- Lifetime Income: Building Confidence From Uncertainty
Helping clients understand what it is, its benefits and where to get it
by Patrick C. Rowan
There is no doubt that preparing for retirement can be tricky. A recent study by TIAA found only 27 percent of Americans are highly confident they will never run out of money in retirement, leaving the majority (73 percent) worried about how they will make ends meet in retirement.
read more - Accumulation: Safe & Secure
Assessing the potential impact of the SECURE Act on annuity sales
by Rich Lane
Rarely does a piece of national legislation significantly improve the availability of annuities to consumers, but that is what has occurred with the SECURE Act. Though it hasn’t yet been enacted into law, advisors should examine how the proposed legislation would affect annuity sales, while also being prepared to respond to changes should the bill…
read more - A Conversation With Jim Poolman
Getting In The Game
by P.E. Kelley
The longevity-risk may be a familiar concept to most of us in the industry, but for many pre-retirees and, sadly, new retirees, its stark reality is suddenly becoming crystal clear. There may be a high probability of ‘running out of money before you run out of breath.’
read more - Keeping Wealth in the Family
Bringing clients’ adult children into the estate planning discussion to strengthen and build new relationships
by Robert “Logan” Waters
You may have heard these industry insights before: 10,000 baby boomers retire every day in the United States. $30 trillion in assets are expected to pass from boomers to their heirs over the next four decades. 66% of adult children change advisors upon inheriting their parents’ wealth.
read more - Great Expectations
Closing the Gap Between Client & Advisor Priorities
by Tamiko Toland
There’s a big gap between advisor and client expectations around critical planning objectives. Research we conducted earlier this year highlights differences between what advisors believe clients want from them and clients’ expectation of their advisors.
read more - Data And Disruption In the Digital Age
How the life insurance industry must leverage technology to enhance the consumer experience
by Greg Driscoll
Looking back on 2019, a couple of observations come into sharp focus. I believe the most significant developments in the life insurance industry during the past year have been the creation of more appealing digital experiences and the utilization of data to perform predictive analytics.
read more - The Whole Story Of ‘Financial Security Insurance’
How a stalwart product continues to survive to the test of time
by Herbert K. Daroff, J.D., CFP®, AEP®
In a world of economic (tariffs, etc.) and political (Brexit, etc.) turmoil, including changes in income taxes and estate taxes, an urgent question to pose to your clients is: what is going to happen to your children’s (or grandchildren’s) education funds, your business, your retirement savings?
read more - Five Must-Have Client Conversations on the Missing Link
Ways to connect with your clients on adding some “life” to their portfolio
by Andy Bucklee
Approximately 37.5 million U.S. households currently have no life insurance coverage, and nearly half of all households are underinsured, putting them at risk of not being able replace their income and missing out on an extremely powerful asset that should be part of a well-rounded financial portfolio.
read more - LTCi: Bringing It All Back Home
Rising demand for in-home care driving up cost of long term care
by Gordon Saunders
My earliest recollection of the cost of long term care was in the early eighties when I was a teenager. I remember my parents being in shock by the costs and trying to work out with their siblings how to fund the nursing home expense for both of my grandmothers while balancing their own financial…
read more - The Race To Zero & The Rise Of Client Uncertainty
Top five takeaways for RIAs and fee-based advisors
by Craig Hawley
Looking back, 2019 has been another year where uncertainty was on the rise and mixed signals prevailed. Markets hit record highs and interest rates were slashed to new lows—but confidence wavered as volatility persisted with a vengeance. Lawmakers at home and abroad continued to dominate the headlines, impacting portfolios and raising concerns of advisors and…
read more - Managing Obligations
5 Truths, 5 Years Later About Pension Risk Transfer
by Andrew Wilkinson
According to Milliman, the number of pension plans offering defined benefits in the United States plummeted by about 73% from 1986 to 2016, and in a recent column on the topic USA Today bluntly opined that American businesses think of pensions as “swiftly becoming a thing of the past.”
read more - Can Life Insurance Claims Be Denied for Drug Overdose?
Language is key: Insurers often have differing definitions of 'accidental'
by Veronica Baxter
The short answer is, it depends on whether an exclusion applies, whether the overdose falls within the definition of “accidental” death in the policy and under state law, and, believe it or not, what type of drugs are involved.
read more - Successful Leadership During Change and Uncertainty
The true test comes when you can adapt and thrive in any environment
by Brad Wolff
Successful leadership requires navigating your organization through periods of change and uncertainty. Learn how to do this well, and you can adapt and thrive in any environment.
read more
