March 12, 2014

• How to protect retirees’ nest eggs from the ravages of inflation
  Even a low inflation rate environment impacts retirees because of their longevity.
• 7 Life Insurance Myths That Should Die
• Are you a sales wuss?
  How you frame your meetings with prospects can have a huge impact on whether you’re perceived as a supplicant or a sales professional.
• The Tax Surprise
  The tax season brings more opportunities for advisors who want to ease the financial bite that their clients might face.
• Achieve More Leads With These Simple Steps
  Some prospecting strategies that will help you jump-start your production.
• Growing Your Client Relationships
  A few simple questions can help you deepen your client relationship and increase your value to the client.
• Know Your Product
  So what does “knowing your product” actually mean? You probably think it means being knowledgeable about the various policies you sell.
• Gen X and Gen Y showing retirement readiness
  Are Gen X and Y individuals finally taking retirement seriously?
• Black churches have become financial planning educators
  The National Black Church Initiative has successfully educated 125,000 families on the important facets of proper financial planning.

• Life Insurance Industry Reacts To Tax Reform Proposal
  The life insurance industry recognizes the efforts of House Ways & Means Committee Chairman David Camp and his entire tax-writing panel to update the nation’s tax code…
• College For Financial Planning Brings Back LUTCF Program
  Five months after The American College of Financial Services said it would drop the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation, the College for Financial Planning (CFFP) announced it would teach the courses.

• AIG/American General:
  • Logo is changing to AIG
    American General is transitioning to the AIG brand to unify our presence in the marketplace. The AIG logo will replace the American General logo on sales materials, illustrations, policy communications, websites and other digital properties over the course of this year. This change has no impact to policies and there is no change to the issuing companies.

• Aviva:
  • Aviva transitions – IMPORTANT
    Aviva Life and Annuity Company has officially begun the process of changing its name to Athene Annuity and Life Company by launching marketing materials and web content that have been rebranded from Aviva to Athene. Its distribution partners will now be able to bring the Athene name to their customers.
  • Re-branding changes – beginning March 1^st
  • Timeline for agent contracting
  • Timelines for events and communications
  • Explaining the Aviva to Accordia change to clients

• Lincoln National:
  • 2014 White Mountain Spring Regional Meeting
    Please join one of the GA Channel White Mountain Regional Meetings, hosted by Lincoln Financial Distributors. These will be exclusive meetings designed specifically for Lincoln Financial Network’s GA distribution channel. Come learn more about Lincoln’s competitive positioning and new sales ideas, hear from peers on what’s working, and earn insurance continuing education!

• Protective Life:
  • 2014 Tax Rates
    It’s tax season! This quick reference guide will help you stay informed of changes to 2014 federal tax rates and limits.

• AIG/American General:
  • Sample Legal Documents for Advanced Markets Sale Opportunities
    Deferring capital gains on an appreciated asset (such as CRATs) can be very compelling. When meeting with clients and their attorney, bring sample documents such as this CRAT as a professional courtesy to give you the edge. Hundreds of sample documents and agreements are available in the Specimen Documents section of www.AGAdvancedMarkets.com.
  • Innovative solutions for funding the unexpected
    Give your clients peace of mind knowing unexpected expenses and their retirement assets are protected. With AG Asset Protector – available on AG Secure Lifetime GUL II – your clients have access to their life insurance benefits while they are LIVING. Watch the AG Asset Protector Sales Training Video.
  • Elimination of Itemized Deductions – How to Help
    The phase out of itemized deductions for high income earners increases taxes on highly appreciated assets. This consumer-approved sales concept addresses the issue.

• Genworth:
  • Total Living Coverage
  • Total Living Coverage vs. MoneyGuard II
  • New Total Living Coverage product now approved in IN & NJ – effective March 17^th
  • Life Quick Request required for Colony Term applications $250,000 and below – effective April 7^th – IMPORTANT REMINDER!
  • 360° LifeView Underwriting Guidelines

• ING:
  • Understand your underwriting quote options
    There are multiple ways to get instant responses for your risk assessment requests.
  • GRATS and Rolling GRATs – white paper

