NAIFA Amarillo Area Newsletter

Transcription

1 N A I F A A M A R I L L O A R E A NAIFA Amarillo Area Newsletter January 013 Volume 7, Issue 6 Inside this issue: January Luncheon Monthly Luncheon Info NAIFA Texas President NAIFA Notices 3 Tri City Sales Forum 3 MDRT Minute 4 Contact Info & Awards 5 Welcome, 013!! President s Message Happy New Year, 013! Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a great time with your friends and family while away. It s always wonderful to take a reflective moment to review the last year s accomplishments and to evaluate what could have been better or differently. And, of course, there are those pesky New Year s Resolutions! Diet, exercise, business/financial goals, as well as my life goals for mental & spiritual wellbeing. I try to get my business/career goals done before January 1 st so that I can start the year running. But it s not always possible to have them completed by then. Most successful people do commit their goals to writing, and I have found that when I do, I am more apt to keep them and stay on track. This brings me to our goals for NAIFA- Amarillo. We have several goals to fulfill and some important items for you to be aware of. I have made a commitment to our board and you, the membership, to do the best that I can to help our association grow this year, and attract additional professionals to our ranks. On January 1-, we ll meet in Austin to combine with NAHU to meet with our state legislators to educate them on issues concerning our industry. We will then meet on January for our NAIFA-Texas business meeting and elections of our State board. I am running for Trustee, and I hope I can count on your support. We now have a much better website, still under construction, but coming along nicely to help communicate in a more savvy way. Our Tri- Cities Sales Forum on February 0 th at the Ashmore Inn will be outstanding with a number of new vendors and a full line-up of great speakers to hit every niche. On April 8-9, we need all members who can participate for a Washington, DC, NAIFA fly -in to defeat several bills up before Congress on the taxation of Life Insurance benefits. Finally, we are shooting to again qualify for the prestigious Jack Bobo Award by June. Please help us meet these important watersheds with your support, either in person, by letter or contributions. We need your help to accomplish these objectives. Until next month, be safe & take advantage of the new opportunities available in this New Year! Hollie Gandy, Presient Officers and Directors of NAIFA Amarillo Area President Hollie Gandy President-Elect Jim Thompson Secretary/Treasurer Kirk Haworth Past President Tom Moore Executive Director Lindsay Haworth Membership Shirley Clark Programs Helen Burton Publicity Hollie Gandy Nat l Comm/Gov Relations John Denton YAT - Jason Permenter IFAPAC Jim Thompson LUTC - Brian Moore Tri City Sales Forum Sammy O Dell Board Members: Jackie Bennett, Greg Hall, Jim Hutson

2 Page January Luncheon: 11:45am Dr. Leigh Browning joined the WTAMU faculty in 1991, and now serves as Professor of Mass Communication. Dr. Browning was the director of broadcasting, and faculty adviser for KWTS, 91.1 FM, the campus radio station, from She received her Masters Degree from Kansas State University and received a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi in Mass Communication. She is one of three partners in emerging media companies, GNUMediaLab, Inc., EyeOnMedia, LLC, and is a research partner in the academic research team of BUFFMinds. Marketing consultation clients include Mirage Entertainment Group and MGM Grand, Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada, acclaimed music groups, regional startups, and tier one companies. She has been awarded international Tellys more than half a dozen times for production coordination of documentary filmmaking. Browning was selected to be the keynote speaker for the August 011 Commencement Ceremony at WTAMU, and is often a sought after keynote speaker on all things new media. We are so excited to have her speak! Meeting Location: The Amarillo Club 30th Floor Meal Catered by: The Amarillo Club Fiscal Cliff On January 1, 013 the 11th Congress approved a controversial bill, H.R.8, to avert the fiscal cliff -- the $7+ trillion in higher taxes and deep spending cuts that would have taken place under current law had lawmakers not reached agreement. The package contains about $60 billion over 10 years in higher taxes, mostly falling on highincome Americans. The Senate approved the measure at a.m. on January 1 by an 89 to 8 vote. The House passed it at 11 p.m. on January 1 by a vote of 57 to 167. Many of the tax provisions in H.R.8 are permanent meaning that there is no built-in expiration date connected to them. Congress can always change these rules, but they will not automatically change as was the case with 01 tax rates. More info at NAIFA Amarillo s Own is up for Trustee Our very own NAIFA Amarillo President, Hollie Gandy, is on the ballot to represent us as a Trustee at the state level for NAIFA. The elections will take place out our convention in January and her term would begin in July 013, if she is elected. We wish her the best and know her voice would make such a positive impact on the state board. Good luck, Hollie!

