2011 Year-End Deadlines

AXA

Year End Deadline Dates
As we enter the final quarter of 2011, please note these important dates regarding life application processing for year-end.

ING

2011 End of Year Deadlines
Click here to view

Nationwide

Get Your Business Placed in 2011
Click here for more information

Principal

Year End Deadlines and Information
Click here to view

Advanced Markets

ING

Self Owned Life And Retirement (S.O.L.A.R.) Insurance Arrangements funded by IRA Distributions
Do your clients have multiple anticipated sources of retirement income including traditional IRAs? Are they concerned about the potential impact of increasing income tax rates on distributions from these retirement plans? If so, they may be interested in paying income taxes now and purchasing an ING IUL-Global Plus policy to provide death benefit protection for their family and a potential source of tax-free distributions in retirement. NEW! Personalizable Email is now available on the ING Life PromoCenter.  Also available:  Start Selling ING IUL-Global Plus: SERP Alternative with the S.O.L.A.R. Insurance Arrangement  This flyer (#160177) is available for download on ING for Professionals and the S.O.L.A.R. Microsite, and for personalization on the ING Life PromoCenter.

John Hancock

Estate Planning & Agricultural Families, Dr. Neil E. Harl, JH Advanced Markets Radio, October 11, 2011 Broadcast
Neil E. Harl, JD, PhD, and Randy Zipse, JD, CPA discussed Estate Planning & Agricultural Families. Click here to listen to the JHAM broadcast.

John Hancock's Business Analyzer
Click here for the business analyzer, a great way to identify suitable non qualified plan options when assessing a business entity.  It is set up as a decision matrix guiding the user in a series of questions to ask the producer to help narrow down suitable types of plans that may work well based on the structure and planning objectives they answer.

Mutual of Omaha

Estate Planning Utilizing Life Insurance
Estate planning is not just for the wealthy - it may be even more important for clients whose estates are smaller due to the impact of final expenses. A guaranteed universal life survivorship product may address the needs of clients who are looking for a solution to a future estate tax liability. Read more

Principal

Non-Grandfathered, Employer-Owned Life Insurance Subject to IRC Section 101(j)
The death of a key employee, including an owner/employee, may have a devastating impact on a business. In many cases, the receipt of a life insurance death benefit may help a business survive such a potentially devastating blow. However, life insurance death proceeds of employer-owned life insurance may be taxable income, to the extent the death proceeds exceed cost basis in the life policy, unless certain requirements are met. Read more | Email

Dynasty Trusts
The higher gift-tax exemption under the Tax Relief Act of 2010 (TRA 2010) presents a substantial opportunity to transfer wealth and reduce long-term estate tax exposure for families willing and able to make lifetime gifts. Read more | Email

Wait-and-See Buy-Sell Agreements
A carefully constructed buy-sell plan can create a solid foundation for the future of a business and the people who depend upon it. Read more | Email

Disability Insurance

Mutual of Omaha

New Occupational Enhancements
An occupational upgrade not only means lower premiums but, in some cases, availability of longer benefit periods and additional riders that were not previously available. View Details

A Disability Can Happen
Be sure your clients are prepared if it does. Take them through the DI Fact Finder and customize a product from the DI Choice Portfolio to protect their needs. Fact Finder

Licensing & Contracting Compliance

American General

L&C New Forms and Forms Revisions
Licensing and Contracting Change Form AGLC103782 has been revised. Begin using the new form immediately. Learn more from bulletin 11-092.

Non-PLMA Processing Reminder
Our Licensing and Commissions Department continues to take steps to ensure all agents are appropriately licensed and appointed in Non-PLMA states for new business applications submitted in Non-PLMA states. Learn more from bulletin.

Reminder: Privacy Protection
Please be reminded that the Company and its distributors are required by state and federal law and Company policy to protect and maintain the confidentiality of nonpublic customer financial and health information.

