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Broker World is the only national insurance magazine founded, focused and edited to specifically address the brokerage marketplace and the unique informational needs of independent life and health producers who select the products best suited to their clients' needs from a variety of companies and marketers. The primary service is to provide a channel of communication between life and health companies and marketers and the 28,600+ proven producers of substantial amounts of brokerage business that constitute Broker World's readership.

LIMRA/LOMA

LIMRA and LOMA officially launched Industry Advantage, an enterprise-wide program that gives employees unlimited access to a deep and broad library of bite-sized content with topics focused on life insurance, annuities, and workplace benefits.

“LIMRA research shows more than a third of life insurers’ employees have been hired since the pandemic. These individuals may not have the foundational industry knowledge that would help them perform their job responsibilities most effectively,” said Carie Crane, vice president and head of professional development, LIMRA and LOMA. “We developed this curriculum to help our members onboard their new employees and keep their existing employees up to date on emerging industry trends, like artificial intelligence, underwriting advances, and elder financial exploitation.”

Industry Advantage is a cost-effective annual program that offers companies microlearning content compatible with companies’ learning management systems. This content provides relevant insights for new-to-the-industry staff as well as those seeking career advancement and deeper knowledge.

Industry Advantage leverages a microlearning approach, which research has shown has many benefits to the organization and the learner:

  • Increased learner engagement. Providing learning opportunities that are available at the time of need means the learner has access to education and training that can be immediately relevant and useful. These employees are then more likely to feel invested in learning this content.
  • Higher productivity. A Society for Human Resource Management study indicates that companies using microlearning saw a 130 percent increase in employee productivity, compared to companies not taking this approach. The targeted content conveyed through microlearning is more likely to be retained and immediately applied—which logically would increase productivity and efficiency.
  • Narrower skills gap. The financial services industry is changing rapidly, driven by technological advancements and evolving consumer expectations. This just-in-time learning approach can help employers address skill shortages and remain adaptable to help employees gain the knowledge they need.

“LOMA has been the go-to resource for industry-specific professional development for nearly 100 years,” said Crane. “In an increasingly competitive environment, companies must arm their employees with the knowledge needed to succeed in their current jobs and provide the opportunity to develop industry expertise to allow them to advance in their careers. Industry Advantage helps companies develop a well-informed team of professionals that can propel the performance of the organization to achieve their strategic business goals.”

To learn more about Industry Advantage, visit: https://www.loma.org/en/professional-development/talent-mobility-suite/industry-advantage/.

Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

Established in 1924, LOMA helps to advance the financial services industry by empowering more than 700 financial services companies to navigate change with confidence. Visit LOMA at www.loma.org.

BenefitMall

BenefitMall, the largest employee benefits general agency, is pleased to announce the consolidation of all leadership functions for the company under Bob Love as president, effective January 1, 2024. Following Scott Kirksey’s retirement as CEO at the end of 2023, Love has assumed the overall leadership role for BenefitMall, ushering the company into its next chapter as part of CRC Group. Since joining BenefitMall in June of 2018, Love has played a vital role in the company’s steady growth and numerous successes that have positioned BenefitMall at the top of its industry.

“As we continue to grow, our mission remains clear: To provide the fastest, easiest and most trusted benefits-selling experience,” said Bob Love, president of BenefitMall. “We are steadfast in our pursuit of enhancing the broker experience and fostering a culture of support for every member of our team.”

Love has more than 30 years of industry experience leading sales and operations teams in all size market segments on a national level. Before joining BenefitMall, Love oversaw Group Sales & Service and Group Distribution nationally for MetLife and Guardian. Most recently, he led renewed growth for Prudential National Accounts. In his role at Prudential, Love was instrumental in revitalizing the sales and service teams, restoring sales competitiveness, and ensuring the financial health of the group insurance segment.

“Bob’s extensive experience in the insurance industry makes him the ideal next leader for our organization,” said Scott Kirksey, former CEO of BenefitMall. “He is a proven leader, and I have full confidence in his ability to continue driving innovation and excellence, ensuring a bright future for BenefitMall and our clients.”

Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall is the largest employee benefits general agency, partnering with a network of 20,000 brokers to deliver employee benefits to more than 200,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1979, BenefitMall leverages innovative technology backed by human expertise to provide a seamless selling experience for its carriers, brokers, and their clients. BenefitMall is part of CRC Group’s Life, Retirement and Benefits Solutions division, a leading national wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products.

