G r e a t e rD e t r o i t
E - m a i l n a i f a @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t • F a x 2 4 8 - 5 3 8 - 7 6 5 6 • Te l e p h o n e 2 4 8 - 5 3 8 - 7 6 5 4
May 2010
News & Views
Finally spring has sprung in our great state. This strikes me as a time of renew-al every year. The outdoors comes alive, the garage gets cleaned, the kids are playing outside, I want to start jogging again in the neighborhood. This feeling always seems to transfer to business. It seems it’s a time to get rid of the old and
start with the new, whether it be clients or ideas or prospects. Best wishes for a great season from NAIFA.
We had a beautiful spring day for Sales Congress in early March which was the topper of a great day. The committee has had great feedback from many of you about the fine quality of the speakers, and I would like to thank everyone involved in putting this program together. One of the more memorable moments was Dennis Fiore’s very moving acceptance of the Bill Meyers Award. He spoke eloquently about the people who have helped him along the way and this business. He continued to show his leadership and commitment to NAIFA when he gave back his half of the 50/50 drawing he won.
Another spring tradition is inviting current members to serve on the board. Most recently we have grown the board, and many hands make little work. If you are interested in giving something back to the business, this is a good way to be of service to this great community without a big time commitment. It is also a great way to learn much more about NAIFA and your business. Call Kris Wolfe for details.
“In with the new” would apply to the 17 new members that joined from New York Life recently. Thomas Bello, the General Agent, is planning on a 100% of his agents to be NAIFA members by year’s end. Thank you Thomas, and welcome to all you new members.
NAIFA has also been invited to do an agency presentation for the Thrivent Financial group in May. We appreciate and look forward to the time Dan Nickodemus has given us, and we hope to have many new members around the state. If you are a general agent or head of a group and would like us to talk to your group about NAIFA’s value proposition, please call us.
This spring we saw the first of our three part series on practice management. Sean Flatter from Allianz gave us valuable informa-tion on focusing your marketing and gave us a guide for making the right business decisions. Craig Snyder gave us the benefit of years of his training in various practice management techniques. This was very informative, and we hope to see more of this from
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
NAIFA Michigan Convention
May 20 and 21, 2010
Blazing New Trails…”At Bavarian Downs” Bavarian Inn Lodge & Conference Center
Frankenmuth, Michigan
For completed details call: 517.668.3960
Mr. Snyder in the near future. Please save these dates for the rest of our series:
July 13, 2010 / Milestone Marketing: Positioning Yourself as the Lead Retirement Plan Advisor. November 10, 2010 / Never Waste a Good Crisis: Building Credibility with a Capital Markets Outlook. See the calendar on our website for all the details. I’m sure you will walk away with techniques you can start using in your practice right away. NAIFA is always interested in providing programs that are of importance to you. If there is a subject you would like to see illuminated, please let us know. Your suggestions are always welcome. Further, if you have a subject you’d like to share with the membership, please contact the association office to be published in the next News and Views. Who knows, if it’s well received, you may see it in the "Advisor Today".
IFAPAC, as you may know, is the political action committee that advocates for us in Washington. Our local donated $1,000 to the PAC this month, but your personal donations are very important to finance our agenda to keep tax advantageous products for your clients and reasonable regulation for our industry. It simply can’t be done without your help.
Finally, save the date for the NAIFA Greater Detroit Golf Outing scheduled on September 20th. Believe it or not, 48 golfers have committed already. We are attempting to fill both courses at Oak-land University this year, so start thinking about your foursomes. It’s never too early.
Thank you and have a great day.
