Practice management

Growth strategies aimed at baby boomers may be losing their effectiveness among younger consumers, as the population becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, according to “Life-Annuity Consumer Markets Annual,” from Conning and Company, an insurance asset management group.

A Senate hearing yesterday discussed a bill that creates a non-profit, national organization that would simplify the licensing process for brokers conducting business outside of their state of residence.

Gen. McChrystal talked at MetLife’s National Benefits Symposium on Monday in Washington, divulging lessons learned from the experience that forced his resignation as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

When small business owners become successful, they become a magnet for questionable deals and speculative investments. So says Bethesda, Md., planner Jeff Leventhal, who has developed a specialized practice serving entrepreneurs.

Despite the progress made through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on health care access, there are challenges to come from health reform, said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) Thursday at the AHIP National Policy Forum in Washington.

This week we’ll look at the potential for Medicaid to impact employers, the latest from AHIP on opposition to MLR regulations and a slideshow recap of ASPPA’s 401(k) Summit.

Kids are no strangers to accidents. No matter how it happens or where students are hurt on school property, schools are liable for the cost of student injuries and need to be prepared for these sometimes devastating expenses. This presents an opening for brokers, says EBA blogger Sam Fleet.

Most brokers who plan to stay in the industry in 2014 are learning to embrace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But as two health policy minds from opposite sides of the political spectrum discussed Wednesday at America’s Health Insurance Plans conference in Washington, unknown effects of PPACA and rising costs of health care should still be on the minds of carriers and brokers alike.

The insurance industry is not very prepared for climate change, according to “Insurer Climate Risk Disclosure Survey: 2012 Findings & recommendations,” from the Ceres Coalition.

Two employers shared how they’ve gotten creative with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at Thursday’s National Business Group on Health conference in Washington. One chose to move to a new consumer-driven health plan and the other chose a private exchange through Aon Hewitt.

We’re starting your week with three important facts, developments or conversations from recent and upcoming events. This week, we’ll look at why uninsured Americans’ hospital bills are so high, more official steps forward by HHS on public exchanges and HHS goals for tech improvements in 2013.

Nearly half of all health plan members in the group and individual markets nationwide say they are interested in using a state exchange to purchase health insurance, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

A recent Schwab survey of planning students at Texas Tech found that the lure of client relationship management and working in-person with clients remains high, with nearly half of students citing the latter as a priority.

The industry has gone through an evolution in the way it delivers services to clients, the way businesses operate and the state of the competitive market. At some point in there, value added services became all the rage. But now we have a problem, says EBA Blogger Wendy Keneipp.

Try a little “brain-based sales and marketing,” suggests ASSPA’s Lisa Allen. Speaking about building a loyal client base this week at the ASSPA/NAPA 401(k) Summit, Allen offered the view that plan sponsors typically choose to work with an adviser because they find a “good personal fit,” then retroactively confirm that all of the objective and numbers-based reasons for that decision are in line.”

We’re starting your week with three important facts, developments or conversations from recent and upcoming events. This week, we look at the new IRS guidelines, final ruling from CMS on MLR ratio and what’s going on in Europe with retirement taxes.

Get ready for tip off. Sun Life Financial is set to offer brokers a new place to take employer clients and employees — the NBA basketball court.

How agents can help highly compensated executives save and remain competitive with safe harbor 401(k) by John Ludwig

EBA editor Elizabeth Galentine on why brokers should shift their focus.

A day in the life of Kristin Ash of Global Benefits Group