3 Page 3 NAIFA Notices Did You Know? Do to the increasing price of our luncheons, we will no longer be giving first time guests a free lunch. Also, meals for guests will now be $15. Tri City Sales Forum The 11th Tri City Sales Forum is set for February 0th, 013. We will keep you updated as we receive more information on this wonderful event. Upcoming Events The State Convention is taking place January 1-, 013 in conjunction with the Legislative Day on the Hill. For more information and to register, visit Tri City Sales Forum The 11th Annual Tri City Sales Forum in quickly approaching! We ve got an awesome line-up of seven speakers coming in from all over the region to speak on multiple topics in our industry. This is a great networking and learning opportunity and we hope you make time in your schedule to attend. The Forum is set for Wednesday, February 0, 013 at the Ashmore Inn and Suites in Amarillo, TX from 9:00am- 3:30pm. In between speakers, we ll have time for you to speak and network with vendors who will be coming in from all across the United States. Lunch will also be included. Tickets are $50 for NAIFA and NAHU members and $75 for non members and at the door. Contact our executive director, Lindsay, or our chair, Sammy O Dell, for tickets and/or more information on becoming a vendor or sponsor. Lindsay Haworth: Sammy O Dell:

4 MDRT Minute: The Evolution of Underwriting The underwriting process has come a long way, especially in the past 10 to 15 years. Thanks to technology and the change in the general business climate, what was once a very paper- and time-intensive effort has moved to enable the passing of information within minutes. We also now have the abilities to design products with more bells and whistles than ever imagined. This capacity to access information at a moment s notice has also shifted consumer s expectations. People no longer like to wait; they expect a near-immediate response for everything. As we embrace this new, current world of instant information and more sophisticated risk assessment, what does the future of underwriting hold? Automated underwriting As companies look to drive efficiency, lower cost, take advantage of new technology and drive consistency, straightthrough processing and variations thereof will likely continue to be the focus over the next few years. With straightthrough processing, data is put through an automated rules engine that checks the application, takes in data from various data inputs, and determines, through an algorithm, the decision or serves as a prescreen and presents any outliers to the underwriter for review. Changes in underwriting requirements As we continue to learn more, analyze more and have more information, we will continue to adjust our requirements. This also comes with new medical research and enhanced treatment programs for diseases and health issues. According to the Society of Actuaries 011 New Business Process Survey, most carriers (75 percent of those surveyed) have changed requirements in the past two years, with a vast majority (80 percent) becoming more liberal and less invasive. Medical record retrieval Online medical record storage will improve speed and allow insurers to access medical information directly from the medical provider. Those who review the Attending Physician s Statements (APS) to better understand a client s particular medical situation and also work to position it with the carrier (along with more privacy regulation) this will further restrict the underwriter s ability to share this information with you. Pharmacy database checks The prescription database check now provides the names of medications the applicant is using, how often the medications are filled and the prescribing physician. It helps underwriters verify medications, determine the degree of compliance, root out misrepresentation and uncover omissions. It s a great tool that can help expedite the process by providing enough information for the underwriter to avoid the APS; it also can uncover situations that may be less favorable for the client. Predictive modeling The use of predictive modeling has gained attention and will be a factor in underwriting assessment. The premise is that by analyzing data systematically and tracking historical outcomes, you can create predictive models and apply the information to current applicants and classify risks accordingly. These models have the potential to be faster, better and cheaper than traditional underwriting methods, and thus offer a better client experience. How can you prepare? Underwriting is fast becoming more science and less art. It is expected that the next decade will introduce new approaches to risk evaluation, including less traditional data elements, statistically rooted analytics and less invasive techniques. So, stay current and informed about the macroenvironment; get techy and make your business model fluid to change with the times; think about how your clients are changing the way they work, communicate and build relationships. While it s widely stated that insurance is sold, not bought, how it s sold must change with the times. Karen M. Phelan, FLMI, has more than 0 years of experience in the insurance industry. She began her career as an underwriter and subsequently moved into leadership roles in producer marketing, customer service and brokerage underwriting. Before departing as corporate vice president of life underwriting in 01, she received the President s Leadership Award and was named the Agents Advisory Committee s MVP. Phelan s entire presentation is available for purchase in the MDRT store at

5 NAIFA Amarillo Area Lindsay Haworth Executive Director 6900 I-40 West Suite #160 Amarillo, TX Phone: Fax: If you or someone you know is interested in advertising with NAIFA Amarillo Area, or, if you would like more information, please contact our Executive Director at Our rate is $100 per year for a business card size ad and your ad will be seen in all 1 issues. We re on the Web!!! NAIFA Amarillo Area 011 Awards 011 National Quality Award Years S. Sean Saied, FIC 1 Danny Cathy 1 Landon Landry Todd Selmon, FICF 4 James Baker 6 Kris L. Bosley, FIC 7 John Denton 11 Jack Fuqua, CLU 18 Darren Fincher, FIC 19 Samuel G. Saied, FICF 19 Michael Thomas, CLU 0 Robert Curl, CLU, ChFC 36 Joe Flores Million Dollar Round Table Years Sean Saied 1 Todd Selmon 8 Michael R. Ruff Q 1 John S. Denton QL 15 Darren G. Fincher, FICF QL 16 **Samuel Saied, FICF 16 Kirk H. Haworth, CLU, ChFC QL 30 Don Lee, CLU QL 3 B. J. Gililland QL 33 Daryl Curtis, CLU, ChFC L 34 Robert Curl 46 ** Denotes Top of the Table qualification