Ed Stines, President
2 News & Views
President’s Message…Cover
So What is in the New Health Care Bill Anyway?…pg 3
NAIFA YAT - Young Advisors Team…pg 5
Sales Congress Remembered…pg 6-7
From the Editor - Tribute…pg 9
Management Seminar…pg 11
NAIFAGREATER DETROIT
OFFICERS AND
DIRECTORS2009 - 2010
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Ed J. Stines President [email protected] (248) 524-3221 x21
Mark G. Landau, JD President-Elect [email protected] (248) 727-1480
Brian P. Roath, CLU, ChFC Secretary [email protected] (248) 766-3388
Kevin R. Kneip, CLU, ChFC Treasurer [email protected] (248) 827-1300 x183
Gordon J. Muir, LUTCF National Committeeman [email protected] (248) 684-2400
Ted G. Kotsakis Immediate Past President [email protected] Membership Chair (248) 348-4900
Board of Directors Karl R. Carter, FIC IFAPAC [email protected] (248) 896-0160
Ari Fischman YAT [email protected] (248) 357-8903
Gregory Kreiner YAT [email protected] (248) 729-4104
Timothy P. Lata, CLU, ChFC Sponsors [email protected] (248) 538-1616
Nicholas H. Palainan, ChFC, CLU, CFP [email protected] (586) 465-1677
Michael A. Pulford Membership [email protected] (248) 324-9321
Michael R. Scalpato, CLU, ChFC Membership [email protected] (248) 743-3440 x7188
Craig J. Snyder, CFP, CLU Professional Development/ [email protected] Programs (248) 353-6570 x303
Michael D. Vukich Membership [email protected] (248) 680-0490 x101
Glenn M. Barnes, CLU Advisory Board [email protected] (248) 642-6421
Jason E. Brooks, CLU, ChFC [email protected] (248) 785-5211
Edward Clink, LIC [email protected] (248) 333-2500
Randy Eschels, CLU, ChFC, CFP [email protected] (248) 644-1144
Dennis R. Fiore, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, LIC [email protected] (248) 324-1100
Peter A. Frame, CLU [email protected] (248) 827-7378
Jack J. Leavy [email protected] (248) 356-2284
Lawrence J. Stack, CLU, ChFC IFAPAC; IFAPIC [email protected] Government Relations (248) 827-1300
Ralph B. Stillwell, RHU Editor [email protected] (248) 408-3600
Kristine Wolfe Executive Director Phone: (248) 538-7654 Fax: (248) 538-7656 Website naifa.com/greaterdetroit E-mail Address [email protected]
Please help your Association save printing costs! Please email us if you would like to receive your News & Views via email only.
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SAVE THE DATES!
May 26, 2010 YAT “After Hours”
The BlackFinn, Royal Oak 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
June 10, 2010 YAT Round Table Discussion
Ari Fischman / New York Life Office 7:30 a.m.
July 13, 2010 Practice Management Seminar
Steve Kingsley, MFS “Milestone Marketing”
MSU Management Education Center, Troy 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Presentation
September 1, 2010 YAT Charity Bowling Event
Watch for Details!
September 20, 2010 NAIFA GOLF OUTING
Watch for Details!
News & Views 3
So . . . What is in the New Health Care Bill Anyway? Lawrence J. Stack, CLU, ChFC, MSFS
April 2010
The new Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) was signed into law by President Obama on March 30. It passed the House 270-211 on March 21, and the Senate 56-43 on March 25. This $940 billion national health-care overhaul will take about a decade to be fully implemented. The bill itself is 2300 pages long. Here are the highlights; and when they go into effect: 2010:
Subsidies for small businesses begin to help provide •coverage to employees. A credit of 35% of the pre-mium. Only businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees and average wages of less than $25,000 get the full credit. Insurance companies are barred from denying cover-•age to children with pre-existing conditions. Children are permitted to stay on parent’s coverage to •age 26. A 10% excise tax on indoor tanning salons takes ef-•fect.
2011: Sets up a long term care program which people pay •into for at least 5 years to become eligible for support payments, if assistance needed for daily living. Drug makers face an annual fee of $2.5 billion (which •rises in subsequent years).
2013: New Medicare taxes of .9% on individuals making •more than $200,000 and couples more than $250,000. The Medicare tax on wages rises to 2.35% from •1.45%. A new tax of 3.8% on unearned income such as divi-•dends and interest as well as annuity payouts. (This is the first time unearned income will be taxed directly to pay for a social program). A 2.3% excise tax is imposed on the sale of medical •devices. Medicare pilot program begins to test bundle pay-•ments for care. The 7.5%-of-AGI-floor for deducting medical ex-•penses jumps to 10%. (Filers age 65 and over avoid this until 2017.) Paying into flexible spending accounts is limited to •$2500 a year. The penalty for non-qualified distributions from HSA’s •increase from 10% to 20%.
