Why do Fools fall in love?

It seems like TheMotleyFool is so in love with variable products that they can’t use common sense when it comes to fixed annuities. Just like most securities based news organizations, they have no problem trying to explain options, derivatives, and a myriad of other highly complex investment strategies, but when it comes to annuities their brain can’t handle “complexity”.Let me make it simple for you Fools. Money in a fixed annuity, of any type, goes up, not down, as long as you use it as it is intended to be used. If you withdraw more than your penalty free amount there are surrender charges (just like some mutual funds you love to talk about).

Complex riders, really? Compared to what? The talking points of securities based news organizations is just getting boring.

If you want to become a top producer, somewhere around the the 2-3 million dollar productions range you need to switch from annuity marketing budget management to annuity lead management.

What is Annuity Marketing Budget Management?
Annuity marketing budget management is the process of determining how much you can spend on marketing for at least the next six months and then spending that amount regardless of sales volume.

This is a great client based annuity education website sponsored the National Association for Fixed Annuities. If I were you I would put a link to this site at the bottom of ever email to a client.

FixedAnnuityFacts.com

I just got off the phone with an agent (I will call him Joe) and we had the typical conversation about annuity seminar leads drying up. During the conversation he told me that he has sold 180 million in annuity premiums over the last 30 years. I won’t tell you where he is from because you wouldn’t know where it is anyway.

Here is a great article debunking the myth that a 4% withdrawal rate is a solid rule for a lifetime income plan. It amazes me that variable brokers use a 4% non-guaranteed withdrawal rate when our lifetime income benefit riders pay out at least 4% on a guaranteed basis, and usually much more.

4 Percent Withdrawal Rate May Be Too High for Today’s Retirees – CBS MoneyWatch

One of the keys to being a successful annuity agent is the ability to get your client to understand that there is a problem with their current situation. If they think nothing is wrong then there is nothing you can do for them. Here is a sale presentation to go along with this article that will help you show your client that 4% that is not guaranteed is no plan at all.

Annuity.com annuity leads come from the premium consumer based annuity information source. If you want an annuity lead that wants to talk to you about annuities there is no better place to start than Annuity.com. Our project manager, Kevin Dufficy, put together this Q&A on the Annuity.com annuity leads to give some guidance on how these leads are generated.

You can find out more about Annuity.com annuity leads HERE.

This is probably one of the best annuity sales tools I have seen in a long time!

This is an actual screen shot from our stock ticker on two separate days. Look at the contradictory headlines related to the Greek economic news below the stock prices.

Greek Economic Headline News Contradictions

I ran across this article in LifeHealthPro and thought it hit the nail right on the head.5 Elements Top Producers PossessIn the article it says, “A recent study examined the performance, personality, skills, and attributes of 79,747 salespeople from 4,317 organizations and found five elements that all top salespeople had in common. What I have done is taken the elements they identified and then interpreted how they each relate to top annuity producers.”

The Indexed Annuity Leadership Council was formed by a group of four life insurance organizations, NAFA and producers to educate consumers about indexed annuities. The IALC is committed to providing complete and factual information about the use of indexed annuities as a part of any balanced financial plan.

This organization hosts a great Blog filled full of useful information for you to share with your clients at http://indexedannuitiesinsights.com.

Under the leadership of Gary Bhojwani, Chairman, Allianz has been on a blitz media campaign singing the praises of our annuity products on CNBC and other television and print media sources. In support of that effort, Allianz has also been producing some really nice client handout materials. It’s great to see a carrier take an active role inOne such handout is linked below:The Truth About Fixed Indexed Annuities – Allianz