Profile: Art Linkletter`s Advice to RFCs He`s an Advisor, Not an
Transcription
Profile: Art Linkletter`s Advice to RFCs He`s an Advisor, Not an
the Vol. 6 No. 12 • December 2005 Official IARFC Publication He’s an Advisor, Not an Apprentice in this issue Register Letters...........2 Chairman’s Desk ........4 Advisors Sharpen Their Blades ................5 The Unauthorized Practice of Law ...........6 Your Estate of Mind ....8 Researching Your Target Markets ............9 What Happens When You Are Sued? ..........10 Consumer Focus.......12 The Dunton Award ....13 Cato Comments........14 Seven Communication Strategies for You .....15 A New Source of Qualified Prospects ..16 Get Your RFC Advisor Website ........17 Financial Advisors Forum Program.........18 The Register is published monthly by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants ©2005. It includes articles and advice on technical subjects, economic events, regulatory actions and practice management. The IARFC makes no claim as to accuracy and does not guarantee or endorse any product or service advertised or featured. Articles, comments and letters are welcomed by e-mail to: Editor@IARFC.org. ISSN 1556-4045 www.IARFC.org Single $9 • Yearly $99 Profile: Mark O’Dell Mark O’Dell, RFC®, CLU, ChFC, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of American International Assurance (AIA) Company Limited, Singapore, is a thoroughbred insurance man who has spent his entire professional career — 25 years and counting — working in the financial services industry. O’Dell has an easy-going disposition that makes him a perfect fit for the insurance industry. Refreshingly candid, he calls himself a “college dropout” who initially wanted to become an architect, but never got around to itbecause he got impatient with school. He decided to work as an insurance agent in 1980; with no grand ambitions whatsoever to be at the pinnacle of the insurance industry where he is today. He remembers how, as a young agent, he ran into a sales slump barely four months into his job. “I was intimidated by the sales process and felt nervous about calling people. I just turned 22, didn’t own any insurance and didn’t have many friends who could afford to buy policies from me,” he recalls his beginner’s snag. An IARFC member, Mark T. Lamkin, Louisville-based financial advisor has demonstrated how to gather a lot of national attention, and excellent experience at the same time. He volunteered to be one of the contestants on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice national NBC-TV program. You may not be a regular viewer of this program, but you would have enjoyed how Mark represented himself, and our profession. Mark Lamkin, CSA, RFC® He really wasn’t seeking a position as an apprentice to “The Donald” but to receive valuable experience and publicity. Mark is a member of the Chairman’s Club of his broker/dealer, Linsco/Private Ledger, and the president of Lamkin Wealth Management. He has a Finance Degree from the University of Louisville and he recently completed an MBA from Bellarmine University. In addition to being an RFC®, Mark holds the CSA designation. continued on page 5 Art Linkletter’s Advice to RFCs Art Linkletter’s career includes being a movie actor, radio personality, television star, best-selling author, ambassador and professional speaker. Reader’s Digest reported, “Art Linkletter is one of the most beloved men in the United States!” Currently he appears on network TV, in many areas, with comedian Bill Cosby. This American icon has two EMMY Awards, four EMMY nominations, one GRAMMY Award, ten honorary doctorate degrees, plus many other honors. He has written 23 books. Art has served on many corporate and philanthropic Board of Directors and is respected for his work as Chairman of UNICEF. Art Linkletter continued on page 3 Serving Financial Advisors Worldwide Linkletter, is as famous for being a multimillionaire businessman as he is for performing. For over 30-years Link-letter Oil Enterprises has drilled for oil and gas in Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Canada, Alaska and all parts of the USA. Art was highly active in the start-up of the company that is now Freeport-McMoran, one of the leading corporations on the New York Stock Exchange. continued on page 5 800 532 9060 Register Letters We welcome your comments, suggestions and ideas. Please direct correspondence to: Editor@IARFC.org Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Financial Planning Building 2507 North Verity Parkway P.O. Box 42506 Middletown, OH 45042-0506 800 532 9060 • Fax 513 424 5752 www.IARFC.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Edwin P. Morrow, Chairman & CEO CLU, ChFC, CFP® , CEP, RFC® edm@IARFC.org Judith Fisette-Losz, Executive Director director@IARFC.org H. Stephen Bailey, President LUTCF, CEBA, CEP, CSA, RFC® steve@hbfinancial.com Jeffrey Chiew DBA, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, RFC® JeffreyChiew@yahoo.com John E. Grable MBA, Ph.D, CFP®, RFC® grable@humec.ksu.edu Vernon D. Gwynne CFP®, RFC® fsxfirst@aol.com Derek D. Klock MBA, RFC® ddklock@vt.edu Edward J. Ledford CLU, RFC® eledford@marketsharefinancial.com Constance O. Luttrell RFC® luttrell@mindspring.com Ruth Lytton MS, Ph.D., RFC® rlytton@vt.edu James McCarty, Secretary CLU, RHU, LUTCF, RFC® jimmccarty@showbizsilling.com Burnett Marus, Treasurer RFC® bmarus@sbcglobal.net William J. Nelson LUTCF, CEP, RFC® billn@nelsonfinancial.com Ruben Ruiz ChFC, CLU, MSFS, CSA, RFC® rruiz@grandecom.net What a nice surprise to load