Are you ready to submit a Real Life Story?

Good, it’s easy!

How it works.

The Real Life Stories program recognizes the role of life, disability or long-term care insurance, and annuities in making a difference when adversity strikes. Share your own story or a client’s story to be featured in our efforts to educate consumers about the importance of getting insurance or annuities. Any insurance professional, client or home office employee can submit a story.

Remember you don’t need to be a great writer to win–it’s the story that counts. Submissions are accepted in either essay or video format.

To be considered for the Real Life Stories Program, we are looking for:

An individual, family or business that has benefited from life, disability or long-term care insurance (including a hybrid policy); or annuities. We have also told stories that feature more than one product.
A beneficiary that is willing to share the story.
Claim filed within the last 5 years is preferred.
Living benefits including critical illness as well as business stories and people tapping their cash value are especially welcome.
Diversity is encouraged.

View program rules

Get inspired.

Check out these past professional Real Life Stories videos.

View more past stories

Submit your story.

FAQs

What types of stories do you feature?

The Real Life Stories Program highlights insurance success stories involving life, disability, long-term care insurance and annuities. None of these individuals, families or businesses featured in our stories could have anticipated the challenges they’d face. However, smart insurance planning ensured that emotional struggles weren’t compounded by financial hardship.

Why submit an application?

Check out why this insurance professional submitted an application.

If I’m selected, what does that mean?

It’s very exciting news! That means your story was selected because it conveys an important message that we’d like to share to help educate others. We will work with all participants, including the agent and client, to schedule a 2-day production to capture the story in video and photography. We’ll share the story in a variety of ways such as videos, flyers, email templates and social-media graphics. Here is an example of the types of content:

Companies and agents involved will receive this content to help them connect with their clients and prospects. Both agents and clients will be able to join our Speaker’s Bureau to continue to share their stories with a growing audience.

What information is needed with my submission?

Try to summarize the story to the best of your ability. If possible, please provide the following details, such as demographics, how much coverage did the beneficiary receive (figures won’t be included), what types of policies were purchased, and how the proceeds were used. Note, we’ll seek permission from all participants prior to being featured, so this information is purely to understand the story.

If you prefer to schedule a call to submit your story via phone, please email jholsinger@lifehappens.org.

Do I need to share real names?

Yes. The goal of the program is to share real people and their real stories. All participants will be asked to sign a form prior to giving Life Happens permission to use their names, image and ability to share their stories publicly. You can withdraw your story at any point until the forms are signed.

What are the program rules?

View the program rules.