June 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Editor Column: Kate Kinkade


The View from the Top – Part II: The Life Settlement Market Begins to Pick Up
by Leila Morris
• In Part II of our survey, our experts answer the most anticipated question: What trends in the life settlement industry can we expect over the next year? Our experts are predicting more state regulation, consolidation of life settlement brokers, portfolio aggregation, and most importantly, a recovering market for life settlements.

Senior Life Settlements Are Still Viable and Profitable
By Mark Leeds
• Staying on top of the trends and ahead of the curve.

The Death of The life settlement Market Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
by Doug Himmel
• As 2008 fades into history, we can look back upon what was truly a very interesting year for our business. It changed business as we know it. Call it the year of the perfect storm.

Are Health Savings  Accounts on Life Support?
by Sri Velamoor and Tom Weakland
HSAs will grow as the sputtering economy begins to show signs of life and they’ll get another shot in the arm if the Obama administration throws some support behind them.

Think Good Benefit Plans Are Extinct? Meet: Ancillarysaurus Rex
How to Make Monstrous Sales in a Tough Market
The more agents educate themselves on dental, vision, disability, critical illness, group long-term care
and prepaid legal, the more they’ll
see that these products are far from extinct and good for sales.

Why Dental Insurance Is More Than Just Another Benefit
by Karen M. Gustin, LLIF
• What is the real value of dental insurance? Dental insurance is more than merely a mainstay of a good employee benefit package -- a benefit that employees expect from a responsible employer. It is also essential, not only for maintaining the health of employees and their families, but also for maintaining the financial well being of employers and the economy.

The Time is Right for Selling Vision Plans
by Jonna Jefferis
• When you add the healthcare savings that employers and workers can achieve from a vision benefit to the inherent advantages of adding vision to your insurance lines, there are rewards for the employer, the worker, and you -- the broker.

Five Reasons Why Your Groups Should Take a Second Look at
Vision Insurance
by Leesa Tori
• As fears linger over the economy, brokers and their clients face tough decisions on employee benefits. But there is good news: More groups are beefing up preventive care and wellness benefits or adding these benefits.

Disability Insurance Can Help Employers And Employees Through Tough Economic Times
by Fred Cook
• In troubled times like these, it may be more important than ever to offer a comprehensive benefit package featuring income protection disability insurance. Helping your clients understand why can benefit you and your clients.

What Happens When a Person Has to Stop Spending Money?
by W. Harold Petersen, RHU, DFP
• Disability insurance renewal commissions, which are very persistent, can provide a fine retirement plan for the planner who prescribes a proper disability plan.

Why Critical Illness Insurance Should Be Part of Your Agency’s Portfolio
by Jason Mollo
• Having a voluntary critical illness plan in your portfolio of voluntary benefits solutions can help your clients expand their benefits program at no direct expense. Call a voluntary benefits provider to find out how you can add critical illness insurance to your agency.

Exploring the differences between Group and Individual Long Term Care Insurance
by John Noble
• A growing number of employers and consumers are becoming more aware of long-term care insurance and more interested in purchasing LTC policies.

A Growing Market You Should Know About – Group Legal Plans
by Jim Barone
• Group Legal is an employee benefit category that’s experiencing double -digit growth. You should get to know more about group legal plans.

Does A Roth IRA Conversion Make Sense For Your Clients?
by Thom Hunzicker MBA CFP
• Be aware of how Roth conversions work, how the client can benefit, what the tax consequences are, and how such a decision would fit into the client’s goals.