Last updated: September 29
It's Life Insurance Awareness Month! Get resources that include sales ideas, social media posts, sharable graphics, video links, and more from Life Happens to use all month long.
American General
- NEW: Product availability update. Elite Index® II and Elite Survivor Index® II now available in New York and California, as of Monday, September 22, 2014.
- NEW: Underwriting improvements. In response to customer feedback, American General Life recently announced underwriting enhancements, including the elimination of treadmill stress tests.
- NEW: Bulletin released: New IRS regulations allow greater flexibility. Deferred income annuities are now allowed to be made available as Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs), which will be excluded from required minimum distribution calculations when certain conditions are met. See bulletin linked above for details.
- Webinar schedule released. View the fall Life and A&H and Annuity webinar series.
- Annual "lack of production" review is underway
- Agent training requirements announced in WY
- Updated IRS regulations: Deferred income annuities are now allowed to be made available as Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs).
- AG Asset Protector now available with AG Quick Ticket
- Update to A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare Brochure
- Update to Chronic Illness Rider Supplemental Applications: "Rapid Rater" tool to get a new look on September 5, 2014.
- Three continuing sales contests to promote UL:
- Better Ride Promotion (focus on AG Asset Protector)
- Contest period: 8/1/14 - 1/31/15
- Must be paid by 3/31/15
- Elite Rewards Promotion (Elite Index and Elite Survivor only)
- Incentive period: 7/28/14 - 12/31/14
- Accident and Health (A&H) sales contest
- Contest period: 8/1/14 - 10/31/14
- 15-min training sessions also available; click link above for more info.
- Better Ride Promotion (focus on AG Asset Protector)
- New mailing addresses for American General's annuity business and life products
American National
- NEW: Interest rate announcement: No change to interest rates for October. Click here for ANICO rates. Click here for New York rates.
- NEW: Product announcement: The ANICO Value-Lock Indexed Annuity has no cap on the amount of interest that can be credited to the contract.
- NEW: Product discontinued: Death Benefit on the ASIA PLUS Lifetime Income Rider. Effective September 1, 2014.
- Agencies: As of September 10, 2014, you can receive new business details on life cases via email. Must opt-in; click here for details and instructions.
- New IUL product: Signature IUL offers 3 indexed interest crediting strategies, 2 of which were created just for this product
- New strategy: Point to point with cap and higher floor. 10% cap - 1.5% floor
- New strategy: Point to point with specified rate. 7.5% specified rate when index increases or remains the same
- Returning strategy: Point to point with cap. 14% cap - 0% floor
Athene
- NEW: Register for an upcoming webinar on the new Benefit 10. Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 10:00 am CDT (1 hour long).
- Get the product launch kit here.
- NEW: Register for an upcoming webinar on the Target Series FIAs. Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 2:00 pm CDT (1 hour long).
John Hancock
- NEW: Updated Tips from Your Replacement Team flyer to reflect the most up-to-date state regs + common questions about replacement paperwork
Legal & General
- NEW: Rule update regarding duplicate applications. In short, first app in the door gets the business.
- New reinstatement application, effective August 28, 2014
- Form and state variations available on their website
- Change: now includes questions from Part 2 of the new business application to reduce paperwork and speed up processing time
- Change: now includes form number at top of page to speed up processing time of faxed apps
- Previous versions accepted through Wednesday, October 1, 2014
- Form and state variations available on their website
Liberty Mutual
- NEW: New BGA web portal with full product information, reference materials, marketing materials, and more.
Lincoln
- NEW: Newsletter: "The Lincoln Leader" now available with the following updates and more:
- Lincoln Fixed Annuity Product Suite recently updated
- Lincoln Deferred Income SolutionsSM Annuity: New Q&A - Read how market volatility can impact the income payment amount when changing the income start date.
- Guaranteed Minimum Interest Rate (GMIR) Charts - The GMIR charts have been updated beginning with issued dates of September 1, 2014. There has been no change to the guaranteed minimum rates.
- State insurance licensing and training requirements:
- New Hampshire adopts NAIC model effective January 1, 2015
- 50-State Annuity Requirements chart updated
- Download a white paper on the dangers of outliving assets: "Understanding the Challenges"
- Program extended: VUL dollar cost averaging fixed account enhanced interest rate program extended through March 2015
- Program includes a 10% Fixed Account enhanced current interest rate to help w/short-term returns
- Newsletter: "The Lincoln Leader" now available with the following updates:
- Fixed Indexed Annuity Annual Statement Guide now available from producer websites
- Volatility-Managed Index - What factors may limit the potential earnings for this type of blended index?
