Menu

CPS Impact Life

Shutterstock_400293994

Are You Missing Sales Opportunities With Your Existing Clients?

Your client’s needs are changing each year and the task of making sure that they are adequately insured rests with you, the producer.

There are a number of events that can trigger a need for additional Life Insurance such as the purchase of a home, the birth of a family member, a marriage or divorce and even a promotion at the office.

When these events occur, most people are not thinking about how much additional Life Insurance they might need. It’s more likely that they are considering how these events are going to affect their day to day life. That is why it’s essential that you have a system or method of performing a policy review on each one of your clients.
 
Consider This
 
When reviewing policies, you may come across clients who have purchased new insurance in recent years but have found that they would like to increase their coverage. We have a carrier that allows your clients to add a new policy at the same underwriting class as their recently placed policy.
 
The amount available in the policy is determined by the number of years since the coverage was placed and the approved underwriting rating on the policy. We can help you determine if the client’s existing plan would make them eligible to enroll in this program.
 
The need for additional coverage is only one component of a policy review. We can also review an existing plan to make sure it is still the most cost effective plan for the client. Perhaps the client’s existing policy has substantial cash value and the client is only concerned with death benefit protection.
 
Through policy review, we may be able to 1035 exchange the cash value into a new policy, pay the same premium and provide a higher guaranteed death benefit for your client. Our Policy Review Kit contains sample approach letters and facts to help you get the process started.
 
Call us today for a copy of the Policy Review Kit or any other policy review related support.
Shutterstock_1118988905-1

Understanding Loan Options within IUL Policies

Indexed Universal Life (IUL) is a popular product choice for cash value accumulation because of its potential for higher interest crediting rates based on the performance of a selected index over a given period of time.
 
A big selling point for the IUL product line is the assurance that the client will never lose a single cent of their accumulated cash value due to poor market performance. Unlike Variable UL policies which are subject to market performance and allow for both gains and losses on your account value, IUL uses a floor rate to protect your cash value from losses when your index account allocations have negative returns.
 
This makes for a great story during the accumulation phase. But what about the distribution phase? What is the best way to distribute the funds from the policy?

Understanding the different options available is the key to making the best decision for your client. Most IUL policies allow for either fixed or variable loans.

The fixed loans have a stated interest rate on the outstanding loan amount so there is no question about the cost of the loan. After a certain number of years, the IUL product will often provide for a wash loan or preferred loan where the amount being charged on the loan is the same as the interest being credited to the cash value (thereby resulting in zero net cost on the loaned funds.)
 
The more commonly illustrated policy loan distribution is the Variable Loan.
 
Using a positive arbitrage (the illustrated interest crediting rate for cash value is higher than the interest rate being charged on outstanding policy loans) allows an illustration to reflect a gain on the outstanding loan rather than a charge. Because this can make an illustration more attractive due to the higher cash value accumulations during the distribution phase, it’s what many producers prefer to show to their clients.
 
It is imperative that producers understand how these loan features work and communicate to their clients that they also have the potential for a negative arbitrage which can create considerable interest due on outstanding policy loans.
 
Depending on your client’s risk tolerance and whether or not they plan on paying outstanding policy loan interest as it accrues, either policy loan option can be appropriate. If you do not have an understanding of how your clients would like to approach their policy loans and simply elect the variable loans due to the potential for positive arbitrage, you may be setting yourself up for a difficult conversation if the loan interest charged exceeds the interest crediting rate for cash value and the amount available for distribution decreases well below your clients anticipated income amount.
 
Agents who are selling IUL products and highlighting the ability to generate an income stream from the policy should have a thorough understanding of the loan provisions and be able to help their clients to better understand which feature is in their best interest.
 
Our Life Sales Team is here to help you navigate the various options and make the most suitable recommendations for your clients. Contact us today.
Shutterstock_87407255

Indexed Universal Life: The All-Around Product

The recent market volatility has prompted many advisors to look for Life Insurance solutions that can help clients achieve their goals while minimizing the impact of market fluctuations.

A product that has gained substantial traction is the Indexed Universal Life policy, a Fixed Life product that can offer clients the potential for growth and protection from market loss.

Product Benefits
 
Flexible death benefit guarantees. Clients have access to a 20-year base policy death benefit guarantee (reduced for issue ages 65 and above) plus the optional Extended Death Benefit Guarantee rider.
 