American National

iPipeline® announced that American National has launched iGO®, the technology company’s digital e-App solution within its end-to-end ecosystem, to enable the insurance carrier to streamline its distribution and further improve the ease of doing business for insurance agents and brokerage general agencies (BGAs). Supporting multiple product lines, iGO has been successfully adopted by dozens of insurance carriers, hundreds of distributors, and tens of thousands of agents.

iPipeline’s iGO—one of the industry’s leading e-Application tools—will help American National to strengthen its long-term plan for continued growth and expansion within the BGAs market as it strives to build one of the most successful insurance companies in the U.S.
With iPipeline’s iGO e-App solution, you can:

  • Complete an online e-Application, including e-signature—in person with your client or remotely.
  • Ensure the proper and most current applications and forms are used through iGO’s standardized, rule-based platform.
  • Simplify the process for completing forms through its automated data gathering.
  • Ensure that applications are “in good order” while eliminating those that are NiGO (not in good order).
  • Reduce cycle times and increase placement ratios.
  • And accelerate the overall application process.

“For more than a century, American National has developed an outstanding reputation for helping millions of Americans to secure the financial futures of their families. We are honored to partner with them to create an easy, efficient, and end-to-end digital experience for their agents, BGAs, and customers,” said Bill Hunter, senior vice president of sales for iPipeline. “iPipeline has a proven track record of empowering life insurance organizations to grow and thrive. Through this partnership, we can help American National bring peace of mind to even more people in the communities they serve.”

“At American National, we are dedicated to serving our distributors and BGAs,” said Traie Franklin, vice president of Marketing Operations at American National. “Through the collaboration with iPipeline, we believe we can further streamline our business processes and create a much better experience for them.”

To learn more about how iPipeline can simplify business processes and experiences for insurance agents, BGAs, and customers, please visit: https://ipipeline.com/solutions/lifeannuities/.

iPipeline is a leading global provider of comprehensive and integrated digital solutions for the life insurance and financial services industries in North America, and life insurance and pensions industries in the UK. iPipeline couples one of the most expansive digital and automated platforms with one of the industry’s largest data libraries to accelerate, automate, and simplify various applications, processes, and workflows—from quote to commission—with seamless integration. The company’s vision is to help everyone achieve lasting financial security by delivering innovative solutions that connect, simplify, and transform the industry.

Since its establishment in 1995, iPipeline has helped protect more than 49 million people, and today is trusted around the world by more than 100 insurance carriers, and providers, and more than 2,500 broker-dealers, financial institutions, brokerage general agencies (BGAs), independent marketing organizations (IMOs), and managing general agents (MGAs). Connected to more than 500,000 agents and advisers/advisors, the company collected more than $33 billion in premium in life insurance and $55 billion in annuities in 2022. iPipeline operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the S&P 500® and Fortune 1000® indices. For more information, please visit ipipeline.com/ and select your country of origin.

American National is the brand name for the direct and indirect insurance company subsidiaries and affiliates of American National Group, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas, was founded in 1905 and is licensed in all states except New York. American National established a dedicated property and casualty division in 1973 with American National Property and Casualty Company, Springfield, Missouri. This company serves 38 states, not including New York. To better serve the unique insurance needs of the agricultural market, in 2001 American National acquired the Farm Family group of insurance companies based in Glenmont, New York.

American National offers a broad line of products and services, which include life insurance, annuities, health insurance, credit insurance, pension products, and property and casualty insurance for personal lines, agribusiness, and certain commercial exposures. The American National companies operate in all 50 states. In New York, business is conducted by New York licensed affiliates. Each company has financial responsibility for its own products and services. For more information, please visit www.AmericanNational.com.

AllianzIM

Allianz Investment Management LLC (AllianzIM), a subsidiary of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, has created a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) product line tailored for investors who want to manage their wealth against unexpected market and economic events. The 6 Month Floor5 series launched with the AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Jan/Jul ETF (NYSE: FLJJ). This spring, it will be followed by the AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Apr/Oct ETF (NYSE: FLAO), set to launch April 1, 2024.

