Tag Archives: FEATURED

I am a student of history.  Reading about lost civilizations and their culture is fascinating.  Their customs and traditions (as well as their myths and legends) tell us much about what they valued.  The social, religious and political interactions amongst these ancient people are intriguing, and reveal that we aren’t that different from our distant ancestors. In ancient times, city-states …

In December 2009, the Hartford Life Insurance Company conducted a study titled, The Hartford Investments and Retirement Survey. The goal of the survey was to come up with a better understanding of the retirement needs, concerns, and perceptions of consumers in the U.S., particularly the Baby Boomer demographic. The results? “Retirement and/or financial planning is viewed as too complex or …

As a child of the 1960s, I remember watching TV, and the amazing transition from black and white to our first color TV.  It sure made watching my favorite cartoons more entertaining.  I’m not sure why, but even our black and white cartoons looked better on that new color TV set. One particular scene played out in the cartoon world …

As the New Year approaches, you should be aware of several significant changes in store for the life insurance industry.  Many of the changes are great for both agents and their customers, though there are some pitfalls to avoid. Technology has played a big part in many of the new trends, and the industry has been adapting and moving quicker …

You woo them, you court them, you often invite them to dinner and buy them a nice meal.  You occasionally shower them with gifts, and you bend over backwards to see that they have everything they need to make a decision in your favor.  You talk, laugh, and get to know each other.  You come to believe that person is …

There’s an oversupply of useless, whacky, and just plain dumb marketing and sales ideas. For example, if someone says the best time to email customers is 10 a.m. on Thursdays, forget it. What if you’re aiming at teachers, lawyers, nurses, Boomers or just about anyone else? One solution never fits everyone, even if they’re in the same market segment. So, …

Most financial professionals specialize in financial, retirement, insurance, and estate planning. In doing so, they usually utilize a holistic planning process designed to review and optimize all areas of a client’s financial needs. However, studies reveal that most “successful” financial professionals choose to specialize in a particular niche.  In other words, they focus the majority of their time, energy, and …

If you’ve been reading my articles over the last few years, you know that I’m a huge advocate of asking for referrals.  While I don’t teach an aggressive approach, I do advocate finding ways to be appropriately proactive.  Sometimes, it’s appropriate to promote the referral process by planting referral seeds. One of my favorites is, “Don’t keep me a secret,” …

“I got a raise, well, sort of, maybe.”  That’s the comment of today’s Social Security recipients after the SSA recently announced beneficiaries would receive a whopping 1.7% increase in benefits in 2015.  This increase applies to those receiving retirement benefits, as well as to those who are receiving disability or SSI benefits next year. At the same time, the Part …

If you’ve failed at producing big results in your business, it’s time to let the failures go and move on.  As an entrepreneur, you do not have time to sit around with regret. You’ve got to get moving!  If you want to produce big results, you first need to understand how to get big results.  Big results are brought about …