The Connelly Decision’s Impact on Business Succession Planning

4 Oct
Crump's Insight Podcast featuring Jon Whitacre

Without proper succession planning, execution of that planning, and following the directives set forth, even the most basic estate or business transition can become an adventure and attract scrutiny from the IRS. In this timely episode, we welcome Jon Whitacre, JD, CLU, ChFC, and director of Advanced Sales at Crump Life Insurance Services to explain why Connelly vs United States is so important to financial professionals, life insurance professionals, and clients. He offers solutions to avoid what happened in this landmark case. Podcast>>

Don’t let life insurance be the pumpkin spice of client financial planning!

20 Sep
4 pumpkin spices each in a spoon

Guest contributor Ron Bernas is digital content manager with Crump Life Insurance Services.

What does life insurance have to do with pumpkin spice?

What is the right season for talking about life insurance with clients? Is life insurance the pumpkin spice-flavored product in your portfolio? Let’s hope not! When discussing financial planning with clients, the question of when to introduce life insurance often arises. Is there a right season to discuss this critical aspect of their financial security? The answer is that it’s always the right season to talk to clients about life insurance options. More>>

Celebrating Life Insurance Awareness Month

13 Sep
The underside of a group of red, green, yellow, and blue umbrellas.

This month is the perfect opportunity for our industry to engage and educate the many Americans who live with a life insurance coverage gap. Together, we can help them get the life insurance they need to protect their families and achieve financial security.

Here are resources that provide insights about what’s impacting life insurance ownership in 2023 and the vital role life insurance can play in providing financial security. More>>

Celebrating 20 years, 20 moments of Life Insurance Awareness Month

6 Sep
Celebrating 20 years of Life Insurance Awareness Month

Life Happens’ 20th annual Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) is officially here! This September marks the 20th anniversary of our biggest campaign, and we’re celebrating all month long. Join us throughout September for 20 Years, 20 Moments, a calendar of events for each weekday during the month. Download the calendar here. From taking the Life Insurance Pledge on September 8, to sharing a memory of a loved one who has passed away on our Memory Wall on September 12, to using one of our free digital postcards to thank your insurance agent on September 22, the calendar is full of simple ways to spread awareness for the importance of life insurance. Save the dates!

Life insurance can offer more than a death benefit

30 Aug
Black and white photo of a woman sitting on a couch along longingly looking out a window

Guest contributor Carma McCallie, JD, is vice president, advanced markets, with Crump Life Insurance Services.

Life insurance can address a multitude of life concerns. The death benefit is especially helpful in providing a replacement for lost income to the insured’s family, covering estate settlement costs, including estate taxes or providing liquidity for business buyouts. But specific policies offer more than just the death benefit. Permanent policies can provide for an accumulation of cash value, and that cash can often be used for the insured’s lifetime needs, including supplemental retirement income. More>>

The impact of state-mandated long term care insurance on your clients

23 Aug
Rick Stewart photo next to a mobile podcast image and two earbuds.

With Medicaid costs skyrocketing, states are taking action, mandating income taxes to provide for state-funded long term care insurance programs. This action will have a significant impact on the choices clients have for covering their long term care needs. In fact, some states are considering banning private LTC insurance in lieu of the state option. In this timely episode, Crump’s Rick Stewart provides an update on which states are currently considering this action, and what you can do to serve your clients before it’s too late. Podcast>>

Warn clients they can lose the ability to buy life insurance

16 Aug
Red old fashioned alarm clock sitting in green grass

Financial advisors should talk to clients about the importance of buying life insurance as early as possible—and take a matter-of-fact approach to clients who are applying for coverage late. In many cases, clients decide to buy life insurance after someone close to them dies or their health deteriorates. What that means? Your clients are up against the clock. You need to warn them, but show them that you’re with them, not the clock. More>>

16 assumptions that cause advisors to lose clients

9 Aug
Older man waving goodbye as he walks down a hallway.

Today, many client relationships involve managed money or asset-based pricing. Advisors are paid regardless of how often or infrequently they are in touch with clients. Because professional money managers are involved, the client’s assets might even grow without advisory intervention. The bond between the client and the advisor is much weaker when communication drops off.

Let us look at 16 things some advisors assume, wrongly, about their clients. More>>

Protect your company against phishing attacks

2 Aug
Computer hacker staring at a computer screen with code displayed.

While ransomware attacks and organized hacking operations may grab headlines, malicious operators often gain access to company networks in mundane ways that don’t earn attention so aren’t talked about as much. While this information may seem basic, it bears repeating. We are seeing a significant increase this year in cybercrime, so though you think you and your clients, employees and colleagues are wise to the multitude of scams out there, there are still scammers succeeding in hooking us in. More>>