Reminder of Company Policy: Rebating
To comply with applicable laws, American General Life Companies prohibits the co-mingling of policyowner funds with those of distributors, paying premium on behalf of customers, or the return of value of any kind to the customer associated with the purchase of insurance. Learn more from bulletin.

Lincoln Benefit

Kentucky Notice to Licensee
Kentucky law requires all persons holding licenses to maintain current residence, business/home office, and mailing addresses with the Department of Insurance. Read the bulletin to learn the details and possible penalties. Read more

Marketing/Industry Updates

NFP

Product Updates
10/01:   American General – ROP Select-a-Term 15 (discontinued; ROP Select-a-Term 20-35 year durations will continue to be available)

Lincoln MoneyGuard (benefit decreases; on average -9 to -10% for ages 30-67; -11 to -15% for ages 68-75 and -16 to -17% for ages 76-80)

10/03:   John Hancock – Indexed UL (new; S&P 500; 1 Year Pt-to-Pt; Accounts:  Fixed, Capped & Uncapped; the capped account has a current cap of 13%; the uncapped account has 5.5% threshold; 0% floor; minimum average annualized rate of return of 2% over the life of the policy; Fixed & Variable Loans; LTC Rider)

John Hancock – Premier UL (new; NLG that builds strong guaranteed cash value; offers LTC rider)

John Hancock – Term (reprice; 10 and 15 year term rates reduced 1%; 20 year term rates reduced 10%)

Upcoming:

11/07:   Nationwide – YourLife IUL (new; S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 & Dow Jones; 140% current par; 1 year monthly average; fixed & “alternative” loans; Extended Death Benefit Guarantee Rider; indemnity LTC rider)

12/11:   West Coast Life – All Products No Longer Available; Only Protective Products Available

American General

We're Nifty at 50!
Compare premium and cash value for AG Secure Lifetime GUL® to its competitors.

Sell UL and Win a Trip to Africa
See how only 5 submitted UL cases can qualify you to win a trip to Africa.

Rolling Targets Available on AG Choice Index GUL®
With 24-month rolling target premium, you can receive full target on AG Choice Index GUL.

How Competitive is AG Choice Index GUL^SM?
Compare benefits of key competitors to the new AG Choice Index GUL.

Termination of Non-Producing Agents: New Guidelines
Agents identified as "non-producing" are notified that their contract and/
or appointment is being terminated for lack of production. Read the following guidelines being introduced.

Aviva

One of a Kind Rider: Aviva’s Wellness Rider
Are you still selling No-Lapse Guarantee policies that cost the same in 30 years as they do today? Why not be the only insurance professional in your area who can offer the potential of decreasing NLG premiums through Aviva’s exclusive Wellness for Life® Rider. Check out these two scenarios explaining how Wellness for Life can be used with Advantage Builder and Guarantee UL Solution to potentially decrease our already competitive NLG premiums. Read more

AXA

Tax Charge Rates for AXA Equitable UL and VL Products
There are no additional changes to the state specific premium tax charge rates for certain AXA Equitable Universal Life and Variable Life products scheduled during 2011. Changes to the premium tax charge rate for life products generally occur twice per year. Get more details here and see the State Specific Premium Tax Charges here.

ING

ING IUL-GDB & ING IUL-GDB NY
It's an Indexed UL designed for Substantial Growth Potential. It has a Guaranteed Death Benefit. It's . . . It's ING IUL-GDB and ING IUL-GDB NY!  Introducing ING Indexed Universal Life-Guaranteed Death Benefit (ING IUL-GDB) issued by Security Life of Denver Insurance Company and ING Indexed Universal Life-Guaranteed Death Benefit NY (ING IUL-GDB NY) issued by ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York. Start illustrating today on ING Presents, Winflex or even online at Life Illustration Express. See why our new versatile hybrid IUL is like almost no other in the industry. 

John Hancock

John Hancock's Business Analyzer
Click here for the business analyzer, a great way to identify suitable non qualified plan options when assessing a business entity.  It is set up as a decision matrix guiding the user in a series of questions to ask the producer to help narrow down suitable types of plans that may work well based on the structure and planning objectives they answer.

