Advanced sales and marketing executives, CMOs, sales officers, BGAs, IMOs, and estate planning specialists with accountability for serving individual markets.
Highlights
Your success requires insight into the issues that matter most to you. At LIMRA's 2015 Advanced Sales Forum, you'll learn the latest techniques to drive profitable growth and find new opportunities. With information, insights, and strategies for increased marketing effectiveness, attend the conference and hear leading-edge ideas from peers and experts to help you improve your business. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and the power to connect, the forum will give you the edge you need to succeed. There will be plenty of opportunities to reconnect, learn, and ignite your passion for what you do at LIMRA’s 2015 Advanced Sales Forum, the only event of its kind for advanced sales professionals.
Assistant Vice President, Advanced Designs Unit, Pacific Life Insurance Company
Bill Bell is a director of Pacific Life’s Advanced Designs Unit, a highly recognized team of advanced marketing experts for the life insurance industry. Bill has delivered presentations to prestigious life insurance producer groups and financial institutions, and has been featured in and written articles for widely-read publications like National Underwriter and Best’s Review. Bill joined Pacific Life’s Advanced Designs unit in 2003. Bill received his law degree and MBA from Pepperdine University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Michael Bitton joined MetLife Investors in 2002 as an Internal Sales Associate. Michael was promoted to take on the new role of Advanced Sales Consultant with the Wealth Advisory Group (a predecessor to the Advanced Sales Center) in 2004. He was promoted to Director in 2007. Michael is a subject matter expert and has presented on a variety of advanced sales concepts including: retirement income planning, financial planning, estate planning and continuing education to audiences of financial advisors, sales management, clients, wholesalers, and home office personnel. Michael graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He earned a Master of Science degree in Financial Services through the Institute of Business and Finance.
Lawrence Brody is a member of the Private Client Service Group and the Technology, Entrepreneurial & Commercial Practice Client Service Group in the Bryan Cave St. Louis office. He is an Adjunct Professor at Washington University School of Law, and a visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami Law School. Brody is the author or co-author of numerous articles and books on the use of life insurance in estate and employee benefit planning. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, of the University of Miami School of Law, and serves on several editorial boards.
Director, Sales Concepts, Lincoln Financial Distributors
Thomas F. Commito is the author of two books, Working with LLCs:
A Practitioner’s Guide to Limited Liability Companies and Comprehensive
Buy-Sell Agreements, both published by the National Underwriter
Company. He writes the column “Accounting and Taxation” in the Journal
of Financial Services Professionals, and was formerly an assistant editor for
The American Alpine Journal. He has been elected to the Estate Planning
Hall of Fame and is a frequent speaker to and a member of several
insurance and legal associations.
Managing Partner, Tier One Insurance Services Inc.
Patrick has nearly 20 years of experience in insurance and financial services, with particular experience in BOLI/IOLI, executive benefit planning, and the management of qualified plans. Has worked in the Advanced Markets area and understands the challenges faced by institutional and high net worth clients. Patrick began his insurance career at National Life and Guardian. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of San Francisco (a USF President’s Ambassador).
Claire brings a wealth of knowledge to Transamerica, where she takes complicated concepts and gives them a sharp sales focus when consulting with distributors. Claire also shares her expertise about how producers can avoid pitfalls, overcome objections, and keep clients interested. Prior to Transamerica, she held several positions at USAA including Director of the Financial Advice Center. She also spent several years providing financial planning and investment management services to high-net-worth clients. Claire holds a BBA from James Madison University and an MBA from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Professor and Director of Retirement Planning and Living, Department of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University
Finke served as the editor of the Journal of Personal Finance and is a contributing editor to Research Magazine. He was named to the 2013 and 2014 Investment Advisor IA25 list and the 2012 Investment News Power 20, and received the Montgomery Warschauer best paper award from the Journal of Financial Planning in 2013 and 2014.
