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IN THIS WEEKS NEWS:  January 14, 2015

MAKE SURE THAT YOU LOOK AT ITEMS MARKED IN RED

 
webinarsUPCOMING WEBINARS
 
  • AIG:
    • Introducing the ML Strategic Balanced Index
      Dial-in #: 888-535-6454 Access Code: 8123535
      Web Meeting: https://www.connectmeeting.att.com
      Meeting ID: 8885356454 Participation Code: 8123535
      Available dates and times are:
      • January 15th at 10:00 AM CT
      • January 22nd at 10:00 AM CT
      • January 29th at 3:00 PM CT
  • Genworth:
    • Index UL 101 LIVE webinars
      These short sessions are packed-with-information to give you an introduction to Index UL, tips to starting the conversation and closing the sale, the confidence and know-how to serve your clientele and insightful sales tips to improve your sales volume immediately. Register here!

      • January 15th – 2:00 PM ET – Index UL Insurance Sales Concepts
      • January 22nd – 2:00 PM ET – Introduction to Index UL Insurance: A Flexible Solution for Protection, Accumulation and Retirement Solution
      • January 29th – 2:00 PM ET – The Mechanics of Index Universal Life Insurance: A Closer Look Inside an Index UL Policy
      • February 5th – 2:00 PM ET – Retirement Income Strategies: Starting the Conversation and Addressing Objections to Help Close the Sale
  • North American Company:
    • California Accelerated Benefit Endorsement for Chronic Illness
      Reserve your spot now for a live training webinar for this new feature!
      Click here to register for one of the dates & times below.

      • January 21st – 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
      • January 29th – 5:-00 – 6:00 PM ET
    • Changing Needs
      Discover the flexibility of North American’s life insurance portfolio-from accelerated death benefits to our attractive protected death benefit feature-that can help your clients as their needs change over time. Plus, we’ll introduce sales ideas to help you grow your business.

    • A Place to Call Home
      Looking for a carrier that can offer a broad portfolio to meet your diverse list of client needs, competitive compensation for you, and the support and training to help you succeed? Then North American is the place to call home for your business. Attend this webinar to learn more.

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salesSALES ARTICLES
 

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carrierCARRIER & INDUSTRY
 
  • Genworth Financial:
    • California insurance license fees to increase effective March 1st
      Click here
      for details.
  • Prudential:
    • Million Dollar Round Table Certifications
      For those who wish to obtain their certification from Prudential, requests are administered by Prudential’s Compensation Team to producers through their annual mailing.
  • Voya Financial:
    • Consumer campaign resumes with Orange Money messaging
      This month, Voya Orange Money advertising creative will begin hitting televisions, desktops and mobile devices, as we begin the next phase of our consumer brand campaign.
    • Marketing material approval requirements
      Please read this important message regarding marketing material approval requirements.