Index Life, Premier Life and Term Updates
The Vital Term quote engine is not reflecting John Hancock's new term rates and we are currently investigating.  For the time being in order to enjoy the new term rates and get accurate quotes please use JH Illustrator or call our National Sales Desk at: 1-888-688-4580. For more information on our newest product offerings go to www.jhlifeproducts.com.

Lincoln Benefit

Help Customers Enjoy Every Moment of Retirement
Want to live forever? Many people might like to, as long as they have their health and the financial resources to live comfortably. That’s how we help customers prepare for retirement—by offering a diversified plan so they can cover basic needs and still do things they’ve always wanted to. Read more

MassMutual

Double-Tax Dilemma
Your client has done a great job building up retirement funds.  Now watch out for the double–tax dilemma. The trouble is that while qualified plans are a wonderful vehicle for deferring taxes during working years, they can be heavily taxed at death. Read more

MetLife

MetLife's Term Rates Have Fallen
With guaranteed level premiums, guaranteed level death benefit for the full coverage duration, and guaranteed conversion privileges, your clients will feel assured knowing their protection is backed by MetLife Investors USA Insurance Company and in New York only by First MetLife Investors Insurance Company. Both are members of the MetLife family and leading providers of insurance and financial services in the United States and abroad. Read more

New Sales Solution Available
The Retirement Buy-Sell Sales Solution Sales Solution, for use with producers, is now available to order. To order copies of this piece, log on to metlifeinvestors.com > Life Sales Materials or you may search by item number BDVL21933. Click here to view the piece.

Mutual of Omaha

Estate Planning Utilizing Life Insurance
Estate planning is not just for the wealthy - it may be even more important for clients whose estates are smaller due to the impact of final expenses. A guaranteed universal life survivorship product may address the needs of clients who are looking for a solution to a future estate tax liability. Read more

Nationwide

Weekly Economic Review & Outlook
A busy week of economic releases ended with a better than expected snapshot on employment for the month of September. Reflecting the reduced expectations after a tumultuous third quarter, adding 103,000 jobs for the month was viewed as a plus for the struggling recovery. The report, along with other releases, continued to paint a picture of a recovery struggling to gain momentum, but at least continuing to expand. Read more | Click here for the supporting Podcast which is approved for client use.

Pacific Life

A Track Record of Pacific Life Commitment to Policyowners
Our commitment to policyowners is best demonstrated by Pacific Life’s track record which includes:

Contact me today to learn more. View Flyer

Protective Life

NEW Evidence of Insurability Guidelines

Due to technical difficulties, some of you may not have been able to activate the link within the initial email announcing the revised Evidence of Insurability underwriting guidelines. This has been corrected within the message below.  Please excuse any inconvenience this may have caused.

Effective immediately, revised Evidence of Insurability underwriting guidelines are available from Protective Life.  View the revised guidelines and learn how they make it easier for you to place business with Protective Life.

GrandLegacy... The Grandparents' Story
GrandLegacy is a story worth telling. Click here for videos to see how the GrandLegacy concept can be easily applied to your situation. If you'd like to leave a legacy for your loved ones, GrandLegacy is a simple concept that will allow you to set up a meaningful and lasting legacy for future generations.

New TeleLife^® Hours of Operation
Effective Monday, October 17, 2011, TeleLife's new hours of operation are:

 Go here to learn more about TeleLife and the new hours of operation.

Prudential

Rebroadcast: Invitation to a Main Street Perspective of the Economy!
On September 22nd, Dr. Quincy Krosby, a renowned expert and thought leader on the global macro-economic environment and financial markets, presented her views on today’s uncertain economy and what the future holds. Read more

National Underwriter

What Does It Mean to Be SIFI?
In an ongoing effort to prevent another catastrophe like AIG's near-fatal implosion in 2008, federal regulators are considering what kinds of restrictions to place on financial services firms whose failure could shock the system. The question remains: how will this apply to the largest insurers?