Robert Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA
Partner, Keebler & Associates, LLP
Robert S. Keebler has been named by CPA Magazine as one of the
Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners in the United
States and one of the Top 40 Tax Advisors to Know
During a Recession. His practice includes family wealth
transfer and preservation planning, charitable giving, retirement
distribution planning, and estate administration. Keebler
frequently represents clients before the National Office of the IRS
and has received more than 150 favorable private letter rulings. He
is the author of over 100 articles and columns and is the editor,
author or co-author of many books and treatises on wealth transfer
and taxation.
Manny has been in financial services in the San Diego area for nearly 40 years. He received a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in 1972, and accredits his industry success and longevity to serving his clients with the utmost integrity and honesty. He’s been married to his wife for 43 years, has two daughters, enjoys winemaking, and plays classical and flamenco guitar.
Eric Mills supervises the Advanced Sales Concept marketing for Pacific Life's life insurance products. He entered into the financial services industry in 1982 and joined Pacific Life in 1989 as a Senior Advanced Sales Consultant. Mills has field experience, having worked as an individual producer and in a producer group. His has expertise in non-qualified deferred compensation, estate planning, ERISA, split dollar, business succession, key executive, qualified retirement and welfare benefit plans. He continues to direct continuing education seminars, conduct research and write extensively on federal and state income, gift and estate taxation, as well as estate, business retirement and financial planning.
Director, Product Marketing, Pacific Life Insurance Company
At Pacific Life, Stephan works with recruiters and producers to provide insights into and suggestions about the positioning, marketing, and development of Indexed UL products. While he spends most of his time in the field to support the company’s distribution channels, he also works in the home office developing products, training, and marketing materials for indexed UL. Stephan joined Pacific Life in 1995. He lives in Orange County, California, with his wife and daughter.
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Business Strategy, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
Chris Morton, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Business Strategy, at AALU, acts as a principal liaison to Congress on behalf of the nation’s top life insurance producers and distribution partners, managing all policy development, political engagement, and advocacy strategy for the Association in Washington, DC.
A seasoned Washington professional with over 25 years of experience in the financial services and tax policy arena at the Federal level, Mr. Morton has demonstrated success in numerous legislative and regulatory affairs leadership roles.
Oshins is rated AV by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and twice was named the Las Vegas Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America®. He was inducted into the NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame® in 2011. He has been named one of the 24 “Elite Estate Planning Attorneys” in America by The Trust Advisor and one of the Top 100 Attorneys in Worth.
Lisa Harmon Powell, J.D., CLU, ChFC, LLIF Moderator
Vice President, Advanced Markets, Guardian Life Insurance Company
Powell heads up the Business Resource Center for Advanced Sales. She is an attorney with over 20 years of experience in taxation, business and estate planning and has supported financial representatives in the Advanced Sales areas at Axa Partners, Jefferson Pilot Financial and Prudential Insurance Company of America, leading the Advanced Marketing Departments at Prudential and Jefferson Pilot. Lisa speaks frequently at producer meetings, and has also spoken at MDRT, AALU and the Forum Four Hundred.
Vice President, Life Product Development , MetLife
Prior to joining MetLife, Bobby was Executive Editor of the Life Product Review, which offers weekly articles about life insurance issues and reviews of new product offerings. Additionally, Bobby provided consulting services to major life insurers, large distributors, high-end producers, and professional advisors through SamuelsonDesign LLC. Bobby regularly delivers presentations for corporate meetings and industry groups such as AALU, MDRT’s Top of the Table, and the Forum 400. He has written for publications such as Trusts and Estates and the American College’s Wealth Channel Magazine. He has also been quoted in the Life Settlement Review, NAILBA’s Perspectives Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.
Assitant Vice President and Associate Counsel, Advanced Markets & Underwriting, John Hancock
Winslow specializes in working with complex financial and premium-financed cases and issues related to proposed policy ownership and titling scenarios. Prior to joining John Hancock he spent ten years working in financial sales and estate planning as a wholesaler dedicated to developing new producers for a large Mutual Fund and Annuity distributor and he worked in the back office of a large private bank group.
