- Will Investors Stay The Course?
Addressing the growing tendency to go to cash
by Michael Lane
For myself and most advisors I speak with, 2022 will be a year we would all like to forget. From soaring inflation to volatile markets to geopolitical uncertainty, this has been a tough year for investors across the board. Like many others, I look forward to turning the page of the calendar.
read more - Tumultuous Times
Will the Fed tighten the U.S. into recession?
by Todd Jablonski
Heading into 2022, investors were optimistic that as effects of the pandemic began to fade, supply chains would begin to normalize, and inflation pressures would start to ease. 2022 began with what was a resilient growth backdrop that was quickly upstaged by geopolitical disruption and central bank policy upheaval. Throughout the year, investors have had…
read more - A Conversation With Mark Holweger
Life insurance & the emergence of the digital sale
by P.E. Kelley
There is an age old tenet of marketing that life insurance must necessarily be sold in a top-down setting, with an experienced agent guiding the process from start to finish, to ensure that the client doesn’t deviate from what has always been accepted as a proven way to seal the deal.
read more - Managing The Gravity Of Debt
When clients hit a rough patch, you need to be on your game
by Jeff Jackman, ChFC, RICP, CLU
Has this happened to you? A client you’ve worked with for some time enters your office, looking for help. The client is a sound planner but has hit some financial challenges. The bills are piling up. The stress is mounting. Worried about finances, the client is considering taking on more debt to ride through the…
read more - Advising A Growing Hispanic Business Market
At a time of great optimism, many are seeking qualified advisors
by Juan José (JJ) Pérez
After nearly three years of living through COVID-19 and the related economic fallout, we’ve all faced challenges we never could have imagined. It’s exciting to see that business leaders across the country are getting back to what they do best – focusing on growing their businesses.
read more -
Women Are Feeling Great About Everything… Except Money
Post-pandemic, many approach wealth-management with ‘fear of the unknown’
by Lorna Kapusta
Adjusting to life today is no easy feat. So much has changed, including how we work, communicate, and socialize. Economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living add more financial challenges by the day. Inflation is at a level not seen in four decades, prices for essentials like groceries are skyrocketing and mortgage rates have…
read more - Making An Impact With Charitable Giving
Advisors have wholly new opportunities to inform and guide their clients
by Ken Cella
There's good news when it comes to investors' plans to support charitable organizations this year: most American adults (68%) intend to donate a similar amount of money to charity as they did in 2021, according to a recent study by Edward Jones and Morning Consult*. For financial advisors seeking to make a difference, this research…
read more - Inflation Predicted To Drive Life Settlements Into 2023
Leveraging policies for cash to offset planning shortfalls
by Wm. Scott Page
In late 2021, the term “inflation” started creeping into the national consciousness. By the spring of 2022, consumers throughout the United States saw prices rise for many everyday household expenditures. Soon, interest rates were increased to counter-balance inflation, and by the end of the year, consumers, particularly seniors, were seeing extremely dark economic clouds on…
read more - Wakeup Call: Clients Are Looking to Protect Their Portfolio
Are advisors listening?
by Gary Baker and Jean Statler
Given today’s economic environment, it’s no surprise that consumers who are in, or approaching, retirement are anxious about their finances. Those ages 45 to 75 are worried about the dual risks of high inflation reducing spending power in retirement (81%) or a recession driving the economy down and impacting retirement income (79%), according to a…
read more - Using Acquisition As A Growth Strategy
Considerations for agency building
by Alex Reffett
Sometimes the financial services industry can feel a bit “dog eat dog”— especially when it comes to acquisitions. Instead of relying solely on organic growth, many of the fastest-growing advisory firms simply choose to buy another business. And while the idea of acquiring another firm to achieve instant growth may be tempting, there are inherent…
read more - Selling It
Is there a new role for the erstwhile life agent?
by Bob Gaydos
HR personnel in the insurance industry struggle to motivate and retain employees more now than ever. Around 90% of HR leaders are increasingly concerned about employee turnover and the resulting understaffing. After all, nearly nine out of ten insurance agents quit within the first year.
read more - Is Machine Learning Ready For The Big Leagues?
How Legal & General is stepping up to the plate in the life sector
by Fred Tavan
The insurance industry has been humming along nicely with a system that works and is well-understood, if at times a bit clunky, analog and cumbersome. While spending some time in the Property & Casualty league, machine learning is beginning to step up to the plate more frequently in the life insurance sector… and making quite…
read more - The “Long Term Capital Gain” Retirement Trap
Restructuring portfolios with income in mind
by Steve Selengut
Over the past six months, I've had at least a dozen conversations with consulting clients and CEF group members concerning the bind they are in trying to restructure their portfolios toward income production.
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