That Annuity Show

We know both consumers and agents want and expect a different buying experience today. The industry has made significant strides in the last few years. However, the journey isn't over yet. Josh Elohim and Reid Tattersall from Back Nine Insurance Services give their recommendations for innovation that carriers should support. Links mentioned in the show: https://www.back9ins.com  

In a turbulent economic time, recommending client allocations in FIA indices has never been harder. Our friends at The Index Standard, Branislav Nikolic and Jay Watson join us today to talk about the latest iterations on their rating models. Links mentioned in the show: https://www.theindexstandard.com

Do Monte Carlo simulations cause more harm than good? David Macchia, Retirement Income Strategist,  Entrepreneur, and Founder of Wealth2k explores this topic and more today. We cover the politics of pay, why "sales" seems like a dirty word, and our upcoming Retiretech 2.0 conference in NYC. Links mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macchia/ https://www.fa-mag.com/news/why-monte-carlo-simulations-for-retirement-income-should-be-banned-71909.html?print https://imagine.nfg.com/retiretech-forum-2-0/

We have spent a lot of time talking     about rules of thumbs for managing saving in retirement. However, what are the rules we should be giving to our kids for saving into the future. Today, financial planner and author Dale Alexander joins us to share his rules that he believes all young people should follow.  Links mentioned in the show: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-alexander-2a500511/ https://dalealexander.com/httpsdalealexander.comthe-talk.html

The use of annuities by RIAs continues to grow. David Lau, one of the leading pioneers in the space, joins us today. David is the founder and CEO of DPL Financial Partners. We talk about the opportunities and challenges of "poking the bear" - and creating better retirement plans for clients in the process. Links mentioned in the show:

Our guest this week is Joe Jordan. Do I need to say more? But I will. In today's episode, we discuss how the insurance industry has progressed from a focus on sales to a focus on planning. Joe explains why he thinks the next step will be to focus on helping create purpose for our clients in retirement. Links mentioned in the show:    

Last week we looked back at 2022. This week we're looking ahead at 2023 with Scott Hawkins, Managing Director and Head of Insurance Research for Conning. Scott will also be a keynote speaker at our upcoming Retiretech conference in NYC on March 27th. More details will follow. Links mentioned in the show: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-hawkins-b787bb1a/ https://www.conning.com

We covered a lot of topics in 2022 with many of the leaders of the retirement and annuity business. We thought it would  be worthwhile to take a look back at the shows that stood out last year. And at the same time, think about what issues may be very important to discuss in 2023. As we plan our schedule for the coming year, please reach out and give us your suggestions for guests and topics.

Our emotional relationship with money is complex. How we feel about it often shapes how we spend and how we save it. Joining us today is Jamie Hopkins, Managing Partner of Wealth Solutions at Carson Group and co-author of "Find Your Freedom - Financial Planning for a Life on Purpose". Jamie talks about how advisors and clients need to rethink  goals and processes for a successful planning outcome. We also sneak in Jamie's great perspective on the recently-passed SECURE Act 2.0.   Links mentioned in the show: https://www.carsongroup.com/news/financial-planning-for-a-life-on-purpose-jamie-hopkins-ron-carson-release-new-book/ https://www.jamiehopkins.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-hopkins-esq-llm-cfp%C2%AE-chfc%C2%AE-clu%C2%AE-ricp%C2%AE-022a502a/  

Indices continue to proliferate within the fixed indexed annuity market. Yes, choice is good for the client but it can create a complicated environment for the agent or advisor. Laurence Black, Founder of the Index Standard and Branislav Nikolic join us again to talk about how their company makes providing good advice easier. Links mentioned in the show: https://www.theindexstandard.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-black-664918/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/branislav-nikolic-8a71b657/

Dementia presents a growing risk for all of us as we age. Research shows that even mild cognitive impairment makes it hard for people to manage their money on their own. Today we speak with Marti DeLiema, Naomi Karp, and Steve Vernon about a project designed to help. It's called the Thinking Ahead Roadmap. It's free on the web and intended to start important planning conversations today.  Links mentioned in the show: https://thinkingaheadroadmap.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marti-deliema-95323535/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-karp-728355b/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/svernon/

Today, we catch up David Czerniecki, Chief Investment Officer for Nassau and get his perspective on the economy. We continue our discussion from last quarter about inflation, interest rates, market volatility, and the supply chain. In addition, we discuss of the current state of the digital currency market.

