NFP, a leading property and casualty broker, benefits consultant, wealth manager and retirement plan advisor, today announced it has acquired Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. (DBS). Acquiring DBS expands NFP’s life insurance business with capabilities that support larger financial institutions, including broker-dealers, wirehouses and RIAs. DBS principals George “Chip” Van Dusen IV, president and CEO, and Tori Van Dusen-Roos, COO, will join NFP and report to Mike James, executive vice president, chief sales officer. The acquisition closed on April 10.

“I’m very excited to welcome Chip, Tori and their team to NFP,” said James. “They are industry leaders in supporting financial advisors through enterprise relationships with large financial institutions and will be valuable partners for our advisors and producers. With DBS onboard, we will provide an enhanced, differentiated offering across our existing retail and wholesale life insurance businesses. I look forward to DBS’s contributions to our growth, culture, and support of current and future clients.”

Minneapolis-based DBS is one of the largest life insurance BGAs in the United States. They support financial advisors across the country through enterprise relationships with large financial institutions, as well as individual relationships under a wholesale model. DBS offers various value-added services to these advisors, including education, point-of-sale support and placement.

“We’re thrilled to join NFP, an organization with significant scale in the life insurance space that shares our focus on growth, people and community,” said Chip Van Dusen and Tori Van Dusen-Roos in a joint statement. “We have very ambitious goals for growth, and with their commitment and resources NFP is the ideal partner to help us achieve it. It’s exciting to see so many opportunities to collaborate and deliver additional value and expertise to our current distribution partners as well as those with whom we build relationships.”

NFP is a leading property and casualty broker, benefits consultant, wealth manager, and retirement plan advisor that provides solutions enabling client success through the expertise of over 7,400 global employees, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors, and financial institutions. NFP is the ninth best place to work for large employers in insurance, seventh largest privately-owned broker, fifth largest benefits broker by global revenue and 13th largest broker of U.S. business (all rankings according to Business Insurance).

Visit NFP.com to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals.

Diversified Brokerage Services is one of the largest multi-carrier brokerage general agencies in the United States specializing in life insurance. With a national headquarters located in Minneapolis, MN, DBS supports financial professionals nationwide as they look to secure life insurance, long term care, linked benefits, disability insurance and annuities for their clients.

Krause Brokerage Services, LLC has acquired USA-LTC, a California-based brokerage firm that specializes in long term care insurance (LTCI), including employer-sponsored worksite LTCI for businesses offering LTCI as a benefit to their staff. With this acquisition, Krause further secures its place as a key player in the long term care planning industry, increasing its focus on products and strategies for adults planning for retirement, seniors planning for long term care, and Medicare. Krause now offers an expanded arsenal of services, resources, and partnerships designed to help those working in the long term care planning industry protect their client’s financial futures.

Don Levin, J.D., MPA, CLF, CSA, LTCP, CLTC, the former president and CEO of USA-LTC, will serve as strategic relations director at Krause. He will assist with recruiting and training of insurance agents while also managing and expanding the worksite LTCI facet of the business. Additionally, Levin will play an instrumental role in introducing new LTCI services to Krause’s attorney network. He will work directly with attorneys to successfully incorporate LTCI within their practices.

“With other states following in the footsteps of the Washington Cares Act, more people than ever will be seeking private long term care insurance coverage,” said Lori Gubash, national LTCI director at Krause. “All legal and financial professionals must be ready to service this need. Don is here to help provide that connection point. With his expertise, the people we work with will be better equipped with the tools needed to expand their businesses and help more clients plan for long term care.”

“Long term care insurance is an essential part of the retirement and estate planning conversation,” stated Levin. “I look forward to helping Krause’s network implement this crucial service in their businesses, giving them the opportunity to break new ground with their clients.”

As an attorney and award-winning insurance agent himself, Levin brings vital insight and experience to Krause. He served as chairman of the board of the National Long Term Care Network, regularly contributes to Broker World Magazine, and has authored several books, including The Right Combination: Unlocking Your Future Through Marketing and Wisdom of the Diamond: The Five Bases of Effective Team Leadership. Levin is an experienced speaker on LTCI and will be featured as a regular presenter and educator on Krause’s platforms.
Krause is also welcoming Paula Pike, a senior account manager with more than 25 years of experience, whose primary role will be processing applications for businesses offering LTCI as a benefit to employees.

