For nearly 17 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping scores of small business owners save thousands of dollars in taxes through unique retirement vehicles and health plans. Similarly, I’ve helped families find affordable individual health plans and term life insurance. In each case, I’ve listened to my client and then made my best effort at helping them find the strongest solution. But all of these product solutions are practical and necessary, or sometimes even legal requirements for the buyer. They don’t sizzle.
We’re talking about the insurance industry, not Saks Fifth Avenue. Nobody wakes up enthusiastically saying “today’s the day I get to purchase a high-deductible PPO!”
Any salesperson with a conscience should want to sell products he or she believes in, products of genuine value. But beyond that, it’s a real bonus when it’s something exciting! Something powerful, emotional and compelling. I used to lament that as long as I’m an insurance professional, this would never be my lot. Thankfully, I was wrong!
More than a dozen years ago, I stumbled across a couple of indexed products – fixed indexed annuities (FIA) and indexed universal life insurance (IUL). I was very impressed, but at the time, I was totally focused on building my business within one particular niche… defined benefits for government contractors. So I made a mental note to research it someday; unfortunately, I forgot about it entirely.
Then in 2011, my memory was sparked when a friend mentioned FIAs and IULs. I began reading about these products and soon realized I was doing my clients and prospects a disservice by not offering them. What’s more, they were exciting!
In terms of significance and genuine value, these are the only products in my industry that I honestly believe everyone should own… that I’d sell to my kids, my parents, myself.
Through a carefully crafted IUL or FIA, your investment can benefit from the upward movement of major-market stock indexes, such as the S&P 500, lock in all the gains and yet never experience losses. These strategies are most often used individually, but (in the case of an IUL) can also be used corporately through a Section 162 to create an executive bonus plan.
You can find more info here on IULs and FIAs, or you can watch a brief video that quickly explains these powerful tools. You can also check out my recommended reading below, and discover for yourself how exciting (some) insurance products can be!