Helps clients with a product that offers cash accumulation potential and minimizes the impact of market loss. This product features cap rates as high as 12% and floor to allow advisors to give clients more stable returns over time. The cap rate allows clients to maximize the interest credits they receive during up markets, while the floor rate protects them from loss during times of market decline.
 
Average of three market indexes. Indexed UL uses an annual interest crediting strategy that employs monthly averaging to help protect the interest credited during periods of market volatility. This strategy uses a blended average of market indexes (S&P 500®, the NASDAQ-100®, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average SM) and weighs them so that clients always benefit more from the better performing indexes. It’s important to note that Indexed Universal Life policies are not stock market investments and do not directly participate in any stock or equity investments.
 
Some IUL carriers feature a 140% current participation rate which means that clients could potentially be credited interest at 140% of the actual index return, subject to the cap rate.
 
Additional Features
 
Competitive underwriting. Underwriting options include simplified issue and guaranteed issue for corporate-owned and corporate-sponsored arrangements.
 
Access to an indemnity style Long-Term Care rider. Advisors can help clients maintain control of their money and their independence by adding a LTC rider onto the policy for an additional cost. The LTC rider may be known by different names in different states may not be available in every state and has an additional charge associated with it.
 
Target Clients
 
Indexed UL may be a good fit for clients who are:
 
  • Seeking Life Insurance that offers guarantees and the potential for growth
  • Looking for more stable accumulation potential during volatile markets
  • In need of flexible death benefit options
  • Interested in planning for possible LTC expenses
  • 35 to 55 years of age
If you have questions about this product or case design, please contact your Life Sales Representatives today.
Shutterstock_2273999575

Create New Sales Opportunities With Term Insurance

Term Insurance is often used as a cost effective way to replace income, repay debts and/or provide a legacy in the event of a premature death.
 
In addition to these great functions, there are certain term insurance products that can provide your clients with more comprehensive benefits while they are still alive.

Promoting these solutions will not only deliver additional value to your clients, but will also help differentiate you from the competition in what is largely a price driven marketplace.

Consider This
 
For many clients, a major medical event (such as a heart attack, stroke or being diagnosed with cancer) can have devastating financial effects and leave their family unsure of how they will continue to make ends meet while paying for medical care.
 
Did you know that there are term insurance products which could be used as a source of income in the event that the insured were to experience once of these medical events?
 
With built in critical illness and chronic illness benefits, you can help your clients obtain coverage that will offer benefits while the insured is still alive. There is even a product available with these living benefits that can accommodate non-medical underwriting for face amounts up to $249,999!
 
With the introduction of these living benefit features to the term insurance marketplace, you now have a simple sales concept that you can use to create new sales with prospects and existing clients alike. How many of your clients would consider replacing their existing term coverage with a product that could pay benefits if they were to experience a major health event?
 
Contact us today for a copy of our Policy Review Kit and to learn more about the living benefit term solutions available in your state.
Shutterstock_1888095253

Maximum Future Flexibility – Cash Value Life Insurance

Life Insurance products are designed to protect risks from being transferred to an undeserving party by having a group of individuals pay premiums to reduce the overall cost of mitigating these risks.
 
This is seemingly the base definition of the purpose of insurance, but there are additional caveats based on the specific design of the products.

The market has been repositioned in recent years to be geared toward guarantees with traditional no-lapse features built into policies.

During this market shift there was a product line that was forgotten, Cash Value Life Insurance.
 
The initial advent of Universal Life Insurance promulgated the concept of access to cash value and maximum future product flexibility.
 
The current interest rate environment is at a 40-year all time low and individuals are looking for creative ways to achieve the highest return on their money. The cash value products provide an alternative savings account and provide great flexibility to prospects when looking to supplement retirement benefits from a pension, 401(k), IRA or any other existing retirement vehicle within their portfolio.
 
The cash value is also another source of capital for an emergency fund for an uncertain future medical expense, or these values could be used if a unique business opportunity that would not have been available to the policy owner otherwise.
 
If the policy owner’s experience financial hardship they are able to adjust the policy to keep their coverage intact
 
One of the most prevalent features is that the policy owners reserve the right to skip premiums if the cash value is great enough to cover their obligation. This reduces the possibility of lapse or reinstatement, which can be a cumbersome task for the client to complete.
 
This is a concept that should be discussed, because the traditional guarantees might not be flexible enough to meet client objectives in a financial environment that is new to even highly sophisticated advisors.
 