up the new IARFC website, which is much easier to view and navigate. Please consider using homepage to directly address prospects (why and how to find us) and use another page for why advisors should become a RFC. I think that would be a more effective use of search engine optimization and more profitable for the RFCs who would welcome new clients. I also think the terminated RFC language may be a bit confusing as to whether someone just resigned on their own or whether they were terminated for not paying overdue membership fees. The Financial Advisor Profile section was very easy to update. I printed cards to match the IARFC Ethics brochures and stapled them to the back. Monday night a prospective client asked me “Why should I trust you?” I merely pulled out the brochure and he closed himself. It is important to me that I am promoting a designation worth promoting, unlike my membership in the now devalued, easily obtained CSA. This Saturday I will be attending the Texas NAELA chapter meeting where I will again use the brochure to promote the RFC designation to the membership. Your continuing restrictive standards and improved website are as helpful as I had hoped and may well be worth the $50 dollar increase in membership fees next year (but let’s not get too carried away). I have been disappointed with the membership churn at CSA and the huge drop in membership at SFSP where I used to be a member. Charles Luedtke, RFC® Mesquite, TX Helping Keep Everything Going Under The Big Top! The IARFC and the Register guide advisors who are trying to help their clients deal with the “Circus of Life.” I suppose we are similar to a “circus barker” or “ring master” since we have to coordinate so many people into getting organized, making sure they’re on top of the ball, and balanced on the beam, as much as possible financially, can still swing or reposition from time-to-time, and have a net under them most of the time. Also, when people have decided to eat fire or swallow swords, we try to sooth their ills as much as possible. And we “hold their hands” to help get them away from any crisis. When the animals come running out of their cages, we try to make sure they have enough stored food to keep them at bay. And last, but not least, when the “clowns” travel out on those undersized cycles, tiny cars, or wobble on only one wheel unicycles waiting for an accident to happen — we are waiting in the wings to assist in picking up the pieces so they can keep a smile on their faces. This is why the public will always need qualified financial advisors! Constance O. Luttrell, RFC® Franklin, TN Available Free For IARFC Members The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta publishes a quarterly magazine titled Economic Review. This publication is available at no cost for IARFC members. To receive this journal simply write and ask to be placed on the mailing list to: Public Affairs Department Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta 1000 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309-4470 Keep up the good work for all the IARFC members. See you at the Forum in May! Lester W. Anderson, MBA, RFC® Duluth, GA _________________________________ Wendy M. Kennedy, Editor Editor@IARFC.org Stephanie Langster, Administrative Assistant Stephanie@IARFC.org Page 2 The Register welcomes your articles about the profession, planning techniques and practice management. You may submit articles of 300 to 1,500 words via e-mail, with an electronic photo and a short bio of not more than 100 words. The Register • December 2005 continued from page 1 O’Dell Profile From this early setback, which almost made him quit the industry, to being a top executive in one of the world’s most established insurance firms overseeing one of Southeast Asia’s most developed insurance markets. O’Dell says that his professional trajectory has been forged by a belief in building and maintaining strong personal relationships. The genial American calls it an ‘art’ that not only got him to where he is today, but a tool that other companies can use to differentiate themselves. “Growing up in the business, I learned the importance of proper fact-finding, getting input on what people could commit from their financial resources, proposing solutions and so on. But more than that, I think the true creativity in our business comes from how you get people to open up about their goals and objectives, and getting them to realize the importance of acting now,” he speaks from the bottom of his heart. “The financial planning process is merely the professional extension of what I and others learned in selling life insurance.” Formerly based in Ithaca, New York, O’Dell was initially apprehensive about working in Asia, but recalls being swayed by a speech by public speaker Anthony Campolo at a seminar he attended. Anthony spoke about a survey done on a group of 90-year-olds and most of them felt that they would enjoy more out of life if they had taken more risks on a personal and professional level. He was so inspired by the survey findings that he took the leap of faith and relocated to Singapore in 1994, serving as AIA Singapore’s Vice-President and Director of Agencies. In 1996, he was posted to Jakarta, Indonesia as the company’s Agency Vice-President and during his five-year tenure there, earned his promotion to Senior Vice-President and General Manager. Now back in Singapore after spending a subsequent four years in Malaysia, O’Dell feels that the Southeast Asian insurance market, while increasingly developed and showing