The Floor5 series marks a significant expansion in AllianzIM’s ETF offerings and complements the firm’s comprehensive suite of risk mitigation tools, including the firm’s lineup of Buffered ETFs. AllianzIM created these ETFs for investors who want to shield their portfolios against abrupt market fluctuations, mitigate sequence of return risk, and build long-term wealth. The Allianz Life suite of Buffered ETFs recently exceeded $2 billion in assets under management.

AllianzIM drew on its extensive familiarity with derivatives and the use of options to create the signature risk mitigation traits of the Floor5 ETF series. The ETFs seek to provide a floor with a maximum loss of five percent of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust losses for the duration of the outcome period, with upside returns subject to a cap.

“The Floor5 ETF series embodies our commitment to providing adaptable and forward-thinking risk management solutions,” says Chris Chambs, CEO, Allianz Investment Management LLC. “Risk is an inevitable part of the investing journey, particularly in today’s uncertain macroeconomic environment. This expanded ETF portfolio helps meet a growing investor demand for robust tools designed to weather ever-changing market cycles.”

Charlie Champagne, vice president of AllianzIM ETF Strategy noted “We are excited to broaden the scope of our risk mitigation solutions. Two of the features the Floor5 series offers are a known level of downside protection to secure years of asset accumulation for retirees and risk averse investors plus it removes timing risk that is inherent with other solutions.”

AllianzIM’s Floor5 ETFs are offered with an expense ratio of 74 basis points, and portfolio management conducted in-house by AllianzIM. The initial Outcome Period for FLJJ will be Feb. 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, with subsequent Outcome Periods from July 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025. The initial 6-month Outcome Period for FLAO will be April 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024. Each Outcome Period reflects a new stated Cap commensurate with prevailing market conditions.

AllianzIM ETFs provide outcome oriented solutions with 27 ETFs and more than $2 billion in assets under management. The AllianzIM Floor5 ETF product line taps into AllianzIM’s core strengths, which include risk management experience and in-house hedging capabilities. As part of one of the largest asset management and diversified insurance companies in the world (Allianz SE), AllianzIM uses the same proprietary in-house hedging platform that is used among affiliates to help manage more than $149 billion (as of 12/31/23) in hedged assets for institutional and retail investors around the globe. Offering a new way to help investors mitigate risk and reduce volatility, these ETFs complement Allianz Life’s suite of annuity and life insurance products.

For more information on the AllianzIM 6 Month Floor5 ETF series, please visit www.AllianzIMetfs.com.

AllianzIM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, is a registered investment adviser. AllianzIM provides hedging and other derivatives-based risk management solutions through its proprietary platform.

Recognized as one of the Ethisphere World’s Most Ethical Companies®, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has been steadfast in its commitments since 1896, concentrating on retirement income and protection goals through various annuity and life insurance products. As a part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry, Allianz Life employs approximately 150,000 professionals across over 70 countries.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. For more information on investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses, please visit www.allianzIMetfs.com or call 877.429.3837. Investors should read the prospectus carefully before investing. There is no guarantee the funds will achieve their investment objectives, and investors may lose their entire investment. Holding Fund Shares for the entire Outcome Period is necessary to achieve the target outcomes.

The Buffered Outcome and Floor ETFs investment strategies are different from more typical investment products, and the Funds may be unsuitable for some investors. It is important that investors understand the investment strategy before making an investment. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Funds is right for you, please see the prospectus including “Investor Considerations.”
The Funds seek to deliver returns that match, at the end of a specified six-month or one-year period (Outcome Period), the returns of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust up to a predetermined Cap, while limiting downside losses by the amount of a specified Buffer or Floor, before fees and expenses.

The Fund will utilize FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Allianz Investment Management LLC and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America are not affiliated with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

Allianz Life

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) announced today that its broker dealer, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC, has significantly expanded its sales team to support Americans’ increasing interest in products that provide a level of protection.
A dozen new positions were added at the start of 2024. And, since 2020, the number of internal sales reps has grown more than 60 percent, while external representatives have grown 25 percent.

In particular, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC increased its presence in the southeast, northeast and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. to represent fixed index annuities (FIAs) and registered-index linked annuities (RILAs). Allianz Life has also expanded its number of sales territories from 58 in 2020 to 72 at the beginning of 2024.