The Advanced Life Insurance Sales professional must constantly keep up with the changing sales environment. In addition to being well-versed in traditional strategies, it is important to be on top of new and sometimes aggressive case designs. Understanding these strategies and evaluating cases with financial underwriting and product design can present both challenges and concerns. Eric Mills and Josh Winslow will dive into current strategies and the expanding role of the Advanced Sales professional.
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Business Strategy, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
What is likely to happen in Washington that will impact your business? Attend this informative update on legislative and regulatory issues that affect you, the life insurance and broader financial services community.
DESIREE M. BUCKNER, J.D., Director, Advanced Consulting Group, Nationwide Financial CHAD GOFORTH, J.D., Senior Advanced Marketing Consultant, Pacific Life DEB REPYA , J.D., CLU, ChFC, Vice President, Advanced Markets, Allianz Life Insurance Company Moderator: CHRISTOPHER PRICE, J.D., ML&T, CLU, ChFC, Senior Account Director, Lincoln Financial Distributors
This session will be a panel discussion of current hot topics for annuities. Our panel of experts will range from current events such as DOL fiduciary rules, QLACs, post-death 1035 exchanges to annuities in trusts, and other topics that challenge annuity professionals.
Discussing long-term care with clients can be difficult. Many clients associate the term “long-term care” with “nursing homes.” This association can cause the clients to shut down the LTC conversation. To help clients, detailed information is needed to help determine the need and plan an appropriate solution. Long-term care and chronic illness insurance and riders can be part of an appropriate solution. While most LTC and Chronic Illness riders have some similarities, there are some features that differentiate them as well. It is important to understand the differentiators as they can be crucial in helping a client make the right product decision for their particular situation. Join us to consider the development and changes with insured long term health care solutions.
NATHAN LEW, CFP, CLU, ChFC, MBA, Advanced Sales
Center Consultant, MetLife Moderator: CHAD GOFORTH,
J.D., Senior Advanced Marketing Consultant, Pacific Life
This workshop will focus on today’s “pension-less” retirement income environment — the risks and various strategies used — and how different annuity products can be incorporated into the different client profiles your advisors may run into. A main focal point will include a number of case studies that show, generally, how each annuity product (e.g., DIA, SPIA, Fixed Indexed w/GMWB) may offer a solution to a client’s varying goals/needs.
DAVID ROSUCK, CLU, Vice President, Strategic Marketing &
Communication, Pacific Life Moderator: RONALD LEE, J.D.,
CLU, ChFC, Director, Advanced Markets, Mutual of Omaha
Relationships and trust are important elements in helping people plan for their future. This session will discuss how technology and tradition are used to persuade people to take action.
Moderator, John Gephart, J.D., CLU Second Vice President, Advanced Sales, Ameritas
Patrick J. Dickey
Managing Partner, Tier One Insurance Services Inc.
Manuel E. “Manny” Martinez, ChFC
Martinez and Winter
Is your Advanced Sales Team doing a good job? How do you know? Is the pursuit of activity metrics of the number of interactions or calls between advanced sales associates and field sales associates informative? To what extent can premium — proposed or actually paid — validate the value of investing in an advanced sales team? Or is agent satisfaction as the advanced sales team’s primary “customer” the ultimate metric? Share insights with three highly successful life insurance professionals who describe their expectations, successes, and challenges in collaborating with Advanced Sales Teams in crafting client solutions leading to new sales as well as servicing the changing needs of existing policyholders.
Director, Sales Concepts, Lincoln Financial Distributors
Lisa Harmon Powell, J.D., CLU, ChFC, LLIF Moderator
Vice President, Advanced Markets, Guardian Life Insurance Company
Larry Brody and Tom Commito give us their perspective on the year’s cases, rulings, and other current events that affect how we work with our clients. This lively session is a perennial favorite and you are certain to leave this session better informed for the year ahead.
ROB KRON, Managing Director and Head of Investment &
Retirement Education, BlackRock
Social Security benefits play a vital role in retirement income plans. Though an estimated 10,000 retirees become eligible for Social Security every day, many are unaware of the different types of benefits and collection strategies available. Use this seminar to help you maximize benefits and gain confidence in approaching your clients retirement.