sophistication, is still not as mature as the US market. He evaluates market maturity from the sophistication of its products, distribution methods, and its competitiveness. He also acknowledges that cultural nuances have played a pivotal role in shaping the Asian insurance market and he demonstrates a need to understand and work with these differences. He elaborates, “That’s why life insurance in this region started out from a long-term savings angle. However, as the market developed, competitors came in and customers now The Register • December 2005 have more options to save. Everybody wants a piece of this action. But we have been focusing on our true mission — which is to offer protection. Nobody can take that from us.” In fact, AIA Singapore has maintained its number one position in the country under O’Dell’s charge, but he remains vigilant and is mindful of the increasing competition, especially from the banking sector. “Where we will continue to develop will be in more advice-driven transactions, and also as an effective distribution channel, focusing on the quality and experience of the delivery of our advice,” he explains. As for future trends, O’Dell says that there is a marked shift towards “increased disclosure and transparency” in the Singapore and other Asian markets which will benefit the endconsumer. Consumers will eventually be empowered to make the choices that they need to make. As for the future of AIA Singapore, he feels that it lies in the continued development of the agency distribution business and more specifically, the enhancement of the professional capabilities of its advisors. This explains why he is so supportive of the IARFC Singapore’s inaugural professional course which encompasses both technical and soft skills. Mark believes that the scope of the advisor’s duties has changed so dramatically compared to 10 years ago and one has to be mindful of the true value of the services that are provided. Ultimately, it’s the craft of building a rapport and confidence with prospects to act on their recommendations that is important. He elaborates, “In a sophisticated market like ours, we have to earn our keep more. We have to demonstrate and earn that respect by truly understanding his needs and serving them. So what’s better than engaging in continuing education while staying productive and competent?” O’Dell is one of the founding members of IARFC Singapore and has been instrumental in sharing its mission to qualified professionals and generous in providing seed funds to this progressive non-profit organization. Other than business, he is equally passionate about wine, golf and Asian cuisine. Mark is also active in community service and a council member at the Singapore Cancer Society. Mark O’Dell can be contacted at: 1 Robinson Road, #13-00, AIA Tower, Singapore 048542 or e-mail: Mark.Odell@aig.com INTERNATIONAL IARFC COORDINATORS Jeffrey Chiew Asia Chair DBA, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, RFC® JeffreyChiew@yahoo.com Liang Tien Lung China Development Organization (IMM) RFC® Ralph Liew Philippines Chair RFC® kilhk@myjaring.net Joyce Manalo Executive Assistant joycemanalo@iarfcphils.org Jerry Tan Singapore Chair CIAM, CMFA, RFC® jerry@iarfcsg.org Zhu Xu Long China Chair, Shanghai RFC® iarfc-cn@immadviser.cn Samuel W. K. Yung, MH Chair, Hong Kong and Macao Chair CFP®, MFP, FChFP, CMFA, CIAM, RFC® chair@iarfc-hk.org Dr. Teresa So Advisor, Hong Kong and Macao PhD, MFP, FChFP, CMFA, CIAM, RFC® director@iarfc-hk.org Allan Wan RFC® admin@iarfc-hk.org Ng Jyi Wei Malaysia Chair ChFC, CFP®, RFC® iarfcmgt@time.net.my Aidil Akbar Madjid Indonesia Chair MBA, RFC® akbar@pavillioncapital.com Lisa Soemarto MA, RFC® lisa@pavillion.com Jeffrey Chen Taiwan Chair RFC® jeffrey@imm.com.tw Preecha Swasdpeera Thailand Chair MPA, MM, RFC® Preecha_sg@yahoo.com Page 3 From the Chairman’s Desk... Ending the Year. The year 2005 has been very good to the IARFC. We have continued our growth in members, expanded operations in many countries and we are making excellent progress in other areas. I expect to report on the successful establishment of an RFC organization in at least 4 more countries in 2006 based on the developments we have underway now. RFC Course. We are working now very diligently to develop our own courses. To some extent this will be in competition with CFP® and ChFC — but with very different formats: We expect to offer local classes in many cities. Our course will emphasize marketing, practice management, firm operations and plan construction as well as the typical topics of economics finance, taxation investments and risk management. The RFC course will include valuable software elements for the students and it will require each student to create a comprehensive financial plan. Where the IARFC will be represented: Hong Kong — RFC Classes February 15, 2006, Hong Kong University MDRT Experience February 17-19, 2006, Bangkok, Thailand Financial Advisors Forum May 11-13, 2006, Middletown, Ohio MDRT Annual Meeting June 11-14, 2006, San Diego, CA International Dragon Awards August 11-13, 2006, Chengdu, China IARFC Cruise/Conference October 5-15, 2006, Port of Galveston, TX Stopping at the popular ports of Jamaica, Grand Cayman & Cozumel MDRT Top of Table October 18-21, 2006, Cancun, Mexico Heckerling Estate Conference January, 2007, Orlando AP finSA Conference April 13-15, 2007, Taipei, Taiwan Financial Advisors Forum May, 2007, Reno, Nevada MDRT Annual Meeting June 10-13, 2007, Denver, CO If you are going to attend any of these events, please let us