“Growing our team will help us increase our support of financial professionals and their clients by bringing Allianz Life products to more Americans as they seek ways to relieve financial stress through retirement,” said Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC President Corey Walther. “Allianz Life is uniquely positioned to help Americans with both fixed index annuities and registered-index linked annuities that are designed to mitigate risk with a level of protection to help clients attain their retirement goals.”

More Americans are interested in adding FIAs and RILAs to their retirement portfolios. For example, two in three Americans (66 percent) said they want to add a financial product to their portfolio that offers protection from market downturns in a study from Allianz Life. The overall annuity market hit a new sales record in 2023 driven by prevailing market dynamics like inflation and market volatility posing significant risks to long-term financial stability.

“We believe that clients will continue to seek a financial strategy that helps them manage risks and volatility,” Walther said. “Products like annuities will continue to play an important role in those strategies to help ease some of the biggest worries about preparing for long-term financial stability.”

Allianz added four new wholesalers
As part of the growth, Allianz Life added four wholesalers to bring the company into new territories at the start of the year. Two of the new wholesalers were promoted within the company. Murray Gengler will represent eastern Tennessee and John Thyberg will cover southern New Jersey and Delaware.

Allianz Life has hired Vinny Minutolo as a regional vice president for broker dealers in the central and northern Florida territory. For the last 13 years, Minutolo was a top performer in the independent channel at Lincoln Financial Distributors. Minutolo was a regional vice president where he supported independent advisors in central and north Florida for Lincoln’s variable annuities.

Christos Bouroutis joined Allianz Life as a regional vice president for broker dealers. Bouroutis will represent the northeast district in central New Jersey and northern Pennsylvania. He previously worked at TruStage Financial Group, MetLife, Inc. and Transamerica Corp.

*Allianz Life conducted an online survey, the 2023 Q4 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study in November 2023 with a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Respondents age 18+.

Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Variable annuity guarantees do not apply to the performance of the variable subaccounts, which will fluctuate with market conditions.
Products are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Variable products are distributed by its affiliate, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC, member FINRA, 5701 Golden Hills Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55416-1297. 800.542.5427 www.allianzlife.com.
This content does not apply to the state of New York.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of the Ethisphere World’s Most Ethical Companies®, has been keeping its promises since 1896 by helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuity and life insurance products. In 2022, Allianz Life provided additional value to its policyholders via distributions of more than $7.7 billion. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, registered index-linked annuities, and fixed index universal life insurance, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with approximately 150,000 employees in more than 70 countries. Allianz Life is a proud sponsor of Allianz Field® in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United.

Hexure

Hexure, a leading provider of sales and regulatory automation solutions for the life and annuity industry, announced that it has been selected as the winner of the “Best Point of Sale Company” award in the 8th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global FinTech market today.

“Hexure technology amplifies the strengths of any sales team and converts challenges into success with a modern solution that removes bottlenecks and improves client experience. Even today, sales processes, data and experience are often disconnected; many applications are still done on paper; and advisors have to spend valuable time processing when there is a better, faster way,” said Steve Johansson, managing director, FinTech Breakthrough. “Hexure’s platform creates an efficient and modern digital process that ends system fragmentation and streamlines sales, helping to get more products into the hands of the consumers who need them. We are thrilled to recognize Hexure’s breakthrough innovation in our 2024 FinTech Breakthrough Awards program.”

The FinTech Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the FinTech innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech and many more.

“At Hexure, we are committed to ongoing advancement and continually enhancing our solutions to propel our industry forward. By staying at the forefront of innovation and providing robust sales automation solutions, we best support our carrier and distributor clients in achieving their digital experience and sales strategies,” said Laird Rixford, CEO of Hexure. “Our focus has always been to transform the insurance and financial services industry through powerful end-to-end sales solutions. We are honored to receive this FinTech Breakthrough award and be recognized by the industry for our innovation and leadership.”

Carriers and distributors use Hexure’s end-to-end sales automation platform, from pre-sale activities, quoting and illustrations to e-application, e-delivery and post-issue services, to build customer-centric sales experiences, accelerate submissions, eliminate paper processes, meet regulatory requirements, drive sales and operational efficiencies, and improve in-good-order sales. Hexure provides the connectivity rails to link distributors and carriers—connecting data, processes, and experiences across the entire sales lifecycle for various lines of insurance, retirement and wealth management business.

