Who among us doesn’t enjoy the guilty pleasure of reality television occasionally (and, in some cases, frequently)? Don’t be ashamed—admit it—while channel surfing, you’ve probably landed on a program or two and stayed to watch.
You know, the ones where the rich and famous stumble over their own feet while attempting ballroom dance routines, the globe trotting teams racing through foreign countries on a scavenger hunt, or the competition among dehydrated and starving contestants stranded in a far-away place. Almost every network or cable channel has something like this on their broadcasting schedule, and if you go to Wikipedia, you will find a list of hundreds of titles.
Well, AXA Equitable has tapped into this social media in a positive way by developing a series of videos entitled “Wall Street Hope Meets Boardwalk Reality.” Their goal is to broaden retirement conversations by creating a platform for consumers to listen and learn from each other about what it’s been like to plan for and live in retirement during the ups and downs of the market.
The first video, posted on AXA Equitable’s “The Source,” as well as YouTube, poses the question: Is Retirement a Shore Thing?
AXA Equitable’s “The Source” is a website intended to offer content related to financial protection and retirement. To see the video, go to http://thesource.axaequitable.com.
While we’re on the subject of reality, let’s look inside the pages of this month’s issue, which focuses on “Insuring Agency Health.” The reality of running a small or mid-sized insurance agency in today’s economy can sometimes be daunting. Survivors today are running an amazing race with big brother compliance taking a good share of their time and the government presenting obstacles that they must scale to avoid a wipeout. While independence has proven to be the most beneficial approach to marketing insurance, producers do sometimes feel like an ice road trucker on precarious ground.
In this issue we have touched on a few topics that should help keep an agency running smoothly, as well as product and marketing ideas you should consider.
Have you ever done a client survey? If not, you can find out how on page 18, plus an actual survey document is in the online version of Broker World. There are also some excellent pointers on building your business through public speaking, as well as how to find temporary employees and how to negotiate when a family business reaches gridlock.
Rounding out this issue are product ideas on LTC insurance, life insurance and disability insurance; health and employee benefit compliance; a panel of seasoned DI professionals and meeting coverage for NAHU’s annual convention and NBA’s spring meeting.
One final thought to leave you with. The Trends in Life Insurance Ownership study, conducted every six years by LIMRA, found that only 44 percent of U.S. households have individual life insurance. Today, 30 percent of households (35 million) have no life insurance coverage, compared to 22 percent of households in 2004.
Almost eight in 10 U.S. households currently do not have a personal life insurance agent or broker to turn to, and most of them say they never did.
How about that for a “reality byte” that you can use to your advantage! [SAC]
