Agent’s Sales Journal August 01, 2008
Front Page Stories
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Building Client Relationships: Taking Notice of Trends
As a third-generation life insurance producer, Jeffrey Taggart has seen industry trends come and go. One that stands out these days, however, is agencies of all sizes working to expand their business using financial planning that goes beyond the
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5 Retirement Concerns and How to Address Them
Almost every industry understands the impact the senior market has on its business. From automobile to cellular phone sales, each sector offers products and services designed to cater to this lucrative demographic. With a growing number of seniors
Short Takes
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4 Paths to Specialization
There are two common trends that make most advisors think they're losing it -- and these trends are diametrically opposed. The first trend is that of wealth management. Wealth management differs from financial planning in that wealth management,
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Spotlight on Mentoring
There's no doubt: Mentoring breeds success. And the benefits touch not only the mentee, but the mentor, as well. The Agent's Sales Journal spoke with two industry professionals -- a mentor and a mentee -- to get their take on how such a relationship
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Report: Wellness Plan Participants Lack Commitment
As wellness programs grow in popularity, employees overwhelmingly see value in these healthy activities but don't stay committed to them, according to a new survey from the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian). Nearly half of the
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Regulatory Update: 5 Benefits Issues You Need to Know
Keeping up with changes in the regulatory and legislative landscape is an integral part of a successful sales agent's job. Changing regulations provide the agent with a specific purpose for maintaining strong client relationships. To that end, the
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What Agents Should Consider When Recommending a Change in Benefits Providers
Who benefits when a client moves to another employee benefit provider for a marginal reduction in premium? In most instances, no one. Not the agent, not the broker, and not the client or its employees. While it is true that a switch may result
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Iowa Keeps Eye on Annuity Sale Illustrations
Prompted by the increased use of annuity illustrations, the Iowa Insurance Division will begin studying those portions of insurers' sales materials used to show customers how much money they might earn by buying an indexed annuity. The
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New Research Reveals Insurance Confusion among Domestic Partners
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) today expanded its award-winning Insure U consumer education program with information specifically for domestic partners. A domestic partnership describes a same or opposite-sex couple
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Jobless Benefits Extension Bill Blocked by GOP
Senate Republicans recently dealt a blow to legislation that would have given an extra three months of jobless benefits to all unemployed Americans, but congressional Democrats plan to bring the bill back by attaching it to an Iraq war funding
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Survey: Most States Fail to Protect Consumers Against Insurance Company Abuses
The survey was released by Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers. It is the first 50-state survey of insurance commissioners that focuses on states' regulatory oversight of the individual health insurance market. That
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Ruling Guides Judges in Disability Benefit Disputes
According to a recent 6-3 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, insurance companies or employers that both decide claims under employee benefits plans and pay those benefits have a conflict of interest that must be considered by judges in disputes.
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SEC Moves to Reclassify Some Indexed Annuities
If the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission gets its way, some index annuities could become securities under a unanimously approved proposed rule. Known as Rule 151A, the proposal moves toward treating an annuity as a security if its
Sales From The Darkside
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Hank Drives a Customer Away
My company sells lead generation services for the financial services industry, and we had a very good client whom I had never met. I decided to show our appreciation for her in a special way -- I invited her to a Frank Sinatra concert. It was
Perspectives
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Index Annuities: Securities or Insurance Products?
On June 25, the Securities and Exchange Commission passed a proposal for Rule 151A, which would treat certain index annuities as securities. The action has created a rumble across the industry, as equity index annuities (EIAs) in particular have
Selling Guides
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Rising Costs Alter Employers' View on Health Care
Nearly half of all businesses say employee health care costs are reducing corporate profits, according to a 2006 Watson Wyatt Worldwide survey.
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Using Insider Information to Sell to HR Professionals
As an employee benefits professional, anticipating what your buyers want and where they're looking to get it is essential to getting face time with the decision-makers.
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Economy Prompts Shifts in Benefits Market
Rising costs and a soft economy have impacted bottom lines everywhere -- and the workplace is no exception, according to the recent Benefits Market Study by Agent Media* and MI2.
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We Ask Producers: What Are Your Biggest Benefits Issues?
We Ask Producers: What Are Your Biggest Benefits Issues? "High costs are hurting everyone in the marketplace, especially with the rate of
Products
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Balancing Income Needs, LTC, and Legacy Planning
Producers often plan a separate "income planning" meeting with clients who are heading into retirement, generally when these clients are in their late 50s to mid-60s. During this period, it's important to select age-appropriate investment vehicles
Prospecting Corner
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How to Make More Sales by Following up When You Have No Time to Follow Up
Are you the type of insurance agent who meets with 10 people a week just to make two sales? What happened to the other eight? If you're like most busy professionals, the answer is, "nothing." Despite your best intentions, following up when someone
Objection of the Month
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Objection Of The Month - August 2008
How would you respond to a prospect who says... I don't understand the benefit of offering my clients things like wellness programs. "You do understand the terms 'cost containment' or 'cost avoidance,' I assume? Then, let's look at the use of
