‘Tis the Season to Talk Life Insurance and Long-Term Care
Autumn ushers in the holiday season — a perfect opportunity to revisit important conversations about insurance reviews and long-term care (LTC). Regular policy reviews ensure that your clients’ financial strategies evolve alongside their lives. Reviews before the holidays give your clients time for more perspective. Either way, ensuring your clients are well-protected and on track […]
THE PERFECT STORM: Why Now’s the Ideal Time for Annuity Refinancing
As a financial advisor, you’re no stranger to the changing tides of the market, and right now we’re in what many are calling a “perfect storm” for annuity refinancing. With interest rates much higher than just a few years ago, surging market values, and evolving product features, there has never been a better time to […]
FROM INTEREST TO ACTION: Unlocking Client Motivation
As a financial professional, answering this question is critical to your success, maintaining a strong mindset, and protecting your most valuable asset, your time: “Interested or Motivated?”. Interest drives a lot of deal activity. But by itself, it never drives closure unless it’s a “closed lost.” Interest is a state of wanting to know about someone […]
COUNTDOWN TO SUNSET: ‘A Crawl-In’ Estate Planning Strategy
Most discussions surrounding the sunset of the TCJA have focused on ultra-wealthy clients who have long been aware of their potential estate tax obligations. However, another group—those approaching the $20 million mark—will soon face this issue head-on for the first time come January 2026. For example, clients presently valued at $20 million could see their […]
Rescuing a Bank Loan from Rising Interest Rates
IUL AS A REFINANCING TOOL IN A RISING RATE ENVIRONMENT With the cost of capital increasing dramatically as interest rates have risen, many commercial loans now have terms that are far less favorable, if not punitive. Fortunately, clients with life insurance assets have access to a “refinancing” strategy that can provide relief from higher rates […]
NEW DOL FIDUCIARY RULE HIGHLIGHTS
On April 23, 2024, The U.S. Department of Labor (“the DOL”) issued their latest changes to the definition of an ERISA Investment Advice Fiduciary (“Fiduciary”), and updated several Prohibited Transaction Exemptions (“PTEs”) including PTE 2020-02 and PTE 84-24. The insurance, broker-dealer, and investment adviser worlds often refer to these changes collectively as the “Fiduciary Rule” […]
ASSET ALLOCATION STRATEGY’S MISSING PIECE: ASSET LOCATION
Asset Allocation has been part of the investment professional’s asset management strategy for decades. More recently, a considerable amount of attention has been focused on a natural extension of that approach: Asset Location. KEY TAKEAWAYS Asset location is an investing strategy that has potential to lower your clients’ overall tax bill. There are taxable, tax-deferred, […]
Key Person Insurance: Lessons from Aaron Rodgers
If you’re a football fan, you likely remember the collective gasp when Aaron Rodgers of the Jets went down with a season-ending injury mere moments into the first game of the year. Beyond the disappointment for the team and its fans, this incident sheds light on a crucial aspect of business risk management: Key Person […]
Navigating Sequence of Returns Risk in the Retirement Red Zone
In the world of financial planning and retirement strategies, one topic that often takes center stage, especially when dealing with clients in the retirement red zone (the critical five years before and after retirement), is Sequence of Returns Risk. Understanding and effectively managing this risk is paramount to ensuring your clients’ financial security during their […]
Understanding Taxable Equivalent Yield
When it comes to investing, a key consideration is the yield (or return) expected on investments. It’s important to understand that not all yields are created equal, especially when taxes are involved.