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Image includes the words, "Life Settlement Boom" amid flames
The life settlement market saw nearly a 10% increase in 2025. (This image was created with AI)

As the cost of living puts greater pressure on household budgets, the market for life settlements continues to grow as well.
Image shows a man with a laptop at the pool
Summer is often a much slower time for financial advisors. (This image was created with AI).

Two financial professionals shared some of the strategies that you can use to make sure that your summer months are productive as you try to move your practice to a higher level of success.
Image shows the CareFirst logo
CareFirst alleges that insurance broker Avraham Rappaport and his brother, Eliezer Rappaport, illegally enrolled hundreds of ineligible individuals in health insurance plans. (This image was created with AI)

A Maryland insurance broker and his associates are accused of orchestrating a years-long international health fraud scheme.
The image shows money and several blocks labeled for IRA
The backdoor Roth IRA is a strategy for higher earners who are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA. (This image was created with AI)

Roth conversions are among the most popular retirement planning strategies, but the rules surrounding them are increasingly complex.
Image shows workers on a street bench
The percentage of workers who are saving for retirement is down 5% from 2025, with 59% of workers saying they are currently saving. (This image was created with AI)

Worker confidence in their retirement readiness reached its lowest level since 2017, and healthcare concerns, along with a decrease in savings, are driving that decline in confidence.
Image shows a cartoon version of a State Farm agent
State Farm is overhauling its longstanding compensation model for agents. (This image was created with AI)

State Farm’s sweeping overhaul of agent compensation could be the beginning of a broader transformation of the property & casualty industry.
Image shows two men shaking hands.
Insurance brokerage transaction volume rose by 293% between 2013 and 2021. (This image was created with AI)

U.S. insurance brokerage deal volume has increased dramatically over the past 10 years, and that increase is primarily driven by private equity investment.
Image shows the New Jersey Senate and a generic bill
The New Jersey Senate is considering a bill that would exempt financial advisors from employer definitions. (This image was created with AI)

The New Jersey Senate is considering legislation to clarify the choice of independent contractor status for certain professionals, including financial advisors.
Image shows people playing tug of war with the words "Life Illustration Rules" highlighted.
IUL illustrations are rarely turning out accurate, one longtime industry expert says. (This image was created with AI)

Current IUL illustrations are likely to leave consumers with unrealistic expectations about policy performance and retirement income potential, experts say.
Image shows a confused man at a desk with a book
Many clients who have worked in the federal sector have access to three income streams in retirement: a FERS pension, Social Security benefits, and a Thrift Savings Plan. (This image was created with AI)

Federal retirement benefits can be far more complex than those in the private sector, advisors say.
Image shows an agent checking a death claim
Life insurers might not be capturing all the policyholder deaths they should, consumer reps say. (This image was created with AI).

Consumer advocates are urging life insurance regulators to strengthen death-claim searches, warning that the Death Master File isn’t what it used to be.

Legal practitioners in New York State, and across its court systems, are bracing for a sea change as the Avoiding Vexatious Overuse of Impleading to Delay Act, better known as the AVOID Act, took effect on April 18.