“I am thrilled to welcome both Don and Paula to our team,” said Thomas Krause, J.D., vice president of sales and marketing at Krause. “This acquisition allows us to increase the visibility and accessibility of long term care insurance to our network while also adding the employer-sponsored insurance component to our business model. I am confident this will provide new opportunities for Krause, but more importantly, for the legal and financial professionals we serve.”

For more than 30 years Krause has provided asset preservation solutions related to long term care for legal and financial professionals nationwide. The acquisition of USA-LTC comes shortly after Krause’s acquisition of LTC Solutions in 2021, along with Krause’s introduction of Medicare products and the establishment of new Medicaid planning and wealth management partnerships in 2022.

Krause Brokerage Services specializes in asset preservation solutions, resources, and education for long term care and the senior market. Krause has been a leader in the long term care planning industry for over 30 years, assisting legal and financial professionals as they help their clients achieve relief from the financial hardship of long term care. With a growing team of 43 dedicated professionals, Krause Brokerage Services is the parent company to Krause Financial Services, which primarily works with estate planning and elder law attorneys, and The Krause Agency, which works with insurance agents and other financial professionals in the senior market. For more information about Krause, visit http://krause.com.

Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, recently announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire The Milner Agency, a brokerage general agency (BGA) located in Athens, Georgia. As part of the acquisition, The Milner Agency’s Chairman of the Board Seixas G. “Chip” Milner, Jr., and Executive Vice President Whitner R. Milner, will become Partners in Integrity. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“The Milner family is legendary in the insurance industry and we’re very honored to welcome them to Integrity,” shared Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity. “Today, they’ve taken an exciting step toward even greater success and continued growth for generations to come. As part of the Integrity family, The Milner Agency now has access to best-in-class resources, technology and shared services designed to take already successful agencies to the next level of production and service. The Milner family and their expert team have worked tirelessly to build an amazing business that delivers unwavering support to the agents and advisors they serve. Now, I can’t wait to see what we’ll create together!”

The Milner Agency spans four generations of family leadership, beginning in 1958 with founder Willis J. Milner, Jr. Today, The Milner Agency is a national, full-service brokerage agency that connects agents and advisors to carriers in order to meet thousands of clients’ particular goals and needs. The group offers life insurance, annuities, long term care and disability insurance products, securing more than $170 million in annual paid premium. With more than 60 years of combined underwriting experience, The Milner Agency brings distinctive competence in impaired risk analysis, ensuring every solution is superiorly designed to protect clients and their families. The Milner Agency also provides extensive marketing support and back-office assistance to agents and advisors, thus creating more bandwidth to cultivate and strengthen client relationships.

“For more than 60 years, The Milner Agency has taken care of clients with urgency, integrity, accessibility and accountability,” explained Seixas G. “Chip” Milner, Jr., The Milner Agency’s Chairman of the Board. “Integrity aligns perfectly with our values—and our vision for the future. We want to continue building relationships with our producers so they know we support their success at every step of the insurance process. As an Integrity partner, we can now offer producers the strongest resources and most advanced technology in the industry. It’s incredibly exciting to be part of what Integrity is building, and we see only good things ahead for The Milner Agency.”

The Milner Agency’s extensive industry experience and underwriting skill make it a valuable addition to Integrity’s pioneering partner network. This powerful collective of industry leaders and icons is helping Americans prepare for the good days ahead by sharing best practices, refining strategies, and improving insurance and financial services processes. The group’s ongoing collaboration generates forward-thinking solutions that better protect the life, health and wealth of all Americans.

“Our family has a tremendous heritage in the insurance business and we’re very excited to extend that legacy to the next generation with Integrity,” shared Seixas “Chad” Milner III, president and CEO of The Milner Agency. “The Milner Agency excels at relationships—we put our clients above all else. Now we have a partner who can help us be equally strong on the technology side. Integrity’s products and resources are superior to all others in the industry. The shared services, technology platforms and marketing guidance will help us continue to excel for years to come.”