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lifeLIFE INSURANCE
 
  • AIG:
    • Discover how the AAS rider can help you close more cases in 2015
      If you’re looking for a way to better serve clients and differentiate from your competition, look no farther than the Accelerated Access Solution (AAS) chronic illness rider. This indemnity plan is designed with innovative payout options not available anywhere else in the industry.  The AAS chronic illness rider helps clients access more benefits, sooner, that can be used for any purpose – even supplemental income. Plus, it’s available on a whole suite of AIG products that can help you achieve strong growth in 2015.  Get consumer ready materials and producer resources here.  View this Frequently Asked Questions document to get a better understanding of this innovative rider and how it can benefit your clients.
  • Genworth Financial:
    • Interest crediting rate changes on life insurance products
      Click here for details on specific products affected.
    • 2015 Participating loan rate for Asset Builder IUL & Foundation Builder IUL reminder
      The participating loan rate charged on Asset Builder Index UL and Foundation Builder Index UL policies will remain 4.75% for 2015. The guaranteed maximum rate charged on participating loans is 5.90%. Click here for complete details.
  • Legal & General America:
    • eDocuments
      For faster turnaround, processing, and commission payments, use LGA’s eDocuments to upload from your agency.
      • It’s easy. A few desktop steps is all it takes.
      • It’s free.  Eliminates postage costs and vendor fees.
      • It’s better.  Better than email.  Better than faxing.  Doc upload puts your document in our queue immediately.
  • MetLife:
    • The MetLife Enhanced Rate Plus Program
      If you haven’t thought about MetLife Promise Whole Life Select 10 as a client solution lately, you may want to reconsider. It now has more benefits for clients.  The new MetLife Enhanced Rate Plus underwriting program offers qualifying MetLife Promise Whole Life Select 10 applicants the opportunity to move from Standard to best possible rating class and receive an underwriting decision within one week, with no paramedical exams or lab work required.  To apply for the program, a producer must complete an Express Order Ticket.
    • Guaranty Association notice for Minnesota
      Updates to a Minnesota statute mean that the Guaranty Association Notice may now be provided at time of delivery of any new life insurance policy. Previously, the statute required that the form be provided at the time of application. Enhancements have already been put into place to generate the Guaranty Association Notice with policy output. No additional acknowledgement is required from the producer.
    • New Year, new form changes for life new business
      Changes to life new business forms.
  • Minnesota Life:
    • Enhancements to premium collection guidelines & paper applications
      Click here for details.
  • Mutual/United of Omaha:
    • Guaranteed Refund Option benefit added to the ledger
      If you haven’t updated your Winflex illustration software in 2015, you should two minutes to do so.  A new column has been added to the ledger section of GUL and GUL Plus illustrations to show the Guaranteed Refund Option Benefit amount.  This amount (shown on years 15, 20 & 25) will display the value the client would receive if they choose to exercise the rider and surrender their policy. This will make it easier for you to explain this very competitive rider to clients! Do you need a quick refresher on how competitive our Guaranteed Refund Option can be? View the Guaranteed Refund Option microsite and download one of the five sales ideas.
    • Why Sell Mutual of Omaha Insurance?
      With so many great products and services there’s no question that Mutual of Omaha will serve your clients’ needs.
    • Washington Living Promise Updated on iGO
      The expanded face amounts in Washington for Living Promise are now updated on iGO.
  • Protective Life:
    • Are your clients overwhelmed? Try a simpler approach.
      Protection and growth are made simple with Protective Indexed Choice UL. When trying to meet protection and growth needs, clients can be overwhelmed by various strategy and index options. But this Choice Series solution can provide a simpler approach, while offering:
      • Death benefit protection, most competitive between ages 90 – 105
      • Principal protection with a 0% floor rate
      • Potential for cash-value accumulation with index crediting based on S&P 500 performance
      • ExtendCare Rider for chronic illness protection
      • Guaranteed income payments for beneficiaries with Income Provider Option4
      • Protective Indexed Choice UL also offers 24-month rolling target premiums for competitive compensation!
  • Prudential:
    • Product improvements now in effect
      Prudential has launched improvements to its PruLife Founders Plus UL & PruLife Index Advantage UL. Learn how you can position these products with your clients for addressing needs such as cost-effective life insurance, costs of longevity risk, and volatility.
    • New Paramedical Exam Service effective January 12th
      Prudential now offers  a new preferred Paramedical Exam Vendor – Superior Mobile Medics Inc (SMM). SMM has demonstrated their ability to deliver exams timely and accurately. SMM will have a dedicated carrier team available to work closely with Financial Professionals on any special handling requests via phone at 800-898-3926, option 1.
    • New and revised Life Supplements and revised Xpress Quickform
      The supplement used for PruLife Index Advantage UL and PruLife Founders Plus UL is being revised and renamed. A new Pru Founders Plus (PFP) Supplement will be used only for the PFP product. Additionally the Prudential Xpress Quickform has been updated to include products available in Prudential’s portfolio.  Get more details here.
    • The Balancing Act sales concept
      When it comes to life insurance, clients often seek the highest level of protection coverage that won’t exceed their budget. Prudentials’ Balancing Act concept demonstrates how offering both term and permanent coverage can provide clients with a cost-effective solution that meets their needs.
    • 2015 Tax Planning Numbers
      This Key Numbers table summarizes all the important tax planning numbers you’ll need for 2015.
  • Transamerica:
    • ACE interest rates are changing
      For TransACE 2014, threshold interest rates have decreased 6 basis points for durations 1-5 and 30 basis points for all subsequent durations. Threshold interest rates have decreased 30 basis points for all durations for TransACE 2013 and TransACE CV 2013, and 25 basis points for all durations for TransACE Survivor 2013. This flexibility in pricing is what allows the TransACE portfolio to remain in the marketplace in an environment of continuing low interest rates. TransACE is a fully guaranteed Universal Life policy with options like the MultiFlex Surrender Endorsement, which lets the client get back up to 100% of paid premiums at the 15th, 20th and anytime on or after the 25th policy anniversary, and an available Long Term Care Rider that allows up to 100% of the policy face amount to be paid during the client’s lifetime to help cover long term care expenses. To view threshold interest rates, click here. Sign up to receive a text message alert when ACE interest rates change. Text ACE-RATES to 36698.
    • TOP & TOP Plus Programs
      These two programs with accelerated underwriting provide the opportunity to buy an additional $500,000 to $1,000,000 of term coverage on a simplified issue basis.
    • TransACE 2014
      View this product guide to learn about Transamerica’s most competitive Guaranteed No Lapse UL product. TransACE 2014 provides unique added flexibility and value with the MultiFlex Surrender Enhancement Endorsement, included at no extra charge, along with the ability to add a Long Term care Rider.
    • TransNavigator IUL
      The new TransNavigator IUL provides extremely competitive options for maximizing cash value accumulation and maximizing supplemental retirement tax free income distributions.
  • Voya Financial:
    • Term life insurance conversion rules revised
      Effective immediately, these revised Voya term life insurance policy conversion rules replace previous communications about term conversions. Conversion provisions are also called Exchange provisions in some policies. These rules may change and do not provide any rights or guarantees inconsistent with those provided in the term insurance policy or agent agreement.
    • Term-to-survivorship conversion guidelines
      Effective immediately, these guidelines apply to all conversions of term life insurance to survivorship life insurance policies. These guidelines may change without notice.
    • Form to assist in gathering important client information
      Effective immediately, Voya must request sufficient information from its’ policyholders to ensure that all life insurance benefits are paid to the beneficiaries. To make it easier to gather this data from your clients, supplemental form #171063 has been created. The new form can be used in addition to the application when there is not sufficient space on the application to include all the data and even after submitting the application. Learn more here.
    • Chronic Illness RiderNEW!
      The new Chronic Illness Rider can be added to Voya Indexed Universal Life – Global Choice, Voya Indexed Universal Life – Global, or Voya Indexed Universal Life – Protector (Voya IUL – Protector, except Orange Pass). Learn more about the Chronic Illness Rider:
    • Illustrations and projections on term products
      In the past, if a term rate re-projection request was made, a projection of 10 years or more was provided to the client.  These re-projections were historically based on current, non-guaranteed rates.  However, going forward, projections will only show premiums for the current and next policy year at the current non-guaranteed rates.
    • Updated HIPAA Form reminder
      Form #128274 Authorization for Release Of Health-Related Information
      has been rebranded and updated to comply with HIPAA guidelines requiring that the life insurance carrier’s name be shown in the authorization section.  This form is required with each application and should continue to be used instead of form #153856. Submitting form #153856 instead of #128274 could result in a processing delay for your case.
    • Life Insurance and the Reverse Rule of 72
      This new brochure shows clients how inflation impacts their life insurance coverage and suggests how to protect their death benefits’ purchasing power.
    • Wealth Transfer Tax Exemptions Increase in 2015
      This updated consumer flyer provides the new 2015 exemption numbers for the estate tax, gift tax and more.

