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http://www.cpsinsurance.com

Questions? Contact our Sales Teams at (949) 863-0700. Life Insurance - Option 1 / Annuities - Option 2 / LTC - Option 3 / DI - Option 4.

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Getting Sales Returns From Tax Returns

Way back in time I had the good fortune to work in a firm whose in-house CPA happened to be the author of the joke column for a well-known accountant publication.
 
He well understood the contradiction between the nature of his editorial role and the droll reputation his profession has concerning things related to any form of humor. Thinking about it always caused him to laugh.
 
He would add, “An accountant is an actuary with a personality. I was going to become an attorney, but felt it would be worse to be thought a shyster!” I think he used both of those lines in his column.
 
If the professional stereotype has some substance you don’t have to look far into the Internal Revenue Code to understand the cause, at least among tax accountants.
 
There is nothing funny about it, and you do have to look far and wide to find tax jokes, because there just aren’t any. Such a morose work environment understandably takes a widespread toll on even the most affable of professions.

The only joke, perhaps, is the one played on taxpayers when the government set filing day as April 15.

Note that it is about as far as they could get from Election Day without being too obvious. So by the time you vote in November the sting of taxation is far from your mind as you pull the lever for the folks who will use the next year’s April showers to rain on your parade.
 
The Opportunity
 
Right now the last thing most clients want to re-address is the return they just did address to the IRS. But herein lies the planning and sales opportunities.
 
Left to themselves clients will wait until after next New Year’s to call and ask what you can do to reduce their income tax for this year. Short of a couple of possible qualified money deductions, maybe, there’s not much to offer.
 
Now is the time to act and several of our core carriers have materials that make the process more focused and beneficial – with illustrations and commentary concerning how to walk through a client’s tax return pointing out opportunities and making suggestions for planning advantages.
 
The material might also be put to good use with CPAs, encouraging them to review the returns of clients they might send to you for planning help.
 
Besides, they are in such a good mood this time of year they may even respond to a couple of your jokes about insurance advisors.
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Help Your Client Retire On-Time Using Indexed UL

Many Americans have the goal of retiring at age 65. It’s assumed that at that age, one will have worked long enough to have sufficient assets which can provide income over the rest of your life.

If your client’s primary source of funds for retirement income is a 401(k) plan, they could be facing a harsh reality when it comes time to retire.

401(k) plans are generally exposed to market volatility and are taxable as ordinary income upon distribution. If a client’s investments are down in the years just prior to retirement, they may find themselves needing to work longer to fund their retirement while hoping that their investment allocations turnaround and provide a positive return.

If a 401(k) plan is only one component of your client’s diversified retirement plan, then this may not be as big of a concern. But if they are banking on that 401(k) to take care of them and their family after their working career, they may want to consider using an Indexed Universal Life policy to protect against downturns in the market.

Above The Match

For those who have a company match, it makes sense to contribute to the max that a company is willing to match. Any funds that would normally contribute to a 401(k) above the match can be directed into an Indexed UL policy. This will allow clients to protect themselves against negative returns since the product has a floor rate which ensures that they will never lose a single penny of their accumulated value.

With caps on the interest credited around 12% they still have substantial potential to grow their retirement fund and provide a tax free income for life. This strategy also protects loved ones in the event of a premature death. If your client were to pass away before retirement, their beneficiary would receive a tax-free lump sum death benefit from the Life Insurance policy.

If you have clients who are contributing to their 401(k) plan without a company match or if they are contributing funds above and beyond their company match, this concept could help them protect their accumulated account values and retire on-time.

Call your dedicated Life Marketing Specialist to find out how much income you can help generate for your client‘s retirement while protecting their accumulated funds from market downturns.

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Aggressive Rates For High Blood Pressure

Don’t let one impairment, like elevated blood pressure force your client into a Standard Non-tobacco class.

