firms in Tauranga, I am regularly talking to people about the benefits of having insurance. Often this discussion is with total strangers and sometimes with people I know.

Like many people who are selling a commodity or product they are reluctant to ‘sell' to friends or family as there is a feeling that they are obligated to buy from you because of your relationship with them. In my case this is what has caused me this overwhelming sense of guilt. You see I have not been proactive in ensuring that those around me that I love, like and trust have their insurances in order.
Recently I completed an insurance review on some friends, who are a very caring and lovely couple, and found their insurance was not in order. After completing the review and presenting my findings, the correct insurance cover was agreed to. Then the part no one likes; completing the application forms. It was at this point that I discovered one of them was undergoing some tests for a cancer.
So why the guilt? These friends of mine did not have the right insurance in place and with the current diagnosis will not be able to claim for the insurance that they did have. If I had reviewed their insurances eight months earlier and the recommendations agreed to proceed with, then they would be in a far different financial situation. So yes I feel guilty and embarrassed that I had not talked to them about their insurances earlier.
What can you do to avoid this feeling? If people you love and care for don't have their insurances sorted, don't feel like a fool in asking them and certainly make sure they seek advice.
A word for parents and grandparents; generally when you need insurance the most, is when you can least afford it. Why not help your kids by paying for some of the insurance required? This will give you the peace of mind that if something goes wrong, they will be fine financially.