We look forward to the Van Mueller newsletter every month. It's chock-full of sound bites, sales tips, and eye-opening statistics. Here are our favorite parts of the April 2024 edition. We're sharing the full introduction, and 2 of the 7 monthly sales ideas. If you like what you read, we encourage you to click here and become a subscriber.
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April 2024 – 7 Ideas and Views Newsletter by Van Mueller
Before we get to the topic of this month’s newsletter, I would like to start by inviting all my subscribers to a very unique and probably once in a lifetime opportunity being created by David McKnight.
On Thursday, May 16, 2024, and Friday, May 17th, 2024, David McKnight will be hosting the “Heroes of Zero” seminar in Nashville, TN at the Renaissance Hotel.
For the first time ever, David McKnight, Tom Hegna, Ed Slott and I will be in the same place, at the same time; providing very important information at a critical time in our country and in our industry.
On Thursday morning, David McKnight will lead off the meeting. David’s last two books, The Power of Zero and his most recent book Tax Free Income For Life, are best sellers. His new and very important book in today’s environment is entitled The Guru Gap: How America’s Financial Gurus are Leading You Astray and How to Get Back on Track. He also developed and produced and distributed the movie, The Power of Zero: The Tax Train Is Coming. His information at this meeting is not to be missed.
On Thursday afternoon, Tom Hegna will share current information that will be vital to all the attendees. Tom literally changed the direction of our industry with his books which include Don’t Worry, Retire Happy! and Seven Steps to Retirement Security.
His information transformed our industry by placing the focus on building guaranteed income that can’t be outlived rather than focusing on building assets which do not always provide retirement security.
Tom also has a very popular public television special which not only shares the important distinction between income and assets with our industry, but he also shares this distinction with the American people. We will all benefit from the information Tom shared with us at this seminar.
On Friday morning Ed Slott who like Tom Hegna and David McKnight is nationally recognized as a television personality, speaker, and best-selling author.
More importantly, Ed is considered by everyone to be the go-to expert on IRA’s and all qualified money that the public will need to make important decisions about in the years ahead. Ed also brings additional value to agents who enroll and train in his “Elite IRA Advisor Group.”
Ed, like Tom Hegna also has a nationally televised public television program that is well received by the American people. Ed shares with our customers that he believes that the tax exemption for life insurance is the single biggest benefit in the tax code. Ed will certainly share valuable information that will be useable as soon as you leave the meeting.
Finally, on Friday afternoon I feel very honored and grateful to be included with these three icons of our industry.
My only goal will be to share with every attendee how I use David’s and Tom’s and Ed’s information to have as many appointments as I want without paying ANY money to get those appointments. Then I will share how I use the language and story telling techniques of these three “Heroes of Zero” to quickly and efficiently inspire a majority of these appointment to take action.
Finally, I will share several great ideas for helping more Americans buy more life insurance and annuities.
I believe I will make an important contribution because I will help you to learn their techniques quickly and efficiently.
I have been an agent for 51 years. I struggled the first 16 years I was in the business. I have now qualified for “Top of the Table” for 34 years in a row. I know and understand both sides of the coin.
For a small INVESTMENT of time and money you can learn how to use the Power of Zero to help the American people stay in control of how much revenue and more importantly even dramatically greater revenue our government will require in the future.
Included in the cost of the event will be your room, breakfast and lunch on Thursday and Friday and a reception and dinner on Thursday evening at 5:00 pm.
Also, I know what you are thinking. You have seen all of us before at one time or another. This will be different. The speakers will be around both days. So, if you have questions or would like additional follow-up, the speakers will be in attendance. This will not be like other meetings where they speak and then leave. You will have access to all of us for two full days. I know for certain, that I am going to take advantage of that time.
Finally, I implore you; do not look at this as a cost or an expense. This is an opportunity where one idea could provide you with $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, or even $500,000 in additional sales if you finally discover those one or two ideas that will get you to those higher levels you aspire to.
Taxes will be higher in the future. How do you turn that from a challenge to an opportunity? With Americans having less and less discretionary money, how do we use the progressive nature of the Internal Tax Code to our advantage so that we can FIND MONEY that is inefficient and ineffective and turn it into money that is efficient and effective and leveraged and ultimately tax free?
That is the intention of this meeting. It is timely. It is a bargain, and it will change your career in a positive way in two wonderful days.
I hope you will join myself, David McKnight, Tom Hegna and Ed Slott on May 16th and May 17th, 2024, in Nashville, TN at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel.
As an additional inducement for you to attend this can’t miss opportunity, if you use the code MUELLER24 when you register, they will reduce the cost by $250. Reserve your spot at https://www.heroesofzero.live/.
This is an opportunity to have your production take a quantum leap. Don’t miss this!
Now, I would like to share a number of websites and resources that I use on a regular basis to develop questions, conversations and stories that I use to get more appointments. I also use these techniques to help my prospects, clients and customers reason out for themselves what would be the most beneficial course of action for themselves, their families and their businesses. Here is a list and why they will be beneficial to you.
