Advanced Markets

The popularity of Index Universal Life products has stirred up the creative talents of many professional financial advisors, and nowhere has that creativity been more apparent than in the area of policy loan rescues.  This presents a significant opportunity to bring value to clients and generate a new sale, but it requires a high degree of expertise to navigate successfully.  This article will review rescue strategies so that you have a better idea of what works and what doesn't.  In addition, the Windsor case design team is fully conversant on the options and approaches that ca...

In June, 2019, Windsor's Marty Flaxman wrote one of our most popular blogs, "Today There's a $22 Million Lifetime Gift Tax Exclusion - Your Clients Can Use It or Lose It."    We asked Marty to revisit this post as we approach 2023, with only a few years left for you and your clients to take advantage of this singular opportunity.  The numbers have changed, mostly favorably.   But more important, time is running out.   A successful sale typically has three common elements:  It solves an important problem.  The solution itself is time-limited, meaning that if y...

​As advisors to your clients, you can start a conversation with 60-page product illustrations, or you can change the conversation to something simpler and closer to home:  Historically low interest rates.  Guaranteed life insurance benefits.  Cash on hand for unexpected circumstances.  Protection for valuable assets.  And easier ways for clients to get the insurance they want and need.  Even in these difficult times, we can do our best to stay calm and communicate clearly.  Here are some ideas from Windsor on how we can begin a conversation about what's impor...

A successful sale typically has three common elements:  It solves a large problem.  The solution itself is time-limited, meaning that if you don't take action soon, all will be lost.  And it's a story that you can honestly get passionate about because it's so important to the client. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created that exact scenario.  Beginning in 2018 and lasting through 2025, the U.S. has dramatically increased the amount of money/assets that individuals can gift to non-charitable entities without being subject to federal gift taxes.  Any client who had m...

The popularity of Index Universal Life products has stirred up the creative talents of many professional financial advisors, and nowhere has that creativity been more apparent than in the area of policy loan rescues.  No question this is a significant opportunity to bring value to clients and generate a new sale, but it requires a high degree of expertise to navigate successfully.  This article will review rescue strategies so that you have a better idea of what works and what doesn't.  In addition, the Windsor case design team is fully conversant on the options and approaches t...

Ready for some quick sales ideas that you can take from start to finish before December 31?  Here are some of the best from Windsor and our carriers!   Year-End Tax Deductions!  American National ​As we enter the last two months of the year we are at the very peak of the pension season. Now is the time to contact prospects who couldn't pull the trigger on planning earlier in the year. There is much greater urgency to establish a plan now than back in March when no deadlines were looming. Contact accountants and let them know that you can help them and their client...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 introduced some big changes in the tax law, creating both confusion and opportunity for financial planning professionals. You will find links at the end of this blog to several excellent resources that will help you navigate through the three broad categories of life insurance planning that are most dramatically impacted by the new tax laws: Personal insuranceEstate planningBusiness-related insurance But to begin, a review of important tax laws that didn't change. Life insurance death benefits remain income tax-free, with rare exceptions (e.g. transfer for val...

I was very annoyed. It was the first application that I took for a key-person life insurance policy after August 18, 2006. The underwriter kicked the application back because the insured-employee did not sign the "Notice and Consent" form, acknowledging that the employer was both the owner and beneficiary of the policy. When I suggested to the underwriter that we get this signature at delivery, he informed me that the policy would not be issued until the signed "Notice and Consent" was received. This was bull, I never had to get this form in the past. So, what was the big deal? It turns out th...

You probably feel as if the field of Estate Planning is in turmoil right now – uncertainty about income taxes, estate taxes and wealth transfer solutions seems so disruptive that Larry Brody, a widely respected estate planning practitioner, has titled an upcoming presentation: "What the Hell Do We Do Now?" Is it really that bad? Well, here are links to two excellent and recent AALU publications that may help answer that question. Survey Says: Tax Reform and Client Planning – What Advisors are Seeing and SayingWhat's Trending: What Experts from the 2017 Heckerling Institute Had to Say The takea...

Of all the progressive things the life industry has done in the past few years to advance underwriting standards and make it easier to do business, one area significantly lagging is charitable life underwriting. In charitable situations, the maximum amount of coverage available across almost every carrier in the industry is based upon a multiplication factor—typically 10—of one's past annual giving to a charity. So if an applicant on average has given $10,000 annually to a particular charity and desires to leverage this giving by allowing the charity to own life insurance on his life, he would...