Although all election years feel different, 2020 no doubt may be one of the most unique election years ever. We have a pandemic, a deep recession, extremely heightened partisanship, a mail-in ballot controversy, an unpredictable president, and the oldest presidential candidate ever.
Our personal and professional lives have merged into an endless to-do list. Here are some tips for boosting your productivity while settling your mind.
Your clients still have time to realize better tax breaks this year because the tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15.
COVID-19 has helped move a traditionally slow-to-evolve industry in a more chameleon-like way. Insurance carriers have made multiple changes to their underwriting guidelines and product portfolios. Products may have slightly different features or requirements, but they still blend seamlessly into individuals’ financial and retirement plans.
While the COVID-19 pandemic will likely impact the claims side of the insurance industry, it is also affecting another component: insurance company investment portfolios. The past decade’s historically low interest rates led insurers further into generally higher yielding assets, including IG corporate bonds.
As states reopen, understanding the paid leave laws currently in place and having a holistic paid leave strategy will be instrumental for many employers. Here are ways benefits brokers can help.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses across the country this spring, it may have shut the doors on some of your clients’ benefits enrollments, too. Many employees were no longer at the workplace to enroll, and even for businesses with essential workers, large gatherings to talk about benefits weren’t possible.
Through a barrage of negative news, intensified fears and an uncertain future, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened people’s emotions. This can often affect the personal side of financial planning and overshadow the technical perspective.
COVID-19 may add to your client’s fear of moving to a nursing home someday. Here are ways that long-term care insurance can enable your client to receive care at home.
Financially stressed workers may be tempted to withdraw funds from the 401(k) accounts. But employees should explore all alternatives prior to withdrawing from their 401(k) whether it’s during this pandemic or anytime.
It can be difficult to shift your routines to rely on technology more to maintain your relationships with clients, and spending all day on your computer and mobile devices can cause technology fatigue. However, at their core, technology tools are designed to make our lives easier.
It’s important to understand where consumers are in their buying journey. The most efficient and effective way to do that is to leverage behavioral data at the individual consumer level to meet actively shopping consumers in the market, on their terms.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly employment report this morning, revealing that the domestic economy lost 20.5 million jobs in April. This is by far the largest contraction in the history of the data series, which goes back to 1939.
Plenty of companies have discovered how challenging the switch from in-house to remote operations can be. However, there are simple shifts your company can make to ensure success.
Many clients may be feeling uncertain or panicked about their financial future. Communicating with them through social media and other online tools can provide reassurance and a source of stability.
Now that we’ve all at least had some opportunity to get our feet back under us, a new set of questions arise: In this “new normal,” how do we, as advisors, continue to bring value to our clients?
Whether we like it or not, “working from home,” a phrase heard countless times the past few weeks, is our new normal. It’s time to get on the bandwagon with a work-from-home routine and some new skills as well.
According to a recent Secure Retirement Institute study, only 1 in 4 consumers can correctly answer at least 7 out of 10 annuity-related questions. In addition, more than 40% answered “not sure” to each of the 10 questions.
Although most policyholders are currently focused on looking back to find coverage for existing and ongoing losses, let’s look forward at what policyholders need to consider with their renewal policies.
Total fixed annuity sales were $29.5 billion in the first quarter, 22% lower than first quarter 2019, according to preliminary results from the Secure Retirement Institute U.S. Individual Annuity Sales Survey. The survey is the first to chart the impact on annuity sales by the COVID-19 pandemic.