Here’s an example for the record:
  • 60-year- old female non-smoker
  • Has no history of high blood pressure
  • Her current BP is 150/92 (normal should be 140/90 and under)
  • Applied for $1 million of Permanent Life Insurance
Offer: Standard Plus!
 
If you aren’t quoting Standard Plus for your healthy standard cases, your clients could be paying more than they need to.
 
Our Underwriting Team is here to help with all of your impaired risk cases. Please contact us today for more information about this carrier and how we can help boost your sales.
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Tactical Tuesday | Preserve Your IRA Legacy: Passing Down Wealth & Wisdom

Don’t miss the next webinar in the Advanced Sales Tactical Tuesdays series!

“Preserve Your IRA Legacy: Passing Down Wealth & Wisdom” 

Embrace National Financial Literacy Month and gain the wisdom needed to choose the right individual IRA beneficiaries to preserve and pass wealth to the next generation.

Tuesday, April 28th, at 10.00 AM PST

REGISTER NOW

Partnering with CPAs is one of the most effective ways to generate new business by delivering insurance-based solutions that complement their tax and financial strategies. CPAs sit at the crossroads of tax, cash flow, retirement, and succession decisions—the exact moments when protection and accumulation solutions belong on the table.

When you learn together, you create tax‑smart strategies that drive real results.

About the series:
  • Clear, practical Advanced Sales content designed for real client conversations.
  • Co‑learning with your CPA partners—each session provides one CPE credit per attending CPA.
  • All webinars start at 10.00 am pst.
How this grows your business:
  • Warm introductions to ideal prospects through trusted CPA relationships.
  • Coordinated language that simplifies complex topics for clients.
  • Faster movement from advice to implementation.
Make it simple:
  • Invite a CPA to attend with you.
  • Register together for one session or the full series.
  • Schedule a 15‑minute debrief to align on next steps for shared clients.

Let’s turn tax‑smart planning into measurable insurance growth—together. Please call the CPS Life Sales Team at (949) 863-0700 Option 1 with any questions.

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How To Dial Down Premium To Make An LTCi Policy More Affordable

The Situation
 
Your client understands the need for Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCi), but feels the premium is too costly – they want the policy, but can’t afford the premium.
 
The Sales Solution
 
With all the options available on LTCi products, you can help your client “dial down” the premium to fit their budget. After all, some Long-Term Care Insurance is better than none.
 
You can dial down premium in a number of ways:
  • Adjust the inflation protection option.
  • Reduce the monthly benefit amount.
  • Reduce the maximum monthly benefit amount for assisted living.
  • Adjust the benefit period.
  • Adjust the elimination period.
Here’s how it works:
 
If you’re making a partnership qualified sale, the inflation protection option must meet state requirements based on the client’s age at application. In this case, you may not be able to adjust the inflation protection option and may have to adjust the monthly benefit amount instead in order to reduce the premium.

If inflation protection is not a factor, look at using an inflation protection option other than 5% lifetime. You might consider the 5% 20-year option, which provides a compounding benefit increase for the first 20 years of the policy. You also could use a 3% or 4% lifetime option or the 5% simple option.
 
If your client feels they may not need the maximum monthly benefit for assisted living facility, they have the option to reduce that benefit by as much as 50%.
 
You also can help the client select from seven different benefit periods and six different elimination periods to help reduce the cost of the policy.
 
Your Competitive Advantage
 
Having the ability to show your client various benefit combinations allows you to tailor a policy that meets their needs while staying within their budget. And that gives you a competitive advantage in the LTCi marketplace.
 
For more information contact your LTC Specialist today.
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Are You Interested In A Guaranteed 5.82% Return On Investment?

Clients purchase insurance to protect themselves and their families from life’s unknowns.

With Disability Insurance, clients can sleep through the night knowing that if they were to wake up sick or hurt – financially, they’d be okay.

But what happens when your clients remain healthy throughout the entirety of their working years? Clients would have been paying premiums for years just for peace of mind – which, as you well know, is not always an easy ‘return on investment’ to sell.
 
