3 Mark Financial, Inc.

10/17/2018

Join Scott Hoke, CLU, ChFC Regional Vice President AXA for

A Smooth Sailing Approach to Retirement Planning Using Life Insurance

Webinar Later Today at 3:00 pm central

Providing for a Surviving Spouse in Retirement

In a recent Prudential survey, most respondents were unsure about what steps to take to plan for retirement. The top lessons retirees would pass on to today's pre-retirees are save more, start saving earlier, and plan on retiring later.  Read more.

The 4.5% Test

Considering a protection-focused IUL for your GUL clients? Concerns about the “guarantee-to-age” differences? Would, an IUL, even a protection-focused one, be conservative enough for them? Discover answers to those questions and more - in this quick 2-page flyer.

  New Guide Walks Clients Through Paramed Exam

A completed paramedical exam is an essential step in ensuring a case is Ready for Underwriting. In fact, a missing paramed exam is the leading reason why cases are Not Ready for Underwriter Review. We understand that your clients may have questions about the exam, so we've created a guide that explains what's involved and provides helpful information to help them prepare.

Trouble with the Mortality Curve?

Are increasing mortality expenses ruining your sales pitch? It might be time to change your game. Global Atlantic’s new Lifetime Foundation ELITE IUL is designed to eliminate mortality charges after age 90*, helping to keep the policy in force longer for less.  Learn more.

The Lincoln Leader

Click here to read the latest edition of the Lincoln Leader for updates on enhanced variable product underwriting and year-end guidelines. 

 Lincoln's Monthly Market Overview

Click here for a brief client-approved recap of Lincoln's observations on markets and volatility for September 2018. 

Looking for a Sales Concept?

Need a sales concept for a specific type of client? No sweat! We are including a recap of sales ideas you need to help your clients get their financial, estate and business plans in shape.  Learn more.

Reprice on PL Promise Term Life Insurance
As of October 15, 2018, PL Promise Term life insurance just got more competitive. Check out our new premiums.  Learn more.

Orion IUL Checks all the Boxes

Whether your clients need death benefit protection or supplemental income, our Orion Indexed Universal Life (IUL) can help support them when they need it most. Here are some key benefits.  

Three More Reasons to Recommend JH Vitality

We recently announced that John Hancock Vitality will be included on all our flagship products -- but that's not the only change we've made to the program. Vitality PLUS now features three great new benefits, including exclusive hotel.com discounts, Amazon Prime membership, and inclusion of Kroger grocery stores in HealthyFood. Learn more.

 Business Analyzer: Designed to Help You Grow Your Sales

When it comes to planning for business owners, the options are endless. Our newly-enhanced  Business Analyzer  interactive tool can help you navigate the options with your business owner clients, and identify the best solution based on their needs! 

Market Insights: Stocks Roiled by Rate Fears

Fresh off the strongest quarter for stock market gains since 2013, domestic equity markets sold off sharply during the first two weeks of October. While it is always difficult to know exactly why the price of broad equity indexes move in the short run, it is likely that the recent sharp run-up in interest rates spooked investors about prospects for future growth and the potential end of the current bull market.  Read more.

New Sharper Term Rates

At all ages, classes, amounts, and durations, OPTerm pricing* for Banner ranks #1 - 79% of the time. For William Penn, pricing ranks #1 - 80% of the time. October 8, 2018 - New rates include a mix of decreases and increases. Rate decreases in more than 40% of pricing cells improved our ranking against core competitors. Less than 7% of rates increased and focused on female tobacco users at higher face amounts.  Read more.

SIMPLE Plans - Don’t Wait to Terminate

Have you and your client decided their SIMPLE plan no longer meets their needs?  If so, there are some considerations to keep in mind. SIMPLE plans are always calendar year plans and cannot be terminated during the plan year.  Plan terminations must be effective 12/31 and notice provided at least 60 days in advance.

Prior to November 2nd:  Employers must notify employees, payroll providers and financial institutions the plan is being terminated as of 12/31.  If this notification deadline is missed, the client will be stuck with the plan for another year! The client isn’t required to file the notice of termination with the IRS but they should keep records of the notice, who received the notice, how and when the notice was provided. For more information on SIMPLE plan terminations or sample termination notices, please access the IRS website.

The Loan-Based Split Dollar Method

Did you know that Columbus Life policies can be funded with business assets in a tax-efficient manner and provide supplemental retirement income? They can by using the split dollar method. Learn more.

Hybrid or linked-benefit products are a fresh approach to retirement and estate planning. These products, cover opposing risk groups by combining long-term care coverage with life insurance or an annuity.

Your Clients Have Concerns. We have the Solutions.

In fact, we're the only LTCi carrier that offers multiple LTC solutions to help you address whatever concerns your clients may have. Learn more.

•  Traditional LTCi — Two traditional LTCi policies provide comprehensive benefits plus valuable built-in services, like care coordination.
• LTC Rider — Added to a Universal Life policy, this rider allows policyholders to use all or a portion of the death benefit to pay for qualified LTC expenses. 
• Chronic Illness Rider — Added at no cost to a Universal Life policy if people don't want or don't qualify for the LTC rider.

Are Your Clients “Stuck” in the Middle?

Caregiving can be a difficult, yet rewarding job. Many of your clients may be part of the sandwich generation, where they're feeling stuck in the middle. They're not only busy juggling raising kids of their own, but they're also caring for their aging parents or family members. This can have both a financial and emotional impact on these caregivers. But there are solutions to make things easier for the future. Check out this new campaign - and help your clients find financial peace of mind by putting a care plan in place now.  Read more. 

ASSET TRANSFER TIPS 

For all annuity carriers

Transferring assets, or exchanging money via section 1035 of the tax code, may have tax consequences. Any questions regarding taxation should be referred to a qualified tax professional.

Call the Financial Institution/Insurance Company to see what they require to transfer the money e. g. some financial institutions, like Fidelity, require a call from the client to release money, others like Northwestern Mutual require their own surrender form to accompany the 1035/transfer form from the company receiving the money.

Attach a copy of a current policy/ account statement for the funds being transferred to the 1035/transfer document.

Complete the 1035/transfer form carefully and completely. Be sure all necessary signatures are obtained.

Send original transfer forms with the application to 3 Mark for processing.

Annuity Fact Finder 

Click here for a great Annuity Fact Finder

Year-End Deadlines

Lincoln’s Underwriting & New Business department is committed to helping you meet your year-end goals and objectives. Our focus is to ensure the maximum amount of your business is placed by close of business on December 31, 2018. To assist in placing year end business, we encourage you to submit outstanding requirements as early in December as possible. Learn more.

Easy Fluidless Underwriting

Clients ages 50-69 can now qualify for PL Smooth Sailing Underwriting regardless of how you submit the application, ticket or paper - it's your choice! Learn more. Toolkit, including email templates. 

Medical Underwriting Guidelines Changes Effective October 1, 2018

Effective October 1, 2018, more refined guidelines for the underwriting of certain lymphomas. Read more.

Protective PLUS Underwriting Now Available on Express Complete

Protective is happy to report that our PLUS underwriting (accelerated underwriting) is now available for Applicint users.  As you may recall, we launched I early in 2018 but some platforms were not set up to do it due to some programming/IT that needed to be done.  I am happy to let you know that as of today it is up and running. So what that means is, any tickets submitted through Applicint are now eligible for PLUS.  As long as they are within the age & amount guidelines they will automatically be eligible.  The agent does not need to specify that they want PLUS. Let Protective know if you have any questions.