ANDREW J. RINN, J.D., CFP, CLU, ChFC, Regional Director, Advanced Sales Center, MetLife Moderator: RICHARD E. KAIT, J.D., LL.M., CLU, ChFC, Second Vice President, Advanced Sales, Protective Life
This presentation focuses on the most effective sales strategies for the growing pass-through business entity market. The concepts explored are tailored towards the business, retirement, and estate planning needs of the modern business owner. Techniques that are unique to the insurance marketplace are explained, and applied in practical case scenarios. This is a must-see presentation for all eager to excel in the pass-through business entity market.
DAVID KAUFFMAN, J.D., Counsel, State Farm Life Insurance
Company MICHAEL SPRENGEL, CPA, FLMI, Assistant
Director, Financial Underwriting, New Business – Specialty
Life Underwriting, Northwestern Mutual
Financial underwriting is an integral part of risk assessment in insurance. The development of money laundering and financial criminality has served to emphasize its importance. Financial Underwriting is the process of evaluating the economic need for insurance. In this workshop we will examine trending issues, common pitfalls, and practical underwriting solutions. Topics will include issues related to business owners, how to treat passive income, and estate planning issues.
VICTOR NGAI, J.D., CLU, ChFC, Assistant Vice President, Business Resource Center for Advanced Markets, Guardian Life Insurance Company BETH WOOD, Second Vice President, Life and Agency Marketing, Guardian Life Insurance Company
Join us as we explore how to bring Advanced Concepts and case studies to life by leveraging thought leadership content in the social media space. We’ll start by covering the latest marketing technology trends to promote your brand (or your advisor’s brand) and to position yourself as a thought leader in the advanced sales space. We’ll cover best practices for creating and sharing content intended to disturb and ask meaningful questions that will inspire your markets to take action.
Historically, there was almost nothing that could be done to change, fix, or enhance an existing irrevocable trust. However, there are 22 jurisdictions that now allow a trustee to decant an irrevocable trust by distributing the trust assets to a new irrevocable trust with more desirable provisions. The audience will leave this presentation with a new tool to attract and help clients. The presenter will provide some life insurance sales ideas during the session.
NICHOLE A. CRAWFORD, J.D., LL.M., CLU, ChFC,
Advanced Life Manager & Counsel, Federated Life
Insurance Company CHRISTOPHER H. PRICE, J.D., ML&T,
CLU, ChFC, Advanced Sales Attorney, Lincoln Financial
Distributors Moderator: HUGH F. SMART, J.D., CLU, ChFC,
Vice President, Advanced Markets, Columbus Life Insurance
Company
When properly structured, the general income tax rules of life insurance and annuity taxation are well known. But there are many exceptions that can subject the death benefit and withdrawals to income tax, resulting in a nasty surprise for the client and the producer. This workshop will examine the income and transfer tax consequences of some of these traps and discuss how to properly structure transactions to avoid adverse tax results.
DAVID G. BALDWIN, J.D., CFP, CLU, ChFC, Director of
Advanced Strategies, RiverSource Life Insurance CYNTHIA
A. CRINO, CLU, ChFC, Assistant Vice President, Advanced
Markets Solutions & Strategic Support, John Hancock Moderator: JEFFREY I. HOLLANDER, J.D., Assistant Vice
President, MetLife
The current high Federal Estate Tax exemption and the income tax increases enacted in 2013 combine to drastically alter the dynamics in planning for wealthy clients. This session will provide general guidance to advisors and planners in an attempt to make sense of a vastly different planning world where the focus for the vast majority of taxpayers will no longer be one of minimizing death taxes and creating liquidity to pay estate taxes. Instead, the conversation is now about minimizing income taxes and state death taxes and meeting non-tax concerns such as asset protection, retirement planning, business continuation, estate equalization, and survivor income.
Professor and Director of Retirement Planning and Living, Department of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University
More than two million American households have more than $500,000 saved for retirement. While they have been diligent savers, turning this money into an income in retirement can be a challenge when investment returns and longevity are unknown. This session will begin with a review of the tradeoffs of a variety of retirement income strategies as well as practical applications of how various investment and insurance products can reduce their risk and affect optimal investment portfolios.