Treasury Department Reveals Proposed SIFI Criteria

Under the revised proposed SIFI regulation, a non-bank financial services company such as an insurer would be scrutinized as possibly "systemically significant" if it has at least $50 billion in total consolidated assets and meets or exceeds any one of several broad threshold criteria. Read more

'Strangers' Score Win in Life-Insurance Case (The Wall Street Journal)
Following several courtroom losses, a federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled against insurers and in favor of investors who bought several stranger-originated life insurance policies (STOLI).

Secondary Life Policy Market Gets Shot in the Arm from Federal Judge
A recent U.S. District Court decision in Pennsylvania denies an insurer's efforts to nullify certain policies it contends were part of a stranger-originated life…

Federal Regulators Re-Propose SIFI Criteria
As the Financial Stability Oversight Council re-proposes the criteria it will use to determine whether an insurer is systemically important enough to merit additional federal regulation, an uneasy industry…

Insurance Accounting Proposals are "Flawed and Unworkable," Says Trade Group

The current set of insurance accounting proposals now under consideration by international accounting standards setters are fatally flawed and unworkable, a representative of the North American insurance industry said.…

Study Reveals Lack of Knowledge About Income Needed for Retirement

Only 45% of respondents surveyed knew that experts believe retirees will need between 80% and 90% of their pre-retirement income to maintain their current standard of living.…

Organize Estate Plans in Advance (The Des Moines Register)
Few people like to think about the task of caring for an aging parent and settling an estate. David Cunningham, CFP, says seniors can take some advance steps to make the process a lot easier on their family members.

RAA Laws in California: What's the Big Deal?
For a non-issue, the controversy surrounding retained asset accounts has had quite a shelf life. It got extended again in early October when California…

5 Things that Insurers Need to Know to Capture More Retiree Assets
A new LIMRA study reveals that 45 percent of retirees still have their assets in their retirement savings plans with their employers, most frequently in…

The Do-It-All Solution
Let's face it: when it comes to life insurance, some clients want it all – security, flexibility and the opportunity to build cash values.…

4 Ways to Meet Main Street's Life Insurance Needs
How can insurance agents feel optimistic amid volatile global markets, high unemployment numbers and fears that the United States is headed for a double-dip recession?…

Advisors: Don't let Headlines Cut into Your Financial Plans
Spooky financial headlines got you down? Don't let gloomy forecasts distract you from the positive steps you can take right now.

SIFI Rule Being Proposed
As the FSOC prepares to put forth a rule that would determine whether certain kinds of insurance companies are "systemically significant" enough to merit special regulatory attention…

New Business/Underwriting

American General

Are You Quoting Standard Plus?

Your healthy Standard clients may qualify for American General's Standard Plus Underwriting class — and a rate reduction! Did you know nearly 25% of Standard cases with competitors that don't offer a Standard Plus class may qualify for Standard Plus with American General Life Companies? That could mean significant savings for your healthy Standard clients. See how we can help a client with elevated blood pressure save on her premium compared to our peer competitors. Read more

Monday, October 24 or Monday November 7 at 9am PT: Underwriting Advantage Webinar
Join Chief Underwriter Brad Gabel for one of three upcoming webinars on AG's Underwriting Advantage. Click here for dates, times and details.

Two More Reasons to Quote Standard Plus
American General announces liberalized Build and Tobacco Use guidelines for our Standard Plus underwriting class. Read bulletin 11-081 for details.  Click here to see how we can help an overweight client save on his premium!

American General’s Underwriting Stance on International Travel, Visa Holders and Foreign Nationals
Read bulletin 11-086 for complete details as well as links to the updated Foreign Travel Guidelines and Visa Holders and Foreign National Guidelines.