know. Page 4 How Can You Help? First, it is vitally important that we continue to add new members in the United States. There are thousand of CFPs and ChFCs who can benefit from what the Association offers. But, we need the help of our current members — who have always provided the best source of new member referrals. Please take action to nominate qualified candidates. Every new member strengthens our capacity to increase member benefits and increases the image of the RFC designation. When you help the Association grow with high caliber financial advisors, you increase the value of the RFC® designation for yourself. Forum Attendance. Yes — it will really be limited based on the space available at the Manchester Inn! So register now and reserve one of the inexpensive, but high quality, rooms at this historic Inn. New RFC and RFA members Cynthia A. Aber AZ Michael Amine MI Ian Atherly Trinidad Earl Eugene Bain, Jr. NC Harrison Matthew Clement NC Suzanna M. deBaca IA Joseph Elgindy PA Anthony J. Esposito FL Charles D. Etzweiler MN Jeanne K. Hagar MA Edwin Hernandez NY Ivan Hernandez NY Christopher Hessenflow IL Michael C. Hoffman CA James G. Hollingsworth UT Gali Horev CA William Richard Infante CA Thomas H. Judge NJ Dr. Edward Leone Jr. CO Robert E. Lorbeck WI Scott Nichols UT Douglas Clark Nickson WA Victor K. Ray MT Michael Reiman TX Janet W. Ricker TX Anthony D. Ries MI Jason T. Rosener CO Benjamin A. Russell VT Micah Vincent Shilanski AK Christopher L. Shreves MO Wilhelm E. Silber IL Gerald D. Snyder FL Leonard J. Suchobrus IL Kwan Po Tang NY Joseph J. Vap IA Abby A. Wood CA Members Who Recommended New IARFC Members Steve Bailey Ric Edelman John Grable Ed Ledford Jim McCarty Ed Morrow Lew Nason Bill Nelson Len Pappas David Stitt Mark Terrett Katherine Vessenes The Register • December 2005 continued from page 1 Mark Lamkin While Mark, and his colleagues on The Apprentice got vocally fired by “The Donald” all of his associates, and probably his clients as well, enjoyed his participation on the program. Mark is an experienced businessman, having owned and sold eight successful businesses over the past ten years. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children, and he is an active board member of a local Christian school as well as other civic organizations. In an interview on NBC (www.NBC.com/ The_Apprentice_4/candidates) he described his style. “My leadership style is visionary. I have a burning desire to help people reach their potential, both personally and financially. I believe a person’s level of success is determined by the size of their dreams, or specifically, their goals. I lead people through simple exercises that help them define both personal and business goals.” Asked whether or not he considered himself a “success” Mark replied, “I consider myself “a success” today, but I realize that true success is a process, not an event….true success lies within the journey of life, not a milestone of money, status, or promotions.” continued from page 1 Art Linkletter Having been involved with several million acres of land “Down Under,” his pioneering work in sheep and cattle stations in Australia is also well known. He is Chairman of the Board of Linkletter Enterprises, building and managing public storage houses, office buildings, cow-calf operations, plus ranches in Montana, New Mexico and California. Linkletter’s real estate developments include residential projects in AZ, industrial land in Phoenix; residential land in Paradise Valley, CA, airport land at Deer Valley, CA, office buildings in San Jose, CA, undeveloped residential property in San Diego, CA, condominiums in Vail, CO, and San Antonio, TX, plus land in Las Vegas, NV, and cattle and sheep stations in Australia. Linkletter is a long time professional and personal friend of Wally Cato, and has become familiar with the IARFC and the standards it has established for the financial services professional. As a reader of the IARFC Register, he was pleased to comment on the importance of Image to financial advisors, in an exclusive interview, on page 14. The Register • December 2005 Advisors Sharpen Their Blades With The “Nine Out Of Ten” Guy! Above (Left to Right) speaker James Lange, CPA, JD, RFC®, author of the recently released book Retire Secure, who will also be a featured speaker at the Financial Advisors Forum; Phil Calandra, RFC®, FMM, MBA of Atlanta; Financial Planning’s Media Advocate Forrest Wallace Cato, RFC®, RFMA, CPC, CRR of Woodstock, Georgia; Jamie McGarry, RFC®, MBA from Indianapolis; and Lew Nason, RFC®. For over two decades, Lew Nason, RFC®, FMM, LUTC, creator of the industryfamous Insurance & Financial Planning Pro Shop, (above far Right) has helped advisors achieve long-term success by improved sales and client service. Lew became well known as “The nine-out-often guy!” during his thirty years as an insurance sales agent. During those years Lew achieved a record sales average of closing nine-out-of-ten presentations. He will be demonstrating some of his powerful techniques on motivating clients at the Financial Advisors Forum. Every two months, as a consultant, coach and mentor, Lew conducts his wellattended sales improvement sessions at the Atlanta Airport Hilton. The program this Registered Financial Consultant directs covers such topics as Advanced LTCI Sales Excellence and Advanced Annuity Sales Excellence, plus Attracting Wealthy Prospects. Lew Nason told The Register, “We consider our sessions to be opportunities for sharpening your blades and to learn more about cutting taxes for