CHANNING T. SCHMIDT, J.D., CFP, Senior Advanced Marketing Counsel, Minnesota Life/Securian Life
Welcome to the new, much more complex world of estate planning.
There are many more things to consider when putting together your
client’s estate plan. However, with the recent changes in tax laws,
estate planning is becoming more about income tax planning than
about estate tax planning. This new world is a significant paradigm
shift for estate planning. This session will cover:
Avoiding the fiscal cliff by seeking tax alpha in higher tax
environment
The new paradigm of estate planning — keeping assets in the
estate
Where does life insurance fit in this new world of estate
planning?
RICHARD EDINGER, J.D., CPA (Inactive), CLU, ChFC, RICP,
Director, Advanced Markets and Retirement Consulting,
Thrivent Financial EVA VICTOR, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation),
Advanced Sales Attorney, Penn Mutual
An IRA, or IRA rollover, is often the most significant asset comprising a “moderate” size estate, and represents a growing percentage of many estates. An effective strategy for this asset can be the centerpiece of an estate plan — particularly in the post ATRA tax environment. We’ll discuss important issues and considerations pertaining to estate and distribution planning for IRAs, from the perspectives of the IRA owner and beneficiaries, and feature tax efficient solutions which integrate the roles of permanent life insurance.
Robert Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA
Partner, Keebler & Associates, LLP
These tools can be income tax efficient solutions to accomplish charitable, financial, and estate planning goals. They can also torpedo the best plan when not properly designed or administered. During this presentation we will review these strategies and identify situations in which each is effective.
Director, Product Marketing, Pacific Life Insurance Company
Bobby Samuelson
Vice President, Life Product Development , MetLife
Bill Bell, J.D.
Assistant Vice President, Advanced Designs Unit, Pacific Life Insurance Company
Indexed Universal Life (IUL) is a product that has grown dramatically in both acceptance and sales results in recent years. One question that has always existed for anybody that sells IUL is, “What is the proper illustrated rate for an IUL product?” This year, the NAIC Life Actuarial Task Force has set forth guidelines for how the product will be illustrated starting potentially as early as next year. In this session, Bobby Samuelson and Stephan Mitchell, two of the industry’s foremost experts on IUL, will discuss how these guidelines will affect IUL as a product and how it will change how the product will be utilized in advanced planning concepts.
Coronado CD
11:00 a.m.
WRAP UP & ADJOURNMENT
Registration
Registration Fees:
Register by July 6 Early-Bird Rates: LIMRA member $1,195 LOMA (but not LIMRA) member $1,795 Nonmember $2,390
Register after July 6 Standard Rates: LIMRA Member $1,345 LOMA (but not LIMRA) member $2,020 Nonmember $2,690
If three or more employees from a member company register for this meeting, each may qualify for a $50 discount. This discount applies only to people registering at the full conference rate. Contact Events Registration at customer.service@limra.com for complete qualifications and details.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations received before July 13, 2015, will be refunded, less a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received from July 13, 2015, to July 27, 2015, will be refunded, less a $275 processing and administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after July 27, 2015.
In the event that a scheduled meeting or event is cancelled by LIMRA for any reason, LIMRA shall refund any conference registration fees that have been paid by the registrant. Under no circumstances, however, shall LIMRA be liable to the registrant for any other expenses including, but not limited to, airfare and hotel expenses incurred by the registrant.
Book your group rate Reservations Phone: 800-228-9290 or 619-435-3000 (mention LIMRA Advanced Sales Forum)
Make your reservations by July 6, 2015 and mention the LIMRA Advanced Sales Forum in order to receive the group rate of $259.00 single/double (plus applicable sales taxes). Requests after July 6, 2015 will be accepted on the basis of space availability. The group guest room rate will be offered three days prior and three days after the meeting dates subject to availability.
Please note that hotel rates will go up after the cut-off date or when the meeting room block sells out, whichever comes first. Make your reservations early to be able to take advantage of our discounted rates.
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