Income Protection Plans are available with a 100% return of premiums paid. Meaning, that if your clients didn’t use it, they wouldn’t lose it – they could have all of their premiums returned, income-tax free.
 
Here’s How It Works
 
A 39 year old male, private school Principal earning $80,000 annually qualifies for a plan that would pay him $3,800 monthly (tax-free) in event of an injury or illness. His monthly premium is $88.13 per month, with his total premium paid reaching $28,041 at age 67.
 
  • If he does not place a claim throughout the life of his policy, the $28,041 would have paid for his protection and peace of mind.
  • However, if he adds the Return Of Premium Advantage to his plan – his monthly premium would be $146.30 – BUT he would receive a check for a tax-free amount of $46,549 at the end of his policy, assuming no claims placed.
That is the investment return equivalent of 5.82% Guaranteed* for an additional $58.17 on his monthly premium.
 
And there’s more – even if your clients are disabled for a short period and only temporarily receive benefits, all of their premiums will be returned, less any benefits they receive.
 
At age 67, your clients can also select a refund option that works best for their financial plans. Their returns can be taken in cash, left with the carrier to accrue interest, paid in installments or annuitized, or even paid out over their lifetime.
 
If you have clients who are reluctant to purchase Individual DI coverage because they are concerned they will be paying for something they will never use – now is the time to reach out. Offer them the valuable coverage they need and peace of mind they want. Contact your DI Sales Rep for more information.
 
*The IRR will vary subject to clients age, occupation and benefit amount, and is not available in all states. The ROP is not an investment and should not be compared to any specific investments, securities or other assets with value.
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AI for Employer Benefits 🤖 Thursday, April 30

AI is changing how benefits professionals think, plan, and communicate—but only when it’s used correctly.

Thursday, April 30th – 11.00 AM to 11.30 AM PST

REGISTER NOW

This session focuses on how AI can support retirement plan strategy, benefits communication, committee preparation, and decision‑making, while reinforcing the importance of human judgement, fiduciary discipline, and context-driven thinking. You’ll learn:

  • How benefits professionals can use AI to organize thinking, pressure‑test ideas, and reduce mental load—without compromising expertise or compliance
  • The three most valuable AI roles in benefits work:
    • The Interviewer – clarifying plan goals and uncovering blind spots before meetings
    • The Communicator – refining participant, committee, and executive messaging
    • The Challenger – identifying risks, objections, and gaps in plan strategy
  • The AI Empowerment Curve—and why many benefits teams stall before seeing real value
  • How to move from AI curiosity to daily, reliable use in benefits workflows

AI won’t replace benefits expertise—but it can help professionals get 50–60% of the way there faster, freeing time for judgement, insight, and client impact. Register now to learn how to use AI intentionally, responsibly, and effectively in employer benefits and retirement planning.

Questions? Contact Jim Moore, Vice President of Retirement Services, at (949) 225-7145 or jmoore@cpsbenefits.com.

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Put “Side-boosters” On Your Term Insurance Plan

The world watched as Artemis II took the U.S. space program on its first manned step toward beyond Earth’s orbit in 54 years. A common sight is the side-boosters on the rocket that allow for the easy disposal of those sections’ weight once they are no longer needed for a fuel source as the space-craft approaches orbit.
 
Term life insurance plans should be structured so economically!
 
Consider a 35-year-old male preferred non-smoker making $100,000 who wants income replacement protection until anticipated retirement at age 65. The annual level premium for a 30-year $3,000,000 policy ($100,000 x 30 years) is $2646.Not too bad, but the cost over his working life will be $79,380.
 
But he has less years to insure for as time goes on. So, assume he reduces the death benefit to $2,000,000 after year 10, and to $1,000,000 after year 20. His total savings would be $26,460.But many carriers severely limit or do not allow face amount reductions. And even if they do, he has paid 30-year rates on two-thirds of the coverage he did not need for that long.
 
