National Voluntary Benefits
Two industry veterans have founded National Voluntary Benefits, Inc. (NVB), a Phoenix, AZ-based alliance and resource for voluntary benefit specialists to share sales and system ideas and to learn from each other about the intricacies of the voluntary benefit business.
The principals are Jack Lutz and James Nisbet III. Lutz began his insurance career in the group department of Connecticut General in 1960. He was instrumental in marketing one of the first HMOs in the United States, was a life and benefits manager for a large property/casualty company, and developed and marketed Section 125 plans. He came out of retirement to build this national voluntary benefits organization.
Nisbet has been in the insurance business for more than 44 years and began with Connecticut General. He founded and sold two brokerage general agencies and was one of the founders of Brokerage Resources of America, a life insurance marketing group. He focused on qualified and 401(k) plans before retiring from the life brokerage business in 2011.
NVB is currently doing business in 21 states and represents more than 15 voluntary benefit companies. The intent is to be licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company is a one-stop shop that helps entrepreneurial benefit producer affiliates in plan design, marketing and presentations. The producer remains the “agent of record” and NVB’s first priority is assisting in preparing proposals, conducting initial enrollments and handling ongoing service. NVB offers the same or better contracts that are currently available. The difference is that the combined production maximizes sales volume and compensation.
The goal is to build long-lasting, cohesive relationships with producer/affiliates, who own their businesses, as entrepreneurs and not as employees or captive agents of an insurance company.
