Short Takes
An Insurance Product, a Security — or a Tempest in a Teapot? Even though it’s been seven years since the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that equity index annuities (EIAs) are not defined as securities, the issue still...
Which professional designations will advance your career? Professional designations are more than just a series of letters after your name. They represent the fact that you took the time to acquire the added knowledge that helps you serve your...
An interview with Larry Barton, Ph.D., president and CEO of The American College What kind of value do professional designations offer? How do financial advisors choose the appropriate designations? How is the world of continuing education...
All drivers love green lights — yet we get green lights only about 38 percent of the time. The remaining 62 percent of the time, we’re either stopped or slowing down. While we may be impatient at the yellow and red lights, we recognize...
Robelynn H. Abadie, RFC, LUTCF, CSA Abadie Financial Services Baton Rouge, LA 1. What business practices have been the biggest contributors to your success? Focusing on the needs of clients is the cornerstone of my success. Creating a...
Ron Davidson, LUTCF, CLU, CSA Davidson Financial Group Greensboro, NC 1. What business practices have been the biggest contributors to your success? After many years of being housed in an agency office, I decided to set up my own practice...
The key to finding great clients is effective prospecting. But if you haven’t had the kind of success you’d like, and you start the new year doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the results you’ve always...
1. What business practices have been the biggest contributors to your success? One factor has been a focus on high activity. This can be accomplished by all types of client contacts, such as phone calls, personal notes, email, and appointments....
Ten Critical Objectives for a Top Producing Practice The top producers in the financial services industry do something different with their time. No, they haven’t found a way to make the Earth go around the sun an hour or two slower....
Robert N. Garneau, CLU, ChFC MassMutual Manchester, NH 1. What business practices have been the biggest contributors to your success? I have learned that if you promise something to a client or prospect, deliver on that promise and more...
How can you get and stay motivated and productive in the midst of turbulent times and a sluggish economy? How do you persevere as an insurance advisor when times are tough and clients seem to be holding onto every penny for fear of economic...
Barbara Pietrangelo, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, RFC, CLTC Burkey, Pietrangelo & Associates Grand Rapids, MI If you want advice on how to become more successful, you ask the masters. That’s just what the Agent’s Sales Journal did. We...
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan expresses concern about the economy. The price of gasoline eats into the family budget. The fiscal impact of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma will be felt for years. The debt from the Iraq war mounts,...
While making predictions is always a questionable exercise, the road ahead for 2006 in the life insurance business may be surprisingly clear. We can certainly expect the trends that we have seen taking shape over the past three or four years...
“An Annuity for Grandma? Say It Isn’t So.” “Insurance Agent Scams.” “Industry Inquiry Widens.” These and other headlines about potential insurance sales abuses have a tremendously negative impact on...
I learned a powerful lesson about selling from a 15-year-old. My wife and I had just picked up a dog from the Humane Society. On the way home, we stopped at a pet store to pick up some dog food, a dish, and a leash. I’m figuring this stop will...
Now that we’re all back from the holiday break, it’s time to get back to business. The start of the new year often signifies new plans, renewed conviction, and promises we make to ourselves. And it always tends to bring high...
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) expressed disappointment with the recent vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to approve massive cuts in the Medicaid program that could force up to 10,000 community pharmacies out of the...
According to a survey conducted at the Schwab Institutional 15th annual IMPACT conference in September, independent investment advisors who work with affluent clients are predicting significant to moderate growth for the economy (73 percent) over...
A congressional report released in November criticizes the new Medicare drug benefit for failing to deliver drug prices as low as those that can be found at the Department of Veterans Affairs, in Canada, and at high-volume U.S. pharmacies. The...
Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans public schools (NOPS) with severe financial constraints and placed most employees on disaster leave. So, a new health insurance program has been developed to enable employees on disaster leave to obtain coverage...