For the second consecutive year, professional race car driver and athlete Danica Patrick is serving as the spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month, the annual campaign coordinated by the nonprofit organization Life Happens each September.
The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness about the importance of life insurance and encourage Americans to get the life insurance coverage they need to financially protect themselves and their loved ones.
In announcing the news on Aug. 9, the Arlington, Va.-based, industry-supported nonprofit organization said Patrick “is a firm believer that fitness is a key to success both on and off the race track, and this year, her message to consumers is focused on the importance of taking care of yourself and your loved ones through sound financial planning.”
As an athlete, Danica Patrick knows what it takes to be fit — from daily workouts to maintaining a healthy diet — every detail counts. And for Patrick, financial fitness is part of the equation and a healthy life can contribute to a financially fit one. “Fitness is a lifestyle that starts with taking care of the one body I’ve got. It extends to all parts of your life, including your finances. An important part of financial fitness is having a plan that includes life insurance,” said Patrick.
While physical fitness is critical to the routine of the professional athlete, she’s been aware of the impact that a lack of life insurance coverage can have on a family since she was a little girl. Both of Danica’s parents lost their fathers when they were teens and neither had life insurance. Patrick’s mom was one of five kids and remembers her mom — Patrick’s grandmother — having to sell off most of the family farm as a result. As a result of their experiences, Patrick’s parents always reinforced to her and her sister the importance of sound financial planning, including life insurance.
While life insurance is a proven way to protect loved ones, findings from the 2017 Life Insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and LIMRA show that the majority of life insurance owners do not have enough coverage.
“The way I look at it, life insurance is about self-worth. All families and loved ones are worth protecting financially, and for individuals that don’t know where to start, there are so many resources available — online, through friends and professionals,” explains Patrick. “The worst thing you can do when it comes to life insurance coverage is procrastinate. I am thrilled to be teaming up with Life Happens again for Life Insurance Awareness Month and am confident that through our efforts, we can improve the financial fitness of families and individuals.”
“Danica Patrick helped us drive home our most successful Life Insurance Awareness Month in 2016 and we’re excited to be partnering with her again,” said Marvin H. Feldman, CLU, ChFC, RFC, President and CEO of Life Happens. “Danica is passionate about life insurance and has had it since the beginning of her career. She cares deeply about being fit in life — physically fit and financially fit. With the help of her message and voice, we are confident that we will drive engagement and encourage more people to get life insurance to protect their families and loved ones.”
Patrick, 35, the only woman ever to win an Indy car race and the only woman driving in NASCAR’s top series in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Ford Fusion, has enjoyed tremendous popularity over the course of her racing career.
Despite competing full-time in the Monster Energy Cup Series, Patrick has already been busy this year in her role as LIAM spokesperson. In May, she visited Capitol Hill to speak about the important role that life insurance plays in financial fitness, and did a meet-and-greet on The Hill. Patrick will continue to share her story through a national TV and radio PSA program that began broadcasting earlier this summer and will continue until the end of the year. The PSAs will be available on the Life Happens website, along with educational information and interactive tools such as the Life Insurance Needs Calculator (www.lifehappens.org/howmuch) to help consumers evaluate their own life insurance needs.
For more information about Life Insurance Awareness Month and Patrick’s role as spokesperson, visit https://www.lifehappens.org/danica/.
About Life Insurance Awareness Month: Life Insurance Awareness Month was created by Life Happens in 2004 in response to growing concern about the large number of Americans who lack adequate life insurance protection. Held each September, Life Insurance Awareness Month is an industry-wide effort involving hundreds of leading companies and thousands of insurance professionals. For more information about Life Insurance Awareness Month and Life Happens’ plans for the September campaign, visit http://www.lifehappens.org/liam/.
About Life Happens: Life Happens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers take personal financial responsibility through the ownership of life insurance and related products. The organization does not endorse any product, company or insurance advisor. Since its inception in 1994, Life Happens has provided the highest quality, independent and objective information for people seeking help with their insurance buying decisions. The organization supports the insurance industry by providing marketing tools and resources and convening the industry each September for Life Insurance Awareness Month. Life Happens is supported by more than 140 of the nation’s leading insurance company and financial services organizations.To learn more, visit www.lifehappens.org.
