Life insurance for valley families, from a valley family.
Roaring Fork Life helps valley families and business owners put simple, honest term life coverage in place — usually with no medical exam, often in under two weeks, and always at no cost to work with me. I'm Doug Hayes: Carbondale resident, hospitality executive, husband, and dad of two.
I represent you, not one insurance company. Quotes are compared across multiple A-rated national carriers.
Working with an agent doesn't raise your premium — the carrier pays me the same rate you'd get buying direct.
Carbondale-based, valley-raised kids, and the same phone number after your policy is in force.
Two things, done well.
I deliberately keep a narrow practice. No whole-life pressure, no investment products dressed up as insurance — just the coverage most people in this valley actually need.
Term life insurance
Straightforward protection that replaces your income if the worst happens — sized to your mortgage, your kids' timeline, and what your family would really need.
- Level premiums locked for 10–30 years
- Accelerated underwriting: many healthy applicants skip the medical exam entirely
- Convertible policies that keep your options open later
- Coverage for both parents — including the one who runs the household
Business protection
The valley runs on small operators — lodges, restaurants, contractors, guides. If your business depends on a person, it should be protected like it does.
- Key person coverage on the people your business can't lose
- Life insurance to fund buy-sell agreements between partners
- Coverage required for SBA and commercial loans, placed fast
- Coordination with your attorney and CPA — I stay in my lane
Four stops, headwaters to confluence.
The Roaring Fork drops from Independence Pass to the Colorado River in about 70 miles. Getting covered is a shorter trip.
A 15-minute conversation
Phone, coffee, or after the kids are down. We talk through what you'd want covered — income, mortgage, kids, business — and I ask a few health questions so the quote I give you is the rate you'll actually get.
Compare real quotes
I shop your profile across multiple A-rated carriers and come back with a clear recommendation — how much coverage, for how long, and what it costs per month. You decide. No follow-up pressure; that's not how neighbors treat each other.
Apply — usually without an exam
Most healthy applicants qualify for accelerated underwriting: an online application and a phone interview, no needles, no nurse visit. I handle the paperwork and chase the carrier so you don't have to.
Your policy is in force
Coverage lands, premiums are set on autopay, and your family is protected. Then I check in every couple of years — because mortgages shrink, kids grow, and your coverage should keep fitting your life.
You already know how I work.
I've spent more than sixteen years running hotels and resorts in this valley — from the St. Regis in Aspen to leading properties in Snowmass and Basalt, and today as CEO of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. My entire career has been taking care of people and doing what I said I'd do.
I got my life insurance license because I kept watching families and business owners here put off the one financial decision that matters most — usually because nobody local made it simple. Roaring Fork Life is my answer: independent advice, plain English, and a narrow focus on doing two things well instead of selling everything to everyone.
My wife teaches at Basalt Elementary. Our daughters are growing up here. When I say I'll still be around after your policy is placed — I mean it literally.
Fair questions, straight answers.
What does term life insurance actually cost?
Less than most people guess. A healthy 35-year-old can often put $1 million of 20-year coverage in place for roughly the cost of a monthly streaming-and-takeout night. Your exact rate depends on age, health, and coverage amount — which is what the free review figures out.
How much coverage do I need?
A useful starting point: enough to pay off the mortgage, replace your income until your youngest is independent, and cover college. For many valley families that lands between $500,000 and $2 million per parent. We'll size it to your actual numbers, not a rule of thumb.
Do I have to take a medical exam?
Often, no. Most carriers I work with offer accelerated underwriting — many healthy applicants under 60 are approved from an online application and a phone interview, with decisions in days rather than weeks.
What does it cost to work with you?
Nothing. Life insurance rates are filed with the state — the premium is identical whether you buy through an agent or direct from the carrier. The carrier pays my commission; you pay the same either way, but with an agent you get someone shopping multiple companies for you.
Will you try to sell me whole life or an investment product?
No. My practice is term coverage for families and permanent coverage only where there's a genuine long-term need — like a buy-sell agreement or estate planning. If cheap term plus your own investing is the honest answer, that's the answer you'll get.
Fifteen minutes now beats a hard conversation later.
Tell me a little about your family or business and I'll come back with real numbers from multiple carriers — usually within two business days. No pressure, no repeat calls. Neighbors don't do that to each other.
Email doug@roaringforklife.comPrefer to talk? Call or text (970) 555-0100.