The Agent's Sales Journal has published several great new articles this week on annuities and related issues.
- Annuities: Suitability Changes and Challenges State insurance regulators continue to focus heavily on consumer protection in the annuity sales arena. With an increase in the range of annuity offerings and the accompanying complexity of many products -- along with highly publicized tales of past unsuitable sales -- regulatory requirements are definitely evolving, and you should be aware of the changes.
- In Defense of Disability There is a silver lining to our recent economic storm: The shifting economy has created opportunities for agents to offer voluntary insurance policies to companies of all sizes. Businesses are hiring again, but many are still counting every dollar. This means they need to offer the benefits people want without overextending themselves financially.
- This I Believe: A Philosophy for the Future In 1951, Edward R. Murrow initiated a series of radio broadcasts titled "This I Believe," featuring the philosophies and values that guided the daily lives of Americans in the post-World War II era. It was a tumultuous time, as the journalist observed in the show's debut: "We hardly need to be reminded that we are living in an age of confusion. A lot of us have traded in our beliefs for bitterness and cynicism or for a heavy package of despair, or even a quivering portion of hysteria ... And there is a creeping fear of doubt, doubt of what we have been taught, of the validity of so many things we had long since taken for granted to be durable and unchanging."
- Limited Medical Plans: What's the Next Step? I must be honest: I never expected to be on the same side as the Obama administration in the midst of a limited medical (aka mini-med) health care argument -- but not very long ago, that's exactly where I found myself. In a recent hearing on limited medical plans put together by Senator Rockefeller, administration officials contended that mini-med coverage was better than no coverage at all. This I agree with. That said, it's about where our common ground starts and stops.
- The Path to Retirement For every client and every situation, there are countless ways to build a retirement income plan. This plan can change for any number of reasons: A change in circumstances brought about when single individuals become a joined couple; the birth of a child, or several children, requiring significant cost outlays and potential college tuition; the loss or gain of a job, or a loss or gain in income; a health event, either of the insured or one of their loved ones; risk tolerance; or market performance. The list goes on and on, with endless combinations of strategies possible to achieve the client's end goal: Enough money in retirement to maintain a lifestyle that is acceptable to them.
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