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comboCOMBO PRODUCTS
 

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annuitiesANNUITIES
 
  • How to plan for the great wealth shift
    Although clients might have initially chosen to invest in an annuity to accumulate retirement savings, a fixed annuity also can be used as a wealth transfer strategy.
  • AIG:
    • Annuity Premium Checks ≥ $400K
      Effective January 1, 2015, compensation on all Annuity Premium Checks received for amounts of $400,000 or more will be subject to a 10 day hold in order to allow sufficient time to clear. Compensation on Annuity Premium Checks received in amounts under $400,000 will not be subject to any hold period and will be processed immediately. This guideline does not apply to premiums received via wire transfer.
    • Required NH Annuity Suitability Training effective January 1st
      Click here
      for details.
    • ML Strategic Balanced Index NEW!
      This new hybrid index will be utilized by AGL in two new index interest crediting strategies, for new contracts issued on or after the target launch date of January 26, 2015.  Click here for the bulletin including the introduction of this new index and other updates.
  • American National:
    • 7.62% cash flow on Palladium Single Premium Immediate Annuity
      Click here for details.
  • Athene:
    • Annuity Suitability licensing requirements for NH  – effective January 1st
      Click here
      for complete details.
    • Athene Annuity DE’s Benefit 10 discontinued in MN effective January 20th
      Click here
      for details.
  • Genworth Financial:
    • New IRS policy for traditional IRA rollovers effective January 1st
      The IRS has changed its long standing policy concerning rollovers from one traditional IRA to another traditional IRA. Under the new policy, only one rollover will be allowed during any one-year period no matter the number of traditional IRAs an individual owns. Your clients can still make unlimited trustee-to-trustee transfers between IRAs, and unlimited rollovers from traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs (conversions). Click here for complete details.
    • View current annuity rate flyers here
  • Lincoln National:
    • Lincoln Lifetime Income Edge updates effective January 15th
      Changes to the income rider will take place on January 15, 2015. The two main points to take away are:
      • Joint Payouts are increasing 25bps, which means that Joint pay will now be a 50bps reduction in payout from Single Pay vs. the 75 bps reduction it is currently.
      • Nursing Home Benefit will payout 10% until the contract is 0, then it will revert back to the original guaranteed payment (industry standard).
  • Voya Financial:
    • Rate changes effective January 14th
      On January 14, 2015, annuity rates will change.  Click here to view the new rates. To receive current rates, all applications must be signed on or before Tuesday, January, 13, 2015 and received by Tuesday, January 20, 2015. Reminder: the rate lock period is currently 30 days for all fixed/index annuities (SPIA rate lock remains at 14 days).