- First Quarter Credited Rate Histories - Certain credited rate histories are now available from producer websites
- Payment options for income annuity illustrations
- Telephone withdrawals - Clients can now access the money within their Lincoln annuity via telephone withdrawal requests
- August forms release
- Updated Buyer's Guide Requirement for RI and OK
- 50-State Agent Solicitation Chart updated
- State insurance licensing and training requirements: TX annuity update - Course reciprocity is no longer limited to certain states
- New client resource: web page only available in September on the Lincoln Chief Life Officer website
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- Features interactive calculators and info on creating and protecting wealth
- Marketing materials available: 4 tax-related consumer brochures below
MetLife
- NEW: Underwriting tool announced: MetLife QuickPredict can help producers determine early in the fact-finding process whether a client may qualify for an Elite or Preferred rating class, based on 11 key risk factors.
- Product added: MetLife Secure Flex Universal Life. Click here to learn more. Effective September 22, 2014, this product has been approved in all states except California, Vermont, and Puerto Rico.
- Register for a free webcast on Monday, September 22, 2014 at 2 pm EST
- Get insights into today's marketplace, sales ideas for life insurance, learn about a new product (MetLife Secure Flex Universal Life)
- Product discontinued: Effective September 22, 2014, MetLife will introduce MetLife Secure Flex Universal LifeSM and discontinue Guarantee Advantage UL in states where MetLife Secure Flex UL has been approved.
- Pricing change: New lower rates on Guaranteed Level Term
- New pricing only available through financial professionals
Minnesota Life & Securian Life
- NEW: Webinar announcement: Estate Planning, Individually Centered. Making your clients' estate plans EPIC. Thursday, October 2, 1:00 pm.
Mutual of Omaha
- NEW: On Monday, October 13, 2014, Alabama, Louisiana, Rhode Island and Utah prohibit unsolicited marketing calls to residents in observance of Columbus Day.
- NEW: Client-facing Med Supp e-App pilot to begin the week of September 19, 2014 with full rollout in early 2015.
- NEW: LTCi Portfolio to launch in Connecticut on October 1, 2014.
- NEW: Guaranteed Refund Option rider will be issued with all qualifying GUL and GUL Plus policies.
- Mandatory annuity training for producers in New Hampshire
- Case Study: Fit Underwriting credits applied to a case study on Multiple Sclerosis
- GUL reprice: Lowering price on GUL premiums effective October 1, 2014.
- Reminder: Term Life Answers policy offers liberal conversion privileges and underwriting credit program available up to age 75.
- Wyoming producers: mandatory annuity training if you hold a life line of authority and sell or wish to sell annuity products
- Reminder: Term Life Answers policy can be converted into any permanent policy offered by United of Omaha at the time, no questions asked
- New marketing materials: use the new Concept Marketing Portfolio w/overview of life insurance concepts, how they work, how they benefit clients, etc.
- Revised New York Reg 60 annuity forms; previous versions can be accepted until September 30, 2014
- Medicare supplement updates:
- Now available: 12% household discount in Indiana
- New business sales update: effective October 1, 2014, only Med supp policies underwritten by Mutual of Omaha in Louisiana and Omaha Insurance Company in Arizona, Delaware, and Minnesota will be accepted
- LTC sales idea: "Using Inflation Protection to Reach a Client's Desired Premium"
- Disability sales idea: View & share the new consumer piece, "Good Reasons to Protect Your Income"; must login to view or download
- New critical illness/cancer product, launching September 10, 2014: "New Beginnings" launches in Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming
North American
- NEW: Use this video to teach your clients the difference between term and permanent life insurance.
- NEW: Comp guidelines updated
- If there is an increase in target premium and the policy is at the end of the surrender charge period, North American will pay a first-year rate on 50% of the rollover amount, up to the increase in target premium.
- For term exchanges, North American adjusts the new policy's first-year compensation rate based on the policy year of the original policy.
- Reminder: 72% of Universal Life apps are not in good order when they arrive, adding 6 days to turnaround time. Avoid top 10 NIGO errors with this handy checklist.
