Qualifications

Joseph St.Onge, Jr. joined John Hancock Financial Network six months after earning two bachelor’s degrees (accounting and finance) from Mercer University's Stetson School of Business in 1995.

A current member of the SAIFA, Mr. St.Onge is a well-known and respected speaker on a wide range of financial subjects. He also conducts a popular series of financial workshops throughout the year that help people understand the financial planning process and make better financial decisions. 

Boston – As part of its annual client service award “realLIFE stories” campaign, the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) recognized a financial professional affiliated with John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN)* who submitted his story of a real client and how life insurance made a real difference in her life during a time of great financial need. In addition, Hancock’s long term care insurance (LTCI) product will be featured by the RealLIFE stories campaign, which also showcases how LTCI can save a family from financial challenges due to the high cost of long term care expenses.

Joseph St. Onge, a sales manager for JHFN’s Southwest Florida Wohlrab office, shared a story about his close friend and colleague, Mark Wandall, who was killed in a tragic car accident two years ago by a driver who sped through a red light. Mark’s wife, Melissa, was 9 months pregnant and delivered their baby girl 19 days after his death. Thankfully, Wandall, also a JHFN financial representative, made sure that he had excellent life insurance coverage for his family. When St. Onge stepped in to help Melissa Wandall organize her finances, he was relieved to find that the benefits from the life insurance policy would allow Melissa to stay home with her new daughter, remain in their residence, and provide a college education for her child later in life.

“Melissa is my hero,” says St. Onge. “She took this tragedy and turned it into a miracle by establishing the Mark Wandall Foundation, which awards scholarship money to student-athletes at the Sarasota High School and contributes to children’s organizations.” In addition, Melissa hopes to establish a summer camp for children who have lost loved ones and she is a tireless advocate for changing Florida legislation related to red-light running and repeat offenders. St. Onge is also excited to announce that JHFN will donate $5,000 in support of the Mark Wandall Foundation.

According to Kathy Klingler, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for JHFN, these stories illustrate how important insurance protection is to all American families. “Life insurance is a critical part of a sound financial plan, yet according to LIMRA, forty-four percent of all U.S. households (48 million) either don’t own life insurance and believe they should, or own life insurance and believe they need more. This reality puts countless families at risk of financial ruin in the event of a wage-earner’s unexpected death.”

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) – which was created by the LIFE Foundation to educate consumers about the important role life insurance plays in a family’s financial plan. More than 100 companies and industry trade organizations will participate in this annual campaign including JHFN.

“JHFN works with its offices across the country to help promote LIAM through local advertising, public relations, and client educational events,” says Klingler. “This is such a vital initiative to get the word out about the importance of life insurance protection that both that US Senate and House of Representatives support this campaign and have passed resolutions recognizing September as Life Insurance Awareness Month.”

Olympic Gold Medalist, Scott Hamilton, is the national spokesperson for LIAM this year. Scott lost his mother to cancer when he was only 19. As a breadwinner in a moderate-income family where both parents were teachers, her death made financing Hamilton’s budding figure skating career even more challenging. "Losing my mother and fighting my own battle with cancer have taught me that unexpected events can rock your family at any time, and you need to recognize that and take necessary precautions in life," explains Hamilton. Hamilton is also the featured speaker at JHFN’s Practice Advancement Conference for qualifying financial representatives.

John Hancock Financial Network ( www.jhnetwork.com) has more than 300 registered branch offices across the United States, and is a career agency distribution unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and most of Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$370 billion (US$332 billion) as at June 30, 2006. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet www.manulife.com.

Insurance products are issued by: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), John Hancock Life Insurance Company, John Hancock Variable Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02116



*John Hancock Financial Network is the servicemark of John Hancock Life Insurance Company and its affiliated companies.