American workers are becoming more and more pessimistic about their retirement prospects, according to a new survey by Sun Life Financial, but those who have invested in annuities or hold long-term care insurance are decidedly more confident.

The business process has always been interesting to me. What do we do and how do we do it? We all seem to follow a similar process with varying results. The typical new business progression is as follows: We obtain a potential prospect . . . referral, direct mail, telemarketer or someone we meet on a plane, etc. We attempt to arrange an initial meeting If successful, we tell our story. What is our differentiator? What are their…

FINRA this week issued an investor alert urging the roughly 30% of American workers who are not contributing enough to their 401(k) plans to receive a full employer match to step up their contributions in order to meet their eventual retirement needs.

Even the most able of insurance CIOs may find themselves hard pressed to keep their footing on a rapidly evolving technological playing field. Yet, even if they do, they may find the rules of the game are changing too.

The Obama administration is pulling the plug on a long-term, home-care program included in the 2010 health care reform law that Republicans have derided as a budget trick.

As the cost for health insurance continues to rise, the relationship between a benefit professional and a customer looking for affordable health care benefits can become strained. Despite the tough times, Read in today's BeAdvised why a broker who can provide a silver lining will stand out from the competition as a credible, valuable consultant.

WageWorks Inc. is sponsoring a consumer education campaign which provides resources and tips on the advantages and proper uses of pre-tax benefits. Save Smart, Spend Healthy’s focus expands this year to include information on pre-tax dependent care and commuter benefits, in addition to health care flexible spending accounts.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance announced last week that it will publish its third consumer-focused advertorial section, entitled “Fresh Perspectives on Long-Term Care Planning" in the December issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

Are you overlooking or denying these three valuable lessons? If so, you are destined to repeat them. Read how you can learn and adapt to become more successful in the industry.

Here's a recent roundup of industry accomplishments. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned this week.

Wells Fargo & Co plans to cut costs by moving its workers into insurance plans that encourage them to spend less on health care.

It’s getting close to Halloween, which has many of us thinking about ghosts, witches, vampires and zombies. Apparently, the Obama administration is even getting into the spirit of the season, with a zombie of its own. Perhaps, though, you know it better as the CLASS Act. CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) is the famous/infamous portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would allow voluntary enrollees to participate in a public long-term care…

Independent and insurance brokers/dealers are the strongest sales channels for variable annuities, according to The Insured Retirement Institute’s “2011 Portfolio Construction Dynamics” report. But, generating income throughout these broker/dealers’ clients’ retirement doesn’t come without challenges. The report from IRI — in partnership with Cerulli Associates — explores these challenges and offers insight on how to grow adviser acceptance of variable annuities as a retirement income solution.

Open Enrollment. Those two words are at once frightful and insightful. It’s a time when you’re able to make decisions with clients and do the work you love to do, but it’s also filled with late nights, long meetings, and at times, intense frustration. Research has shown that the open enrollment period also is a time of added stress for employers seeking to protect their financial health while offering a cost-effective and robust health plan for…

Here's a recent roundup of industry accomplishments.

Here’s a scenario for you: a group health and wellness client you’ve represented for over ten years approaches you to be his/her adviser on a 401(k) plan. Congrats! You’ve worked hard to position yourself as a valued adviser. No doubt you’d like to reap the fruits of your labor. But your next action is extremely important. It may have not only ethical consequences, but legal ones as well. It is vital that you go forward with a…

A top Labor Department official defended the controversial plan to expand the definition of "fiduciary" to cover people providing advice to retirement plans on a commission-based model, a proposal strongly opposed by industry groups representing independent broker-dealers and advisers.

In the midst of a gaping hole in life insurance coverage, Mintel Comperemedia, a research and consulting agency that specializes in direct marketing, released statistics regarding the life insurance sector’s marketing targets and finds that carriers are drifting further and further away from the bull’s-eye.

President Obama's sweeping health care overhaul will top the agenda in the new Supreme Court term that opened on Monday and could be the most momentous in decades.

According to recent studies employee and employer perspectives on voluntary benefits vary greatly. Read in today's BeAdvised about one possible explanation for the discrepancy.