your clients! After our two-day meeting financial advisors will have more and sharper weapons to use in fighting for their clients. This is symbolized by these financial professionals in the photo holding various types of blades.” Lew’s favorite quote for advisors and clients alike is by Benjamin Franklin, who said, “Take the coins from your purse and dump them into your mind. Your mind will then fill your purse with coins again and again!” Lew Nason, RFC® has been helping agents to achieve long-term success in insurance sales for over two decades. As a Sales Rep and Branch Manager for a major life company he continuously qualified for their prestigious conferences and became wellknown as the “Nine out of ten guy!” During his tenure, he Lew Nason, RFC® recruited and trained 23 inexperienced agents, and 10 years later 18 of those agents are still active in our industry and earning six figure incomes. His website www.insuranceproshop.com was ranked (by Google) as the most popular financial planner and insurance agent support center on the Internet. His unique perspective, on how to truly help clients, has enabled scores of agents to reach the top levels of their profession. If you’d like to know more about Lew’s workshops, you can phone Lew at 877 297 4608, or go to: www.insuranceproshop.com. Page 5 The Non-Attorney Financial Advisor and the Unauthorized Practice of Law A number of states, (i.e. Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina, to name three) have recently adopted statues making the unauthorized practice of law a crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. Charles Matthews, JD, CEP, RFC® North Carolina and Texas, along with Ohio, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Florida are currently known as particularly strict states in terms of their interpretation and enforcement of the strictures against the unauthorized practice of law. Moreover, many other states seem to be adopting similar “no tolerance” positions. That being the case, and knowing that Registered Financial Consultants as well as Certified Estate Planners would be particularly interested in this subject because of recent activities of Bar Association Authorized Practice of Law Committee. This topic is a terribly important subject of vital concern to any financial advisor. In every state, except perhaps Arizona, only a lawyer in good standing with his or her state Supreme Court can: 1. Counsel with an individual client about his need for estate planning documents…the term “counsel” being used in the broadest sense of the word, meaning “advise after a thorough consultation.” 2. Recommend that an individual client have a will or a revocable living trust, or any document that deals with the client’s property or property rights. 3. Oversee, supervise, and control the drafting, production, and assembly of the client’s will, revocable living trust, or any document that deals with the client’s property or property rights. 4. In some states, not all, a lawyer must also be present when a will or a trust is signed, witnessed, and notarized. Page 6 The best case law authority of that discusses this subject in some detail is a per curium decision of the Florida Supreme Court that was published in 1992. If you do not have it, e-mail NICEP and Bob Miller will see that you get a copy. That decision basically discusses the four guidelines set out above and guidance as to what the non-lawyer can and cannot do. Every advisor would be well advised to read it. If it is the lawyer’s sole prerogative to counsel with the client and advise him as to what estate planning documents he should have, and oversee the drafting and assembly of those documents, what is the role of the financial advisor? According to this same Florida Supreme Court decision, the financial advisor can gather the personal and financial information from the client necessary for any lawyer to draft a client’s estate planning documents and, if the client elects to write a revocable living trust, the financial advisor can offer advice as to the funding of the trust from a financial standpoint. • A will, • A durable power of attorney for health care, • A durable power of attorney for general assets, • A living will, • A nomination of conservator/ guardian, and perhaps, • A Five Wishes Directive, • A Do Not Resuscitate Order, • An anatomical gift election, and • A good precatory letter explaining how some or all of these documents are to be used and interpreted. And, if they wish to avoid probate, they should seriously consider a revocable living trust. At that same seminar the financial advisor can tell those in attendance that if they do not have a lawyer versed in estate planning he can refer them to one. 3. Following a seminar, when he meets with his clients or prospects, the financial advisor can fill out an estate planning workbook with the client’s personal and financial information that a lawyer will need to counsel with the client as to his estate plan and that the financial advisor will need to advise the client as to his financial plan. Based on this and other materials that bar associations in Ohio, Idaho, Wyoming, and other states have recently published and recent decisions of courts in New Jersey and Texas it is apparent that the best course for a financial advisor is to: With the client’s permission, (which will always be forthcoming), the financial advisor can forward this information to the attorney and then enjoy the luxury of leaving the responsibility for the legal documents entirely to the lawyer. 