Contact Us
 
We want to help you provide the most comprehensive insurance planning to your clients and put you in a position to grow your business. For more information on the cash value products please contact your Life Sales Marketing Manager today and ask about our Policy Review Program!
Shutterstock_1398928751

3 Out Of 4 Clients Want Help Preparing For Retirement – Do They Know How You Can Help?

Clients often think of life insurance solely as an instrument to protect them in the event of premature death, unaware of the valuable tax benefits that are afforded through cash value life insurance. And in today’s volatile marketplace, clients that are saving to retire need all the help they can get.

You have access to many products that can provide your clients with tax favored cash accumulation and if structured properly, will also provide for non-reportable, tax-free income.

The ability to specify a premium schedule is one of the great features available in our cash value life insurance products, removing the objection that the policy costs too much money. By educating your clients about the benefits of cash value life insurance as a long-term savings vehicle, they are likely to fund the policy with as much premium as they can reasonably afford.
 
While term insurance may be efficient for replacing income, or indemnifying debts, clients are very likely to outlive their level benefit period – receiving no return on their premium contributions.
 
How You Can Help
 
Recommending a cash value insurance policy at a younger age and more favorable health will better prepare your clients to address critical financial concerns such as retirement income planning, college tuition funding for loved ones and also paying for unexpected events (medical emergencies, litigation, home renovations, etc.) in their family.
 
The longer that you can fund a policy and allow the cash value account to compound interest and grow, the larger the potential income stream will be. One of the unique features of using life insurance is the death benefit – if the insured dies prior to accessing their cash values, it will provide a tax-free return on the premiums paid to date.
 
Many of your clients want to have a conversation about their options in regards to preparing themselves for retirement, but feel overwhelmed by the thought or do not know where to start. If you haven’t shared how cash value life insurance can play an integral role in their long-term financial planning strategy, you are likely missing out on easy sales; leaving the door open for another broker to have that conversation with them instead.
 
Your Life Sales Rep can provide you with an understanding of the different products available for cash accumulation. We can provide you with customized solutions for each client. Whether they can spend $100/month, $1,000/month or $10,000/month, we can create a solution that fits their budget.
 
Contact us today to learn how you can begin to position cash value life insurance as a core product offering to all of your clients.
Shutterstock_1075610606

How To Lower Your Client’s Premium – Every Time

What if you could offer your client the lowest premium on any Term or UL policy every time?
 
For years, Life Insurance carriers haven’t given their clients the option to offer the death benefit proceeds to be paid in any way but a lump sum. However, with new product advancements a few carriers now offer a flexible death benefit payment option than can provide an income stream for the beneficiaries, while significantly lowering the premium for the insured.

The Income Provider Option from a few of our selected carriers allows the policy owner to select a guaranteed annual or monthly income stream death benefit for payment to one or more beneficiaries.

How it works:
 
Not only will this Income Provider Option allow the policy owner to control how the benefits will be paid, it also decreases current cost of the insurance by providing graded premium discounts based on how long the income stream pays out. This endorsement is an extremely innovative and cost effective way to hedge against adverse underwriting or premiums above your client’s tolerance to get them the coverage they really need.
 
The Income Provider Option also presents the client with a great deal of flexibility granting them the ability to directly specify how the payments will be made to the beneficiary. Payments can be structured so that a surviving spouse receives a payment from the policy every wedding anniversary, or a grandchild receives a sizable birthday gift from a grandparent for a designated amount of years. This payment option can provide a lasting legacy and address the personal and sentimental value of the Life Insurance policy by ensuring the death benefit is paid the way the insured intended.
 
The Income Provider Option provides your client with two immediate benefits; first, it will give them peace of mind knowing their family will be cared for the way they intended, and second it will help lower current premiums, leaving them more discretionary income while they are still alive.
 
If you have a client in mind or would like to learn more about this great endorsement, please contact your dedicated Life Sales Associate.
Shutterstock_2046365909

Is It Time To Upgrade Your Client’s Life Policy?

“Old Insurance” Vs. “New Insurance” – Which Do Your Clients Own?
 
While the death benefit is quite often the most important feature of life insurance, there are many products available that provide additional features and benefits.
 
The term “old insurance” applies to policies that don’t have much additional value beyond the death benefit, while “new insurance” would refer to life insurance where clients do not need to die in order to receive a benefit.
 
