- Storytelling Is Good for Business
Five ways to tell yours in a way that grabs clients and keeps them loyal
People love stories. Whether we are sitting around a fire, reading a book, or watching a video, stories make us feel part of something bigger. They resonate on a deep, human level.
read more - Level of Financial Confidence Among Adult Children May Stem from Their Parents’ Approach to Retirement Planning
Sixty one percent say they take a different approach to finances to avoid making the same mistakes their parents made
A new survey from TIAA finds Americans who lack confidence in their parents’ financial security in retirement (27 percent) are twice as likely to lack confidence in their own retirement as those who are confident in their parents’ (72 percent versus 36 percent).
read more - Life/Health Insurers Daunted by Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Long-Duration Contract Changes
Could be costly for companies transitioning to new accounting standards
Changes to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requirements for insurance companies to report GAAP financials for long-duration contracts could become costly for companies transitioning to the new accounting standards and could create earnings and reserving volatility, according to a new AM Best commentary.
read more - Fixed Annuities Continue to Drive Growth in First Quarter 2019
Outperform VAs in 11 of last 13 quarters
First quarter 2019 fixed annuity sales were $38 billion, a 38% increase compared with first quarter 2018, according to LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute’s (LIMRA SRI) First Quarter 2019 U.S. Retail Annuity Sales Survey. Fixed sales have outperformed variable annuity (VA) sales in 11 of the last 13 quarters and they represent 63% of overall annuity…
read more - Americans Believe Risky Careers are Considered the Most Heroic
Soldiers, firefighters and police officers are among the most heroic occupations; So are stay-at-home Moms
A new study released by leading life insurance provider Vantis Life has highlighted just how valued heroic jobs are in American society. The research polled 2,000 U.S. residents, asking respondents to rank 22 common professions based on how heroic, important and trusted they are, and how they should be compensated accordingly.
read more - Recent Life Settlement Transactions Reveal Broad Social Utility
Seniors Are Selling Unwanted Life Insurance Policies to Solve Wide Range of Financial Challenges
Asset Life Settlements, LLC announced that an analysis of the company's life settlement transactions over the past year indicates that seniors and retired business executives are selling their unwanted policies to address a wide range of financial challenges.
read more - LIMRA and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative™ Announce New Life and Annuity Members
Building blockchain solutions that will lower industry transaction costs, improve the customer experience, and increase the speed and security of data transfers among customers
LIMRA and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative™ LIMRA announced today that eight companies have joined the life and annuity sector of the risk management and insurance industry’s first enterprise-level blockchain consortium.
read more - Ten Years Of Research Reveals Deep Changes In People’s Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Money And Risk
Between 2009 and 2019, financial habits and financial security have greatly improved, but optimism hasn't budged
In 2009, Northwestern Mutual commissioned a study among U.S. adults aged 25+ to explore their attitudes and behaviors toward money and financial decision-making, as well as their opinions about broader ideas such as the attainability of the American Dream.
read more - Marriage & Money Management
Budgeting for Newlyweds
by Jeff Smith
Taking your relationship to the next level brings new challenges as you deepen your connection. If you’ve recently tied the knot or plan to get married very soon, you know the importance of being open with your partner about everything. You may have already discussed buying a house or having kids, but have you talked…
read more - Six Ways a Strong Brand Makes Your Company Money
If you haven't given much thought to your company's brand, you'd better
Many company owners go about their business without thinking much about brand. They either ignore it altogether, hand it off to marketing (or maybe a talented graphic designer), or make strategic decisions based on an incomplete understanding of what brand really means. If one of these describes you, Lindsay Pedersen says you could be making…
read more - How FOMO Fuels American Spending
Our financial decisions are influenced by friends’ social media feeds
More than a third of Americans admit their spending habits have been influenced by images and experiences shared by their friends on social media and confess they spend more than they can afford to avoid missing out on the fun, according to Schwab’s 2019 Modern Wealth Survey, an annual examination of how 1,000 Americans think…
read more - Millennials & Modern Insurance
How the 'convenience generation' is influencing the way your industry relates to them
In recent years, there’s been no shortage of labeling, discussing, and research when it comes to Millennials. WebMD discovered that Millennials are more likely than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers to prefer speed and convenience from their healthcare professionals over comprehensive interactions.
read more - Despite Increased Awareness, Financial Advisors Lack Confidence Implementing Strategic Beta in Portfolios
Most financial advisors are familiar with strategic beta, but their confidence in implementing it is limited
Financial advisors’ awareness of strategic beta investing is widespread, but their confidence in implementing it is limited, according to a recent survey by Columbia Threadneedle Investments.
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