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August 2008

Cover Story
Rosemary Caligiuri, Harvest Group Financial; Mark Fields, EstateMark Financial, Inc.; Chris Hobart, Hobart Financial Group; David Hollander, Liberty Group, LLC; and Stefanos Loisou, Financial Workshops. What makes advisors successful? Is there a...


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Featured Articles


Are you referral worthy?
When thinking about how to come up with more referrals from your client roster, perhaps a seemingly counterintuitive approach is the best: Stop asking clients for them and start thanking clients for the referrals they’ve given — whether...

A paradigm shift for final expense
The only thing constant is change, as witnessed through our changing clients, their changing needs, and an industry full of product and policy change. The baby boomer generation has been the driving force behind insurance companies creating new...

Cultivating community connections
During a standing ovation highlighted by popping flash bulbs, Bob Enright, CFP, received a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his 19 years of volunteering at The Janet Pomeroy Center, a pioneering San Francisco-based organization that...

LTC riders on life insurance policies
While many shy away from the price of stand-alone LTC policies, adding hybrid coverage is often an easier alternative. She’s a client who typically embraces your suggestions without hesitation. But when discussion turns to long term care...

New developments in the annuity market
with sales on the increase and a boomer-oriented market more interested in generating and managing retirement assets, annuity issuers are crafting some inventive solutions. It’s a good market for annuity sales. LIMRA reported that total U.S....


Columns


Up Front
As I write this, it’s been a couple of weeks since the Securities and Exchange Commission voted 3-0 to define equity indexed annuities as securities and I have noticed something pretty quickly: whichever side of this debate you’ve taken,...

That's Life
“The character of a person is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence.” — Vince Lombardi Our senior clients deserve the best. As trusted financial advisors, we strive to give them the best counsel and solutions for...

Coach's Corner
Since this is my first month writing the Coach’s Corner column I thought it would be a good idea to tell you a little about myself. Before I do, I’d like to thank Kelly Shaw who has been writing this column for over two years. I read his...

Profitable Practice
Many financial advisors tell me that they suffer from sleep disorders. I too have experienced disruptive sleep patterns since my childhood. Often, I will wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. and have difficulty getting back to sleep. My mind just will not rest as...

LTCI Insider
Q. I want to pursue financial planners as referral sources. What key words should I be using when I talk to them, and what information would it be helpful for me to provide to show them that I am a credible resource for their referrals? A....

Annuity Advisor
An investment study recently found that investors generally do not select the lowest cost investment. This has important implications in the selling of annuities. Three different groups were shown four S&P 500 Index mutual funds offered by four...

Ethics in Action
Everywhere you look today, people are being squeezed economically. Gas is approaching $5.00 per gallon (and may already be there by the time you read this). The cost for food is inflating rapidly. By the time next winter rolls around, people may...

The Motivated Seller
Rendering exceptional customer service is both a responsibility and a smart business decision. Unfortunately, far too many salespeople view customer service as an administrative burden that takes them away from making a sale. The truth is, providing...

Compliance Watch
On June 2, 2008, further amendments to SB 483, California’s attempt to implement the Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, were made. I am happy to report that the previous disclosure, which I discussed in last month’s article, was...

The Close
This month China will host a historic Olympic Games in Beijing. When I think of the Olympics, three major themes come to mind: Excellence, Competition, and Unity. These same attributes the athletes bring to the Games are both contained and needed...

Departments


Feedback
[Editor’s note: A recent blog entry at www.SeniorMarketAdvisor.com elicited a great debate regarding the SEC’s controversial new proposal. Here’s a sampling of emailed comments: visit our Web site for the full discussion.] AFTER...

Seniors Speak Out
We’ve worked with both. To tell you the truth, sometimes it comes down to the person you deal with. I admit I might like some of the bells and whistles or offerings you hear from one or the other, but at the end of the day you have to find a...

I'm a retired engineer and the way my brain works, I want to know how something works. Obviously, I want a product that fits my needs, but I have to know the nuts and bolts of it to know if it's something I want to buy....

Vitals
The ING Institute for Retirement Research announced it has added eight board members from the academic field and the retirement industry to bolster its mission of examining the new retirement dynamics. The new board members are: Dr. David...

Fewer than 10 percent of closely held businesses, usually small companies, pass on to a third generation and only 30 percent even pass on to a second generation, according to Sun Life Financial. When one considers that 90 percent of U.S. businesses...

A long term care insurance policy that provides benefits for three years or longer, offering approximately $115,000 in current benefits and a compound inflation option that increases benefits by 5 percent each year. What would such a policy cost?...

Conventional wisdom says human beings gain in knowledge and experience as they grow older, and that holds true for many of life’s challenges. But when it comes to at least one facet of aging, adults are lacking in one area of awareness: long...

Annualized life insurance premiums grew by 1 percent in the first quarter of 2008, according to LIMRA International, but the small uptick belied the overall numbers. Universal life was the only product to produce more new premium in the first three...

“Despite their desire for a significantly better retirement lifestyle, most boomers are not following their parents’ example of financial discipline and are not taking the necessary steps to achieve their own lofty retirement...

A Nationwide study has found that 57 percent of current retirees are living on Social Security and company pensions alone, leaving retirement savings untouched for fear of running out of money. Of those who said they live solely on pensions and...

New Products
In states with Long Term Care Partnership Programs, LTCI policyholders are able to protect more of their assets under states’ Medicaid spend-down requirement. It’s an advantage to consumers and a boon to LTCI specialists in states with...

Choice is something Americans have come to expect, whether it’s at the ice cream shop or at their financial advisor’s office. New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corp. has an annuity feature that will give advisors the chance to let...

Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America has introduced a fixed index deferred annuity that delivers positive indexed interest whether the market during the crediting period was up or down. The Allianz Summit II annuity uses a five-year...

Red Flag Reminder
Are you providing clients with published information about investing that you didn’t actually write? Then watch out. FINRA has just released a regulatory notice warning member firms of their obligation to supervise representative use of...

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