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What is prostate cancer?  Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate gland grow out of control.

Some prostate cancers can grow and spread quickly but most grow slowly.  There are often no early prostate cancer symptoms, but some men have urinary symptoms and discomfort.  Prostate cancer treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, cryotherapy, hormonal therapy, and/or radiation.  In some instances, doctors recommend “watchful waiting.”

All men are at risk for developing prostate cancer.  Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.

About one man in nine will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only one in 41 will die of this disease.  The average age at the time of diagnosis is about 66.

Factors, such as age, race, and family history that may contribute to the risk:

The Gleason Score (GS) indicates the tendency for rapid growth, recurrence or metastasis of prostate cancer, with two being the least worrisome and scores of eight to 10 being the most aggressive.  Think of the stage as a car’s odometer and the Gleason Score as its speedometer.  Generally, the lower the stage, the more likely that treatment will succeed with no recurrence of cancer.
The PSA is a blood test for prostate cancer.
A bone scan is sometimes performed to determine if the cancer has metastasized, that is, spread distantly from its origin.
The extent to which prostate cancer has spread is categorized by staging, usually determined by examination, ultrasound or MRI. However, examining tissue removed by surgery gives a more definitive picture of the stage of the cancer.
Treatments include Surgery (prostatectomy), Chemotherapy, Radiation; external beam or implants, Watchful Waiting, Hormonal Therapy.

Here is a case study:

Fred, 56 years old
Seeking $3 million of permanent coverage

Was told by his internist almost six years ago that his PSA was moderately elevated.
A biopsy showed prostate cancer.
After weighing the relative treatment risks and benefits, Fred decided on surgery.  Cancer was present in two areas within one side of the prostate.
His Gleason Score was 6.

At a follow-up exam two months ago, Fred had no major symptoms and his PSA was so low that it was immeasurable.

Having been treated several years ago for his early-stage, moderately aggressive cancer and showing no signs of recurrence, Fred could qualify for a life policy at Standard rates.

Call our Life Underwriting Department today!  Let’s work together to get the offers you need.

Family history of cancer can have an adverse impact on underwriting decisions despite a client’s own personal history of excellent health.

While most carriers limit eligible rate classes for this particular family history, there are still a couple of A+ carriers that do not underwrite family cancer histories at all.

This means a client with a family history of cancer can still qualify for all of the Preferred Rate Classes, including Best Class.

In addition, there are other carriers who disregard family history of opposite-gender cancers, such as, a male applicant whose mother died from uterine cancer or a female applicant whose father died from prostate cancer.

Let our Underwriting Team help you get the best offers for your clients with family history of cancer!  Call us today.

Did you know:

The liver produces all the cholesterol our body needs, however, dietary cholesterol (taken in through the foods we eat), causes the liver to send even more cholesterol into the bloodstream.
High cholesterol can cause fatty build up in the arteries which increases our risk of heart disease and stroke.
High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is considered “good” cholesterol.  HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol known as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL.  Triglyceride is another form of cholesterol and the most common type of fat in the body.
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio is calculated by dividing total cholesterol by HDL.  The higher the HDL, the lower the ratio.  This is a good thing!

In the past, carriers looked stringently upon all cholesterol levels when underwriting a case.  These days, there are some carriers who can overlook total cholesterol levels if between 150-300.

Preferred classes are available with favorable, low cholesterol/HDL ratios, even with total cholesterol levels nearing 300!

Consider these examples:

Male client, age 45, NS
Seeking $2 mil of Term, Cholesterol on exam was 298 with a Chol/HDL ratio of 5.0
Does not take any medication

Underwriting outcome: PREFERRED BEST!

Female client, age 60, NS
Seeking $1 mil of UL, Cholesterol on exam was 275 with a Chol/HDL ratio of 6.0
Takes a prescribed cholesterol medication

Underwriting outcome: PREFERRED!

Male client, age 52, NS
Seeking $500k of Term, Cholesterol on exam was 260 with a Chol/HDL ratio of 7.0
Takes a prescribed cholesterol medication

Underwriting outcome: NON SMOKER PLUS!

Our Life Underwriting Department has a heart for finding the best possible outcomes on your cholesterol cases.  Give us a call!

Modern day Disability insurers are forever fearful of accidentally over-insuring their clients.  This is particularly true when dealing with highly compensated clients.

In the past, the income replacement percentage was often subjectively determined by a particular carrier’s underwriter.

As of late, the Council for Disability Awareness has tried to modernize the approach by implementing a statistical analysis approach that determined the need to replace at least 65% of income.

Traditional carriers often meet and sometimes surpass the need for low to middle income earners, but fall short with incomes greater than $150,000

Whether your client is generating a modest income or is highly compensated, there is an essential need to provide adequate income protection to help sustain an individual or family’s lifestyle during periods of non-productivity or severely diminished cash flow due to a short or long-term disability.