1. IRS website - https://www.irs.gov/
When you get to the Website click on “Forms, Instructions and Publications.” Just below this line there will be a box that says, “Form 1040.” Underneath that it will say “Related:” Then it will say “Instructions for Form 1040.” The entire publication is 114 pages. I believe it would be advisable to print out the entire instruction booklet. I believe it would be wonderful if you read all 114 pages at least one time.
Then I would concentrate on these four pages. I would practice and practice until I knew these four pages like your favorite sport or your favorite food.
I would practice and practice until I knew these four pages like your favorite sport or your favorite food.
Please think about this: We ask people to buy tax free products and tax deferred products. In today’s world tax deferred products are inefficient and ineffective products. What if we could make those products exceedingly efficient and effective? In a world where discretionary money is declining dramatically would our customers be interested in strategies like that? You can only share spectacular information like that if you understand pages 32, 34, 109 and 110 of the 1040 instructions. Page 32 is a chart that helps you calculate how much of your Social Security is taxable. Page 34 shares the standard deduction for filers over and under the age of 65.
Page 109 shows where the income comes from and then there is a chart called outlays that shows where the tax money is used. In the income chart it already shared that we borrow 22 percent of the budget to cover the deficit. The outlay chart shows that 58 percent of 2022’s budget went for Social Security, Medicare, Federal Pensions and Social Programs. It also shows that seven percent of the 2022 budget is interest on the debt. Have interest rates increased since 2022 and have they increased our debt dramatically?
Finally, page 110 shows the tax brackets for different categories. There are only seven brackets. They are: 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35, and 37 percent.
Please remember, as you read this information, don’t use it to overwhelm your customer with information. Wouldn’t it be most effective if you used it to ask questions about why your customer chooses to give more money to the Internal Revenue Service and the government than to their own family or business? The questions help our customers reason out for themselves what the right course of action for themselves would be.
Understanding these four pages will take your practice to much higher levels of production.
2. U.S. Debt Clock - https://www.usdebtclock.org/
The site shares current information and information for four years from now and then finally eight years into the future.
We are currently almost $35 trillion in debt as a country. The debt clock predicts that we will be almost $64 trillion in debt by 2032. Ask your customer what the interest on that amount of money will be in the future.
The unfunded liability for Social Security by 2028 is $35 trillion and by 2032 it is forecast to be $45 trillion. The unfunded liability for Medicare by 2028 is $54 trillion and by 2032 it is forecast to be almost $72 trillion. The total of all unfunded liabilities by 2032 is predicted to be almost $400 trillion. Isn’t that money that we do not have? Ask your customer what they think will happen if they do not plan.
The total of all unfunded liabilities by 2032 is predicted to be almost $400 trillion.
The US Debt Clock has many categories that could easily assist you in developing questions that will create great conversations that will inspire your customer to take action. This is an extremely useful app for your phone and computer.
3. Social Security - https://www.ssa.gov/
This is the Social Security website. Shouldn’t we use the site to approximate your customer’s Social Security retirement income at all the ages it is available? Won’t it help to develop conversations about retirement? Wouldn’t your customer be impressed if you could help them navigate through the Social Security website?
4. Wage Statistics - https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/netcomp.cgi?year=2022
You must use the above hyperlink to reach this site easily and effectively. This information has been provided every year since 1990.
It is provided every October by the chief actuary for Social Security. The latest information shares that 67.9 percent of Americans make $61,220.07 per year or less. The information also provides that 50 percent of wage earners made less than $40,847.18. Did you know that 90 percent of Americans make less than $125,000? Apply that information to the Rule of 124-12 for couples under age 65 and the rule of 127-12 for married couples over the age of 65 and it verifies that we have a lot of prospects with a marginal tax rate of 12 percent and an effective tax rate of 8.57 percent. So, we have 90 percent of American wage earners who could reallocate IRA’s and 401(k)’s from fully taxable to never taxable for less than 9 percent. Do you think we could have an interesting conversation with those people about this fabulous opportunity that they are not taking advantage of?
We have 90% of American wage earners who could reallocate IRA’s and 401(k)’s from fully taxable to never taxable for less than 9 percent.
This Wage Statistics website can also be used to share analytically, that if we raised taxes on everyone who makes $100,000 or more to 50 percent, we would still be short of our government’s budgetary requirements by trillions of dollars. Also, only 15 percent of Americans make more than $100,000. Ask your customer what they think that means.
Won’t we have to also increase taxes on everyone else? Won’t we have to print more money? What will that do to the purchasing power of that money? Isn’t that a stealth tax? Mr. & Mrs. Customer, what is your strategy to not be hurt by all of this?
5. Truth in Accounting.org - https://www.truthinaccounting.org/
This website shows the financial conditions of our government, all 50 states and the 75 largest cities in America. It is not pretty. Our federal government has tremendous unfunded liabilities. Forty of the 50 states are broke and 63 of the 75 largest cities in our country are in serious debt with substantial unfunded liabilities. Why is it important to know about the cities and states? Isn’t it because they can’t print money? Then isn’t their only recourse to raise income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and user fees which is another term for taxes? Oh, isn’t there one more alternative? Can’t they ask the federal government for a bailout? Where will the Federal Government get the money for a bailout? Won’t it be higher taxes and printing more money which is a stealth tax? Couldn’t you have an amazing conversation using only this website?