Already a long term success story, The Milner Agency can achieve future goals and extend its legacy by utilizing Integrity’s end-to-end insurtech platform. Integrity’s business service offerings allow partners to shift time-consuming tasks to a centralized organization. These areas include People and Culture, Technology and Innovation, accounting, legal and compliance. The Integrity platform offers partners the industry’s most holistic system of resources for agents, including instantaneous online quoting and enrollment capabilities, the proprietary MedicareCENTER and Mobile App, as well as world-class marketing and advertising assets and direction.

“Our customer is the agent, so we knew we wanted a partner who could help us reach more agents, more efficiently and effectively than ever before,” explained Whitner R. Milner, executive vice president of The Milner Agency. “This partnership extends our reach and helps us fulfill agents’ specific needs faster and at a more advanced level. Integrity will also strengthen our back-office support and enhance our technology resources, allowing us to focus on what we do best. Partnering with Integrity feels like a natural fit at the right time for The Milner Agency. We’re excited to steer our company toward even greater accomplishments as an Integrity partner and we look forward to remarkable growth in our future.”

Enhancing all these benefits is the exciting opportunity for The Milner Agency to offer employees meaningful ownership through the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan.

For more information about The Milner Agency’s partnership with Integrity, view a video at http://www.integritymarketing.com/Milner.

Integrity, headquartered in Dallas, TX, is a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of innovative solutions for wealth management and retirement planning. Through its partner network, Integrity helps millions of Americans protect their life, health and wealth with a commitment to meet them wherever they are—in person, over the phone and online. Integrity’s cutting-edge technology helps streamline the insurance and financial planning experience for all stakeholders. In addition, Integrity develops products with carrier partners and markets them through its nationwide distribution network. Integrity’s nearly 6,000 employees work with approximately 500,000 agents and advisors who serve more than 11 million clients annually. In 2022, Integrity will help carriers place almost $20 billion in new sales and oversee more than $30 billion of assets under management and advisement through its RIA and broker-dealer platforms. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com.

The Milner Agency was founded over 60 years ago while working with life insurance carriers to help clients obtain the best possible coverage, regardless of medical history. Over the years, the influential firm has helped develop traditional carrier underwriting practices and assisted in designing the first ever multi-company application processing system. It was also the first agency to pilot imaging and uploading systems for three of the nation’s largest life insurance carriers. As a BGA with extensive underwriting capabilities and experience, The Milner Agency connects agents and advisors to the best carriers and products that address each client’s specific needs and goals. Producers can spend more time cultivating and strengthening client relationships. For more information, visit www.milnergroup.com.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (“EPIC”) announced today that it has acquired The National Benefit Corp (“TNBC”). The acquisition further expands EPIC’s geographic footprint in the Midwest across its life insurance, executive benefits, and financial advisory distribution businesses under the Vanbridge Life and Executive Benefits umbrella. The transaction continues to broaden the reach of EPIC’s current life and executive benefits practice and provides TNBC with an expanded and complementary portfolio of products and resources to facilitate growth and enhance client service.

Founded in 1977, TNBC is a full-service insurance marketing organization and a trusted insurance and annuity partner for advisors across the country. TNBC offers advisors a diverse line of financial products including life, long term care and disability income insurance along with a specialization in annuity solutions. The current leadership team of TNBC, including President John Gilbert, will remain intact upon joining the EPIC organization. Gilbert also serves as chair of the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA).

“Over the last 45 years, TNBC has become a leader in delivering personal relationships and independent life and annuity solutions to our incredible customers. Through this new partnership with EPIC and Vanbridge, we are very excited to be able to offer a more robust suite of solutions and best in class expertise to enhance our long-standing customer relationships,” said Gilbert.

“I am fortunate to have known John Gilbert and Tom Kirke for the last decade and am very excited to welcome the team at TNBC into our collaborative organization,” said Tom Bellig, EPIC Life and Executive Benefits and managing principal of Vanbridge. “TNBC has cultivated a great reputation of performance within their specialty and this acquisition is an excellent opportunity for us to build on that success and drive growth–together,“ concluded Mitchell K. Smith, EPIC Life and Executive Benefits and managing principal of Vanbridge.

Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ash Brokerage, a leading financial advisory and general agency brokerage. As part of the acquisition, Tim Ash, CEO of Ash Brokerage, will become a managing partner in Integrity. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed and the transaction is scheduled to close upon regulatory approval.

Industry pioneer Jim Ash launched Ash Brokerage more than 50 years ago by providing health insurance to groups and individuals in the Fort Wayne, IN, area. Through thoughtful acquisitions and a well-executed growth strategy, the brokerage expanded to include life insurance, long term care, disability, annuities and retirement solutions. In 1997, Jim transitioned executive leadership to his son, Tim Ash, who has expertly guided the firm to further national prominence while maintaining a consistent focus on building strong relationships with agents and advisors and delivering world-class service.

Today, Ash Brokerage is one of the largest insurance brokerages in the United States, with more than 400 employees nationwide. In 2021, Ash Brokerage helped to place over $2 billion of premium, while underwriting $25 billion of face amount to protect American families and businesses. They also provide superior consultative, outcome-based insurance solutions to registered investment advisors. Throughout its history, Ash Brokerage has impacted almost one million lives with its products and services. In addition, the Ash family and organization have become known and respected for broad, ongoing philanthropic giving and investment efforts in their community of Fort Wayne.

“It is rare to find an organization with a 50-year track record of sustained excellence,” said Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity. “Ash Brokerage is a company that has continually focused on innovation—Tim, Jim and their committed team have always been conscientiously moving forward to maximize their impact on the people they serve and the place they call home. Ash Brokerage has created a strong culture of family and community, resulting in time-honored client relationships and impressive employee retention. This partnership is consistent with Integrity’s continued focus on transforming the industry to better serve Americans with their life, health and wealth planning needs. By combining the systems, strengths and expertise of our two organizations, Integrity and Ash Brokerage will have an even greater impact on the lives of the agents, advisors, carriers and consumers we collectively serve. We couldn’t be more honored to welcome Ash Brokerage to the Integrity family, and we look forward to an exciting future as we work to innovate the industry together.”

“We are in the business of impacting lives, and service is our calling card,” said Tim Ash, CEO of Ash Brokerage. “We honor the relationships we enjoy with the thousands of financial advisors we serve and the clients who depend on them, as well as our family of teammates. Everyone at Ash Brokerage is incredibly passionate about safeguarding the financial freedom and security of American families. It’s why we’re so committed to developing products and strategies that empower our advisors to provide their clients with the best solutions for every situation. By partnering with Integrity, Ash Brokerage will have access to a more diversified mix of life, health and wealth solutions, enabling our advisors to design and deliver more holistic offerings for their clients. The breadth and depth of Integrity’s data and technology perfectly complements our own extensive systems and services, which allows our team to compete at an even higher level. We’ve chosen to unite so we could have a greater impact on the lives of the people and communities we serve. That shared commitment is the heart of this partnership, and we are thrilled about the opportunities ahead of us for the next 50 years and more.”

As an esteemed and well-respected insurance name, Ash Brokerage will bring additional strength and leadership to Integrity’s fast-growing partner network. This trailblazing, collaborative group of industry leaders and icons is unified by a common vision to innovate insurance and optimize processes that protect the life, health and wealth of all Americans. Adding Ash Brokerage’s deep expertise and proprietary technology, products and resources to the platform will greatly enhance the ability of Integrity partners to impact lives for the better. Ash Brokerage’s proven systems for assisting large institutions with their insurance offerings will also serve as a model for all Integrity partners.

The Integrity platform is comprised of world-class insurtech offerings and innovative systems designed to help partners unlock their full potential. Strategic partnerships include marketing through nationally-renowned ThomasARTS, comprehensive quoting and enrollment systems through CSG Actuarial, ongoing product development through AIMC, third-party administration services through IAS, data and analytics through DEFT Research and lead generation capabilities through Mail Pro Leads.

Ash Brokerage can leverage this end-to-end suite of resources to further enhance its already exceptional organization and approach, while utilizing the many administrative business functions provided by Integrity. Industry-leading shared services offered to all partners include areas such as People and Culture, Technology and Innovation, finance, legal and compliance.

Additionally, Ash Brokerage will now offer its employees meaningful company ownership through Integrity’s Employee Ownership Plan.