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ltcLONG TERM CARE
 
  • Genworth:
    • Enhanced Independent Distribution Organization
      Click here for details and product updates.
    • Changes in benefit period options for Privileged Choice Flex & Privileged Choice Flex 2
      Click here for details.
  • Mutual of Omaha:
      • Finding people to talk to
      • Uncovering the problem
      • Providing the Solution
      • Completing the application
      • Delivering the policy
  • Transamerica:
      • Top 4 Reasons to Choose Transamerica LTC in 2015
      • Updates to ARC Application Status
      • Good News on Aging
      • Holiday Closure

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disabilityDISABILITY & CRITICAL ILLNESS
 
  • Mutual/United of Omaha:
    • Disability Income Choice Portfolio – Premium Savings
      Don’t forget about the DI premium savings you offer to your clients.
    • New Beginnings – Cancer, Heart Attack & Stroke Portfolio
      • New Beginnings released in select stateseffective January 16th
        New Beginnings –  Cancer, Heart Attack and Stroke Portfolio will launch in North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah on January 16, 2015.

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medsuppMEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS
 
  • Mutual/United of Omaha:
    • Med Advantage Disenrollment Period guidelines
      The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP) runs from January 1, 2015, through February 7, 2015.
    • Marketing Credits help build your business 
      See how quickly you earn credits to spend on leads, electronics, postage – just about anything to help grow your Med supp business.  Note: Redeem your 2014 credits before they expire on March 1, 2015.  View the 2015 Marketing Credits Program.
    • Qualify for Mutual Sales Leaders with your Med Supp businessNEW in 2015!
      Experience all that is Rome when you qualify for Mutual Sales Leaders in 2015!  Your Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement and Simplified Issue Life sales can take you to the Eternal City where you’ll enjoy centuries of iconic achievements in Roman art and architecture. It’s the trip of a lifetime!  Click here for complete details.

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agentcontestsCONTESTS/INCENTIVES
 
  • AIG:
    • AIG Better Ride Contest  (ENDS January 31, 2015)
      Now is your chance to rev it up, get in gear, and gain some traction!  Producers will receive points based upon the sale of our permanent products, and additional points for selling AG Asset Protector on Secure Lifetime  (AAS Rider & LIS Rider), and the AAS Rider on Elite Index II. For every 5 points a producer earns they will get a raffle ticket towards the drawing of a 2 year lease on a BMW 528i.  Get complete details.
  • American National:
    • 2015 CASH IS KING for Fixed Annuities  (January 1 – April 30, 2015)
      American National is paying a cash bonus for fixed annuities between January 1st and April 30thGet complete details.
    • 2016 Marketing Conference in Hawaii  (January 1 – December 31, 2015)
      The top 80 qualifiers and their guest will be invited to enjoy six days and five nights at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in beautiful Kona, Hawaii.  Click here for complete details.
  • Mutual of Omaha:
    • LTCI Marketing Credits Program  (November 1, 2014 – December 31, 2015)
      Mutual of Omaha’s LTCI Marketing Credits Program gives you the opportunity to score marketing credits that can be used to help build your LTCi business.  Start earning credits on your fifth LTCi app placed after November 1, 2014.
      • Earn 1% of ANBP
      • 1 credit = $1
      • Credits must be redeemed by March 31, 2016
    • Mutual Sales Leaders in 2015!  (January 1 – December 31, 2015)  NEW!
      Experience all that is Rome when you qualify for Mutual Sales Leaders in 2015!  Your Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement and Simplified Issue Life sales can take you to the Eternal City where you’ll enjoy centuries of iconic achievements in Roman art and architecture. It’s the trip of a lifetime!  Click here for complete details.
  • Transamerica:
    • Leading Distributors Convention in Barcelona  (January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2015)
      This is your opportunity to experience one of the world’s top destinations in an entirely unique way-the Transamerica way! Sun-filled days, exciting nightlife, and the breathtaking beauty of Barcelona await, when you qualify for the 2016 convention – held May 11-15, 2016.  Click here for details.  View the producer flyer.

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