Hexure is the provider of FireLight end-to-end sales platform, ForeSight illustrations, agency life quoter and the Vive term life quote-to-apply solution.

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology innovation and leadership around the globe, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Financial Technologies and Services companies and products. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of FinTech companies and products in categories including Payments, Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Fraud Protection, Banking, Lending, RegTech, InsurTech and more. For more information visit FinTechBreakthrough.com.

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Founded in 1995, Hexure provides digital sales solutions to the insurance and financial services industry across various lines of life insurance, annuities, retirement, and wealth management products. Carriers and distributors use its solutions to build customer-centric sales experiences, accelerate submissions, reduce paper processes, meet regulatory requirements, and improve in-good-order sales. For more information visit hexure.com.

Mutual of Omaha

Josie Abboud, president and CEO of Omaha’s Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital, has been elected to the Mutual of Omaha Board of Directors, Chairman and CEO James Blackledge announced.

Abboud is a recognized leader in health care management, strategic planning, growth and policy, earning the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the American College of Health Care Executives and being recognized by Modern Healthcare and Becker’s Hospital Review as a top woman hospital and health system leader to know. She also is a recipient of the American Cancer Society’s National St. George Award.

“Josie Abboud brings a wealth of experience and expertise in health care policy and leadership to the Mutual of Omaha Board of Directors” Blackledge said. “As a leading provider of Medicare Supplement insurance and other supplemental health coverages, we will rely on her perspective, as well as that of our other distinguished directors, as we work to serve our customers and grow our business in an increasingly competitive and highly regulated environment.”

Abboud joined Methodist Hospital in 1996 as a critical care staff nurse, and she’s held a variety of leadership roles including service executive, vice president and executive vice president and chief operating officer. She was named president and CEO in 2018.
Abboud is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, a member of the Medical Group Management Association and serves on the Boards of Creighton University and the Nebraska Hospital Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Creighton University and her master’s degree in business administration and healthcare management from Regis University in Denver.

Founded in 1909, Mutual of Omaha is a highly rated, Fortune 400 organization offering a variety of insurance and financial products for individuals, businesses and groups throughout the United States. As a mutual company, Mutual of Omaha is owned by its policyholders and committed to providing outstanding service to its customers. For more information about Mutual of Omaha, visit www.mutualofomaha.com.

LIMRA

LIMRA’s Applied Research Solutions will offer consultative research design and delivery to clients looking for fresh insights and approaches to company- or industry-specific challenges. Leveraging the association’s broader industry benchmarking and topical research program, the Applied Research Solutions team will focus on helping clients develop a deeper understanding of issues impacting their business. Focusing primarily on informing product, marketing, and distribution strategies, the new expanded team will build upon LIMRA’s existing expertise to provide clients with data and insights they can apply to a wider range of business decisions.

“In a market where companies are facing significantly greater regulatory and economic challenges, and profitable growth is increasingly elusive, business decisions are riskier than ever before. LIMRA is uniquely positioned to offer our clients the benefits of an experienced research team and a deep, expert understanding of the industry landscape. This combination enables us to provide superior value to our members over general research suppliers and consultancies,” said Sean O’Donnell, senior vice president, and head of membership. “By expanding our custom research capabilities, we can help our members get more value from the association by applying this expertise to an issue of interest to either a consortium of members or an individual client’s specific situation.”

Along with O’Donnell and the existing custom research team, LIMRA has named two executives to support the Applied Research Solutions business:

  • Lai-Sahn Hackett will lead the Applied Research Solutions research team. In this capacity, she will be responsible for consulting with clients to design creative and valid research approaches that will uncover actionable insights into changing market dynamics and help clients maximize opportunities to meet their business goals. Hackett has more than a decade of experience leading market research, product development, and process improvement engagements for large employers and service providers in the insurance industry.
  • Michelle Lorenz will lead the Applied Research Solutions sales and consulting team. With more than 20 years of experience developing and selling custom research solutions for clients across a variety of industries, Lorenz recently joined LIMRA after being vice president, client solutions at SAGO. She will be responsible for building valued customer solutions and insights, with a focus on the overall client experience, for LIMRA members who engage the Applied Research Solutions team.