“For over 50 years, Ash Brokerage has provided our customers with unparalleled support to help them feel secure in their future,” explained Jim Ash, founder of Ash Brokerage. “Our heritage is well matched by Integrity’s forward-thinking leadership and strong core values, which align so closely with our own. In addition, we’re proud and honored to join Integrity’s partner network, where we’ve seen wonderful collaboration among industry legends who are driven to make our industry better. Working together will help all of us gain critical insights and achieve better outcomes for Americans. This partnership is special—very special.”

“Through innovation and partnership, the Integrity platform continues to transform the way insurance and financial services are delivered,” said Steve Young, chairman of Integrity’s Board of Directors. “We couldn’t reach these milestones without amazing partners like Ash Brokerage who share our vision and values. Jim and Tim have always invested deeply in their community, clients and employees. Together, we will unlock a world of potential to grow alongside each other and deliver the solutions Americans need to feel secure for the good days ahead. Our commitment to serve is stronger than ever with Ash Brokerage at our side.”

For more information about Ash Brokerage’s decision to partner with Integrity, view a video at http://www.integritymarketing.com/AshBrokerage.

Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”) an omnichannel insurtech leader in life, health and wealth solutions, today announced it has acquired The Diversified Companies (“Diversified”), a leading independent marketing organization based in Parsippany, NJ. As part of the acquisition, the Diversified executive team will become Managing Partners in Integrity. This includes Michael J. Rose, Sr., founder and CEO; Anthony Rose, president and CFO; Michael J. Rose, Jr., CMO; and Daniel Rose, COO. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“At Integrity, we’ve partnered with some incredible family businesses who have entrusted us with the next phase of their company. Today we are thrilled to welcome the Rose family,” shared Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity. “What the Rose family has created at Diversified is truly exceptional. Partnering with Integrity means Diversified can access the data, technology and resources that will enable them to reach their full potential and serve more people than ever before. The Roses understand how Integrity is innovating insurance and financial services to better protect the life, health and wealth of Americans, and we’re honored to support their legacy.”

Founded in 1979, The Diversified Companies strives to positively impact the lives of its associates, agents and clients. The firm provides Medicare, final expense and mortgage protection products to the senior market nationwide. As a long-standing family business, Diversified emphasizes mentorship relationships with its agents through a robust training program. This approach has led to significant growth during the company’s more than four decades in business.

“Just like Integrity, Diversified considers family to be one of our most important values,” said Michael J. Rose, Sr., founder and CEO of The Diversified Companies. “When we met with Integrity, we realized we had found our next family. We’ve experienced plenty of success thus far, but Integrity provides the missing pieces that will enable us to grow in ways we haven’t been able to do on our own. Integrity is transforming the industry and we’re not going to miss being part of that. Diversified has been in business for more than 40 years and with Integrity, I know we’ll be around a lot longer than another 40.”

Diversified joins the ranks of industry leaders and icons who make up Integrity’s expansive partner network. These leading companies collaborate on best practices and strategies to optimize insurance and financial processes that help American consumers prepare for the good days ahead.

“Just as our family has binding ties, we’ve always fostered strong connections with our agents,” explained Anthony Rose, president and CFO of The Diversified Companies. “Accessing Integrity’s industry-leading resources, technology and data will amplify the support we can provide our agents. Creating connections with the top echelon of the insurance industry is another aspect we’re so excited about. We’re no longer competing with these leaders; we’re now on the same team and get to build our businesses together. It’s truly an exciting time and we can’t wait to experience the ‘Integrity Effect’ of growth in our business.”

The Diversified Companies team can now access Integrity’s omnichannel insurtech resources, including its proprietary platform and systems. This includes quoting and enrollment platforms, MedicareCENTER, insightful data and analytics and product development. The Rose team will redirect valuable time to business goals by utilizing Integrity’s centralized business services, which encompass IT, human resources, legal and compliance, and access to a world-class advertising and marketing agency.

“With Integrity, we can better fulfill our mission to positively impact those we interact with,” said Michael J. Rose, Jr., CMO of The Diversified Companies. “When we sat down with Integrity and saw the technology and support they offer, it was mind blowing. We’re ready to see many of our dreams become realities now that we have Integrity’s resources supporting us, from marketing to product diversification. There was no question as to whether or not this partnership was the right path for Diversified and we know it will make a profound change in the future of our business.”

