What will the 2022 elections mean for tax law and client planning discussions in 2023? What changes can the IRS and Treasury Department pursue without Congress? The 2021 grantor trust proposal showed an increased focus by Congress on the finer points of client planning tools in ways that sent shockwaves through various marketplaces — what is next in wealth transfer laws? Will the SECURE Act 2.0 land on President Biden’s desk this year? Fiduciary rule continues to creep up over the horizon — what will we see in 2023? Attend this informative discussion on the intersection of politics and policy, delving into the tax and regulatory challenges and opportunities coming our way. Always informative, insightful, and well-received, this session is not to be missed!

Split Dollar planning has always been an integral part of many estate plans. The Levine case recently provided much-needed guidance on how to structure not only an economic benefit split dollar arrangement, but also how to structure any insurance plan.  Also find out how clients can modify  SLATs to make them robust ILITs that can be used with no new trust, no new gifts, and no Crummey powers to enhance insurance planning. 

What do all clients have in common? A desire for tax breaks! Linked benefit LTC policies are a growing market. And WA has brought awareness to state and federal programs looming. This workshop will discuss:

• Tax breaks for business owners buying linked benefit LTC coverage, and why product structure and case design matters
• How to help avoid unnecessary estate taxation caused by a “self-funded” LTC plan
• Updates on state and federal LTC programs and how they may affect LTC planning for the affluent

The creative use of life insurance can go a long way in getting the most out of what is, for most Americans, their most important source of retirement income.  Social Security affects virtually everyone, but most consumers are bewildered by all the possibilities. In this session, we will talk about five creative life insurance strategies that can be used to simplify the decision-making process and help your clients get the most out of Social Security.

This workshop will discuss 10 basic steps to help caregivers get started in preparing for the financial future of their dependent with special needs. As a caregiver of a dependent with special needs the single most important issue on your mind, regardless of the age of the dependent, is what will happen to my dependent after I’m gone. There are some needs that will always be present and they must be carefully considered and planned for appropriately. This workshop addresses such critical issues as applying for government benefits for Social Security and Medicaid, creating a Special Needs Trust, the importance of a Will, and considering a Letter of Intent. Taking these 10 basic steps now can help ensure the type of care and quality of life for a loved one’s well-being today and tomorrow.

Several provisions being considered in today’s legal and legislative environments have elevated investors’ concerns around effectively transferring wealth to secondary generations.  With the estate planning landscape positioned to change dramatically in the coming years, trust planning has started return to prominence.  This discussion will give differing perspectives on how today’s annuity products may play an important role in various trust planning scenarios.  You will hear three experts discuss everything from potential trust and tax law changes to sales and practice management tips and more!

This perennial main stage favorite is back as Jeff Clark and Art Gravanis discuss and debate what’s been driving advanced life insurance and annuity sales activity and apptivity!  They will specifically review regulatory changes, surprises, and developments in the following areas: Retirement Planning with IRAs and Qualified Plans, Fiduciary Issues and Risk Management for ILIT Trustees and their Advisors, Asset Protection Strategies, and the ever-changing Federal Income & Estate Tax landscape. They’ll welcome your questions and comments as we bring our first day to a dynamic close.

IRA planning has been, and will be, dramatically affected by legislative and regulatory changes. The SECURE Act, SECURE 2.0, and IRA regulations all alter IRA planning going forward. This session examines where we are going with IRAs, Roth IRAs, inherited IRAs, RMDs, and alternative strategies. Advisors need to know how to build these techniques into retirement and estate plans, what to use in ownership designations, and what alternatives are available.

It's been two years since the Covid-19 pandemic first swept the globe.  While there’s still market volatility, returns in the second half of this year appear to look better for fixed income investors.  This presentation will focus on the pandemic’s impact on the markets, particularly general account investing when it comes to the:

• Recent and Current Macro Environment
• Implications for Life Company Portfolios
• Evolution of the General Account

An overview of the dynamic world of digital assets such as cryptocurrency, and how we can help advisors and clients understand and plan in the digital environment. Not a deep technical dive, but a general introduction to what these assets are and how they need to be involved in any planning discussion. Find out about the cutting edge of asset planning.

It’s a video-first market and how you show up on Zoom will make or break your success. Just turning on your camera was good enough in 2020. But in 2022 it’s imperative to go beyond good enough. In this session, learn how to create more meaningful connections, increase your credibility, and have just as much influence on-camera as you do in-person. Amateur hour is over. What proposal are you making on Zoom before you say a word?

We will discuss the “Great Resignation” challenge and how it can launch a planning conversation with a business owner. We will focus on advanced planning concepts that can help business owners recruit and retain talent in this fluid (fickle?) employment market.

In this hands-on and dynamic workshop, we will run through the mechanics of how to go beyond good enough when setting up your own Zoom presence. You will learn the fundamentals on how to use the right cameras, lighting, audio, framing, and staging, as well as how to come alive on Zoom so you can create more connection and have more credibility. Be prepared to get in front of the camera, participate, and learn by doing.

This presentation will focus on the planning and drafting of grantor trusts (sometimes called intentionally defective grantor trusts), and their use in sophisticated life insurance planning.  Specifically, this presentation will integrate the use of loan regime split-dollar arrangements to privately finance large amounts of insurance inside intentional grantor trusts, leveraging today’s (relatively) low AFR rates by creating a “side fund” inside the trust on a tax-leveraged basis, to be able to repay the loan if and when it gets too expensive.

This breakout session will feature a panel of professionals in the premium financing space.  The panel will consist of different perspectives in the premium financing space: including a representative from a life insurance carrier, an insurance professional intermediary who works with financial professionals, and representatives from lenders who specialize in the premium financing space.

Ever create a strategy for a client just to find out they are uninsurable? Did you consider using an annuity but weren’t quite sure of the ins and outs? Join us as we discuss the tips and traps of the parallel paths of the use of life insurance or an annuity to fund a client strategy. We’ll also explore retirement planning topics that straddle both investments for a client may need to explore in this changing regulatory environment.

Multiple retirement income strategies have emerged and it is hard for retirees to identify which strategies match their personal styles. This session is based on new research that identifies and validates a set of scorable retirement income factors to define preferences for an overall retirement income style, helping advisors solve new problems for clients who desire to sustain their lifestyle over an unknown horizon. The session describes a workable retirement model by showing how the factors connect to four main retirement income strategies: systematic withdrawals with total return investing, risk wrap with deferred annuities, protected income with immediate annuities, and time segmentation. This session, which is based on Dr. Pfau’s new book “Retirement Planning Guidebook,”  better brings to life the safety-first and probability-based retirement planning approaches.

As financial professionals adapt to changes in their practices and in the overall industry, Advanced Sales must also adapt to deliver maximum value to internal and external constituents.  This session will explore the following key questions:

• What is the path forward for Advanced Sales in this evolving landscape?
• How must Advanced Sales departments adapt and innovate to meet the needs of tomorrow’s financial professionals?
• What changes are leading to a reinvention of Advanced Sales now?