By stacking additional income protection on top of the coverage the traditional carriers provide, the client’s ability to maintain their current lifestyle turns from fiction to reality.

Contact your dedicated DI Specialist today to learn more about how you can offer your clients a complete income protection plan.

In the years leading up to the development of Type 2 diabetes, most individuals go through an asymptomatic condition called pre-diabetes.  During this time, fasting blood sugar levels may be slightly elevated and there may be other signs of disruptions in normal metabolism, such as high triglycerides, low “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels and excess fat around the abdomen.

Approximately 1 out 3 American adults have pre-diabetes.  When caught at an early stage, it is possible to head off development of Type 2 diabetes with diet changes and weight loss.

One of our A+ carriers can underwrite favorably on pre-diabetes cases that show a stable, well controlled condition.

Take a look at this case study:

Male, 55 years old
Non-Smoker
Seeking Personal Coverage

History of hypertension that has been well-controlled with medication and exercise.
Two years ago, a routine annual check-up revealed a blood sugar reading that was higher than normal.
Follow up glucose levels remained elevated (in the 100-103 range), but never high enough to suggest outright diabetes.  He was then diagnosed with Impaired Fasting Glucose.
His doctor suggested exercise and a change in diet to include reduced carbohydrate intake.
Has done well with his new diet and exercise regimen; ongoing lab testing has shown no progression in his condition.

This client had the beginning of pre-diabetes caught early by routine testing.  Because he responded well to dietary changes and exercise, this condition has not progressed and he is at lower risk of developing diabetes in the next several years — if he maintains his new, healthy habits.

Potential Underwriting Outcome: Super Standard Non-Tobacco, with potential improvement to Preferred using this carrier’s Healthy Lifestyle crediting program.

Call our Life Underwriting Team to discuss your client’s medical history today and let’s work on your next success story!

Do you have clients who’ve maxed out their Disability Insurance coverage and could possibly be leaving their retirement unfunded if they got sick or hurt?

Try DI Retirement Security (DIRS).  It provides coverage for individuals to help them continue to make retirement contributions if they become unable to work due to disability.

Since retirement contributions are not necessary to qualify for this coverage, any individual in a qualifying occupation (class A through 5A Select) earning at least $76,000 per year can apply for DIRS.

Coverage also does not diminish eligibility for regular individual Disability Income (DI) Insurance.  This means an individual can qualify for DIRS even if he or she already has a regular individual DI policy up to the maximum issue and participation limits.

How DIRS Works

If the insured is disabled beyond the elimination period, benefit payments are made to an irrevocable trust.  These proceeds are not accessible until age 65 or 67 (depending on the Benefit Period selected).
The insured directs the investment of the funds to fit his or her investment style and risk tolerance, using a number of investment options within the trust.  There is a $50 per month trust administration fee.
The trust is activated only after the insured meets the elimination period requirement and benefits begin.  Trust earnings are taxable each year to claimants/ insureds, unless they selected a non-taxable investment instrument.
Claim benefits paid to the trust are non-taxable if the insured pays the DIRS premium.  Benefits are taxable if an employer pays the premium and the premium is not considered income to the employee.
At the end of the Benefit Period, trust assets are distributed to the insured per the terms of the trust agreement.

DIRS Features

Coverage provides a maximum benefit up to 15% of earned income, with a minimum benefit requirement of $1,000 per month.  For 2011, the maximum benefit is $4,125 per month ($5,325 per month if the benefit is taxable).
Available elimination periods are 180 or 365 days.
Benefit periods are To Age 65 or 67, with “Your Occupation” periods of two years, five years, Age 65 or Age 67.
Optional riders include: Future Benefit Increase, Cost-of-Living Adjustment and Mental/Nervous Substance Abuse Disorder Limitation.

If DIRS is written as a stand-alone policy with no other DI coverage applied for or in force, then simplified underwriting guidelines are used.  If the client applies for other DI coverage along with the DIRS application, full underwriting applies.  Employer groups that qualify for a multi-life discount also receive the discount on DIRS policies.

For more information contact your Disability Income Insurance Specialist today.

The average business owner is not prepared to have a spouse or relative step into the business in the event that they were unable to work.  In most cases, any business owner would prefer passing responsibilities to someone who already understands the business and will know how to keep it profitable.

Issue a disability buy-sell option for your sole-owner business clients called a One-Way Buy-Out.

Offers the flexibility to allow a key employee of the business to purchase Disability Buy-Out (DBO) insurance to fund a buy-sell agreement between him/her-self and the owner of the business.

The process is very similar to that of a life insurance policy that funds a buy-sell agreement.  The difference is, your business owner clients have an eight times greater likelihood of becoming disabled during their working years than passing away.