The insurance industry is currently experiencing an unparalleled period of transformation. The application of new technologies—along with a shifting distribution landscape and evolving consumer expectations—is impacting the industry in new and significant ways. For more than a century LIMRA has been delivering unique benchmarks and research to help its members navigate industry change. Applied Research Solutions enables the association to take that idea further and provide a more focused, tailored application of research expertise to address these emerging needs.

“As our members have increasingly transitioned to a data-driven approach in their business practices, the demand for credible insights and analysis has never been greater,” said O’Donnell. “We believe that our research expertise and unparalleled knowledge of the industry enables us to provide our members with unique value as they strive to meet new and rapidly changing expectations and needs.”
For more information, visit LIMRA’s Applied Research Solutions at www.limra.com/en/solutions-and-services/applied-research-solutions/.

Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

ICMG

The Inter-Company Marketing Group (ICMG), the non-profit association that fosters business networking among insurance and financial services companies, has named Allen Bress, president of AIM Marketing & Insurance Services, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ, as the recipient of the 2024 Don Kampe Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Don Kampe Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor awarded by the ICMG. This award was established in 2001 to recognize ICMG members who have made significant, ongoing contributions of time and resources for the benefit of the organization. The award was named in honor of Don Kampe, who served on ICMG’s first board of directors, was president for two terms, and continued to be active in board and committee work for 24 years.

Mr. Bress’s entry into the insurance industry in 1968 marked the beginning of an innovative and impactful insurance career. He has founded three reputable companies, showcasing a deep commitment to providing invaluable insurance benefits to the public. Since joining ICMG in 1993, Mr. Bress has been a consistent and enthusiastic advocate for the organization, energetically encouraging others to participate as well.

Beyond ICMG, throughout Mr. Bress’s 50-plus years in the insurance business, he has been active in many other conferences and organizations. He has served on multiple boards, including the Mass Market Insurance Institute, PIMA, Voluntary Benefits Association, and the NAILBA Charitable Foundation. His induction into the Workplace Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame and a founding role in the California Association of Health Underwriters speak to his influential presence and visionary contributions.

This year’s Don Kampe Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by ICMG’s Executive Director, Larry Sigle, who said about Mr. Bress, “It’s evident that his unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and profound industry impact make him a deserving recipient.”

The ICMG’s 2024 Annual Conference was held February 5 to 7, 2024, in Miami, FL. This was a milestone year for this exceptional conference, as attendees celebrated the 40th anniversary of the event. More information about the organization and its 2024 conference can be found at ICMG’s website, www.icmg.org.

The Inter-Company Marketing Group (www.icmg.org) is the premier non-profit association that fosters strategic alliances among insurance and financial services companies, providing targeted networking opportunities, sharing of knowledge, experience, and resources for successful inter-company alliances. Among ICMG’s members are marketing and business development decision-makers with insurance carriers, reinsurers, distributors, third-party administrators, and other related companies in the insurance business. Find ICMG on LinkedIn or visit www.icmg.org to learn more.

For more information, contact Larry Sigle, executive director, ICMG, 316-252-3368, administration@icmg.org, or Chuck Hirsch, president, Hirsch Communications Consulting, 314-630-1387, charles.k.hirsch@gmail.com.

Finseca

Finseca’s CEO Marc Cadin issued the following statement after California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 263, California’s version of the NAIC Best Interest Standard:

“We’re truly grateful for Senator Dodd, the California Department of Insurance (CDI), and the NAIC for their efforts to bolster consumer protections while maintaining access to holistic financial advice. We are witnessing the impact that a strong coalition fighting for financial security for all can have, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t emphasize the importance of the joint work that we’ve done under the leadership of ACLHIC, specifically with the help of the teams at the ACLI, IRI, NAIFA, NAFA and our own team at Finseca. California lawmakers took a strong stand today with the objective data we’ve seen from Ernst and Young–holistic financial advice provides better outcomes for consumers, and we should be finding ways to continue to expand on this. Our movement is gaining steam, and we won’t rest until we’ve achieved financial security for all.”

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) developed a best interest for annuity standard that served as the baseline that Senator Dodd and CDI expanded upon to create what CA SB 263 is today. The passage of this legislation and its being signed into law demonstrates the strength and importance of the state-based regulation of insurance that has been in place for decades.