Building on the July 2022 “In the Client’s Best Interest” column in which an aspirational ethos was suggested for clearly addressing and meeting a client’s expectations, this column examines in greater detail and scale of timing the agent’s intentions and ability to meet a client’s lifetime needs—and the ongoing management of their policies. Two guest columnists have joined the author to contribute to the content.
Author: Richard M. Weber, MBA, CLU, AEP (Distinguished), is well known by insurance agents for his activities on their behalf in life insurance “due care.” He received the Kenneth Black, Jr. Leadership Award in 2008 in recognition of his “exemplary leadership qualities and significant contributions to the fulfillment of the Society of Financial Service Processional’s core values of ethics, education, and relationships.” He is president of The Ethical Edge, Inc.,—an Insurance Fiduciary® in Pleasant Hill, CA—consulting to insurance companies and registered investment advisors on issues of risk management and insurance planning. A past president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Mr. Weber has written hundreds of articles and delivered presentations throughout the industry on “enhancing client relationships and maintaining high levels of integrity and ethics.” He also serves on the adjunct faculty of the School of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University.
Author: Richard Harris, CLU, AEP,is a principal and director of advanced planning at Greenberg and Rapp Financial Group Inc. He works with ultra-affluent clients and their advisors. Mr. Harris also is an expert witness regarding complex life insurance transactions. He is chair of the Insurance Committee for Trusts & Estates, a senior editor for the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) newsletter, and a contributor to many other publications. He has also spoken before many industry and professional groups.
Author: Gerard J. Vanderzanden, CLU, ChFC, is an insurance planning specialist, assisting clients of hybrid and fee-only investment advisors to implement suitable insurance solutions in the client’s best interest. Mr. Vanderzanden is also a Certified Insurance Fiduciary® providing insurance analytics and associated consulting services. Prior to resuming his professional insurance solutions and insurance consulting business activities, he held executive roles at insurance companies and senior leadership roles at a broker-dealer, a general agency, and an IMO spanning a wide range of areas such as insurance distribution, product knowledge, operations, and advanced markets.
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