As an alternative implement “side-boosters” by “laddering” three term policies as follows:
  1. $1,000,000 in 10-year term for $298 annually…
  2. $1,000,000 in 20-year term for $509, and…
  3. $1,000,000 in 30-year term for $882 – the total premium over 30 years is reduced to $39,620, a total savings of over 50%!
Laddered term can be accomplished in a single application with instructions in the Comment Section for structuring the multiple policy arrangement. But for a smoother take-off, contact Tom Virkler, JD, Director of Advanced Markets, at tom@cpsadvancedmarkets.com or 706-614-3796.
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What Happens In Vegas Can Transform Your Business!

Today’s most successful CPAs are doing more than tax compliance—they’re helping clients implement advanced financial strategies that protect wealth, businesses, and families. National Life Group’s 2026 CPA Symposium, held May 26–29 at the Aria Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, is designed to help CPAs partner with insurance and financial professionals to do exactly that.
 
This immersive, CPE‑approved symposium (17 credits) shows CPAs how to collaborate with insurance advisors—without diluting independence or credibility—to deliver higher‑value planning solutions that clients increasingly need.
 
Over 2½ days, attendees gain practical insight into:
  • Identifying client profiles that benefit from advanced planning solutions
  • Understanding life insurance, business succession, and estate strategies at a high level
  • Learning how other CPAs are successfully expanding services and revenue streams
  • Exploring compliant partnership models now allowed in a majority of states
Backed by National Life Group’s Advanced Markets expertise, the Symposium also highlights real‑world applications in key person planning, buy‑sell strategies, foreign national estate planning, retirement income, and more—positioning CPAs to confidently introduce solutions while remaining client‑first.
 
As Allan D. Koltin, CPA, President of Koltin Consulting Group notes, National Life Group’s approach stands apart because it brings CPAs and financial professionals together “working in tandem…talking through the difficult and sometimes delicate issues of building a long‑term trusting relationship.”
 
If you’re looking to expand your practice, increase the level of services you offer, and potentially improve profitability—this Symposium may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
 
Registration is $1,000 and includes three nights at the Aria Hotel & Casino, symposium materials, scheduled meals, and 17 CPE credits—making it a high‑value investment in the future of your practice.
 
Learn more. Invest in the future of your practice. Call CPS today to reserve a spot for you and your CPA partner!
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How Policy Reviews Uncover Hidden Opportunities

Policy review can be a great tool to get your foot in the door with a new or existing client.

You will often find that the current policy is grossly underperforming due to the decrease in interest rates and that the policy is in danger of lapsing without increased premium payments.

Upon review, if your client is having trouble keeping up with increased premium payments because of underperformance or keeping up with existing premiums because of fixed income limitations, talk to them about our variety of Term/UL Hybrid products.
 
Before the cash values are exhausted to help pay premiums for an already unaffordable policy, show your clients how to utilize a 1035 exchange into one of these Term/UL hybrid products to lower current premiums or purchase a paid up policy.
 
How does it work?
 
With carriers beginning to introduce Term/UL Hybrid products, it can give your client an option to have a policy that combines flexible premium structure of a UL with the affordability of Term Insurance.
 
Most of these products accept a variety of different premium payment patterns including a single payment from a 1035 exchange unlike a traditional Term plan. They are purchased in guarantee periods of 10, 15, 20, 30 years but include a secondary guarantee that will run to age 121. This secondary guarantee can be accessed by paying an increased premium if the client wishes to extend their coverage without undergoing medical or financial underwriting.
 
As more of our major carriers begin to replace their traditional Term products with these Term/UL hybrids, it opens the opportunity for significant 1035 exchanges to be made from an underperforming policy into these products in order to purchase a paid up plan or ascertain a greater death benefit.
 
If you have a client in mind that would benefit from one these hybrid products please or contact your Life Sales Desk to learn more!

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