Forty of the 50 states are broke and 63 of the 75 largest cities in our country are in serious debt with substantial unfunded liabilities.
6. Milliman Medical Index – https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/2023-milliman-medical-index
Every May, the actuarial firm Milliman, releases the average cost of healthcare for a family of four. In 2023 that number is $31,065. It will be higher in May of 2024. If 50 percent of America makes less than $41,000 and 68 percent of America makes less than $62,000, how many Americans can afford access to quality healthcare? The question should be asked of all the grandmas and grandpas in America. Wouldn’t it be important for your children and grandchildren to have access to quality healthcare when you are gone? What if we could help you make sure your family received this money for important things like healthcare rather than the Internal Revenue Service? What if you could do that without giving up control of the money while you are alive?
7. Peter G. Peterson Foundation – https://www.pgpf.org/
This is a wonderful website with information about the financials of all levels of government. They have a free newsletter that they send to your e-mail on a regular basis that discusses in depth the government and financial issues of the day. Great for building questions that are current.
8. David Walker (Former Comptroller General of the U.S.) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U19_OkPRggE
This interview on 60 Minutes, of David Walker, entitled “U.S. Heading for Financial Trouble” will blow your mind. Ask your customers if things are better or worse since 2007 and why haven’t they still done anything? They call it “kicking the can down the road.”
9. Revenue Canada - https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html
Taxes of all kinds are dramatically increasing in Canada. It would not be unheard of to pay 60 percent tax on retirement income. Ask your customer these questions. Will Canada require more revenue in the future? Who will they get the money from? Won’t having to take care of all the people who didn’t save the way you did lower your standard of living?
10. Fraser Institute - https://www.fraserinstitute.org/
This site provides amazing information on a regular basis about government, taxes and healthcare in Canada. Canada still has wonderful healthcare; however, you are now required to wait months and months to get that care. What if you had enough money to get healthcare sooner? Would you want to know about that?
Here is a list of additional websites and people that I believe will grammatically increase your professionalism.
11. Ed Slott
12. David McKnight
13. Tom Hegna
14. Pamela Yellin (Bank on Yourself)
15. Don Blanton (Circle of Wealth)
16. Robert Castiglione (Leap)
17. Jim Ruta (Coach)
18. Sandy Schussel (Coach)
19. Jeremy Nason (Coach)
20. Laurence Kotlikoff (Social Security expert)
21. Congressional Budget Office
22. Government Accountability Office
23. TSR Ratio for Insurance Companies
24. Market Watch (Wall Street Journal Magazine)
25. Forbes
26. Seeking Alpha
27. The Motley Fool
28. Fiscal Policy
29. Monetary Policy
30. Derivatives
This should help you build an enormous amount of information that you can use to create amazing conversations using questions. Here is this month’s first article idea.
Idea #1: We Must Be a Fiduciary for Every Sale
I would recommend that all newsletter subscribers read the two attached articles carefully. It is the Department of Labor’s intention that every sale of an annuity whether it is qualified or nonqualified will require a fiduciary standard rather than a best interest standard. There is even a concern that withdrawals from qualified money to fund cash value life insurance will require a fiduciary standard.
This kind of ridiculous government rule making will prevent many Americans from receiving they advice the need.
It is also an important reason to belong to your professional organization Naifa, who works diligently to prevent this kind of overreaching legislation.
This Information Will Affect Your Future!
Title: How a New Rule Could Change the Way Advisers Handle Your Retirement Money
https://www.nytimes.com/ (The New York Times, March 26, 2024)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/business/fiduciary-rule-retirement.html#:~:text=Under%20the%20latest%20proposal%2C%20fiduciaries,place%20to%20mitigate%20those%20conflicts
Title: Senators Urge DOL To Hurry And Finalize Fiduciary Rule
https://www.fa-mag.com/ (Financial Advisor, March 27, 2024)
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/senators-urge-dol-to-hurry-and-finalize-fiduciary-rule-77474.html#:~:text=Nine%20Democrats%20in%20the%20U.S.,on%20the%20rollover%20of%20retirement
Idea #3: Inflation Has Caused Real Damage
This article makes a wonderful and important declaration about the way the government shares inflation information with us. The article also shows there was a 40 percent increase in the money supply since January of 2020.
The purchasing power of our money has been greatly damaged since 2020 by these Federal Reserve actions. Since 2020 the cumulative inflation rate is 20 percent. That means it now requires $120 to buy the same goods and services the $100 bought in 2020. Said a different way, $1.00 is now worth only $0.83. That is real damage in a short amount of time.
Title: The Federal Reserve’s Folly: An Inflation Rate Of 20%
https://www.forbes.com/ (Forbes, march 26, 2024)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johntobey/2024/03/26/the-federal-reserves-folly-an-inflation-rate-of-20/?sh=2a59b90551de
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