Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected]
Biden’s campaign website states that people covered under an employer-sponsored health plan would be able to choose the public option “if they could get a better deal.” But, for an employee, how would the public option compare with the typical workplace plan?
At a news conference, Trump outlined what he called his America First Health Care Plan. Instead of proposed legislation, Trump’s plan relies on a number of executive orders that he said would deliver “better care and more choice at a lower cost.”
The American Psychological Association reports that more than 1 in 3 Americans say COVID-19 is having a serious impact on their mental health, while more than half of Americans believe the pandemic has had a serious impact on their daily lives.
Jamie Kalamarides, president of Prudential Group Insurance, says paid leave is the biggest opportunity to help workers as the economy slowly returns after the COVID-19 shutdown. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law in March, establishing an emergency paid leave program for workers who take COVID-19-related work absences.
The national health care discussion is shifting from COVID-19 to the Affordable Care Act after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The opening leaves questions of how a newly-appointed high court judge would rule in a case that challenges the constitutionality of the health care law.
Biden’s public option would be an option similar to Medicare that would reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers with better coordination between a patient’s doctors to improve quality of care, and would cover primary care without any copayments.
Amir Ali uses the principles of the ancient samurai to serve his clients.
Only about half of American adults have been financially healthy since the pandemic struck, according to a study.
Easy ways to incorporate immunity-boosting activities into your daily life.
When Chris Gandy entered the industry in 1999, he was coming off a short stint playing pro basketball in France and looking forward to life off the court. But he was the only Black advisor in his training class of 10, and found his unique set of challenges getting started. He shared those challenges with NAIFA members Tuesday.
Although about 13% of the U.S. population is Black, only about 5% of the advisor population is. A result of this disparity is that a large percentage of this demographic does not have access to the financial guidance they need to close whatever financial gaps they have, build wealth and achieve financial security.
In a two-parent household, both parents must be involved in order for the school-at-home experience to be a success, said Brian and Kelly Haney. Brian Haney founded The Haney Company, a Maryland financial services firm. The biggest mistake many parents make is trying to replicate the classroom setting at home, Kelly said.
The Prudential Financial Wellness Census showed that Americans who are employed are looking to their workplace as a source of financial health, and the carrier has launched a package designed for these financially stressed employees and time-strapped human resources teams.
The industry examines how it can recruit a diverse advisor force to serve a diverse nation.
As parts of the country lift some COVID-19 restrictions, don’t expect our social lives to get back to the way they used to be right away, experts say.
Ray Jones reaped a successful career using lessons he learned growing up on a dairy farm.
Since the spread of the pandemic, not only are more people staying home, they’re also engaged in more high-risk, accident prone do-it-yourself projects, a Unum survey found.
Mentorship is the key in recruiting the next generation of Black advisors, and in helping them build their careers and eventually take over existing practices when the older generation of advisors is ready to retire.
People who aren’t yet retired are worried about running out of money after they do retire. But they aren’t communicating that fear to their financial advisors, an Allianz Life study revealed.
Employers are in crisis management mode and facing uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to record high numbers of jobless as well as concerns over business reopening. At a time like this, it’s easy to wonder whether employers will quit offering health benefits to their workers.
How are you adapting your business and systems to deliver an extraordinary client experience in the new business reality? Clients are scared and looking for a lot from their financial advisor.
After a wild month of changes, there are signs that some annuity carriers may be ready to bring some products back to market.
Brian Heckert and his children prove you can have a national footprint no matter where you are.
The chief global strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management said we are not finished with the COVID-19 pandemic yet, and the economic situation will remain “uncomfortable” until we are.
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the ranks of the U.S. workforce. Those who are working report feeling more financial stress than they did before the crisis. They also have a new appreciation for employee benefits, according to MetLife’s 18th annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study.
A number of major employers nationwide are cutting salaries in an effort to cope with the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the insurance world, Principal Financial and Aon announced they are reducing salaries for a percentage of their workforce.
Just as flight attendants give the safety speech at the beginning of every airline trip, advisors must give their clients their own version of the “safety card speech” at the beginning of the investment journey.
Annuity carriers are always making changes to their products. But those changes came fast and furious during the month of March, as the COVID-19 pandemic sent shock waves through the financial industry. Now, two months later, some carriers are returning the products to the market.
The pandemic is forcing everyone to take stock of what needs to change and what needs to stay the same, said the CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers. As for the life insurance industry, the biggest change coming from COVID-19 will be a more sophisticated use of technology.
How do advisors serve a diverse clientele? By being authentic and helping people solve problems. These advisors are making it their mission to help change the past and to build practices that fill a need for insurance and benefits solutions for minority-owned businesses.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is an enormous growth opportunity for benefits brokers, said the head of Prudential’s group insurance business. Morning Consult research said nearly half of Americans have heard very little or nothing about the new leave benefit and only 13% said they had heard a lot about it.