In part 2 of 2 Michelle lays out her proposal for revamping the web of state and federals rules and laws to make in-plan annuities a vibrant market in the future. Here's the full text of her discussion: Heads up to SOA, NAIFA, IRI, any other industry group- mark this moment as the point where contacts you have at these organizations should start listening. Big bold assertion #1: Non-codification of verb sales in insurance means that intellectual property (inventions) can’t have value in insurance Why is this true?  Assertion 2. The above-mentioned fact (Ip can’t have value in insurance) is true because of the intersection between how products sell and how trademark law works. I will explain further in a moment. Assertion 3. IP having value is fundamental to the functioning of capitalism. Assertion 4. In a demutualized world where insurance manufacturing is now entirely vertically disintegrated from distribution, IP can only come to have value by codifying insurance advisement as a scalable, oversee-able, nati

The SECURE Act reinvigorated interest in expanding the market for in-plan annuities. However, we need to make many more changes to really drive adoption. In part one of a two part series, Michelle Richter and Mark Chamberlain of the newly renamed firm, Annuity Research & Consulting, share their roadmap for future success.  Links mentioned in the show: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-richter/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-chamberlain-33349a14/

Can a mutual fund create new income potential for investors by sharing mortality risk? The answer is "yes", starting in Canada. Fraser Stark, President of the Longevity Retirement Platform for Purpose Financial joins us to talk about his company's novel product. Links mentioned in the show: https://www.retirewithlongevity.com/ https://www.purpose-unlimited.com/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/fstark/

What will the future of face-to-face distribution look like in the coming years. Today, we talk with someone who has always built a business five years ahead of the rest. Paul Blanco, Founder and CEO of Barnum Financial joins us to talk about the future of advisors, insurance agencies, wealth management and technology. Links mentioned in the show:

For those of us in the business, it feels like interest rates have been rising every two weeks. Fixed rates and guaranteed income have gone up. However, other competing fixed income options have risen as well. How does this new environment reshape how we evaluate recommendations for our clients? We explore this topic and more with Michael Finke, Professor at The American College and David Blanchett, Head of Retirement Research at PGIM.  Links mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-blanchett-b0b0aa2/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-finke-8134808/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wealth-managed-with-michael-finke-and-david-blanchett/id1533084522

Many people will experience shock when they open their 401(k) statements this year. Will the growing awareness of market risk open the doors for more in-plan annuity offerings in 2023? Today, we explore the challenges and opportunities of creating income protection inside 401(k) plans with Matt Wolniewicz, President at Income America.  Links mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewwolniewicz/ https://www.incomeamerica.com/

Social Security remains the starting point for many client conversations. It takes a lot of work to stay current with the changes in rules. Martha Shedden, Co-founder, President at NARSSA, joins us today to talk about the tools agents can use. In addition, we cover answers to many common retirement questions that clients are asking today. Links mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthashedden/ https://narssa.org/

As is often the case in this industry, what is new is old. Today, we're seeing regulation re-emerge that the industry successfully challenged over 10 years ago. Kim O'Brien, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Americans for Consumer Choice joins us to talk about the new regs and court challenges her group currently leads. We also take the opportunity to get her perspective on a number of industry trends. Links mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-o-brien-4483a55/166 - Keeping Annuity Regulations Rational with Kim O'Brien Thanks to our sponsor, The Index Standard!