1. Establish a working relationship with a local lawyer in good standing in his or her state who is knowledgeable and experienced dealing with trusts, wills, and estate planning in general. While the lawyer is doing his work, the financial advisor can develop a financial plan for the client, knowing that he has all the information needed to develop a truly comprehensive and well thought out financial plan. 2. Give seminars on estate and financial planning in which he may say, in first amendment protected speech, that the recent Terry Shivavo case, the books of well known authors, and his own experience in dealing with his clients, his family, and his friends is that nearly everyone who owns real estate and/or has an estate that exceeds the small estate probate limit of his state should have: In all events, the financial advisor must leave the legal part alone and concentrate on what he does best…financial planning and financial advice. To go on…there can be no splitting of fees or solicitation for the lawyer on the part of the financial advisor. Everything must be at arm’s length. continued on page 7 The Register • December 2005 continued from page 6 Unauthorized Practice of Law If the financial advisor is to be paid for his services, the client must pay the financial advisor for his advice with one check and pay the attorney for his services with another check. Do not permit the client to combine both payments. The financial advisor should never collect the lawyer’s check. Let the lawyer collect his own fee and generate his own documents and stay out of the process. Do not waste your time, endanger your reputation, and risk your livelihood trying to skirt around these guidelines. Indeed it is true, and most lawyers and judges I know would agree, that, as retiring United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, recently said: “We all need to be concerned about the increasing, and on many levels, frightening, over legalization of everyday life in our country today: There is little hope of restraining the lawyers anytime soon because these same lawyers in many states, largely control the reform process.” There are a lot of good reasons why only a lawyer can and should recommend a document that controls a client’s property rights and why only a lawyer can and should oversee the production, writing, and assembly of that document: 1. The lawyer (that you want to work with) is trained, experienced, up to date, and knowledgeable in this particular area of the law. 2. He has ready access not only to the sources of the law, but to his peers and colleagues, and is thus in an ideal position to keep abreast of what the law is, and how it is actually practiced in your state. 3. The lawyer and his practice are regulated by some rather strict rules backed up with tough sanctions promulgated by his Bar Association and his state’s Supreme Court. 4. The lawyer has (or should have) malpractice insurance, and you have no insurance at all that will cover you should you make a mistake in this area. 5. The lawyer is only representing the legal interests of his client and is not interested in anything else. The Register • December 2005 Who, in my experience and estimation of NICEP members, are the lawyers with whom financial advisors have the best experience working with in this area? 1. General practice lawyers working solo or in small firms, generally knowledgeable about estate planning, wills, and trusts, who give great service, and who are truly committed to serving the best interest of their clients. 2. Stay at home mom and semi-retired lawyers, who meet the same criteria. Become a Certified Estate Planner Visit us online at www.NICEP.org or call 765 453 4300 for more information about how the CEP designation will bring knowledge and distinction to your practice. On the other hand who, based on experience and estimation, are the lawyers that financial advisors must avoid at all costs: 1. Lawyers who want to be or who are quite comfortable being nothing but a rubber stamp; who do not want to meet or consult with clients; who will not commit to doing the things that the Florida Supreme Court says they should do: 2. Lawyers who are lazy; who do not give good client service; and who do not return telephone calls: 3. Lawyers who will not take the time to learn the basics of estate planning; who are interested in quantity not quality; and who expect the financial advisor to do all the work: 4. Lawyers affiliated with a trust mill. And what is a trust mill? It is a sad fact that trust mills today come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They can be local and work only in your hometown; they can be regional; and they can have a national presence. But all of them have certain telltale signs that give them away: 1. They overstate the difficulties of probate and the benefits of a revocable living trust. lawyer to doing as little as possible and having as little contact with the client as possible. 4. They encourage the financial advisor to engage in the unauthorized practice of law with specious and oily arguments, but offer the financial advisor no protection should he be hauled before a court or a regulatory body for his activities. 5. Their business is either the production of as many estate planning documents as possible and/or the sale of one size fits all high commission paying financial products. 