EXCESS-INTEREST WHOLE LIFE: MODULE V-A THE COVERAGE Excess-Interest Whole Life insurance is one of those products that few people know about-or know well. It's k...

Despite concerns about life insurance company solvency and uncertainty over health-care reform, now is...

Paying attention to business is one of the major benefits of a recession. Ford figured it out. So did Starbucks by bringing back the founding CEO, closing nearly 1,000 marginal stores and most significantly introducing their own instant coffee. This could be a brilliant move. While proudly passing up their $4 cup of coffee, we take the instant stuff home and keep a little Starbucks in our lives.

Retirement has always been a tough undertaking but in today's tumultuous economy, it sometimes seems like an impossible task. There's no question that countless risks go hand in hand with retirement. However, even during a recession, you can manage these risks. Here are the top five most common retirement risks and the best ways to deal with them:

Through the years I have seen Life policy applications and agents' reports with erroneous information. You probably have, too. I don't mean judgment calls with room for honest disagreement; I mean downright wrong information. One of the most common untruths may be the statement that a new policy will not replace an existing policy, when in fact it will. The agent may save the trouble of bothering with replacement forms, but he or she also may be buying a big problem.

FRAMEWORK FOR AGENCY SUCCESS by Patty Vaughn Planning agency success is a learning experience. Sharing ideas, taking advantage of opportunities, and tapping untapped resources, with the help of ...

In early September, the credit reporting agency Equifax announced a significant data breach. Hackers were able to access the names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of 143 million consumers, which put their identity and credit at risk. A credit report freeze is one protective measure Equifax recommended. Every consumer, including you, should understand this protective measure as you protect your data, identity and credit.

FROM ESTATE TAX TRAP TO TAX VICTORY by Irving Blackman You hear it all the time: 'Tax law is too complicated.' Well, it is. My job is usually to explain complex tax law in understandable langu...

GETTING A HANDLE ON YOUR AGENCY'S LIFE POTENTIAL One reason agencies shrug off their Life potentials is they have no idea how big that potential may be. In each agency, of course, the precise figure...

HARDENING P/C MARKET SHOULDNT STOP GROWTH IN LIFE/HEALTH SALES by Emily Huling A lot of agents are breathing a sigh of relief over the hardening of the Property/Casualty market, but ...