2014: “State Based Exchanges” are created for people with-•out employer coverage. (The CBO estimates premiums will increase 10% to 13% due to required coverages for the exchanges.) Insurance companies are barred from denying cover-•age for pre-existing conditions for everyone. Requirements begin for most people to have health •insurance. The penalty starts out at the greater of $95 or 1% of income, capped at $285. For families, the penalty is $95 for each adult plus $47.50 for persons under age 18. Subsidies begin for lower and middle-income people •
via a refundable tax credit. People at 133% of the pov-erty level pay a maximum of 3% of income for cover-age. People at 400% pay up to 9.5% of income. (The Federal poverty level is currently $14,404 for individ-uals and $29,326 for families.) This is achieved via a tax credit sent directly to the exchange. For example-A family of four making $50,000 a year would receive a credit of up to $5800. Subsidies for small businesses increase to 50% of the •employer’s contribution. Employers with 50 or more employees who do not •provide coverage must pay a fine up to $2000 per em-ployee times the number of employees, minus $60,000 (i.e. 50 ee’s = $100,000 - $60,000 = a $40,000 fine). Even firms that offer plans will have to pay $3000 a •year for each low income employee who elects to use the exchange instead of the employer’s plan. The insurance industry must start paying an annual fee •of $8 billion (rises in subsequent years). An independent Medicare board must begin to submit •recommendations, if costs are rising faster than infla-tion.
2015: The uninsured penalty tax rises sharply to $325 or 2% •of income, capped at $975.
2016: The uninsured penalty tax rises again to $695 or 2.5% •of income, capped at $2085.
2017: Businesses with more than 100 employees may buy •insurance on the exchanges if state law permits it.
2018: An excise tax of 40% is imposed on health plans val-•ued at more than $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families.
Some additional provisions in the legislation include: There is no lifetime limit on the dollar value of cover-•age. Tax credits for adoptions are increased in 2010 by •$1000 to $14,170 and extend into 2011. This credit is allowed even if it exceeds the filer’s tax liability.
Sections 2201 to 2214: While not related to the bill’s provisions for health •care, these sections basically provide for a conversion of all forms of student loans to government subsidized loans thus eradicating private sector competition. While the C.B.O. scored this as trimming $19.4 bil-lion from the deficit (which was used to offset some of the $1 trillion cost of the health care overhaul) it also noted that current budget scoring rules “do not include the costs stemming from risk that cash flows may be less than the amount projected” (ie . . . defaults). The bill does not address tort reform. •
Sources Wall Street Journal Kiplinger Tax Letter Congressional Budget Office Department of Health and Human Services
4 News & Views
A T C O N C E P T S W E M A K E Y O U T H E P R I O R I T Y . . .
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News & Views 5
JJooiinn uuss.. .. .. FOR THE NAIFA YOUNG ADVISORS TEAM
“AFTER HOURS”
COME TO THE BLACKFINN AND FIND CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT!
Wednesday, May 26th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for drinks, appetizers and networking
Click on the link to register: https://www.naifanet.com/NAIFAEventRegistration/SecureEventForm.cfm?id=3563&CFID=17631&CFTOKEN=18644057
The BlackFinn American Saloon
530 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067
Calling all estate planning disciplines:
Insurance Professionals, Financial Planners, Attorneys and CPAs!
Come and get to know someone new…..and learn about NAIFA! Bring your business cards to pass out and to enter in our
Door Prize drawing….
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) recognizes your need for connections that count. As a professional who is 40 or under or within the first five years in the business, you qualify to take advantage of one of the greatest connection
opportunities NAIFA has to offer: YAT!
Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, NAIFA represents the business interests of 225,000 life and health insurance agents, financial advisors and their employees nationwide. A majority of NAIFA’s members are also NASD-licensed
registered representatives or registered investment advisors. Benefits of membership include legislative and regulatory representation, education and training, and networking opportunities. Please click below for more information.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Take a Look at Us!
You might like
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To register, click on www.NaifaNet.com/GreaterDetroit
JJooiinn uuss.. .. .. FOR THE NAIFA YOUNG ADVISORS TEAM
“AFTER HOURS”
COME TO THE BLACKFINN AND FIND CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT!
Wednesday, May 26th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for drinks, appetizers and networking
Click on the link to register: https://www.naifanet.com/NAIFAEventRegistration/SecureEventForm.cfm?id=3563&CFID=17631&CFTOKEN=18644057
The BlackFinn American Saloon
530 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067
Calling all estate planning disciplines:
Insurance Professionals, Financial Planners, Attorneys and CPAs!
Come and get to know someone new…..and learn about NAIFA! Bring your business cards to pass out and to enter in our
Door Prize drawing….
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) recognizes your need for connections that count. As a professional who is 40 or under or within the first five years in the business, you qualify to take advantage of one of the greatest connection
opportunities NAIFA has to offer: YAT!
Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, NAIFA represents the business interests of 225,000 life and health insurance agents, financial advisors and their employees nationwide. A majority of NAIFA’s members are also NASD-licensed
registered representatives or registered investment advisors. Benefits of membership include legislative and regulatory representation, education and training, and networking opportunities. Please click below for more information.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
JJooiinn uuss.. .. .. FOR THE NAIFA YOUNG ADVISORS TEAM
“AFTER HOURS”
COME TO THE BLACKFINN AND FIND CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT!