We advocate regular reviews of your clients’ insurance policies, to ensure they have the most appropriate and effective product solutions to meet their ever-changing needs.

A policy review may uncover that the existing amount of coverage is no longer reflective of their true need and/or that there’s opportunity to enhance their coverage via the inclusion of living benefits.

Take for example the following:
 
  • Long-Term Care, Chronic Illness and Critical Illness Riders are just a few examples of “new insurance” benefits not commonly available at the turn of the century.
  • The evolution of Index UL can provide your clients with tax-favored accumulation and tax-free income – which can serve as an alternative solution to the Roth IRA if they are restricted by contribution limits or earn too much income, making them ineligible for the Roth IRA altogether.
  • For younger clients concerned about retirement income, cash value life insurance makes for a great addition to their investment portfolio by providing a diversified source of accumulation.
Most clients only know about “old insurance,” and would likely consider a replacement if they were aware of the enhanced benefits available through “new insurance” products.
 
Don’t let your clients hear this story from another agent or advisor. We can provide you with turn-key policy review materials, and will help you to create a list of key talking points you can use to initiate discussions with your clients about their existing policies.
 
Contact your Life Sales Rep today for more information.
Shutterstock_491859880-1

Are You Following Up on Your Term Sales?

Term Insurance is often sold to clients who simply want the lowest cost death benefit protection for a specified period of time. Clients and producers alike will preach the concept of buying Term and investing the savings.
 
While we’d like to think that clients and the investors hold themselves accountable for this strategy and do invest their cost savings, we know it is more likely that the clients pay for the Term coverage and then spend their savings elsewhere. The Term Insurance is then forgotten over time only to be revisited once the level Term period has expired and the client does not want to pay the escalated premium.

One way to help your clients effectively plan for their long-term needs is to discuss the Term Conversion option.

Consider this:
 
By completing a conversion application, the client can change their coverage from a Term plan to a Permanent policy without any additional underwriting. This is usually allowed up to a certain age (commonly 65, 70 or 75 depending on the provider). The cost of these conversions is based on the insured’s attained age at the time of the request so the longer your client waits to exercise their conversion option, the more expensive the premium will be.
 
This should be a topic that you address with your clients on a regular basis to ensure that you do not let the conversion privilege expire and also that you are converting at the earliest, most appropriate time which can save your clients significant premium costs. It will also ensure that your clients have the coverage in place when they need it most – when they pass away. Since the average life expectancy is in the mid-80s, more often than not, the level Term policy will expire before your client expires.
 
Ask yourself if you have a process in place to address your clients who have purchased Term Insurance. Even if converting their Term plan isn’t the most appropriate course of action at this time, the review discussion may uncover additional needs for insurance or lead to referrals.
 
We can help you determine if your client’s Term plan has a conversion option and provide you the marketing support needed to turn these cases into permanent sales.
 
If you have any clients that may be approaching their conversion deadlines or who may be appropriate prospects for a policy review, call us and we can help get the process started for you.
Shutterstock_1289649862

One Life Insurance Plan – Numerous Benefits

Life Insurance is one of the most valuable assets there is – especially when you consider the numerous benefits that a Permanent Life Policy can provide now, while still securing a financial future for loved ones down the line.

Successful individuals between the ages of 30 and 50 with young families will find that permanent Life Insurance is an ideal asset.

If properly structured, permanent Life Insurance can produce:
 
  • Tax free death benefit to loved ones
  • Tax deferred cash accumulation and income
  • Tax free benefits to pay for long term care expenses
On top of all these benefits, permanent Life Insurance also offers:
  • Flexible payments
  • No required minimum distributions
  • The opportunity to earn premium discounts and rewards – for clients who engage in John Hancock’s innovative Vitality Program
Do you know which clients you should be marketing Permanent Life Insurance to? Look for clients that seek out value – not just the lowest price on a spreadsheet. Talk to individuals who are open to new concepts and would be interested in one plan that will address their multiple needs.
 
Contact your Life Sales Rep to learn more regarding what benefits you could be offering using Life Insurance and a few hundred dollars per month.

Load More

Back To Top

Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Collaboration and Creativity – our core values since 1974

The EPICC Center is the online source for financial professionals, designed to provide them with the essential elements they need to run their practice and increase their bottom line including breaking news, carrier / product information, market trends, sales ideas, marketing tools & resources and more.

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required

Copyright © CPS Insurance Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved EPICC | Designed by Apis Productions