• Minnesota Life:
  • Building a multi-life platform for executive benefits business
  • Multi-life overview
  • Multi-life underwriting guidelines
  • Tax season tools
    We’re coming up on tax time, and many clients might be worried about taxes coming due on their investments; investments that may very well have lost money. Here are a few tools to help you discuss taxation with clients and how they can best position their resources for maximum tax efficiency.
  • For in-depth information on the taxation of life insurance, refer to the Taxation of Life Insurance Advisor Guide.
  • To help explain tax brackets for capital gains, investment income and earned income, use the Keep More of Your Income flyer.
  • Other materials are available through the easy-to-use Online Literature Center.
  • Accumulator UL added to product line in New York
    Designed for short-pay, max-distribution sales, Accumulator UL is ideal for clients preparing for retirement. Your clients will appreciate Accumulator UL’s flexible premiums and fixed cash value growth.
    • Financial Professional Guide
    • Product Highlights
    • Consumer Brochure

• Mutual/United of Omaha:
  • AccumUL Answers – NEW PRODUCT!
    This new product offers:
    – Higher target premiums
    – Extended long-term no-lapse protection
    – A shorter surrender charge period
    – Enhanced Accelerated Death Benefit Riders for Chronic and Terminal Illness
    – A new Disability Continuation of Planned Premium Rider
    AccumUL Answers is competitive for:
    – Solves for minimum premiums to carry to or endow at ages 100+
    – Long-term cash value accumulation when using level premiums
  • Help Create a Supplemental Retirement Fund – sales idea
    Qualified retirement plans help clients defer taxes on their funds until they begin withdrawals after retirement when, in theory, their tax rate will be lower. But what happens if future taxes become higher than the tax rate they are currently deferring?
  • Underwriting Case Study – Multiple Sclerosis
    This underwriting case study shows how Fit credits are applied to help issue a universal life policy for a 45-year-old male with multiple sclerosis.
  • Speed up your Commission Check
    Be sure to submit the Fully Underwritten Life Insurance Application with all the information Underwriting needs.
  • Getting Out on Top – Advanced Markets Minute
    The famous financier Bernard Baruch said that selling at the top cannot be done-except by liars. So maybe this isn’t an exit “at the top.” But it’s a strategy your clients will thank you for if the market turns against them.
  • Chronic Illness Rider – clarification
    Last week we announced the Enhanced Accelerated Death Benefit Riders for Terminal and Chronic Illness that are now included in AccumUL Answers, Guaranteed Universal Life (GUL), GUL Express and GUL Plus (in all states except CA, CT and NY). To clarify the Benefit Period Flexibility, please review these details.
  • Enhanced Underwriting Criteria Guidelines
    Mutual of Omaha is one of few companies to continue to offer the benefit of age last birthday underwriting. This unique feature makes your clients’ premiums even more competitive for half of your life sales!

• North American:
  • Smart Money – video
    Help your clients gain death benefit protection and a financial safety net for their smart money. Learn how to put this concept to work for your business by watching this video. Also take a look at these 3 sales ideas.
  • Changing Needs Report – part 1
    Learn how to illustrate accelerated death benefits for your clients.

• Protective Life:
  • Protective’s Guaranteed Universal Life policies – matching a variety of needs
  • Custom Choice UL
    For clients who are looking for coverage initially for the shorter term and are less concerned about accumulating cash value.
  • Advantage Choice UL
    For clients desiring long-term coverage with potential cash-value accumulation. Offers flexible guarantee periods up to lifetime.
  • Indexed Choice UL
    For clients who want a life insurance policy that offers lifetime protection, flexible features and a greater potential for cash value accumulation without market downside risk.
  • Tax Planning and Life Insurance Policy Review – checklist
    Planning discussions are a great way to develop new client relationships and strengthen connections with existing clients. This checklist helps identify financial planning needs and strategies.

• Prudential:
  • Completion of transition to Prudential products and closure of remaining products from The Hartford – Important
  • GUL Premium Limitation removed
    Great News! On March 10th, the 7X CTP premium limitation on the UL Protector and SUL Protector products were removed from the illustration system.
  • How the Big Rock Rolls Through Changing Times – article
    Learn about the role life insurance has played in Prudential’s storied history and what the future holds.
  • Consider a Dynasty Trust Strategy
    There are many estate planning approaches that can help your clients pass on their monetary wealth. But if they are also interested in passing on their traditions, values, and the other components that make up their real wealth, consider a Dynasty Trust strategy. In addition to helping your clients leave a legacy that includes both their monetary and non-monetary values, it can be designed to last into perpetuity.
  • Why Founders Plus works – competitive analysis
  • The 5 Ws of Chronic Illness Care – whitepaper
  • Non-Smoker Plus – meeting your underwriting challenges
    When the competition ONLY has three non-smoker categories and you are quoting standard, remember to quote Prudential’s Non-Smoker Plus! With four non-smoker categories, we’re able to approve more cases at better rates than just Standard Non-Smoker.
  • Premium caps on UL & SUL Protector have been lifted

