Featured New York Life Insurance Agent: Gary Chipurnoi

Featured New York Life Agent: Gary Chipurnoi

• New York Life Agent for: Six Years
• Honored by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly for his work at charity events
• Planning his eighth skydiving jump this summer. “Skydiving scares the heck out of me. Sometimes, when life gets a little boring and mundane, I go skydiving. It puts things in perspective very quickly.”

"For many of my clients,” muses New York Life Agent Gary Chipurnoi, LUTCF, Greater New York Office," no one actually took the time to sit down with them and explain the necessity of talking to their attorney about having wills and trusts and insurance. Growing up, I certainly don’t remember anyone explaining the importance of them to me.” So Chipurnoi, who joined New York Life in 2003 after a career in the printing industry, has made it his business to do just that: help his clients so they can build their futures with peace of mind.

Experience has taught him that lack of direction with estate planning can prove to be devastating, as was the case with one of Chipurnoi’s clients. “He was a former coworker of mine from my previous career, sort of the patriarch of a large family. Unfortunately, over time, the family had fallen apart. There had been squabbles here and there, and the members grew more and more distant.” Chipurnoi continues, “One day, my client got a call that his father-in-law had passed away. He hadn’t had any insurance, and, typical of many working-class families, there was almost no money for burial expenses. So, although devastated, my client had to get on the phone.”

“A while back, I spent quite a bit of time educating myself on New York Life’s Guaranteed Lifetime Income (GLI) Annuity and working with people in the Retirement Market, primarily senior citizens. My new education helped many of my older clients save thousands of dollars during this period of economic uncertainty. They have been calling me to say ‘thank you,’ happy and grateful that unlike many of their friends, they didn’t lose a significant portion of their life’s savings.”

“He called each member of the family, and between them, they raised enough money — thank goodness. But the experience left him shaken,” says Chipurnoi. “To be sure this never happened again, my client decided to take action. He invited all of his family, a large Latino family, to his house for a big, traditional meal — empanadas, rice, the works — and began it by raising his glass and announcing, ‘I know it’s been a long time since we sat together, but that’s going to end today.’ He also stressed the importance of everyone purchasing a life insurance policy — that day. “I had been invited, and took applications from everyone — all 16 family members,” says Chipurnoi smiling. “By the end of the evening, relationships had been mended and lives protected. Everyone, especially my client, could rest easy knowing that they would never again be faced with not being able to take care of their own.”

Taking care of people, including his own three daughters Emily, 13, Morgan, 16, and Elizabeth, 23, is something that Chipurnoi incorporates into his daily life. Working with police departments from all over the country, he donates his time to several charity events sponsored by the New York Police Department (NYPD). “I’ve baked for bake sales, dressed up as Santa Claus…I try to contribute what I can and I really enjoy it.” In fact, Chipurnoi has been recognized for his work on several occasions by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly — a true honor.

“I really do just like helping people,” he states, and shares that he’s currently planning to volunteer more time working with seniors. “A while back, I spent quite a bit of time educating myself on New York Life’s Guaranteed Lifetime Income (GLI) Annuity and working with people in the Retirement Market, primarily senior citizens. My new education helped many of my older clients save thousands of dollars during this period of economic uncertainty. They have been calling me to say ‘thank you,’ happy and grateful that unlike many of their friends, they didn’t lose a significant portion of their life’s savings.”

“My father, who initially brought me into the printing business, was a real team player,” says Chipurnoi. “He taught me to win as a group, not as an individual — that success as a group is something you can really celebrate. In many ways, I apply that same principle into my business today. It’s not just business, though. Whatever I give, I get back tenfold and many of my clients have become fast friends. I’ve been invited to more weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and Christmas parties than you can imagine,” he laughs. “Really, it’s all about helping people.”

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