Wednesday, May 26th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for drinks, appetizers and networking
Click on the link to register: https://www.naifanet.com/NAIFAEventRegistration/SecureEventForm.cfm?id=3563&CFID=17631&CFTOKEN=18644057
The BlackFinn American Saloon
530 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067
Calling all estate planning disciplines:
Insurance Professionals, Financial Planners, Attorneys and CPAs!
Come and get to know someone new…..and learn about NAIFA! Bring your business cards to pass out and to enter in our
Door Prize drawing….
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) recognizes your need for connections that count. As a professional who is 40 or under or within the first five years in the business, you qualify to take advantage of one of the greatest connection
opportunities NAIFA has to offer: YAT!
Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, NAIFA represents the business interests of 225,000 life and health insurance agents, financial advisors and their employees nationwide. A majority of NAIFA’s members are also NASD-licensed
registered representatives or registered investment advisors. Benefits of membership include legislative and regulatory representation, education and training, and networking opportunities. Please click below for more information.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
JJooiinn uuss.. .. .. FOR THE NAIFA YOUNG ADVISORS TEAM
“AFTER HOURS”
COME TO THE BLACKFINN AND FIND CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT!
Wednesday, May 26th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for drinks, appetizers and networking
Click on the link to register: https://www.naifanet.com/NAIFAEventRegistration/SecureEventForm.cfm?id=3563&CFID=17631&CFTOKEN=18644057
The BlackFinn American Saloon
530 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067
Calling all estate planning disciplines:
Insurance Professionals, Financial Planners, Attorneys and CPAs!
Come and get to know someone new…..and learn about NAIFA! Bring your business cards to pass out and to enter in our
Door Prize drawing….
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) recognizes your need for connections that count. As a professional who is 40 or under or within the first five years in the business, you qualify to take advantage of one of the greatest connection
opportunities NAIFA has to offer: YAT!
Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, NAIFA represents the business interests of 225,000 life and health insurance agents, financial advisors and their employees nationwide. A majority of NAIFA’s members are also NASD-licensed
registered representatives or registered investment advisors. Benefits of membership include legislative and regulatory representation, education and training, and networking opportunities. Please click below for more information.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
8 News & Views
Stability• Performance Dependability•
Once the mainstay of the life insurance industry, many life insurance producers say they’ve never sold a whole life policy.
Now, as the markets rise and fall faster than hemlines, whole life is back in style again. Clients are looking to add stability and dependability to their financial plan. Just what whole life offers.
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News & Views 9
It was a sad two weeks. First Kris’ mother passed away and then Ted’s mom passed away. Both were expected and painful. It wasn’t easy for the families before, during or after and the only good news is that the memories that linger will be a comfort for those left behind.
I thought ‘enough already’: two funerals in one day when I was confronted with yet another. Also expected; also painful. And the memories that Joanne’s death brought forth were so strong and so positive as not to be ignored. I was a part of this. So my tribute begins….
I met the family soon after arriving in Michigan; I think it was in 1971. They were orphan policyholders and Paul (the Pater familia) was quick to invite me into his home and listen to why I needed to be their agent and service their policies and, by the way, buy some more insurance. They offered me tea and cheesecake (which became a lifelong joke between us) and they paid attention to ev-ery word. Intelligent questions were posed by both of them and it became obvious, rather quickly, that I had stumbled into the kind of family every life insurance agent wants: good prospects with good intentions. They took my advice every step of the way.
I haven’t yet told you that they had six children: three boys and three girls and they were all wonderfully mannered, neatly dressed and beautiful to behold. The youngest had recently been born.
We talk about being the only people at the funeral with a check in our pockets. The profound effect of our relationships in keeping the promise: “a guaranteed dollar at an unspecified date in the future”. A fulfillment of the concept “pennies for dollars”. A realization that we made a difference in someone else’s life.
Over the next 39 years I visited with them several times per year, servicing the policies I sold them (and those I hadn’t sold them) while those children grew up, impressed with my PA system on the white Lincoln, calling them by name as they played on that same Detroit street; smiling into my camera lens as I took yet another picture of each of them and all of them; developing relationships with them individually and trying to be of help in their lives as the bonds of friendship grew. They attended my various public performances as I attended their marriages and baptismals. We shared the grief of young Paul’s passing much as we had treated the various family challenges, including hospitalizations and financial hardships. They would profess not to understand what I was doing when I had values pay for policy premiums and when waiver of premium took over to pay Paul’s policy premiums until the day he died. How did those cash values and dividends re-appear each year on the anniversary statements? How come I was spending so much time taking care of them when I had a family of my own to worry about and so many clients to see to?