6. Do not be misled by the platitudes and baseless misrepresentations of these trust mill outfits. They have no interest either in you or in your clients. Their bottom line concern is their bottom line and nothing else. 2. They overstate their qualifications, (mis)represent to the public that they have consulted with multitudes of lawyers to draft their documents, and that they consult with these lawyers regularly to make sure their documents are up to date and current. In sum, you must make it a point to work with a local lawyer who will work with you; who will commit to doing the things the Florida Supreme Court says he must do; who will counsel with the people you refer to him; and who has a reputation for being smart, ethical, and giving good service. You will want to work with this lawyer as a team. 3. They “bash” lawyers as greedy and lazy, and try to relegate the role of the continued on page 8 Page 7 continued from page 7 Unauthorized Practice of Law Tell your clients, up front, that you are not a lawyer, that if they need some estate planning advice and they do not have a lawyer you will be glad to refer them to a very good local lawyer, and leave the estate planning counseling, the document recommendations, and the document preparation to the lawyer. As a qualified financial advisor, if you will avail yourself of the education that is available through NICEP, you will be able to give a great seminar and answer the questions that will be presented to you at your seminar. This will give you immediate credibility. Once the client is in your office, gather the information and proceed to do your job and let the lawyer do his job. And, if the lawyer does not do his job and if your clients are not happy with the lawyer you refer them to…find a new one who will give good client service…it is as simple as that. When you meet and strike up a working relationship with a good local lawyer, show him this article and get his input. In this context, remember that you are not advising the individual client. You are only doing what Suzy Orman and many others have done and continue to do and what is quite legitimate in the eyes of most-as an expression of First Amendment protected free speech in a public forum. If the lawyer disagrees with any part of what has been written, follow his advice. There are indeed isolated pockets across the country even today where lawyers attempt to enforce unauthorized practice of law regulations against those who would publish legitimate main stream books on the subject of estate planning, and against those offering social services when it is admitted that lawyers cannot be found in the community to offer those same services. It is in the context of meeting with the individual client that you cannot give legal advice, counsel, or recommend specific documents. Your performance, confidence, and obvious knowledge and preparation at your seminar will assure that most of those in attendance will make appointments and meet with you. How the unauthorized practice of law is regulated in your state and in your hometown is something you must become cognizant of and deal with. Your best source for this information is a good, reliable, ethical, knowledgeable, local lawyer who has a reputation for giving good service. Work with him and follow his advice. Your Estate of Mind This article was prepared by Charles D. Matthews, Executive Director of NICEP — the National Institute of Certified Estate Planners. NICEP offers a three day accelerated course in estate planning the qualifies for 24 units of CE for IARFC members. Those who complete the course and pass two examinations are awarded the CEP designation. NICEP does not give either legal or financial advice. No one should take any action upon anything contained in this article until they first discuss their individual fact situation with an attorney licensed in their state who is in good standing with their state’s Supreme Court and who is knowledgeable of their state’s law. Charles holds both the CEP and RFC® designations. He is the architect of the revised CEP curriculum and the principal instructor. He is the author of many estate planning articles and documents. He is past President of the Estate Plan Company of Las Vegas. He has held political positions, including being a former State Representative and member of the Arkansas General Assembly. To reach NICEP, call 765 453 4300 or e-mail: cep@nicep.org By Arthur W. Rothfuss, CEP, CSA, RFC® Avoiding Family Lawsuits Estate Plans are often challenged by heirs — for a variety of reasons. Was the deceased under influence? Is the recorded document really the last one executed? Are there missing amendments or codicils? All of these bring into question the original plans. One of the responsibilities of financial advisors is to help avoid challenges. Ray Charles (September 23, 1930 — June 10, 2004) whose estate amounted to an estimated $100 million left his 12 children with trusts amounting to only $490,000 each. The bulk of his estate went to the Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders to help deaf children. The youngest child, Corey Robinson den Bok, is challenging his inheritance. The National Institute of Certified Estate Planners (NICEP) provides education and support to attorneys and financial consultants. NICEP has both self-study and classroom estate planning curriculums, granting the CEP designation. For programs and course information: www.NICEP.org 765 453 4300 or e-mail: CEP@NICEP.org Page 8 Only time will tell if the famous musician’s estate plans will be upheld in court. Perhaps the executor will have to compromise or the bequest to the Robinson Foundation might be voided. But if Ray Charles had good instrument, properly