“The companies are using social media technologies primarily to help producers with lead generation and community building,” said Todd A. Silverhart during a packed break-out session at LIMRA’s annual meeting…
The budget deficit and debt that Canada saw in 1987 for their healthcare expenses was frightening…
During a season of unruly weather, agents can help their clients rebuild and repair by offering them an honest and true resource of valuable information…
Companies that spend hours maintaining their social media accounts and websites each day really want to be popular since more fans and followers equals more potential customers…
Contrary to popular opinion, direct mail is far from dead for annuity sales. In fact, direct mail can yield greater than a 10 percent response…
Many of your clients might be retiring into “The Social Security Tax Surprise.”…
Despite the popularity of no-lapse UL, some carriers started exiting the market in 2009 and all eight of the top players had left by 2010. Now those exits are crimping industry-wide individual life sales…
At first blush, the variable universal life sales increase might prompt industry professionals to think that the first half’s rising stock market made VULs catch on once again among consumers — but not so fast…
Consumers have no guarantees regarding rate hikes. If we are serious about controlling health insurance costs in America, we need more than a regulatory watchdog; we need to empower American consumers with a viable individual health plan market with guaranteed issue and standardized plan design…
There is a new tool within the niche market of Medicaid and Aid & Attendance Veterans Benefits Planning…
Agencies are always looking for new ways to evolve their business without losing sight of their current customers. From promotional give-aways to loyal customer discounts, there are many routes you can go—but something we’ve found most successful is the integration of community and tradition…
The new paradigm for online insurance sales has made pricing and purchasing insurance online simple and easy. So as an independent agent, your online presence must be front and center to fully support your reputation and book of business…
The key to selling annuities is to match the right client with the right contract at the right time and that’s not necessarily easy…
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires that all 50 individual states to comply with the NAIC 2010 annuity suitability model by June 16, 2013…
The Illinois secretary of state issued the order on May 24. It includes an indirect “proclamation” calling indexed annuities securities, according to Thomas W. Kelty, the advisors’ attorney. Kelty also filed an appeal in circuit court on June 1…
Not only does Illinois Order 0800064 provide a “cautionary tale” about understanding and explaining policy features, “but it also strongly intimates— without saying — that Illinois considers index annuities to be securities”…
The new $5 million gift tax exemption has triggered a lot of interest in nudging the ultra-wealthy to make large gifts between now and the end of 2012 because that’s when the high lifetime exemption limit will end. But that is not the norm among the wealthy…
Research is finding that consumer education can and does make a difference in how people save for retirement. Simply put, the more education the better for the retirement savings account…
Aviva coined a term — youmanity — to express the message that the company expresses “heartfelt humanity.” It has begun offering products, services and programs under that banner and promises more…