Everyone is talking about “a new normal” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does it mean for the financial services industry? A panel of four industry association leaders provided their thoughts of what the next year or so could mean for their members, and here are some of the highlights.
There’s a tax freight train coming your clients’ way – and their individual retirement accounts and 401(k) accounts are on the tracks, an advisor and author said.
Accelerated underwriting already was gaining traction in the life insurance world before COVID-19 hit, but the restrictions placed on nonessential medical treatment as a result of the pandemic have moved accelerated underwriting more to the forefront.
Optimism is a choice and one that can give agents a leg up on the competition, said Scott Brennan, former president of the Million Dollar Round Table and a MassMutual agent from South Bend, Ind. Brennan gave some of his insights Thursday on being successful in the business and in life.
U.S. life insurance death benefit claims from COVID-19 could range anywhere from $8 billion to $160 billion, Moody’s Investors Service said in a new report.
A lot of uncertainty surrounds the effects of COVID-19 on insurance, analysts with the American Academy of Actuaries said during a webinar on Tuesday.
The current financial crisis stemming from COVID-19 is different from other recent financial downturns because the present situation has given consumers the fear of death and disability in addition to the fear of losing their money. That was the word from Joe Jordan, industry speaker and author of A Life Of Significance.
The 4% rule doesn’t apply in today’s low-interest world, said a retirement researcher who also is the author of several books on retirement planning and spending.
Consumers and their financial advisors spend so much effort on accumulating retirement savings, but often lack a strategy for how to draw down those assets in the post-employment years. Could a sequence of returns deplete your client’s retirement savings?
U.S. health insurers will likely remain profitable despite the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its financial impact, Moody’s Investors Service said in a new report. However, U.S. life insurers could face some financial challenges.
In order to lead effectively, advisors must answer the question: How do I want to show up for the people I lead? “You must decide in advance who you’re going to be or else your attitude will be blown in the wind,” said Deidre Van Nest, an industry consultant.
The Paycheck Protection Program has exhausted its $350 billion allocation and is not accepting any more lenders or applications at this time, the Small Business Administration announced Thursday.
The COVID-19 crisis has given many of us an unexpected blessing in the form of a pause, a business coach told financial professionals.
The No. 1 challenge for advisors right now is to give clients permission to contact them and work with clients through “the new normal,” a behavioral finance expert said.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act contains a number of provisions that can benefit your clients in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and market downturn. Don’t wait to reach out to business and individual clients to help them take advantage of this new law. In addition, some portions of the CARES Act can help your own practice.
The recent market crash presents an opportunity for advisors to ease their clients’ fears on everything from how to deal with future tax increases to how to generate lifetime retirement income,
The current working environment “is a huge opportunity to pick up clients, market share and new opportunities moving forward,” said an advisor who is running his practice virtually.
Technology enables advisors to keep their practices humming and continue serving their clients in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, said an advisor from Tennessee who described what he is doing now that social distancing has required him to work from home.
Advisors can choose not to participate in the negativity stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, a retirement income specialist and author told members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Clients are “looking for a port in a storm” in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, and are looking for advisors to be the community of leaders they can count on. That was the word from Jill Judd, former president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Clients want human interaction in this time of social isolation, and they need to have their advisors communicate with them. Brock Jolly, financial advisor at Veritas Financial, shared some tips for communicating with clients during a webinar held Monday for members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Clients may have some confusion about the COVID-19 virus. Health insurance brokers can help break through that confusion and be a trusted source of information.
Health care costs keep rising and consumers aren’t the only ones feeling the financial pain. Employers also are seeing their expenses rise, and are beginning to question those expenses.
As the number of baby boomers head into their retirement years, Medicare will be under pressure to continue providing benefits while being financially stable. Still, despite challenges, a panel of health care experts said Medicare is here to stay.
The American health care system is failing those who need to access life-saving treatment, according to author Den Bishop, the author of “The Voter’s Guide To Healthcare.” He spoke at the National Association of Health Underwriters 2020 Capitol Conference.
The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reinforced today the Trump administration’s opposition to replacing the current health insurance system with a public option or a single-payer plan.
Seema Verma, administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will be one of the keynote speakers as the National Association of Health Underwriters gathers in Washington for their annual Capitol Conference Monday and Tuesday.
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg wants to resuscitate the DOL rule if he becomes president, according to information he released in his financial reform policy. The DOL rule, which originated during the Obama administration, expanded the definition of “investment advice fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Transamerica’s chief investment officer sees the 2020 market environment as investor-friendly, or what he calls a “Goldilocks” scenario: an economic and market backdrop not too hot or too cold, but just enough for stock and bond investors to generate good returns in the year ahead.