Revised Life Applications and Other New Business Forms
Log in to eStation to see our Application Revision Page for complete information as well as state-specific transition rules for KS, MA, MN, NY and VA. Revised Inforce Change Application and Reinstatement Application Forms are now approved in most states. See bulletin 11-091 for details and transition rules.

Revised Inforce Change Application and Reinstatement Application for Life Insurance Forms
Revised Inforce Change Application and Reinstatement Application Forms are now approved in most states. See bulletin 11-091 for details and transition rules.

ING

Updates to UW Distributor Reference Guide
Available via ING for Professionals and for order at the DMC using eship #154947.

Lincoln Benefit

Updated Underwriting Guides Now Available
LBL's underwriting guides have been modified with minor changes. Please update your files with the new versions of this piece. National Underwriting Guide | Underwriting Guide NY

MetLife

Changes to UL and VUL Premium Payment Modes
Effective November 1, all in-force Universal Life (UL) and Variable Universal Life (VUL) policies requesting a change in payment mode from less frequent to more frequent will require a signed T-Form. Click here for more

Mutual of Omaha

Mutual of Omaha Underwriters are Here for You
Take a look at some of our programs and resources available to you. View Details

Underwriting Case Study
See how our underwriting department looks at Chronic Atrial Fibrillation when Fit credits apply. View Details

Transamerica

Encourage Producers to Enroll in EFT
Please encourage producers to register for Electronic Funds Transfer. It's easy and simplifies the online draft authorization process. Producers can register by printing out the Auto-Pay Authorization Form and faxing it to the Field Accounting department at (800) 477-7683. To access the form, click here. For questions, please call Field Accounting at (800) 256-7971, Option 2. 

New Procedures Cut Down Service Time on Surrenders with Cash Value
Effective October 13, enhancements to the procedures for surrenders and 1035 exchanges with cash value are expected to cut service time from 10 to three days. If an Agency wishes to conserve the business, contact us within 24 business hours of receiving the email surrender or exchange notification. If you have questions, call Julie Edwards at (319) 355-7078 or Maureen Garish at (727) 557-2766.

Check out TransTerm's Non-Medical Guidelines for Low Face Amount Policies
Eliminate the need for ordering full underwriting requirements with TransTerm's competitive non-medical guidelines. For the producer-facing flyer, click here.

Weekly Form Updates
This week, the Change/Conversion application for Rhode Island (TOS370M1008TRI) has been revised and should replace the current form by November 7, 2011. Forms may be accessed via Transamerica Forms on TransACT ( www.tatransact.com) under the Tools tab and eOrdering section for GAs and under the Sales Tools tab and Library section for producers. For this week's changes, click here.

Use Links

Product Design & Management Contact List (formerly Life Products)  (Sept 7, 2011) 

Ops Management Contact List  (Aug 24, 2011)

Quick Response Contact List  (Aug 10, 2011)

Sales & Marketing Directory  (Oct 5, 2011)

Strategic Marketing Contact List  (Sept 21, 2011)

Underwriting Contact List  (Oct 5, 2011)

Product

American General

AG Choice Index GUL and AG Secure Lifetime GUL now Approved in PA
Both guaranteed universal life products are now approved in Pennsylvania. Learn more from the bulletin.

AG Choice Index GUL now Approved in NY
AG Choice Index GUL has been approved in the state of NY. Learn more from bulletin.

Discontinuation of AG ROP Select-a-Term 15®
Effective October 1, 2011, the insurers of American General Life Companies will suspend sales of AG ROP Select-a-Term 15 level premium endowment term insurance.

AG Lifetime Income Builder^SM New State Availability
Optional living benefit rider for index annuities, now approved in NV and PA.

AG HorizonSecure
AG HorizonSecure 5 is once again available for sale (in all states where it was previously available except CA and OH) and now has lower contract minimums.  AG HorizonSecure 7 now has lower minimums in all currently available states; however minimums have not changed in CA and OH.

Transamerica

Of Current Interest
For interest rates on Transamerica products effective October 12, 2011, click here.