With the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) right around the corner, it’s a good time for a review of the CMS rules regarding the marketing of the upcoming year’s plans. CMS does not allow the marketing of 2018 products prior to October 1st, when AEP marketing officially begins. Even with those restrictions, there are things you […]
Federal regulators recently announced they are considering a ban on the sale of Hospital Indemnity and Critical Illness policies. The “Tri-Agency” Team – the Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – has included this proposal in a new batch of draft regulations that also […]
“I’m a small business, so why do I need a brand?” Business and marketing experts urge small business owners to “brand” their businesses with a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. You may not be convinced that you need a brand as an independent insurance agent, but let’s look at branding in a […]
The outlook has been bleak for ACA producers as more and more insurance carriers announce drastic cuts (or even eliminations) to their commissions. It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially with all the time and energy it takes for each ACA appointment from prospecting to binder-payment and all the training. While each carrier seems […]
“In a few years, I’m going to be obsolete.” That statement was made to me recently by a dear friend and a long-time insurance agent who was quite put out that a client had enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan directly over the internet. “My clients can look at plans on Medicare’s website, and can […]
Recently an agent approached me to express interest in working with Final Expense. The question that follows is one that I am all too familiar with – “How do I broach the subject of end of life planning?” Rule of thumb: no death jokes. Just don’t do it. Offering Final Expense to your existing clients […]