• Symetra:
  • Expanded Sweet Spots for Symetra Classic with Lapse Protection Benefit
    Symetra Classic Universal Life with Lapse Protection Benefit sweet spots have been expanded to include guarantees to age 120!

• Transamerica:
  • Retention and reinsurance increase
    Retention and auto-issue limits have been increased to provide more capacity on your high face amount cases. Bottom line: Transamerica can now automatically issue up to $60 million of face amount. Key changes include:
  • Addition of $45M of reinsurance capacity for survivorship cases.
  • Increased retention from $10 to $15 million for both single life and survivorship cases.
  • Increased Jumbo Limits to $65 million for all issue ages.
  • Sales Ideas
  • Planning for Foreign Nationals
  • Stack GUL policies for greater flexibility – presentation
  • Offer clients more conversion options
  • Help ease the tax bill for high income earners

• 10 retirement plan tax facts you need to know
  Retirement is the topic that’s on everyone’s mind, it seems, and tax season can raise additional questions.

• AIG/American General:
  • Offer clients the opportunity for guaranteed rising income with principal protection
    The enhanced Lifetime Income Plus optional guaranteed living benefit rider, available with the AG Choice Index 10 and Power Index Plus index annuities, can now provide clients with guaranteed rising income for the first 10 contract years-provided withdrawals are taken within the terms of the rider. Clients can also take advantage of a new Monthly Average index interest account to help grow and protect their retirement assets. Note: Lifetime Income Plus is available at contract issue for a 0.95% annual fee. Restrictions and limitations apply. Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of American General Life Insurance Company. Products not available in New York.

• American National:
  • SPIA required form
    Effective immediately, IRS form W-4P will be required when applying for all SPIA contracts. The form is available in Virtual and iPipeline forms and is required for all states. The form will help ANICO withhold the proper amount from annuity payments; if the client does not want withholding, that can also be indicated on the form. Print the form here. This form is updated annually by the IRS.

• ING:
  • New bailout feature – RenewalFLEX – on ING Secure 5 and Secure 7
    This strategy-specific bailout feature makes a very competitive accumulation story even better. See the state launch dates below as well as these Secure 5 and Secure 7 brochures with the RenewalFLEX feature attached.
    • March 3 Launch**: Texas, Mississippi and Delaware
    • March 17 Launch**: Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Florida
      **Any new Secure 5 or Secure 7 cases received on or after the dates listed above from the newly launched states will have the RenewalFLEX Feature added to their contract at no additional cost.
  • Lifetime Income/RenewalFLEX adjustments – effective March 12^th
    The Payout Factors for ING Lifetime Income single premium deferred annuity are decreasing by 15 basis points. To get the current (higher) payout factors, apps needed to be signed by March 11^th and received at ING by the 18^th. Two examples of the new payout factors on and after March 12th are below. Please note: this change is ONLY for ING Lifetime Income Annuity. IT does not affect IPWB.
  • Lifetime Income issued at age 55, income starting after 10th contract anniversary (after the second boost):
    – Single Life at age 65 = 4.45%
    – Joint at 65 = 3.95%
    – Single Life with Optional Death Benefit Rider = 3.85%
  • Lifetime Income issued at age 60, income starting after 10th contract anniversary (after the second boost):
    – Single Life at age 70 = 4.95%
    – Joint at 70 = 4.45%
    – Single Life with Optional Death Benefit Rider = 4.35%
  • RenewalFLEX state approvals

• Lincoln National:
  • Using a Lincoln Deferred Income Solutions Annuity
    Give your clients a way to continue growing a portion of their assets while turning some of their portfolio into guaranteed retirement income. By using a Lincoln Deferred Income Solutions Annuity in conjunction with an investment account, your clients can get the income they need while still maintaining their accumulated assets. Use the materials below to create a strategy for your clients that helps them continue building assets while they prepare to take income.
    • Growth and Income Case study
    • Growth and Income Podcast

• Guides for a new LTCi world
  These days, you can’t get a great strategy out of a can.
• An alternative to LTCI: Self-funding
  There is a growing chorus claiming that it’s possible, and even preferable, to self-insure for long-term care expenses.