Advantages of One-Way Disability Buy-Out Insurance:

The disabled business owner is protected by obligating the Key Employee purchaser to buy-out the owner’s interest
The Key Employee purchaser is protected by providing the opportunity and funding to purchase the disabled owner’s interest.
Prevents the sole-owner from having to find an individual to buy the business while he/she is totally disabled
Provides a smooth transition of ownership
Benefits are tax-free (premiums are not deductible)

Contact your Disability Insurance Specialist for more information on how to properly develop a Disability Buy-Sell Agreement between the business owner and key employee.

Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades.  While many industrialized countries have experienced similar increases, obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world.

There are several types of surgeries that fall under the group of “bariatric surgery” designed for people that are obese.  Lap band surgery (laparoscopic adjustable gastric band), is an inflatable silicone device placed around the top portion of the stomach to treat obesity, intended to slow consumption of food and thus the amount of food consumed.

One of our Strategic Carrier Providers look favorably upon this type of surgery and with applicable credits, will make a favorable offer.

Let’s take a look…

A female client, aged 32 years, is seeking $500,000 of 10-year Term Life Insurance, history includes:

Build of 5’6 and 212 pounds
Blood pressure 120/76Lap band procedure 2 years ago

The initial underwriting work up – Table 2.

Then, the following underwriting credits were applied:

Optimal blood pressure
Lifetime nonsmoker
Regular preventative care
A1c Test < 5.7
Preferred driving record

Final Offer – Standard!

Our Underwriting Team is here to help with all of your impaired risk cases.  Please contact us today – we will help you make the sales!

Over the past couple years we’ve slightly modified the language around Income Protection.

The word disability is somewhat alarming and often evokes thoughts of being incapacitated or laid out in a hospital bed – it’s the reason we don’t refer to Life Insurance as Death Insurance.

Put in a more positive light, DI Insurance is really Income Protection for clients who want affordable, simple protection that can help cover bills should they be unable to work due to illness or injury.

Here are a few conversation starters you can use to help engage your clients in a conversation about Income Protection:

How would you protect your income should you be unable to work due to illness or injury?
How much do you have in savings?
Do you have enough set aside to make ends meet for a several months if you’re off work?
Where will the money come from when your savings runs out?

Why should you use these conversation starters?  They’re effective in closing the sale – although many clients recognize the need for Disability Insurance, the number of folks who actually get a policy is much lower.

Rather than trying to convince clients that they may be unable to work due to illness or injury (“spitting in the wind” as your grandpappy may say), selling DI as Income Protection focuses clients on how they would financially manage a disruption in pay – especially when the majority of Americans don’t have sufficient savings.

Lay out exactly how Income Protection fits in with their overall financial protection plan and how simple it is to get affordable coverage in just days – no medical exams or occupation classes are great selling points. Once they understand just how easy the process is, chances are they’ll be sold.

What’s Next?

Simply let your clients know you are in the income protection business – they likely already want income protection but just don’t know where to get it.  Plus, they’ll want to purchase a policy from someone they know and trust – You!

Also, many clients are probably unaware they can even purchase an individual Income Protection Plan – as odds are they’re under the impression they can only get an employer sponsored plan.

We have numerous options available, and can help you get the word out.  Contact your Income Protection Specialist today for more information.

As insurance advisors, we are often looking to sell our client’s products that will satisfy an immediate need or help them to reach a long-term planning objective.

As a result, the discussion concerning the need for Final Expense Insurance frequently does not take place until the clients later years when the premiums can be significantly more expensive.

If one of your clients dies without having funds earmarked for final expenses their surviving family and friends can be put in a very difficult position that causes them to make lifestyle sacrifices to provide for a proper burial.

Losing a loved one is already a difficult thing to manage

You can help to alleviate some of the stress by making sure that they will not need to worry about generating the necessary funds for the funeral.  While these may not be big ticket sales, collectively, they can create a great supplemental sale that compliments your existing offerings.

Even if you are an investment advisor who doesn’t typically write Life Insurance, if you are looking to preserve assets under management from one generation to the next, what better way to begin a professional relationship with a surviving family member than by handing them a check for the benefit proceeds.

More insurance carriers are introducing small face amount, final expense products that do not require a medical exam and can be issued with only a phone interview or by answering basic medical questions on an application.  The process can be completed in a matter of days.

We can provide you with marketing materials and client approach letters to help make this simple sale part of your core product offerings.

For your younger clients who already have kids, they may not view Final Expense coverage as an immediate need.  An alternative solution would be to add a child rider for $15-20K to a Term policy to provide affordable coverage on the parent and also any and all of their children.

Please contact us today if you would like to learn more about the final expense planning and the solutions available in your state(s) of operation.