- Monthly webinar schedule, registration required:
- Thursday, September 11, 10:00 am CST: Latest illustration software, videos, sales concept kits
- Thursday, September 18, 10:00 am CST: Longevity planning with permanent life insurance
- Thursday, September 25, 10:00 am CST: North American's resources for you, including broad portfolio, competitive compensation, support, training, and more
- Client satisfaction survey format changing from phone survey to letter, sent one month after policy issue. Program launches September 3, 2014, active for all clients with contracts issued on or after August 4, 2014. Click here to view sample letter.
Principal
- Updated: Understanding Your Annuity form for New Jersey
- Prior version of this form accepted through September 20, 2014
- App kits and electronic systems already updated to include revisions
Prudential
- NEW: Product announcement: Upcoming Hartford Variable product fund changes.
- NEW: BenefitAccess Rider Competitive Comparison tool now available
- NEW: Upcoming fund name change: Effective November 24, 2014, there will be a name change to an underlying fund in the PruLife Custom Premier II life insurance product.
- Product announcement: PruLife Founders Plus UL.
- Along w/death benefit protection, Founders Plus offers an extended no-lapse guarantee and two ways to potentially accumulate cash value.
- Update: PruLife Customer Premier II is newly enhanced, as of September 8, 2014. Includes:
- Improved competitive positioning for cash value growth potential scenarios
- BenefitAccess Rider, for clients concerned w/cost of chronic or terminal illness
- Reminder: term to conversion highlighter for Prudential to Prudential and Hartford to Prudential
- Client strategy: buy/sell arrangement using a cross-purchase strategy
- Roll-out of Pru life illustrator (PLI) as the primary new business illustration system
SBLI
- NEW: Get a one-page summary that illustrates SBLI's whole life products' flexibility, with sample cash values for a $1,000,000 policy.
- Reminder: 5-5-5 Bonus Program ends on September 22, 2014
- Get bonus cash for each paid term or whole life policy with a minimum annual premium of $500
- New marketing material for agents released: Modal Factors Matter - 8 Great Reasons for Doing Business with SBLI
- Interactive form lets you insert your own contact info and email this PDF straight to your agents
Transamerica
- NEW: TransACE® 2014 and Trendsetter® Super 20 Price Adjustments, effective September 22, 2014. View Trendsetter Super Product Guide or TransAce Product Guide.
- NEW: Contest: "Break Away with Transamerica." Get details here. Contest runs through December 19, 2014.
- View threshold interest rates for TransACE® 2013, TransACE® CV 2013 and TransACE Survivor® 2013 here.
- Product added: TransNavigator Index UL. Choice of Index Accounts and an LTC Rider.
- Product withdrawal in CA: Freedom Index Universal Life IISM and Freedom Global IUL IISM products are being withdrawn in California with the release of TransNavigator IUL. Apps must be signed and received in good order by COB on October 17, 2014.
- LTC riders for IUL & VUL temporarily suspended in Hawaii. Effective September 17, 2014. TransACE UL and Trendsetter LB term products not affected.
- ACE interest rates are changing for the week of September 8. Decreased 10 basis points for TransACE 2013, TransACE CV 2013, and TransACE Survivor 2013.
- View threshold interest rates here
- New apps required for many Transamerica products. Updates include new Medical Information Bureau language.
- New HIPAA BAA form needed by 9/23 to continue selling the LTC rider
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- Must submit if you sell or plan to sell the LTC Rider on TransACE, TransNavigator, or Transamerica Journey products
- As of September 23, 2014, products who haven't send in this new form will not be able to submit HIPAA-covered business
- Fill out the form online in less than 2 minutes
- Weekly forms update:
- Download updated contact lists:
- Product now available in Guam: TransNavigator IUL available in Guam beginning September 5, 2014
- This product will replace Freedom Index Universal Life II and Freedom Global IUL II
- Apps for the two withdrawn products must be received in good order by close of business on October 3, 2014
- LifeSales iPad app version 5.0 now available.
- New features: determine foreign nationals' residency, plan for married couples, request a personalized proposal
Voya (formerly ING)
- NEW: Build your business and client wealth with the new Voya Wealth Builder series of annuities. Click here for a consumer brochure. Click here for all product training.
- New website: Voya.com
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- Product info, financial advice, consumer guidance, existing client logins, access to Voya for Professionals
- Rebranding: new consumer advertising to run through November 2014
- Voya-branded life insurance forms accepted now. ING forms accepted until 12/31/14.