The Diversified Companies now has the opportunity to offer their employees meaningful company ownership through the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan.

“We are so excited about offering our employees ownership through the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan,” shared Daniel Rose, COO of The Diversified Companies. “We have many team members who have been part of Diversified for twenty years. To now have them share in our successes across the board is well deserved. This took us from the minor leagues to the big leagues and we’re here to stay.”

For more information about the Diversified Companies partnership with Integrity, view a video at http://www.integritymarketing.com/Diversified.

Integrity, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an omnichannel insurtech leader of life and health insurance, and provider of innovative solutions for wealth management and retirement planning. Through its partner network, Integrity helps millions of Americans protect their life, health and wealth with a commitment to meet them wherever they are—in person, over the phone and online. Integrity’s cutting-edge technology helps streamline the insurance and financial planning experience for all stakeholders. In addition, Integrity develops products with carrier partners and markets them through its distribution network of agencies, brokerages and RIAs throughout the nation. Integrity’s nearly 5,500 employees work with more than 420,000 agents and advisors who serve over 10 million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity helped carriers place more than $7 billion in new sales and oversaw more than $20 billion of assets under management and advisement through its RIA and broker-dealer platforms. For more information, visit http://integritymarketing.com.

The Diversified Companies, headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, is committed to positively impacting the lives of their associates, employees and clients. At Diversified, they tailor partnerships that last. Founded in 1979, they’re one of the nation’s leading distributors of Medicare and final expense plans. Diversified supplies thousands of agents throughout the country with the opportunity to fill the gaps both Medicare and Social Security leave behind for millions of seniors. They are proud to treat each agent, employee and client as a member of their own family and are committed to putting their needs above their own. In 2021, Diversified supported more than 50,000 Medicare eligible Americans, by ensuring that they were afforded the best plans and benefits that they were entitled to.

Ash Brokerage, Ameritas and SCOR announce a new next-generation term life insurance product, Ash Instant term, issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.

The predictive data modeling provides improved outcomes for clients, while making the process fast and simple.

This innovative digital product is available to Ash advisors through the Ash Term Express platform. Together, the product and platform are transforming the life insurance landscape.

“It’s not enough to keep up with industry changes. Ash leads the way as the first brokerage general agency to offer this exclusive and innovative design. We broke the mold and we stand alone,” says Tim Ash, CEO of Ash Brokerage.

“This product is a breakthrough for our industry,” adds Todd Ruplinger, Ash Brokerage’s chief innovation officer. “Our predictive data modeling has provided improved outcomes for clients and advisors, while making the process fast and simple. Advisors who viewed life insurance as an obstacle now have a simple solution for protection.”

Ash Instant term leverages modern technology to enable advisors and their clients to place a term life policy with ease, collaborating through a unique protection journey at their own pace and sequence. Based on more than 50 years of experience and data, Ash Instant term provides an online underwriting decision in seconds.

“Ash Instant term offers one of the best automation rates in the market while it maintains very competitive prices,” explains Richard De Sousa, senior vice president, deputy head of Growth and Development at SCOR. “Qualified applicants can confirm receipt of coverage within 15 minutes in either an agent-assisted or self-serve fully digital environment.”

“Ameritas is always focused on finding new ways to reach more customers,” says Bill Lester, Ameritas president and chief executive officer. “That’s part of our mission of fulfilling life through convenient, high-quality insurance and financial services. An instant-decision term life product accomplishes all that and more. A great collaboration.”

Ash Instant is underwritten by Ameritas and reinsured by SCOR. The combination of Ash’s proprietary submission platform, Ash Term Express, and the new Ash Instant term product makes obtaining term insurance easier than ever.

Ash Brokerage, www.ashbrokerage.com, is a brokerage general agency based in Fort Wayne, IN, answering the needs of financial professionals nationwide. For life insurance, annuities, long term care or disability income, Ash provides the tools and, more importantly, the people needed to get the job done right. For 50 years, the firm has built its success on strong, personal relationships with its clients and partners. Whatever the question. Whatever the need. Ash Answers.

