Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Defending Digital Lives: Strengthening The Connection Between Life Insurers and Policyholders with Cyber Protection

Ken Leibow
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Defending Digital Lives: Strengthening The Connection Between Life Insurers and Policyholders with Cyber Protection

Cyber risk has rapidly become a personal risk, touching consumers across every age group, income level, and stage of life. While life insurance has traditionally focused on long-term financial protection, today’s policyholders increasingly expect solutions that help safeguard their digital identities, financial accounts, and families in real time. The following article, contributed by Karen Malone, Senior Business Development Executive for Life Insurance at TransUnion, explores how cyber protection is emerging as a natural extension of living benefits—and how life insurers are uniquely positioned to strengthen policyholder relationships by addressing this growing need.

Given the epidemic of headline-grabbing cybercrime during the past decade, interest in cyber protection has skyrocketed. People want to protect themselves, and their insurers are among the best positioned to help them – regardless of the lines of insurance coverage they have.

Cyber’s trajectory looks a lot like auto insurance did a century ago, when vehicle coverage was undervalued and therefore tacked onto general liability policies. As car accidents mounted, adoption took off — and niche product evolved into a household necessity.

Personal cyber is following a similar arc, which creates opportunities for savvy, innovative life insurers. By understanding what’s driving demand and how they can enhance their offering with cyber protection services, insurers can take advantage of the growing interest in living benefits while strengthening their relationships with policyholders.

Cyber protection enters the mainstream

Increasingly, individuals recognize the value of cyber protection that goes beyond identity theft protection — especially as criminal use of generative AI (genAI) makes social engineering scams more convincing. Extortion of family members, hijacking seniors’ retirement accounts and taking over kids’ gaming and social accounts are just some of the tactics cybercriminals employ.

Regardless of their age or geography, consumers increasingly want the identity and data monitoring, recovery and expense reimbursement services similar to those that protect business leaders.

Turning demand into revenue

As scams become more sophisticated, the stigma of falling victim fades. In fact, many public figures now share their experiences of being scammed via national newspapers and popular streaming services.

The result is a more sympathetic target audience, but where can individuals find the cyber protection they need?

Many consumers get personal cyber protection through their homeowners’ policy — but that often excludes Gen Z consumers, many of whom are not yet homeowners. Realtor.com discovered while nearly half of surveyed Zoomers felt ready to buy a house, only 36% were financially ready to do so.

By offering in-demand cyber protection services, smart life insurers can fill that gap, differentiate their offering, and build an early, meaningful, and ongoing relationship with a customer segment that NeilsenIQ projects will have $12 trillion in spending power by the end of the decade.

Building brand loyalty through engagement

While individuals may recognize they’re at risk, fewer know exactly what the threats are or how to react when they’re a victim. Ongoing education and personalized insights into their unique risk profiles can engage policyholders, empowering them to protect themselves. It also creates opportunities to reinforce the insurer’s brand.

With a co-branded solution, an insurer reinforces its value to policyholders whenever they receive alerts of suspicious activity involving their identity information. Regular educational content about the latest scams keeps the insurer-policyholder relationship current and relevant.

Demonstrating their value positions life insurers as trusted advisors dedicated to their policyholders’ well-being — opening the door for cross-sell and upsell opportunities.

Expanding services, enhancing reputations

Today’s consumers must combat misuse of their personal information while avoiding social engineering scams, malware, account takeovers, and damaged reputations. A broad set of solutions is necessary, so life insurers might take a page from their property and casualty peers who layer integrated protection solutions over their existing offering to add policyholder value while reducing risk.

With the right cyber protection partner, life insurers can offer the tailored services consumers want but cannot get elsewhere, including personalized identity monitoring and restoration, proactive education and advice, and support from a dedicated restoration specialist. When personalized to the individual, the perceived value is astronomical when an incident occurs.

Life insurers can leverage that value, embedding such cyber protection services into their existing books of business. Consumers gain access to the protection they seek, while life insurers build reputations as innovators dedicated to holistic care for policyholders.

Personal cyber on the verge of ubiquity

As with auto insurance a century ago, getting personal cyber protection into the hands of more consumers is a challenge — but providing more access points to effective solutions will encourage broad adoption.

Life insurers who choose to embrace the personal cyber opportunity in 2026 can make essential cyber protection accessible to the most susceptible while simultaneously finding new avenues for engagement, profitability, sustainability and growth.

This article is adapted from TransUnion’s eBook, 2026 Cyber Protection Challenges and Opportunities., and reflects the research, insights, and industry perspective provided by Karen Malone and the TransUnion life insurance team. As cyber threats continue to evolve, their work highlights an important opportunity for life insurers to expand beyond traditional coverage models and play a more proactive role in protecting policyholders’ digital lives—while building stronger, more enduring customer relationships in the process.

Navigating Digital Transformation in the Life Insurance Industry

Ken Leibow
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Navigating Digital Transformation in the Life Insurance Industry

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the life insurance industry stands at a crossroads, balancing the promise of technological advancement with the practical challenges of integration and optimization. As Independent Marketing Organizations (IMOs) and Brokerage General Agencies (BGAs) embrace a plethora of software solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, the necessity for effective implementation becomes increasingly critical. The journey to maximize the return on investment (ROI) from these digital tools is fraught with the complexities of training, customization, and support, often stretching the resources of even the most technologically adept organizations. This dual-part article delves into the strategies for navigating this digital transformation, focusing on both the technological and human elements essential for sustaining competitive advantage and fostering growth in the insurance sector.

Maximizing ROI On Your Digital Arsenal

The life insurance industry has witnessed a surge in technological advancements over the past two decades, providing IMOs and BGAs with a wide array of software and tech solutions to streamline processes, reduce costs, and simplify paperwork. However, the adoption of these tools often requires significant investments in human capital for effective learning, integration, and deployment. As agencies add more tools to their arsenal, the demand for training, customization, and fine-tuning increases, potentially leading to diminishing returns on time invested in integration, implementation, and optimization.

The expanding array of technology solutions, like eApp, CRMs, and Agency Management Systems presents agencies with a conundrum: the more tools added to the agency’s arsenal, the greater the demand for training, customization, and fine-tuning to ensure optimal performance without draining valuable revenue.

While these tools promise to enhance your agents’ and advisors’ efficiency and productivity, any glitches or hurdles often result in support calls to your tech liaison, further stretching resources. Adding insult to injury, the designated technology expert within your organization is already juggling critical assignments, leaving little bandwidth for managing the ever-growing tech stack.

As the volume of resources purchased increases, there’s a potential for diminishing returns on time invested in integration, implementation, and optimization. Finding the balance between technological advancements and operational efficiency becomes paramount for agencies seeking to stay competitive in an increasingly tech-driven industry.

To address these challenges, seeking assistance from a trusted third party, such as Employee Pooling, can prove to be a prudent investment. EP’s team of experts possess specialized knowledge and skills essential for setting up, configuring, delivering, and maintaining complex InsurTech systems. They can optimize resources, ensure seamless integration, provide scalability, and offer ongoing support, allowing agencies to focus on business growth opportunities. Engaging external assistance is often more cost-effective and efficient than investing in extensive training sessions for every platform, ultimately enabling technology to multiply an agency’s time and profitability rather than diminish it.

Leveraging Data Insights to Shift Advisor Mindset and Close Insurance Gap

Successful advisors understand the importance of developing a unique financial plan for each client, which helps guide decisions and achieve financial goals. But the plans often lack a life insurance component. What happens if a client dies before achieving their financial goals? Life insurance plays a critical role in managing risk and provides the foundation for any financial plan.

According to LIMRA, $3.3 trillion of new life insurance coverage was purchased by 90 million US families in 2023. Despite this, 42% of Americans say they need (or need more) life insurance coverage. While consumers exhibit trust and willingness to engage with advisors, 28% are looking to work with someone – indicating untapped opportunity to sell, up-sell and cross-sell life insurance to them.

According to James Kerley of Clearview Partners, the industry has plenty of advisors licensed to sell life insurance, so what’s driving this disconnect between interested clients and advisors willing to engage them in conversation about purchasing life insurance? His research indicates that many advisors avoid discussing life insurance with their clients, often due to lack of understanding of both the products and their match with the client needs.

New technologies are enabling a shift in the advisor mindset and creating selling/up-selling/cross-selling opportunities.  For example, Spinnaker Insurance Analytics’s Lead PrioritizerTM and Product RecommendorTM solutions identify which clients or prospect are most likely to benefit from obtaining or increasing life insurance coverage and match them with the most appropriate product and solution. This Boston-based company does so by combining external/internal data with a portfolio of algorithms, which I believe are unmatched in the industry.

Life insurance is an emotion-based sale. It’s difficult to talk about death, and negative economic consequences. But that discussion allows both the advisor and the client to protect their future economic value. Changing the life insurance mindset can influence not only your clients’ financial stability, but also your own, in terms of retaining future assets and clients for your practice.  Using data insights from such cutting edge technologies and solutions can take out the guesswork and the uncertainty helping you and clients create greater certainty and comfort in securing a brighter future.

While a focus on investment and retirement planning may seem like an appealing plan, not every client will live to enjoy the benefits. Without life insurance, families and businesses will lack essential assets in the short-term, and advisors will lose those assets for the long-term. Closing the life insurance need-gap is in the interest of all parties, and advisors have the means to get started now.

Bridging Technological Advancement and Data-Driven Strategies

Maximizing the ROI on digital tools and leveraging data insights are two sides of the same coin in the life insurance industry’s pursuit of efficiency and growth. As agencies adopt advanced technologies to streamline operations, the effective use of these tools becomes paramount. Concurrently, data-driven strategies can shift advisors’ mindsets, bridging the gap between potential clients and life insurance coverage. By integrating sophisticated software solutions with actionable data insights, agencies can enhance their operational capabilities while empowering advisors to make informed decisions that align with clients’ needs. This synergy between technology and data not only optimizes resource allocation but also unlocks new opportunities for sales, up-selling, and cross-selling, ultimately driving growth and client satisfaction.

In an industry as dynamic and competitive as life insurance, embracing technological advancements and data-driven strategies is essential for sustaining growth and maintaining a competitive edge. The integration of cutting-edge tools, coupled with the intelligent use of data, enables agencies to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve client engagement. By seeking expertise from trusted third parties and leveraging innovative analytics solutions, agencies can navigate the complexities of digital transformation and effectively address the insurance gap. This holistic approach ensures that technology serves as a catalyst for success, enhancing productivity, profitability, and client trust in an increasingly tech-driven marketplace.

The Sky Is Falling

Ronald R. Hagelman
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The Sky Is Falling

I refuse to throw any more statistics at this. We have been walking out a
very long pier over troubled waters churning from our own lack of
preparation for the last quarter century. We have continued creeping
inflation with that never ending and very noisy parade led by medical
cost. We have a country where personal savings are inadequate by
anyone’s definition. We have the very soon to arrive Boomer Long Term

Care Claim Tsunami and the barometer is falling and the wind is blowing
harder as our beloved cohort begins to turn 80 for the next 20 years.
Caregiver shortages will begin to rock the political landscape. The
struggle to hold down or at least better manage Medicaid will dominate
the news for the foreseeable future. In a world in which one in five is a
Senior, needed care will be measured out from precious private
resources or severely discounted social safety nets. It is the disparity
between the two that will define the end of that pier. It was never built to
withstand a generation of missed opportunities, inferior construction
materials, lack of routine maintenance and neglect of critical
infrastructure. Why were so many unable to visualize the end of that
pier? Frequently in this column over the last 20 years I have written that
LTC is “America’s largest unprotected risk.” It was always just my opinion
shared of course with the corps of LTCI specialists and all those who
continue to make this critical retirement protection a routine component

of their practice. An umbrella and floaties will not provide adequate
protection.
So some speculation for enlightenment value. A little “now what might be
entertaining” in no particular order of significance:
● Care reserves will be rushed to the new tide of Boomer claims. The
disparity in those reserves will only reveal the difference between
retail quality care vs wholesale institutional care.
● Conversations about our fiduciary obligations past present and future
to provide balanced advice will bubble to the surface.
● Hopefully with the security of rate stabilization and the flexibility in
health rates and simplified underwriting provided by true group
structure some success may be regained at the worksite.
● Now based on NAIC guidance the Combo purpose world of Chronic
Illness and LTCI riders have become relatively equal in benefit
definitions, offering Add Ons must become a religion.

● It is time to realize that future sales will not focus on future claims but
on the “claim process” difficulties afflicting our past customers.
Truthfully probably it will be our best past LTCI sales that are
beginning to experience the joy of modern claim management. More
importantly there will now be an assembled cadre of adult children,
extended family, friends and loved ones who will be beginning to
step off that pier, some better prepared than others to get wet.
Regardless of preparation for the claim there is a huge unavoidable
life lesson from which to build sales.
● Some claims sail through the process without any backdraft. Others
do not. The paperwork is enormous, the frustration of administrative
delay when need for extra care is critical, meeting benefit eligibility,
90 day elimination certification, struggle with assignment of benefits
and an endless recertification process to maintain benefits can be
stressful for all concerned.

Remembering this is an opinion column and acknowledging openly that I
am currently doing consulting work for the company I am about to
recommend, I would preface by saying this same recommendation has
appeared in multiple insurance periodicals. It is imperative that you be
prepared with a relationship with a Senior Care Agency. One that has a
long history of working with the brokerage insurance community. One
that is prepared to help file claims, manage quality care and push all the
paper though claim management hurdles. One that has for a quarter
century provided the needed administrative assistance on a
complimentary basis. Knowledge, experience and a proven history of
helping many of us already.
Amada Senior Care simply leads in monitoring and demanding quality
care and peace of mind commitment for us and our clients.
Other than that I have no opinion on the subject.

From Complexity To Clarity: Digital Solutions That Make Annuity Sales Easier For Independent Agents

Ken Leibow
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From Complexity To Clarity: Digital Solutions That Make Annuity Sales Easier For Independent Agents

In the financial institutional space, multi-carrier Annuity Order Entry (AOE) platforms are commonly utilized by wire-houses, clearing firms, and independent broker-dealers. These platforms support end-to-end annuity transactions, including integrated suitability workflows, product selection tools, and DTCC connectivity for seamless premium funding from client brokerage accounts and commission netting to broker-dealers. While some of these solutions have been adapted for use in the independent life brokerage channel, they still fall short in fully addressing the digital point-of-sale needs of independent life and annuity agents.

Today, many agents are selling annuities remotely, but the mobile-first lifestyle of most Americans presents challenges. With clients constantly on the move and relying on smartphones, launching a virtual meeting like Zoom isn’t always practical. While remote collaboration is essential, many tools aren’t fully optimized for mobile use, making it difficult for agents to seamlessly conduct annuity and other insurance or financial service transactions with their clients.

The Reality of Annuity Sales

Total annuity sales posted $432.4 billion in 2024, the third consecutive year of record high annuity sales, per LIMRA. With the backdrop of the best interest rate environment in nearly 20 years, and more than 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, it’s easy to understand why the annuity market is so hot. Bryan Hodgens, Head of LIMRA Research, puts it best – “Since the pandemic, we have seen a significant rise in consumer interest in investment protection and guaranteed retirement income solutions.” More than 70% of the marketplace is in fixed, indexed, and income annuities, meaning the opportunity for insurance professionals to expand their business and work with a wider swath of clients is rich.

Despite the boom in the annuity markets, it’s estimated that only about 10% of retirees own annuities. This is in the face of research that suggests the average American would be interested in the protection and guarantees afforded by annuities. For example, American Century Investment’s Annual Retirement Survey found that 92% of Americans would be interested in using a portion of their retirement plans to generate guaranteed lifetime income.

The most likely reason for this disconnect? Annuities are seen as complex solutions by advisors and retail clients alike, and carriers can make it difficult to compare different products. It’s difficult to act in your client’s best interest when you can’t easily compare all of the solutions in the marketplace.

Annuity Quoting and eApplication Designed for Independent Agents

There is a multi-carrier eApplication platform that is now supporting Annuities. This system was developed by and offered through BackNine Insurance & Financial Services which is called Quote and Apply. It has allowed agents and their clients to find the best coverage for their dollar in all manners of life insurance, from term life to IUL to long-term care. With their most recent enhancement, Quote and Apply can now help agents to easily find the best lifetime income annuity for each client’s unique case.

As an example, let’s imagine you’re working with a 60-year-old client who plans to retire at age 66 whose only source of guaranteed lifetime income is Social Security. You discover in your meeting that the client has $200,000 eligible for rollover into an annuity. By answering just five questions, you’ll be shown the highest lifetime income solution out of more than 100 different products. You can easily find key details, such as fee rates, liquidity provisions, and surrender schedules, and you can download client brochures or advisor guides. You can also compare the contract to other top options, allowing you to show clients that you’re acting transparently in their best interest with your recommendation.

Financial planners can also use this tool to solve for a client’s income gap—if you know the difference between the client’s expected retirement expenses and their other guaranteed income sources, you can find the most efficient income product for their plan. Once you know your product of choice, you can easily bridge into BackNine’s online order entry portal, allowing you to complete forms digitally and collect signatures electronically. This process saves valuable time, reduces new business errors, and makes writing annuity business much easier. While you may have utilized other quoting and comparison engines, what sets BackNine apart is the ability to solve for all insurable needs in one place. As the first multi-product line consumer-facing quote and application system, Quote and Apply empowers agents and their clients to get quotes in seconds and apply in minutes. The tool is offered free. BackNine’s President of Annuity Sales, Matt Gozdecki, sees Quote and Apply for annuities to get back to the basics, “Study after study shows us that the appetite for guaranteed retirement income amongst Americans is significant, but the insurance industry has unnecessarily complicated that conversation. Quote and Apply lets you take the conversation away from confusing riders, roll up rates, bonuses, and deferral credits, and put the focus back on what matters—protecting lifetime income as efficiently as possible!”

Agent – Client Realtime Collaboration

For insurance advisors, client experience is everything. Most agents pride themselves in building strong relationships, providing tailored advice, and ensuring every form and application is done right the first time. Yet in today’s digital world, many of us are still relying on clunky workflows—emailing PDFs, sending online links, and waiting (sometimes forever) for clients to complete and return forms. It’s time-consuming, error prone, and quite frankly, frustrating. Also, when completing information online like client financial intake forms or filling out an Annuity eApp, it’s difficult to just ask questions over the phone or ask a client to fill it out without collaborative assistance.

There is a simple tool called Kollab that can help agents become more efficient while improving how they engage with clients—no matter where they are. It’s like you are sitting “next to” your client, working together on a form as if you were in the same room—even if they’re miles away. This is real-time collaboration made simple. KollabRT (short for collaboration in real time) is a new browser extension designed to transform how advisors engage with clients. It allows both the advisor and the client to view and complete Web or PDF forms together—live, in real time, from anywhere. You send the client a simple link via text or email, and with one click, they join you in your browser session. Yes, you read that right. Both the agent and their client are looking at the same PDF or Online Webform like an Annuity eApp. They can take turns filling it out, checking for accuracy. If it is a PDF document then the agent and the client can sign and submit it together. Think of it as a shared digital workspace, optimized for agents and their clients. And the best part? It works with whatever system you already use—no need to switch platforms or learn new software.

The agent starts with a phone call to their client. Right from the agent’s laptop, tablet, or smartphone sends the client a link via email or text by clicking on the “K” in their browser. Then with just one click on the link by the client the real-time collaboration begins. Both the agent and client see the same Web form or PDF. They can fill in fields together, pass control back and forth, and walk through each section live.

It’s OK To Be Ignorant About Annuities…Just Keep It To Yourself.

Charlie Gipple, CFP, CLU, ChFC
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It’s OK To Be Ignorant About Annuities…Just Keep It To Yourself.

My LinkedIn Conversation:

I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed and came across a conversation that one of my friends was having with a lady whose profile said she was a CFP® and also a “Fee Only Advisor.”  What were they discussing?  Annuities!  You veterans know how this conversation was going with a “fee only advisor” discussing annuities!  This conversation did not disappoint.  Below is one of the responses the fee only advisor made, literally cut and pasted:

“Most of them (annuities) never made sense to me. If a client has plenty of assets, the guaranteed lifetime income option would never be used because almost 99% of time you will have to annuitize the annuity. If a client has limited resources, very few choose to go with the guaranteed income option either because you lose the access to the lump sum, which is risky in its own way too. In rare situations, it might make sense, depending on the clients overall asset and income level. To be honest, I’ve only seen 1-2 clients in retirement really annuitize the annuity for guaranteed lifetime income. The majority of them use free withdrawals and kind of treated it as poorly performed investment account. Most of the time, annuities, especially fixed/fixed index were sold to investors who are scared of market ups and downs with very high commissions.”

The above is exactly the talking points that we have all seen from folks like her–anti annuity and usually “Fee Only” advisors.  And these talking points are misinformed.

Now, on a website (LinkedIn) where many professionals come together to learn from others, I would typically find this commentary very benign.  Afterall, none of us know everything about everything.  However, you and I deal with this crap every week coming back to us from our clients that had been communicated to them by another “advisor”!  You and I both know that this “Fee Only Advisor” communicates this misinformation with their clients every time the annuity conversation comes up.  As a result, this misinformation is perpetuated and consumers that need annuities are now convinced that annuities are bad.  So, to folks like this:  It is OK to be ignorant.  As a matter of fact I will help people like her overcome her ignorance on annuities because that is what I do.  However, communicating this same ignorance to clients is very harmful. 

Where is she wrong?  First off, most annuities that are offered to clients for guaranteed lifetime income are not offered with the intention of annuitizing the contract.  Annuitizing the contract does indeed–as she said–forfeit a good amount of control.  Furthermore, the most prominent lifetime Income annuities today have “Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit” riders that are merely withdrawals from the contract that are guaranteed to last forever, even after the accumulation value hits zero.  If one dies before spending down their value, the balance goes to the beneficiary.  If one wants to cash out at any time, they can.  Beware of surrender periods however.  This “Fee Only Advisor” is living 25 years in the past when GLWB riders didn’t even exist and “lifetime income” was achieved only through annuitization (GMIB riders for xample).  

I also love it that somebody who is likely charging her clients 1% to 1.5% on assets into perpetuity is citing “high commissions” on annuities.  Over a 10-, 15-, or 20-year period of time, she would have likely charged her clients multiples of what the commissions would have been on an average annuity.

Don’t Be a One Trick Pony

Lastly, I love the stock market because “over the long run” there have been very few vehicles that have created as much wealth as the US stock market. However, I also love index annuities with GLWB riders. With that, I view our obligation to our clients to not be a one trick pony. 

For instance, for a 46-your old client, many securities professionals (Note: I am an IAR myself) would say it would be completely stupid for that client to have any of their money in an annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit. They would say that over the “long run” the stock market will accumulate to a value so large that the resulting income at retirement cannot be replicated by an annuity.

That thinking is actually false in a majority of the situations. This is where I would punch the data into my simulations (Monte Carlo) and illustrate what a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit would provide this 46-year-old at say age 65 and compare that to even some fairly rosy stock market assumptions. Well, even while considering rosy stock market assumptions, if the annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit is projected to provide more lifetime income, then why wouldn’t that 46-year-old put a chunk of their money in an annuity?  

The Fee Only Advisor would likely say that I am just trying to rip off that 46-year-old client by giving them a bad product so I can get my “big fat commission.”  Well, that Fee Only Advisor will have a tough time with that one because last year it was me that was that “46-year-old client.”  I did this analysis on myself and bought that index annuity for $200,000. Did I rip-off myself?  Nope.  In fact, that annuity will provide me and my wife with $44,000 per year income at my age 65.  Joint Income!  That is important because my wife will likely live forever.  With my genetics, on the other hand, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore. But I digress.

If I can demonstrate that the income in the annuity exceeds what a rosy market projection would do, the only objection left that I can see some “Fee Only” rep giving me is, “But with my wizardry, I can manage your money and give you an even rosier stock market scenario versus the already rosy scenarios you ran. And by the way, I am a fiduciary.”  Puke!
Ignorance is bliss, unless you are sharing your ignorance with consumers.  Then, that is not bliss, that is flat-out harmful.  If you are a “Fee Only Advisor” then don’t be closed minded and have an annuity “agent” you can refer your clients to if those clients need an annuity.  Conversely, annuities aren’t for everybody!  So, if you are “insurance only,” it may be smart to have a Registered Rep or an RIA/IAR where you can refer business to.

An interview With Eugene Cohen: Answering the Question, “Why DI?”

Eugene Cohen and Michael Cohen
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An interview With Eugene Cohen: Answering the Question, “Why DI?”

With the help of Victor Cohen, this is part of our ongoing series with Eugene Cohen, founder of the Eugene Cohen Insurance Agency, Inc., 2009 Honoree International DI Society W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015 Honoree of NAILBA’s Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence.

From time to time, we will feature an interview with Eugene, who has dedicated over 60 years of his life to learning, teaching, and supporting brokers in the agency’s quest to help consumers protect their incomes from the tragic effects of a disability. 

Disability insurance (DI) is one of those products that can change the trajectory of an individual and a family’s life and is crucial for every financial planner and insurance professional to learn about and offer to clients.

Victor: With all the many years you have worked in the Disability Insurance Industry, please share with me something important you may have learned early in your career that still has an impact on you.

Eugene: I will always remember the first day I started working in the Disability Insurance business. I was in my early 20s, out of college, excited and motivated to begin my career. 

The insurance agency manager who hired me told me that my job as a producer was simple. “Eugene, just make sure your clients understand why they need Disability Income Protection Insurance. Answer the question, ‘Why?’ That’s your most important responsibility. When the client understands the need for DI, they will want it.”

That word, “why,” has stuck with me ever since. There is always going to be a reason “why” we need something. And it’s our duty to provide the answers. 

But not only does a producer need to understand why their client needs the product the producer is offering, the producer needs to believe in the product themselves. 

Victor: So, I have to ask. Why do most clients need Disability Insurance? 

Eugene: Well, if a client were disabled and could not work, naturally income would likely stop or be greatly reduced. So, the client would very likely need to replace a portion of that lost income to cover life’s non-cancelable financial obligations such as paying the monthly mortgage, buying groceries, and paying utilities. 

Victor: There are questions a producer can ask to help the client answer why they may need DI. Can you go over a couple of those questions?

Eugene: The producer can ask their client, “Is earned income important to you?” If they answer yes, then there’s the reason why the client very likely needs an income protection disability insurance policy. Because what often stops when work stops? Income. 

The producer can also ask, “What’s the longest vacation you have ever taken?” Most likely they will answer, “One or two weeks.” Then they can ask the client, “Why don’t you ever take a month or two-month vacation?” Most likely the client will answer that they could not be away from work that long. They would need the income. 

Then the producer can ask them, “Well, what if you could never work again due to sickness or injury? How would you financially survive?”  And there’s the answer why the client very likely needs Income Protection Insurance. 

Victor: I know that you are a student of life. And you recently had a personal experience that in some ways reminded you of the relationship a producer has with their client. But in this case, you were getting your annual review from your air conditioning service person.

Eugene: That’s right. Where I live it can get extremely hot, well into the 100s in the summer. So, every year we meet with our air conditioning person for an inspection and review. 

Victor: Much like a producer meets with their client for their annual review. 

Eugene: In some ways, yes! So, this individual came out, looked at our air conditioning units, and then told us that we needed to replace one of them.

Victor: And all the units are blowing beautiful, cold air right now, right? No problems? 

Eugene: They’re working perfectly. So, naturally, my wife and I were surprised by the service person’s recommendation. We asked, “Why?” Why would he suggest we need to replace a seemingly perfectly working AC unit? Why would we think for a second of spending a ton of money on a new one? 

Then the service person did something very familiar to me. To answer “why” we needed a new unit, he asked us questions. “Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, what would happen if the unit stopped working during the summer?”  The answer…we knew all too well. Our expensive wood floors could get destroyed by the brutal summer heat–especially if we were out of town for a while.

The service person also pointed out that the unit was quite old and well past its warranty. The unit was clearly living on borrowed time. Another fact that we had not realized. 

The service person pointed out that while the unit was blowing cold air today, that was only due to good fortune and luck. The service person asked us other very good questions to help us see why there is a very legitimate need for us to replace the unit. 

Victor: So, are you getting a new AC unit?

Eugene: We are thinking about it. And only because the service person was so prepared with his answers about why replacing the unit actually makes sense. 

The experience reminded me of what a good producer does. The producer has an annual review with their client. When the producer sees that DI is needed, they help the client understand why DI is needed. While a new AC unit may perhaps save my floors and keep me cool in the summer, a DI policy could protect a policy holder from financial ruin. 

Victor: As we know, there are some producers who do not bring DI up in their client reviews. Let’s answer that “why.”  Why do producers need to bring DI into the conversation with clients?

Eugene: Because DI is an important product that the client should have the opportunity to purchase. 

Imagine a producer gets a call from a client’s frantic spouse who says, “My husband had a very serious stroke and there is a good chance he will never work again. Do we have one of those policies that will pay us some of his lost income?”

The producer will have one of three answers. 

The first answer is, “No. That product is called a Disability Insurance Policy, and I never presented it.” That is obviously not a good answer. 

The second answer is, “I presented that product to your husband, but they said they were not interested. They signed an acknowledgement that I presented at that time saying that they chose not to apply.”

The third answer is, “Yes, I presented DI to your husband, and he has a disability policy. We can put the claim into the company to see if it is a qualified claim.”

Victor: This has been such a great conversation. Thank you, as always. Before we go, is there anything you would like to add?

Eugene: I think about why I went into this business so many years ago. And the reason I went into it then…is the same reason I am in this business today. And that reason is to help people. 

Many clients need Disability Insurance. Things happen. Life can be unpredictable. Knowing I have done all I can to tell people about this amazing product that can help clients protect what is often their most valuable asset–their ability to earn an income–is extremely rewarding. 

Situational Inconvenience

Ronald R. Hagelman
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Situational Inconvenience

“The LTC claim Process may ultimately become a challenge to our cherished fiduciary responsibilities.”

The results of all our attempts to include future planning for quality care giving as an integral component of our practice could become moot. It is and has always been our projected mission. It was always somewhat of a visionary crusade detailing and expounding on what a more predictable, financially prepared quality future care would look like. Those remaining LTCI specialists rightfully continue to view their activities as a sacred trust. For over a quarter of a century we have been filling as many sandbags as circumstance would allow with reserve claim dollars. We were that proverbial diligent squirrel who packed as many nuts in his mouth as possible to put them back for that almost certain rainy day. We repeatedly outlined a complete care story beginning and end. A story that celebrates with an induction into the LTCI or Chronic Illness  policy ownership brigade. It then hopefully concludes with all our hard work performing as anticipated during what we always believed would be a period of quality, judicial, caring claim management. This is what we sold, and it is what we expect. Unfortunately, there are voices in the wind both from insureds and agents caught up in a claim adjudication “Process” suggesting that perhaps our expectations could be falling short. Please do not misunderstand, protecting the integrity and validity of all claim payments remains the primary focus of all those companies who have in the past or now continue to help us build those crucial insurance firewalls.  Fraudulent claims must continue to be exposed and discarded. Ultimately there are an abundance of moving parts in the life of an LTC/Chronic Illness policy and  as is often suggested the only variable susceptible to constant improvement is “Service.” As you might imagine this can represent a fairly sensitive conversation. Not unlike the social and cultural requirement of the father to daughter or mother to son conversation about the performance of the “birds and the bees.” This delicate and potential industry embarrassment may be perceived as a conversation reserved only for impolite company.  Therefore, let us begin with what we know:

  • No one would deny that the shorter the claim duration the smaller the ultimate cost. That LTC claims are occurring in an accelerated mortality environment. We all understand that those now attempting to access their policy benefits are in urgent need of relief.
  • No one would deny that 90+ percent of all existing LTCI stand-alone premium resides in a closed block of health premium that will inevitably be subject to rate spiral propensities. This is also occurring in an environment of historical premium that was innocently underpriced for much of its early history.
  • Every one should understand that disability income and stand-alone long term care insurance are at the very least kissing cousins. We cannot ignore and we must acknowledge that the fair and judicial payment of DI claims has had a long and very unflattering history. In 2003 DI companies were fined $181.5 million in punitive damages.  Across America current plaintiff attorneys are loudly suggesting similar bad faith activities in the rapidly growing world of LTCI claim management.
  • We must begin to acknowledge the size of the problem we are facing. It is currently projected that those 65 and older will outnumber our children in 2030. According to a 2024 survey of family caregivers conducted by seniorliving.org, 53 million family caregivers are currently assisting older relatives, spouses, friends or neighbors. One in five Americans are at this moment already plunged into the extraordinary demands of needed custodial care.
  • The reality we must take to heart is that most of these circumstance recruited helpers are unpaid.  According to the AARP Public Policy Institute we incur $600 billion in unpaid labor costs from family caregivers. Unprepared and unfunded caregiving has proven to dramatically increase the caregivers personal financial cost, emotional stress, personal health and well-being. The overall parameters of the problem could not be clearer. Intentionally choosing a future of unpaid family care regardless of your financial circumstance should always be your last choice.
  • Approximately two thirds of the cost of senior care is paid as a function of government sponsored social insurance both Medicaid and a growing dynamic attributed to HHC from Medicare. It’s the one third of care funding that is sourced from private pay dollars that defines our risk sharing universe. The inescapable truth remains, if you can afford to pay for your additional care you will either pay from current assets or you have carefully and strategically planned ahead by acquiring additional funding support from a variety of insurance options.
  • Rest assured insurance funding for claims is in place. According to the  recent ATI Advisory, “Those who bought their policies in 1995, 2000, 2005 by 2020 there remained $28, $72, and $117 billion in benefit value for policy holders.” Determining over time if those carefully managed claim reserves prove entirely adequate as the generation of insured boomers approaches their most crucial caregiving years remains an industry mystery. According to The American Association for Long Term Care the industry paid out more than $14 billion in claims last year.

It was never a secret that LTC claims, if preceded at the time of sale with clean health input, would not generate substantial claims initially. The corollary understanding is that when they did appear, if sold to our preferred mid 50’s buyer, proud residents of the boomer generation now approaching their 80’s would then appear in relative abundance exactly as projected. Therefore now stepping from the dark shadows of uninitiated LTC liabilities into the bright lights of anticipated claims will demand the full attention of all those who participated in LTCI sales past, present and future. We are all in this together. We have all come to realize the LTC claim “Process” may ultimately be a challenge to all our cherished fiduciary responsibilities. Frankly, without any real understanding of the Process we are often being asked by our most valuable clients to help as claims begin to occur more often. We are being forced outside our comfort zone to try to assist with the establishment of new claim acceptance and ultimately a successful claim payment.

To open the velvet, claim curtain and be met by timely and fair claim illumination requires, in my humble opinion, knowledgeable professional help. You will need help with an abundance of complicated paperwork. You will need advice concerning medical assistance for a satisfactory plan of care. You will need guidance to scan for cognitive complications. Most importantly you will need knowledgeable, experienced assistance recommending customized care specific and unique to the clients personal desires.

Our clients deserve the smooth insurance justice we promised at the beginning of this insurance journey. Frankly, dear friends, you need professional help. Please look now for a connection to an experienced senior care agency advisor. Someone available immediately to help your insureds plan extensively for the cost of care associated with emotional, physical and health issues.

Aging at home or helping to transition to higher levels of care can be more easily achieved with the assistance of quality well-trained care experts. Our claim service future is open and malleable. Boomers’ claims are coming.  Partnering with dedicated professionals who can help facilitate the peace of mind we set out to create 30 years ago can move us much closer to the fulfillment of the journey we promised.

Other than that I have no opinion on the subject.

Digital Transformation In Life Insurance: Lessons From Assumption Life’s Success

Ken Leibow
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Digital Transformation In Life Insurance: Lessons From Assumption Life’s Success

While researching innovative strategies in the life insurance industry, I came across an insightful case study detailing Assumption Life’s transformative journey. The lessons from their success hold valuable implications not just for Canada but for the U.S. life insurance market as well. Inspired by their approach, this article explores the key takeaways from their case study, demonstrating how life insurers in the United States can apply these insights to thrive in a competitive landscape.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of life insurance, companies face mounting pressure to innovate and adapt. Changing consumer expectations, restricted distribution methods, and operational inefficiencies compel life carriers to rethink traditional strategies. Assumption Life’s journey offers a compelling case study on how embracing technology and strategic partnerships can drive growth and transformation.

As the first Canadian life insurer to digitalize within the brokerage network, Assumption Life leveraged technology to address key challenges, redefine its operations, and deliver exceptional results. This article explores their journey, lessons learned, and the broader implications for the industry.

The Challenges Facing Life Life Carriers Today
For mid-market life product life carriers like Assumption Life, the competitive landscape presents unique challenges:

  1. Changing Consumer Expectations: Modern customers demand speed, convenience, and personalized solutions. Traditional advisor-led sales often fall short of meeting these expectations, requiring life carriers to explore alternative online models.
  2. Limited Distribution Reach: Regional restrictions and an over-reliance on advisors can limit market penetration, particularly for mid-market consumers often overlooked in traditional channels.
  3. Operational Inefficiencies: Manual processes in compliance, policy applications, and customer service increase costs, cause delays, and risk errors.
  4. Customer Experience Gaps: A fragmented journey from policy selection to issuance can alienate potential clients, making seamless user experiences a critical success factor.

Assumption Life recognized these challenges and took proactive steps to address them.

The Role of Technology in Addressing Distribution Challenges
Assumption Life’s collaboration with Lavvi, a digital distribution platform, marked a pivotal shift in their approach. Lavvi’s API-driven platform provided Assumption Life with the tools to enhance partnerships, expand reach, and streamline operations.

Key Innovations Implemented:

  1. Integrated Digital Partnerships: Lavvi’s platform enabled Assumption Life to integrate seamlessly with other life carriers, financial institutions, and distributors. Partnerships with organizations like Blue Cross Life (BCL) and Better Mortgage Insurance allowed Assumption Life to bundle products and tap into new markets.
  2. Data-Driven Insights: The platform provided Assumption Life with robust consumer analytics, enabling tailored product offerings and data-informed strategies.
  3. Operational Automation: Automating compliance and application processes minimized errors, improved efficiency, and freed up resources to focus on core competencies.
  4. Enhanced User Experience: Lavvi’s intuitive platform created a streamlined consumer journey, from browsing to policy issuance, leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Outcomes: Quantifiable Successes

The results of Assumption Life’s digital transformation are nothing short of extraordinary:

  • Revenue Growth: A 231 percent year-over-year increase in individual life insurance sales through online channels.
  • Market Expansion: Access to new regions, including Quebec, with five new branches of business.
  • Higher Conversion Rates: A 300 percent increase in bundling rates and 30 percent consumer conversion from partner websites.
  • Improved Customer Satisfaction: A seamless, user-friendly checkout process resonated with modern consumers, enhancing brand loyalty.

Assumption Life’s strategic focus on distributors as partners, rather than competitors, has been central to its success. By empowering distributors with digital tools, they created a win-win ecosystem where all parties thrive.

Key Lessons for the Industry
Assumption Life’s journey underscores several critical lessons for life carriers:

  1. Partnerships are Key
    Building partnerships with distributors, InsurTechs, and other carriers can unlock untapped revenue streams and market access. Assumption Life’s ability to integrate its products into distributors’ offerings allowed it to amplify its reach and meet consumers where they are.
  2. Data is a Game-Changer
    Consumer data isn’t just a byproduct of operations—it’s a strategic asset. Insights derived from Lavvi’s platform enabled Assumption Life to tailor products and proactively meet evolving customer needs.
  3. Technology Drives Efficiency
    Digital platforms simplify complex processes, reduce errors, and speed up time-to-market. Assumption Life’s automated processes illustrate how operational excellence can lead to tangible business results.
  4. Customer Experience is Paramount
    Today’s customers expect seamless, fast, and intuitive experiences. Life carriers who invest in user-friendly platforms not only improve conversion rates but also build lasting relationships.

Implications for the Future of Life Insurance Technology
Assumption Life’s success provides a roadmap for other life carriers navigating digital transformation. As technology continues to reshape the industry, several trends emerge:

  1. Hybrid Distribution Models
    Combining advisor-led sales with digital platforms creates flexibility and broadens consumer access. Hybrid models allow life carriers to serve diverse demographics without alienating traditional advisors.
  2. Embedded Insurance
    Partnering with non-traditional distributors—such as financial institutions or mortgage providers—enables life carriers to embed their products into everyday transactions, making life insurance more accessible.
  3. AI and Automation
    Artificial intelligence will further streamline underwriting, claims adjudication, and customer interactions. Automating repetitive tasks enhances efficiency and frees up human resources for higher-value activities.
  4. Regulatory Adaptation
    Navigating regional regulations requires flexible platforms capable of automating compliance. Digital tools like Lavvi’s can help life carriers adapt to local requirements without sacrificing efficiency.

A Blueprint for Success
Assumption Life’s journey is a testament to the power of aligning business goals with technological solutions. Their remarkable growth—achieved through strategic partnerships and digital innovation—offers invaluable insights for the industry.

In an era where buzzwords like “digital transformation” often lack substance, Assumption Life stands out as a practical example of how technology can solve real-world challenges. Their ability to expand reach, optimize operations, and enhance customer experiences is a blueprint for life carriers seeking sustainable growth in a competitive market.

By placing distributors at the center of their strategy and embracing technology, Assumption Life has demonstrated that when distributors succeed, the benefits cascade to end consumers, creating a holistic cycle of growth and satisfaction.

As Luc Bossé, VP of Sales & Marketing at Assumption Life, aptly puts it:
“Allowing the Lavvi team to lead the build of our digital distribution platforms for our distribution partner strategies has allowed our internal teams to refocus on backend systems and processing. We’ve seen a 231 percent increase in online sales year over year via our distribution partners’ direct-to-consumer solutions, and that number is still rising!”

For life carriers looking to navigate the challenges of the modern market, Assumption Life’s success story offers a clear directive: Embrace digitalization, foster partnerships, and prioritize the customer experience. The future of life insurance lies in transformation—and those who adapt will thrive. To read Lavvi case studies visit https://lavvi.com/resources.

Disability Insurance: Your 2024 In Review And Your 2025 Business Planning

Eugene Cohen and Michael Cohen
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Disability Insurance: Your 2024 In Review And Your 2025 Business Planning

We hope everyone had a great holiday season and a Happy New Year! This is one of the best times of the year to review business successes and some not-so-successes of the past year and do some planning for the year to come. When it comes to your discussions about disability income planning, how do you feel?

How was your year 2024 when it came to sharing awareness about disability insurance with your clients? Well, it probably depends on what area of insurance you are most focused on every day. So let’s go through some of the different areas of focus that we tend to see with producers.

Employee Benefits Producers: Were you able to discuss with clients how the caps in group LTD can reduce the percentage of income covered for the high income earners? For example, when a member of a group LTD income exceeds the maximum cap, then the net effect is a lower percentage of income being covered. So instead of those member(s) getting the full percentage of income covered, the cap will reduce the true percentage of income covered. An individual disability policy can help to close some or all of that coverage gap. If you weren’t able to discuss this concept in 2024, then let’s think of the LTD clients you helped in 2024 and which ones had members whose income exceeded the cap as listed in the LTD policy. This creates a great opportunity to discuss this gap throughout 2025.

Life Insurance Focused and Personal lines Producers: Go back through 2024 and think about the clients you met with about their life insurance planning. Were you able to also talk about how life insurance planning can be loss of income planning? In reviewing a family’s income planning, it’s important to understand and plan for a loss of either spouse’s income. The loss of income is key in this planning. If the loss of income is due to one’s passing, then the life insurance can be an essential planning tool to replace that lost income. You’ve probably had these conversations dozens and dozens of times throughout the year. Were you able to continue the conversation beyond the loss of income due to a spouse passing? Sometimes having a spouse unable to work due to a serious injury or sickness can be even more economically straining for the family. When a spouse can’t work, then their earned income will usually end up stopping as well. This is why disability insurance planning goes hand in hand with the life insurance planning that is designed to replace income. If you weren’t able to talk to those clients about disability income planning, then there’s a great opportunity to call them on or before the life insurance policy anniversary or when doing a follow up from the recent life insurance purchase.

Commercial Lines / Life Producers / Employee Benefits and those that work with business owners: If you go back through 2024 and think about all those sales opened or deals closed during lunches, golf or hunting outings, dinners and office visits to your business owner clients, were you also able to suggest a meeting about business disability planning? If not, you’ll have time to make it one of your goals in 2025. Think about the businesses you insure in which your client is so important to the business, that if they were unable to work the business could collapse. For example, a dentist, accountant, engineer, architect, interior designer, veterinarian, attorney or store owner, etc. When a client is a business owner that is the main creator of revenue for a business, then there’s added risk to the business. Regardless of if that business owner can’t work due to a disability, the expenses of the business will still roll in. Payroll still needs to be paid, the rent, utilities, and all the other fixed expenses need to be organized and paid. If you weren’t able to talk about Business Overhead Expense insurance, then you have a great opportunity throughout 2025.

All areas of focus: Business Continuation Insurance is a topic in many fields of insurance. How does the business continue if an owner suddenly passed away? If the call tomorrow was that the owner passed, what is the business continuation plan? If there’s an explosion at a business, how is that business going to be rebuilt and what type of P&C insurance did you recommend? Were you able to touch upon the same planning concept if one of the owners were to end up disabled, they were never able to come back to work or even communicate in the future? Most buyout agreements have provisions in case a partner becomes disabled, but most don’t have it funded with disability buyout insurance. If you were unable to talk to your clients about having a disability insurance buyout review, to make sure all is up to date, then you have a great opportunity this year to have that discussion. In addition, you can talk to them about any key people in their office that create substantial revenue for the business. When you ask a client how important they are to the business, they may know they are the most important or they may explain how they mentored or brought in someone else, and they are the key person that drives revenue. If the latter is the case, then there’s additional risk to the business if the key person was unable to work. This gives you the ability to suggest a further conversation about key person disability insurance.

Remember that planning for what occurs if a client is unable to work due to a disability is so important for everyone.

We hope everyone has an incredible 2025.

Why Did Mike Tyson Lose To Jake Paul?

Charlie Gipple, CFP, CLU, ChFC
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Why Did Mike Tyson Lose To Jake Paul?

This intentionally idiotic title has many of you saying, “Because he’s 31 years older than Jake Paul! Duh!” Of course that’s true! However, I would argue that even if Mike was still in his 20-year-old body today, that his mindset would inhibit his performance versus who he truly was 40 years ago. Allow me to explain and then draw a corollary to our business.

As I write this article I am somewhat disappointed that I wasted my Friday night watching this very boring Tyson vs. Paul boxing contest on Netflix, even aside from the technical glitches! However, the ladies fight was a great match. But I digress. I had hoped that Mike Tyson would knock out Jake Paul. I like Mike Tyson as he gets older, and he is the GOAT (greatest of all time). However, I have been a realist and understand that Mike Tyson is 58 years old, and Jake Paul (at age 27) is in the prime of his life physically. Father Time has an undefeated record. And Jake Paul is actually a great athlete not to be taken lightly! My friends thought I was crazy when I said that Jake Paul was going to win, much to my chagrin. Jake did indeed win by unanimous decision.

(Note: Many folks believed the match was “rigged.” Whether it was or not is not the point. Either way, my comments below are hard to deny.)

Me believing that Mike Tyson was not going to win had less to do with his physical abilities and more about his mindset as he has aged. Afterall, I have recently seen the training videos where he’s still destroying the heavy bags at lightning speed. Those training videos led many to say, “The old Tyson is back, and Jake Paul is in trouble!” I never bought into “Mike Tyson being back.” My lack of confidence in Tyson was not because of his aging physical abilities, but because his body language is completely different than what it used to be, which is insight into his psyche that used to drive him to knock people out. Again, what drove Tyson to kill his opponents when he was 20 years old was just as much about his psyche as it was his physical abilities, although his physical abilities were clearly superior. (I am obviously not a psychologist, but here is my view.)

In short, Mike Tyson does not have the killer instincts like he used to, even though leading up to this fight he convinced millions that “the old Mike is back.” Wrong! His body language, whether at the weigh-ins, photo sessions, on his way to the ring, or even while he is in the ring, is not as laser focused on his prey as the 20-year-old Mike was.

Thirty years ago, as he was entering the ring, or already in the ring, he only looked in one of two directions: Directly at his prey, or to the ground as he was contemplating how he was going to destroy his prey. It was internal, deep down in his gut. He wore all black, not looking around at what others were saying about him or cheering about. You knew that he was internally processing (maybe in an unhealthy way) what he was going to do to his opponent and how he was going to achieve his goal. He was hungry.

Today Mike’s body language tells me that he has lost this mindset when it comes to boxing. As far as body language, it is almost like Mike Tyson has become more concerned about other things than just achieving the “goal” of knocking somebody out. He’s looking around at his surroundings and not so much laser focused like a lion about to attack a bunny rabbit. When they ask for his commentary on what he is going to do to his opponent, he kind of shrugs his shoulders and says something fairly benign and non-convincing, almost like he doesn’t believe it himself. The 1980s and 1990s Mike Tyson made comments that you know he believed in his heart and gave some of us children nightmares. Do I dare say that today’s Mike Tyson seems self-conscious? Or certainly more “conscious” of things other than destroying his opponent.

However, why should he really want to absolutely kill somebody? Afterall, he has hit the pinnacle of the business, made millions of dollars, and has nothing to prove to anybody, certainly not to a 27-year-old kid (Jake Paul). He has become domesticated. Sometimes already hitting your “goals” will make you domesticated.

I bring all this up because once you have achieved high levels of success in our business and hit your “goal” you can become “domesticated.” Hence, the reason why we should continue to make new goals. I launched CG Financial Group, an IMO for independent agents, six years ago. As time has gone by, I hit a lot of goals that I set for my business. Every time I hit a goal, there was an inclination for me to say, “Let’s take a little break because I’ve earned it.” The fire burns out a little. This is called getting “fat and happy,”

Because I try to self-reflect a lot, I know when I am feeling “fat and happy” and therefore have made conscious efforts to quickly remedy this mindset along the way. You cannot let yourself get fat and happy, at least when it comes to doing something that you want to continue to grow. Naturally, Mike Tyson is a 58-year-old guy that no longer wants to beat people up, which makes it OK for him to be “fat and happy.” Conversely, I bet when it comes to your business and your growth aspirations, you do not want to get “fat and happy” and stagnant.

I have found that setting continuous goals and extending out the goal post is important for me in order for me to not become “domesticated.” Feeling “uncomfortable” is needed. If you continue to set goals for yourself and have a laser focus on that prey/goal, it is impossible for you to lose your edge. Again, I’m not suggesting that Tyson should be obsessed with being the world champion again, I’m just drawing the psychological corollary to why Tyson is not as “good” of a boxer as he used to be, aside from the fact that he is forty freaking years older!

When it comes to setting and hitting your goals, be that 20-year-old Tyson, don’t be self-conscious, don’t care about what those around you are saying about you, don’t get comfortable, don’t get “fat and happy,” and keep moving forward.