• John Hancock:
  • California 8 hour general LTC course now available
    LTC Connection, now offers the required 8 hour LTC training online. California requires that producers take 8 hours of General LTC Continuing Education (CE) training for each of the first 4 years licensed and then every 2 years thereafter. To take the California course, visit the John Hancock training website. John Hancock subsidizes the price of the training.
  • Connecticut Partnership certification training course on April 17^th
    On Thursday, April 17, 2014, the CT Partnership will be holding its monthly agent certification training class at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Meriden, CT. The class will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Agents will still need to take the prerequisite online course before being able to register for the Meriden training. For detailed information on the Meriden training, please call 860-418-6318.

• Mutual of Omaha:
  • Sales & Marketing Process Piece for MutualCare Solutions

• Transamerica:
  • Video talking about Transamerica’s BIO rider on their LTC product
    With costs increasing every year, how can our clients increase their coverage on LTC policy?
  • LTC News – March 6^thedition
  • Looking for ways to boost your LTCi sales?
    Learn how Transamerica’s experience and expertise in the multi-life market can help you grow your business.
  • MLAdvantage.com – your 1-stop resource for TALTC Multi-life
    Whether you are a multi-life professional or just getting started, TALTC’s multi-life website makes it easy to find what you need at the moment you need it.
  • Complete Multi-life Solutions from a Company You Can Trust
    With Transamerica you have the opportunity to bring many solutions to businesses and business owners.
  • 15-Minute Power Crunch – Multi-life – March 12^th
    There’s plenty of sales action in the multi-life marketplace, and you can be a part of it. Webinar space is limited so register today!
  • HIPAA rule changes require revised BAAs
    With new “Omnibus Rule” changes to HIPAA, you’ll need to sign a revised Business Associate Agreement (BAA) to continue to sell HIPAA-covered products.
  • Fee increase for all California appointed agents/producers
    The California Department of Insurance will raise fees effective March 17.
  • 5 minutes can change the way you sell LTCi

• Mutual/United of Omaha:
  • Take the DI Self-Test
    Are your clients prepared? The DI self-test can help them discover their needs.

• American National:
  • Cash is King 2014 (ENDS April 30^th)
    Earn a CASH BONUS for annuity sales! Total of all fixed/ indexed annuities paid. Minimum of 3 applications.
  • $500,001 – $750,000 = $750 cash bonus
  • $750,001 – $1,000,000 = $1000 cash bonus
  • $1,000,000+ = $1500 cash bonus
  • 2015 Marketing Conference (qualification period 1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014)
    You and your guest will enjoy five days and four nights at The Cove Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas from May 17-21, 2015 if you are one of American National’s top 80 qualifiers.

• Genworth:
  • Index Universal Life incentive to Grow Your Business in 2014 (1/1/2014 – 6/30/2014)
    $100 producer incentive for each IUL policy received in the Genworth Home Office between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2014 and placed no later than September 30, 2014.
  • 2015 Distribution Leaders Summit (1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014)
    Discover South Africa – April 15 – 24, 2015!

• Legal & General:
  • Go Figure Contest(3/1/2014 – 12/31/2014) – NEW!
    This agency incentive begins March 1st and runs through 2014, BUT the qualifications restart again on July 1^st, and then again on October 1^st. To win an iPad or Android Tablet, you need to focus on financial institutions!

• Minnesota Life:
  • Earn an extra $700 (ENDS March 31^st)
    Beginning January 1, 2014, through March 31, 2014, you have the opportunity to receive up to $700 in Visa gift cards for the business you place with Minnesota Life.

• North American:
  • Elite Agent Bonus Program (1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014)
  • Click here for details on the Elite Silver Level Agent Bonus Program.
  • Click here for details on the Elite Gold Level Agent Bonus Program.
  • Triple Pay Program is Back! (3/1/2014 – 8/31/2014) – NEW!
    Recruit new agents and earn $100 for each of your first three paid life insurance cases! View the video.