Dixon Wells announced recently that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Brokerage Services of Carolina, Inc., along with its book of business.

Brokerage Services of Carolina, Inc., based in West Columbia, SC, has been servicing the needs of independent life insurance agents in the Carolinas and surrounding areas since 1977. They have a solid reputation built on excellent service, competitive products, and personal service. The purchase of Brokerage Services of Carolina will further increase Dixon Wells’ footprint in the life insurance brokerage industry.

“We are very excited to welcome Carolina Brokerage Services and their advisors to Dixon Wells,” said Bill Conwell, president and founder of Dixon Wells. “Bill Brooks has been a pillar in our industry for over 40 years. We are honored to serve his relationships moving forward and want to welcome them all to Dixon Wells.”

Dixon Wells is a leading national insurance brokerage general agency that was created and continues to grow on the principle of delivering exceptional service that quickly and efficiently manages every step in the processing of life, long term care, annuities, and disability insurance, melded with the most stable and forward-looking products, insurance company partners and point of sale assistance in the industry. Dixon Wells has locations in Birmingham, AL, Charlotte, NC, Columbia, SC, Columbus, OH, Nashville, TN, Philadelphia, PA, and Richmond, VA. The Dixon Wells team can be reached at 800-821-7996.

Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), the nation’s largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Brokers International, Ltd. As one of the oldest and most influential life insurance, annuity and wealth-planning organizations, Brokers International supports thousands of agents, agency partners and financial advisors who provide life insurance and retirement solutions to Americans. As part of the transaction, Mark Williams, president and CEO of Brokers International, will become a managing partner with Integrity. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Brokers International Founder Roger McCarty launched the company in 1983 and is recognized as an industry icon whose vision created the independent marketing organization (IMO) model that revolutionized insurance distribution and is now the industry standard. Today, Brokers International, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, offers agencies, agents and financial professionals a comprehensive and proprietary range of products and services, including compliance, marketing, IT and new business support. In 2021, Brokers International will place more than $3.5 billion in annual premium with 13,000 advisors serving hundreds of thousands of Americans. Also included in the transaction are Brokers International’s Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and full-service broker-dealer platform, Brokers Financial, with more than $1 billion in assets under management.

“Brokers International has built one of the most well-respected brands in the insurance and annuity space and they do it with class,” said Bryan W. Adams, CEO and co-founder of Integrity Marketing Group. “At Integrity, we’re already a market leader in life and health insurance distribution, and now with Brokers International’s large presence in the financial services, annuity and traditional life insurance markets, we can help Americans more fully plan for their retirement needs as well. It is a perfect example of the way Integrity is revolutionizing the industry through partnership, and it shows we can accomplish more together than we do apart. I am thrilled to welcome Mark Williams and the entire Brokers International team to the Integrity family.”

“We see so much opportunity by combining the full suite of products and services we offer with Integrity’s reach in the life and health insurance markets—this allows us to provide a more holistic planning service to our agents and agencies,” explained Mark Williams, president and CEO of Brokers International. “Agencies are looking for an expanded product portfolio and Integrity’s vast footprint will allow us to help them diversify, while also giving our agencies stronger marketing programs, cutting-edge technology platforms and more back-office services. We can serve thousands more financial services professionals, which means we can in turn help hundreds of thousands more retirees. By combining Integrity’s resources with our legacy and growth trajectory, I know we’ll make a significant impact on shaping our industry’s future.”

“At Brokers Financial, we’ve experienced great growth, but the sky is the limit with Integrity as a partner,” explained Brian Aukes, president of Brokers Financial. “The vision that Integrity has for the wealth management side of our business aligns perfectly with our goals. Integrity’s broad resources ensure we will attain the results we’re striving for much faster and make it possible for us to help even more Americans prepare for retirement, a crucial time in their lives. Together, we’re on the path to make that shared vision a reality and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Through this partnership, Brokers International enhances its ability to support its agency customers by utilizing Integrity’s vast and rapidly expanding array of products and services. The Integrity platform includes powerful resources such as product development, data analytics, research and development, and quoting and enrollment platforms. Partners also draw upon a comprehensive range of shared services such as IT, accounting, legal, human resources and a full-service marketing and advertising firm.

