Senior Market Advisor April 01, 2007

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Feature

  • Change equals opportunity in life insurance

    By Joseph Finora

    Clients' lives are constantly evolving. No sooner does it seem that one has put together enough money for the down payment on their first home than children are suddenly on the way. And as the mortgage looms on the horizon along with other

  • 8 ways to spread the word about LTCI

    By Eliza Cross

    The statistics are sobering and indisputable: individuals age 65 or older have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home sometime during their lives. The average annual cost of a nursing home stay is $50,000, and even higher in some

  • Standout seminars

    By David Port

    Ten years' experience hosting senior seminars leads financial advisor Rosemary G. Caligiuri, CEPS, to two conclusions. First, competition has never been stiffer among advisors to attract robust, quality crowds to seminar events and harvest enough

  • What's a senior?

    By Mike Werling

    Some of the greatest minds in human history have sought to answer some of the most intriguing questions in history. Some of those questions have been answered: How fast does light travel? Is the moon really made of Swiss cheese? Who shot J.R.?

Special Section

  • The essential guide to selling annuities

    By Staff Writer

    Among the many featured cover interviews in Senior Market Advisor over the last year, several of the subjects weighed in on the complex and occasionally controversial subject of selling annuities. Here's a sample of some of the wisdom culled from

Up Front

  • The Power and the Passion

    By Brian Anderson

    When you interview a bunch of industry leaders, chances are you are going to notice some distinct similarities in their personal attributes and philosophies about their industry - the types of characteristics that helped them reach such an elite

That's Life

  • Integrity matters most

    By Philip E. Harriman

    "Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." - Janis Joplin Seniors don't want to deal with "any old salesman." They want to work with someone with integrity and experience, backed by a strong, reputable company that is highly rated in the

Coach's Corner

  • First steps on the road to gaining trust

    By Kelly Shaw

    The first defense is trust, which can only be overcome by gaining trust. There are really only five steps to gaining trust: propriety, intent statement, commonality, credibility and competency. We will discuss these steps over the next two months,

Profitable Practice

  • Choosing the infinite game

    By Norm Trainor

    The following is based on one of Norm Trainor's clients. All of the names and telling details have been changed to preserve client privacy. Initially, Ted's success as a financial advisor was based upon his charisma and status as a former

LTCI Insider

  • The fine art of cultivating leads

    By Margie Barrie

    Q. I need more quality leads. My business plan lists developing a way to successfully pursue financial planners and other trusted advisors as lead sources. Do you have any practical suggestions how to accomplish this? A. Generating quality leads has

Annuity Advisor

  • Treat clients like smart consumers

    By Jack Marrion

    If a customer walks into my favorite fast food eatery, In-N-Out Burger, and says "I'm hungry," the counterperson would offer a hamburger with fries or a cheeseburger with fries. Problem solved. If the fast food eatery acted like the financial

Marketing Playbook

  • Getting seniors to call

    By Derrick Kinney

    One of the best ways to begin attracting more ideal senior clients is to become known as a financial expert who is "senior-friendly." While there is certainly no shortage of financial advisors for seniors to choose from today, I have discovered that

Ethics in Action

The Close

  • Grow by creating a personal MPD

    By Dean Zayed

    So we keep hearing the buzzword about "boutique" practices that offer advice across multiple areas or disciplines, such as financial planning, estate planning and tax planning. I commonly refer to this type of practice as a "multi-disciplinary

The Balanced Life

  • Understanding decision-making strategies

    By Staff Writer

    Why is selling so easy? Well, think about it. The other person is meeting with you and when he buys, he is putting his trust in you because you are an expert about something that is important to him. If he knew (or was interested in knowing) as much

Marketing to Women

  • Help make your client's gifts count

    By Stephanie Ursini

    It stands to reason, as an investment professional, that you are mindful of maximizing all of your clients' investments, even their charitable ones, right? I recently attended an event to learn more about these investment options and spoke about

Feedback

  • A challenge to debunked VA myths

    By Staff Writer

    Perhaps in response to ("8 variable annuity myths," SMA Feb. 2007) Mr. Huggard's eight VA myths answered with half-truths, I should write my own that will fare better with the NASD. Myth #1: You don't pay a commission for a VA. If you tell a

Seniors Speak Out

Vitals

  • Teach seniors these phone fraud tip-offs

    By Staff Writer

    Telemarketing scams will ensnare anyone who doesn't watch out for himself, but they go after the elderly far more often than other groups. Many scams involve bogus prize offers, phony travel packages, get-rich-quick investments and fake charities.

  • T.V. ads may cause overmedication

    By Staff Writer

    The United States is one of only two countries to allow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, and that, according to a study, may lead people to request drugs they don't need. The study, "Creating Demand for Prescription Drugs: A

  • Tips for healthy living

    By Staff Writer

    As boomers and seniors get older, staying healthy will become more important. Healthy lifestyles will help ward off Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and people who live healthy will be able to take care of themselves longer and live happier. The

  • Five blunders to avoid

    By Staff Writer

    Life insurance is an essential but difficult-to-talk-about part of adult life. Whether it's the prospect of one's own mortality or something else to pay for that keeps people from considering it, a life insurance policy is something that most people

  • Tax advice from the IRS

    By Staff Writer

    It's that time of year. The time everyone has to pay taxes. And when it comes to taxes, there is no bigger authority than the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS developed the following tax tips for seniors to help them avoid some common errors and

  • McDonnell earns endowed chair in women and financial services

    By Staff Writer

    Leading financial services educator, Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based The American College, and the State Farm Insurance Companies announced Feb. 21 the appointment of Eileen C. McDonnell as the first State Farm Chair in Women and Financial Services. As a

New Products

  • LTCI platform unveiled

    By Staff Writer

    Financial Advisors who want to offer long term care insurance to clients but don't specialize in LTCI now have help. Penn Treaty America Corp. introduced PersonaLTC, a platformdesigned to help advisors deliver LTCI solutions. The complexity of LTCI

  • Product adds return-of-premium rider

    By Staff Writer

    As people age, one of the concerns they begin to struggle with is becoming a burden to their family. They look for ways to avoid that possibility, and insurance products offer solid solutions. A new benefit offered by Lincoln Benefit Life Co.

  • VA offers growth, withdrawals

    By Staff Writer

    Asset growth and guaranteed withdrawals. Retirees, pre-retirees and their advisors are always on the lookout for both, seeking that balance that will fund a long and happy retirement. The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Co. introduced an annuity

Red Flag Reminder

  • Regulators warn of slippery oil and gas deals

    By Staff Writer

    Insurance and financial advisors should advise clients to be wary of oil-patch scams - and should promote these deals only after doing careful due diligence themselves. According to the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA),