An article in the Financial Times announced, “profoundly low interest rates are here to stay,” which should cause investors to “recalibrate” assumptions with their investments. (1) On July 31st the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the first time since the...

There is nothing more frustrating, no matter what business you are in, then to spend hours with a client or prospect you feel you have “sold” on your idea and then not have them move ahead. After all, you know your solution is right. Why don’t they? I recently came...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Of 2017 signed into law by President Trump drastically limited the number of estates affected by federal estate taxes through raising the federal estate tax exemption from $5.49 million to $11.18 million.  With the higher exemption it has...

Tip #11 There is no one best permanent life insurance policy, but there is the best policy for each particular situation or client. Too often, when your clients buy life insurance, they are sold a particular “hot” product. The life insurance industry has done a great...

Tip #18 Cash value investment projections at policy issues are often too optimistic. When Ronald Reagan took office in January of 1981, interest rates were sky high. The federal funds rate stood at 19.08%. The life insurance industry came up with a product to take...

Tip #12 Even if a trustee is not part of the sales process there still is a duty to ensure the policy is suitable and matching the right policy to the client is essential to limiting policy management issues (and liability) down the road. There is a reason why I spend...

When Tom Petty headed west from Gainesville, Florida to seek fame and fortune, he brought his Rickenbacker guitar and a knack for writing crisp rock and roll songs that told vivid stories. Over four decades he left a trail of hits few peers could match. Petty songs...

Tip #35 Your older clients should not shy away from a market review because of their age. They are often the ones with the least-efficient policies. Life insurance has evolved over the years. Older policies built on less-favorable mortality tables are often the...