Retirement planning is a long-term strategy. Here are some ways advisors can support their clients’ retirement readiness during times of market uncertainty.

The economic news has continued to soften in recent days. December saw layoffs go up and the number of jobs decline, and, this morning, the retail sales numbers dropped. Consumer confidence has gone down. Clearly, the economic headwinds from the pandemic are getting worse.

Whether it’s childbirth, adoption, a family health crisis, or a worker’s own health crisis, life insurers believe no one should have to choose between their paycheck and caring for loved ones or themselves.

A way better than expected earnings season, a likely split Congress, and major breakthroughs on the vaccine front all helped stocks soar last month. Add ongoing support from the Federal Reserve as the cherry on top and we are looking at a truly historic month on many levels. But what now?

As we head into our first COVID-19 winter, and with a vaccine at least several months away, advisors and clients alike must prepare for increased social distancing and additional reliance on virtual meetings.

Heading into the election, polling data and market signals disagreed on how close the presidential election would be, with market signals calling the race much closer—which turned out to be accurate. Now that we have more clarity on the results of the election, we can review what we believe will be some of the key market implications going forward.

In July, 69% of consumers said they had a greater need for adequate health insurance, while 58% said they had a heightened need for adequate life insurance. This level of concern was almost as high as the 72% of people who were concerned about having enough paper products (tissue, toilet paper and paper towels)!

At some point in their career, a financial advisor is likely going to feel professionally lost. They’ll feel stuck, and most critically, they won’t know how to move forward. These situations can be frustrating and frightening, but with the right balance of acceptance and action, advisors in these situations can get back on track.

Various polls show former Vice President Joe Biden comfortably in the lead in the 2020 presidential race, although in some battleground states the race appears to be quickly tightening. Influential states like Ohio and Pennsylvania may even be a coin toss at this point.

America’s largest banks are steeled for a wave of loan defaults and missed payments that still haven’t arrived. Thanks to an initially immense amount of support from Washington, that pain appears to have been pushed out to next year.

Imagine this: you’re great at your job. You make sales, you manage your clients’ assets well and you’re an attentive advisor who makes sure to follow up. But you can’t get a call back from referrals and your prospects aren’t scheduling appointments. You can’t figure out why.

While a healthy culture can make or break your organization’s success, like any good thing in life, it takes hard work and perseverance. Research shows organizations that intentionally invest their efforts to improve workplace culture and align it with company values are not only more profitable, but also more recognized.

The recent correction in the S&P 500 Index’s technology sector presents a unique challenge to markets following a historic stretch of outperformance as technology’s share of the market has ballooned in size.

The SECURE Act is great news for holistic advisors, many of whom are quickly realizing that the act touches nearly all aspects of their clients’ financial lives. The act creates opportunities for retirement accumulation planning, retirement distribution planning, tax management, charitable giving and estate planning.

The insurance industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift. The rise in digitization is bringing a host of technologies that are disrupting the industry, while bringing new efficiencies and expanding business opportunities to everyone in the insurance value chain. It’s also changing the way we do business.

Prospecting, obtaining referrals and securing business in financial services require a foundation of trust among multiple parties. You can use just five percent of your time to network with confidence – generating and maintaining likability and trust by elevating your professional presence.

As employers look for new ways to contain health care costs, more are looking into reference-based pricing – the model that sets top prices for specific prescriptions, procedures and services. Because this model is still relatively new, your clients (and their employees) may have more questions and require more education than with other plans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the significant role life insurance plays in the cycle of life, as well as the importance of modernizing the sales model to withstand dramatic disruptions to the ways the industry typically operates.

People might not have been able to prepare for a pandemic, but they can prepare for a disabling accident or illness that can happen at any time by getting disability insurance.

After virtually no volatility since March, market-watchers got a heavy dose of it with the recent three-day 10% correction in the NASDAQ—one of the fastest corrections ever, and the fastest ever from a record high. Historically, the NASDAQ has tended to rise after fast corrections. What will happen this time?

With the S&P 500 Index up more than 50% since the March lows and stocks pricing in an optimistic recovery in the economy and corporate profits, we believe stocks may be due for a pullback—and the drop that occurred September 3–4 may be the start of it. Here are some other things to look out for in the weeks ahead.

As the severity of COVID-19 continues to alter America’s workforce, investment advisories across the country have transitioned to the work-from-home model. From Wall Street to Main Street, we have seen a seismic shift in culture to ensure safety among employees and the public.

The onus is on employers — your clients — to ensure they are communicating their offerings effectively and are prepared to handle an influx of questions. This is difficult in a normal year, but COVID-19 has added the complexity of doing almost, if not all, of it remotely.

Baby boomers should have at least $1 million of investable assets to generate adequate income for the duration of their life expectancy, according to a report by the Insured Retirement Institute. Note, that figure doesn’t even include Social Security benefits.

These uncertain times and the worldwide financial impact have many people searching for a retirement strategy that will provide answers to those questions. Annuities may be the answer to retirees’ worries and offer the best way to build financial security for their future.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed our lives forever. It has given us a new vocabulary, new lifestyle and a new outlook on what’s to come — both in and out of the workplace. It’s now time to plan for post-pandemic employee benefits.

Not only are people working from home, but also they are working on getting their affairs in order. Life insurance is part of this process and has become of increased importance for some people. On top of that, the marketplace continues to see change as carriers are repricing their products according to current conditions.

Many advisors, new and seasoned, are looking for a mentor to help guide them into the next step of their career. No matter how much success you’ve achieved, there is always potential to reach the next level in your expertise.

For financial professionals, the SECURE Act creates a prime opportunity to ask clients whether they already have access to guaranteed lifetime income through their employer plans. If not, an annuity can be a nice fit for a well-rounded retirement portfolio.

The stock market continues to do quite well. The S&P 500 Index, which has risen four straight months, has returned 5% so far in 2020, despite probably the worst pandemic in the United States in 100 years and one of the sharpest economic contractions since the Great Depression. How does that makes sense?

The pandemic has forced benefits advisors and their clients to shift their thinking from retaining workers in a competitive employment environment to keeping the business in operation in the face of massive change.

Does the possession of a visa mean a prospect is declined for life insurance?

At that moment, we didn’t have the luxury of knowing when we might meet in person, or talk strategy over dinner, or connect at an upcoming group conference. We all seemed to echo a similar desire to push the group industry forward with a better customer experience and eliminating the bottlenecks that hold back growth.

Prior to COVID-19, the insurance sector was already facing a series of big changes, including the fact that a large population of its workforce is nearing retirement age.

Social media has grown into a crucial platform that allows financial professionals to deliver insurance product information, provide timely product updates and, more importantly, notify clients that you are open for business.

You have an opportunity to extend your brand. This means you will need to introduce your product or service as well as identify your target market. Here are some crucial marketing tips to help build your brand and grow potential sales opportunities.

If you have clients who are concerned about what market volatility might mean for their loved ones, life insurance can provide peace of mind that generational wealth won’t get lost in the storms.

When it comes to saving for the long term, millennials and Generation Z have time on their side. Although we are currently in a period of extreme market volatility, if millennials and Gen Z start investing early, there is the potential for their assets to compound and appreciate over the next 40-plus years.

Your clients still have time to realize better tax breaks this year because the tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15.