It's My Paycheck and I'll Cry if I want to.

I hate direct deposit. I'm convinced that it will lead the downfall of western civilization as we know it...well, maybe not.

But, here's what I think: direct deposit has desensitized the average person to the power of their paycheck. It magically shows up in their account, no muss, no fuss. There is less physical attachment to their hard earned money. It's taken an abstract, intangible concept - Disability Income Insurance - and made it a little tougher for the average consumer to grasp. No longer are we protecting that physical chit that a human teller magically turns into a return of cold hard cash before one's very eyes. We're protecting some etheral cyber transaction, that's much less personal, and impactual than that ol' fashioned receipt of currency.

May is right around the corner. May is Disablity Income Awareness Month. The LIFE Foundation spearheads this PR campaign and has coined the term, "Protect Your Paycheck". I really like that phrase. But I'm wondering - is it time to change it to "Protect Your Cyber Deposit"? or maybe, "Protect Your Cloud Debits and Credits"?

I have my doubts that the LIFE Foundation would rally around a new "techno-centric" DI Awareness tagline. It sure doesn't roll off the tongue like "Protect Your Paycheck". But, as an industry we really need to make sure that the consumer doesn't lose touch with the fact that this paycheck, this transaction, this cyber-shifting-of-funds is real. And it needs protected. Fact is, that exposure is not something that should be left to the "direct deposit" knowledge basin - internet research. We need to reach out and touch someone about the power of their paycheck.

Disability Income Insurance is a concept that needs to be presented face-to-face. The exposure needs to be shown in a methodical way. As the world becomes more-and-more oriented to "direct deposit' needs analysis, and commoditized selling, DI remains a need and a presentation routed in the old days. At least that's my view...

So, get out there and meet with clients and take the time to explain what their directly deposited paycheck does for their overall financial plan and why it needs protected...you might even stem the downfall of western civilization.