Senior Market Advisor September 01, 2008

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Feature

  • Best foot forward

    By Joseph Finora

    Each of us is familiar with the phrase, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." But what if the perception is already formed before you enter the room or have had a chance to meet or even speak with the

  • LTCI: Sell the need

    By Mike Werling

    "The product doesn't sell the product," says Dane Petchul, the owner of Long Term Care Insurance Pros in Irvine, Calif. "You can go through all of the options and the numbers all day and still not sell the

  • How to get top-notch testimonials

    By Staff Writer

    There's a reason Ron Tuchin devotes an entire page of his firm's Web site to client testimonials. Among the various marketing tools advisors use to promote their practices and their expertise, he says, testimonials -- whether they

  • Estate planning is a winning ticket to referrals

    By Staff Writer

    Estate planning is an add-on service and a necessary offering for financial planners or advisors who wish to be received by the community as comprehensive service providers. Many advisors want to represent themselves as an estate planner, but do not

  • Finding the perfect fit

    By Ed McCarthy

    There is a curse that frequently gets quoted when things get chaotic: "May you live in interesting times." The first half of 2008 has certainly qualified as interesting for financial advisors and their clients. Oil prices are approaching

Special Section

  • Special Section: What's hot in life insurance?

    By Staff Writer

    The life insurance industry has unquestionably been redefining itself over time. For many years, it had been a field solely known to deliver agreed upon sums of money in the event of the insured individual's passing. However, it has grown to

Up Front

  • Tips and takeaways

    By Daniel Williams

    What you hold in your hands is the first issue of Senior Market Advisor's new design. I won't point out every little tweak and tuck in this column, but will let you turn the pages and experience what we believe are improvements to a

That's Life

  • Redefining the retirement boom

    By Philip E. Harriman

    "Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them." -- Confucius Complex generation. Heterogeneous group. These are not historically the titles we've come to associate with baby boomers. But, as various

Coach's Corner

  • Making the most of your seminar investment

    By Staff Writer

    Last month I introduced myself so you could get an idea about my background and marketing strategies. This month begins a series of articles regarding public seminars, which can be the cornerstone of success in building your business. The first

Profitable Practice

  • What is this thing called marketing?

    By Staff Writer

    In the middle of a very fine publication called Senior Market Advisor is the word "market." Just what does that keyword imply? It is possible there might be more to be discovered in the word "market?" Have we lost our vision

LTCI Insider

  • Helping to protect veterans' LTC coverage

    By Margie Barrie

    Q. I sell LTC insurance in an area with a lot of veterans. I know the Veterans' Administration will pay for LTC coverage in certain situations, which certainly affects my sales. What kind of coverage does the VA provide? A. The

Annuity Advisor

  • An alternative to immediate annui-cide

    By Jack Marrion

    I cannot tell you what the stock market will do tomorrow. But I can tell you if you are age 50 today and put $100,000 into any number of fixed annuities offering guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWBs), you will receive an annual lifetime

Marketing Playbook

  • Pre-screening helps build effective seminars

    By Kerry Johnson

    Have you ever wondered why your closing ratio on seminar buying units never exceeds 40 percent? The reason is in the numbers. Twenty-five percent of seminar attendees are "plate-lickers" -- many seniors actually look for seminars

Know More

  • No need to defend the bad apples

    By Dr. Larry Barton

    Back in April, "Dateline NBC" aired a segment called "Tricks of the Trade," which exposed questionable sales practices that some agents and advisors have employed to sell equity indexed annuities and other products to

Practice Management

  • The importance of discipline and detail

    By Richard Berry

    Do you ever wish you were more successful in the financial services industry? Do you ever find yourself wondering why others have $10 million to $20 million in production while you only have $5 million or less? If you want to get over that

Ethics in Action

  • Just say 'no' ... and success will follow

    By Steven McCarty

    Watch out for the word "yes." Saying "yes" too often can lead you to spend too much money, grow too fast or take too many financial risks. It can even ensnare you in unethical or illegal business practices that get you thrown

The Motivated Seller

  • Time is money

    By John Boe

    The person who coined the phrase "time is money" must have been a sales rep paid on commission. In the selling profession, that old clich? rings true. If you are not talking to a prospect or customer, you're unemployed. How

Compliance Watch

  • Working to keep electronic media compliant

    By David Hollander

    Q: You are a registered representative with a FINRA-registered broker-dealer. You also have your own business, John Smith and Associates. You create a Web site and set up email under that name. Can you do this? You also have your own fixed business

  • Chunk it down: Success every 24 hours

    By Staff Writer

    Success. Many financial advisors go about getting it as if they expect it to be here right now. Yet, success eludes so many. Why? My experience shows me that it's a simple clarity and goal issue.

The Close

  • Becoming a senior market professional

    By Staff Writer

    Our country is being challenged by a dramatic transformation that has never happened before. We are transitioning from a world of young people to a world of old people. Eighty percent of all the people who have ever lived past age 65 are still alive

Seniors Speak Out

Vitals

  • New leads within site

    By Staff Writer

    Web sites aren't just nice places to put your picture and a short biography. They can be lead generators if used correctly. Mark Willaman, president of HRMarketer.com, says a Web site can be a lead-acquisition machine if it is easy to find and

  • Constantly improve

    By Staff Writer

    Keeping the pipeline full is the surest way to earn a decent living and improve sales numbers from day to day and year to year. It's easy to lose sight of that when things are going well or going poorly, for different reasons. Advisors, even

  • Three factors that motivate

    By Staff Writer

    Effective marketing is figuring out what motivates people and getting them to act. Marketers have been doing this since time immemorial. So the big question has always been, What motivates people? Price is obviously a concern, but that's only

  • Know their worries

    By Staff Writer

    Women are a great market for financial advisors. Half the population lacks a Y chromosome and women outlive men statistically, so they need financial advice. A recent Hartford Financial Services Group survey uncovered the top three concerns women

  • If you must

    By Staff Writer

    Cold calling is the least favorite way of prospecting for most advisors. Those who can, avoid it altogether. But if cold calling is a necessity, there are ways to do it well. Brian Maroevich of Insurance-Leads-Advisor.com offers these tips for cold

New Products

  • Fixed annuity

    By Staff Writer

    This fixed, five-year product offers a five-year interest rate guarantee, tax-deferred growth and a guaranteed death benefit to heirs. At the end of five years, clients have full access to their money. Withdrawals may be subject to regular income

  • Income annuity

    By Staff Writer

    Allows clients to take part in a group guaranteed income annuity product. Promises that investors receive income for life even if the markets have depleted account value below the account minimum. Minimum investment for the mutual fund model is

  • Variable UL

    By Staff Writer

    Protection Advantage lets policyholders take advantage of positive market performance while still offering a guarantee they will not lose the death benefit if the market underperforms. It offers a variety of portfolio options to clients. Cash

Red Flag Reminder

  • Senior fraud cases on fast track

    By Staff Writer

    FINRA is increasing the pace of investigations and enforcement actions against advisors who defraud older investors, according to the Wall Street Journal. FINRA's goal is to protect seniors against unscrupulous financial advisors who take