“As we considered what we needed in a partner who could help us grow, yet retain our legacy, Integrity just felt like home,” shared Kelly Bennett, chief distribution officer of Brokers International. “Having access to incredibly innovative tools, new partners and wider distribution only creates more opportunities for our agencies. We can pour more time and energy into supporting the agents, agencies and financial advisors we serve because of the resources Integrity offers. It feels like the perfect fit for everyone.”

Partnering with Integrity also offers Brokers International employees the opportunity to gain meaningful company ownership through Integrity’s Employee Ownership Plan.

“Having ownership in a company is the American dream, so we’re honored to now offer our employees a stake in our growth,” continued Mark Williams. “When I look back on my career of more than three decades in the financial services business, I’ve never been granted an opportunity to partner with such a successful firm that will make this type of impact on the future growth of our business.”

“Welcoming Brokers International to the Integrity family is an exciting day for all of us,” shared Integrity Chairman Steve Young. “Roger McCarty was a pioneer in the industry, innovating the way agencies worked together to accomplish more by uniting together. Integrity shares this same vision and I know Roger would be proud of what we are building and how we are shaping the industry to help more Americans than ever before with their insurance and retirement needs.”

For more information about Brokers International’s partnership with Integrity, view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/brokersinternational.

Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are—in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity’s almost 5,500 employees work with over 345,000 independent agents who service more than seven million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $7 billion in new premium. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com.

Since 1983, Brokers International has been family-owned and independently operated, serving the nation’s premier agencies and their financial professionals through marketing services and insurance and retirement products. Known as “The Original Agency Builder,” the company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, provides a wide range of exclusive tools and resources designed to help financial services-focused agencies and professionals better serve their clients and grow their business. In 2020, Brokers International provided support to over 13,000 agents serving hundreds of thousands of Americans, while placing over $3.5 billion in annual premium. For more information, visit www.biltd.com.

Charlie Gipple, owner of CG Financial Group and long-time industry expert on annuities, life insurance, long term care planning, presentation skills, and sales strategies has announced the launch of “The Retirement Academy” on April 5th, 2021. The Retirement Academy is an online training platform for agents, registered reps and broker dealers that is very video-heavy and ranges from remarkably simple product explanations and sales strategies to more technical matters like carrier product hedging and tax strategies.

The 250 training videos and 70 expert-level articles that are a part of the training curriculum are divided among six different “Modules,” from Module 1 (Practice Management) through Module 6 (The Academians’s Blog). Drip email training is also employed for members of the Retirement Academy to enhance the comprehension and retention of the material taught.

Gipple cited the huge opportunities that exist for annuity producers to become fluent in life and long term care planning, and for life and long term care producers to become fluent in annuities. He also cited the huge opportunities that broker dealers would have by plugging their registered reps into an education platform when it comes to insurance. It would also lead to more compliant insurance business. Gipple stated that The Retirement Academy harnesses all the above opportunities in addition to homing in on practice management and “virtualizing” the practices of the financial professionals.

“By year-end, the content will likely double from where it will be at launch on April 5th. However, it is not about quantity, it is ultimately about quality. You can’t find this kind of material in a brochure,” says Gipple. “The three product lines of annuities, life, and long term care hybrid products are exactly what many consumers need today. However, the products have never been more complicated to understand from the standpoint of an agent, rep, or broker dealer. The Retirement Academy is groundbreaking because it demystifies these products in a simple manner, which instills confidence and understanding. Furthermore, financial professionals need to know the language and ideas to use with these products, which the academy also addresses.”

CG Financial Group and The Retirement Academy will operate as stand-alone entities. For more information, visit www.retirement-academy.com.

After spending 20-years in various executive roles in the insurance industry, Charlie Gipple founded CG Financial Group in 2019. CG Financial Group has quickly become a well-known brand in the insurance industry among financial professionals. As a full-service Independent Marketing Organization (IMO), CG Financial Group helps financial professionals throughout the entire process, from prospecting all the way through to ensuring the financial professional gets paid. CG Financial Group is unique in its training strategies and in helping agents, reps, and broker dealers become fluent in annuities, life insurance, and long term care planning solutions.