When I got sick my ‘card-carrying Catholics’ prayed for me each day and shared my ups and downs with the same devotion as they had for each other. For several years, Paul and I shared lunch once each month at Hogan’s: to bring each other up-to-date and to seek each other’s counsel.
Paul died two years ago but not before we came to tears (both of
A TRIBUTEus) in recalling the depth of our friendship over these many years. He asked that I continue to watch over his family and I told him that I would be honored to do so. It was my duty, I recall telling him, since it appeared in both of our “books”.
Joanne survived him for a bit less than two years and I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked to, but she was as private as she was stoic, so I communicated through her children but they all needed to know that I was there for them, and for her.
At her mass I sat there thinking back to the time when the associa-tion gave me the Meyers Award at the Sales Congress, in Windsor, and I had invited Paul and Joanne to come to the luncheon with my family. At that time, I dedicated the award to them as representa-tives of all my policyholders. I had not done more for them than for the thousands of policyholders I serviced over the years but I didn’t do any less, either.
I just came back from spending Easter in daughter Maureen’s home. She is like my own daughter and I feel honored to share the joy with her and her family (I brought the two daughters the goodies from the recent Sales Congress exhibitors, thank you!).
Joanne and Paul: You can rest easy! The wonders you have per-formed in raising your family will live on and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I am proud to be a life insurance agent who became your friend. I will do no less for your children and their children.
Please feel free to share your stories!
Ralph B. Stillwell, RHU, Editor
10 News & Views
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News & Views 11
COMPLIMENTARY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SEMINARS FOR NAIFA GREATER DETROIT MEMBERS!
April 7th, 2010 NAIFA Greater Detroit Meeting: Focus Marketing
A guide for making the right business decisions Speaker: Sean Flatter – Allianz
64% of businesses fail because the owners minimize the importance of properly promoting their business. Are you aware that marketing your business is not an option, it’s a survival skill? The first step to successful marketing may be to step back and put the entire process into focus. You will be taught:
1. Targeting the right clients 2. Selecting the most effective marketing tools (including direct mail, e-mail, Web sites, newsletters, seminars, and
client appreciation events) 3. Utilizing marketing support resources to make your future marketing efforts more successful
July 13th, 2010 NAIFA Greater Detroit Meeting: Milestone Marketing:
Positioning yourself as the lead retirement plan advisor Speaker: Steve Kingsley – MFS Investments
How do you ensure that your clients and prospects see you as their primary advisor? Through a disciplined, consistent, repeatable annual business plan built around age-based “milestones” in every investor’s life. As clients progress through specific ages (50, 55, 59, 62, 65, 66, 70, and 70 1/2), the rules and opportunities of managing retirement assets change. Steve discusses how to use these milestones to initiate contact, provide consultation, and pursue consolidation. In this session, Steve will teach you:
1. The rule or opportunity change at each milestone 2. The nuances of each opportunity 3. Strategies for using each milestone to move money, acquire new clients and position yourself for long-term growth
November 10th, 2010 NAIFA Greater Detroit Meeting: Never Waste a Good Crisis:
Building Credibility with a Capital Markets Outlook Speaker: Kumar Jagdeo - Alliance Bernstein
Why Credibility? Over the past year or so our industry has experienced a “crisis of credibility”. Investors with properly diversified portfolios have experienced losses of 20, 30 and even 40%. Iconic firms appear to have merged impulsively – some have even ceased to exist. While most FAs have maintained their important relationships very few have escaped at least some concern from investors about the viability of their services. Building (and re-building) credibility with clients and with potential referral advocates is a critical “first step” in preparing for the next phase of this market cycle. The prudent FA will allocate significant time each week for outreach to existing clients and to “Centers of Influence” with a thoughtful message about the markets – where we’ve been, what’s currently going on and what is likely to happen next. In this way your “Capital Markets Outlook” will help restore your professional credibility with existing clients and potentially establish your business as a uniquely capable destination for referrals from CPAs and attorneys.
MEETING DETAILS:
MSU MANAGEMENT EDUCATION CENTER 811 W. Square Lake Road, Troy, MI 48098
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Presentation
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PLUSPROFESSIONAL LIFE UNDERWRITERS SERVICES, LLC
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