executed and supplemented by a Video Tape, then chances are that the Foundation will inherit — just as he planned. Arthur W. Rothfuss, CEP, CSA, RFC® Art is an experienced estate planner, educator financial advisor, and CEP “Planner of the Year” 2003. His firm, Genesis Projects located in Indianapolis, serves clients in twenty-nine states. Art is one of the five national directors of NICEP and may be contacted at: 317 872 9574 or gprojects@sbcglobal.net The Register • December 2005 Researching Your Target Markets Online your request (be patient, the process takes time if a large number of results are found). The resulting list will show matching organizations in alphabetical order. Click on the name of any group listed and you’ll get a more detailed screen containing their name, street address, phone, and fax number. If the organization maintains a Web site, a link to that site will also be provided. Click on it to go directly to the site and begin digging into its content. Kip Gregory Anyone whose responsibilities include sales, marketing or managing relationships at some point has probably turned to the Internet for insight on niches they target. But at over 8 billion pages of content and growing, finding that information on the Web isn’t always easy. Enter the American Society for Association Executives’ Gateway to Associations, a freely accessible database which can help you quickly identify professional organizations and trade groups that focus on the markets you’re interested in. The ASAE’s database includes nearly 40,000 organizations from local grass roots to international in reach. If you’ve been thinking about ways to raise your visibility within a chosen group but don’t know which ones are in your area or how to contact them, chances are the Gateway to Associations can tell you. Here’s how to find out. First, visit the ASAE’s Directories home page at http://www.asaenet.org/ AssociationSearch.cfm? (be sure you include the complete web page address including the question mark in your browser’s Address field). Next, select the item labeled “Gateway to Associations” and then click on “Go!” That will bring you to the Gateway search page. Once on that Gateway page, you’ll have the option to search by an organization’s name, the category they are listed under, their city, state/province or even country… or any combination of those criteria. Make your selections and the site will go to work finding groups to match The Register • December 2005 Here’s a suggestion: if you specialize in serving or networking with a particular type of business (accounting firms, automobile dealers, doctors’ offices, law firms, schools, etc.), try searching by category first (or type in the proper term for your group in the name field) and see what comes up. Alternatively, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, begin the process by focusing on your state, or city and state (or province for those in the Canadian market) to see what groups operate in your area (some international organizations are also listed by country). Next month I’ll cover step two in the process: what to look for once you find a site that looks promising and describe a 12-point checklist for researching who to contact, where, when and how to find out what they’re thinking, and how to get yourself on their radar screen. Go Ahead and Impress Your Clients Client appreciation requires tangible actions that set you apart in the eyes of clients as an individual who truly cares. And that’s Boxes by Pandora’s sole mission: To help you demonstrate client appreciation in a noteworthy and affordable way! From specialty document wallets and folders that will make your presentations memorable, to worry-free document filing systems that will create natural cross-selling discussions — you’ll find them all here! Our specialized manufacturing and production facility can personalize all of our products with engraved brass nameplates, as well as your name and company logo. If you’d like your VIP clients to think positively about the services you provide on almost a daily basis, then our custom-made, personally imprinted client appreciation boxes — created from select woods — are for you! Their rich, functional designs will have all your clients showcasing them on desks, credenzas, and display cases. Kip Gregory is the author of Winning Clients in a Wired World and one of the country’s leading authorities on increasing sales productivity through smarter use of technology and the Internet. Kip will be a featured speaker at the Financial Advisors Forum in May, 2006. To sign up for his free monthly e-mail newsletter, Kip’s Tips, visit his website: www.winningclients.com. To learn more about his coaching and consulting services visit him at: www.kipgregory.com or e-mail him at kip@gregory-group.com. (© 2005 Kip Gregory, The Gregory Group. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished, copied or distributed in any form without prior permission.) Boxes by Pandora has special pricing for IARFC members. For additional information, a full brochure or to order call: 800 232 6937 or visit: www.BoxesByPandora.com Page 9 What Happens When You Are Sued? During all this, have you been fully effective at running your business, serving your clients, supervising your staff and prospecting for new clients? Of course not! You will be focused on getting the mess behind you. Your clients, your family, your friends and your employees will take a back seat while you juggle the emotional turmoil, hoping everyday that this problem will just go away. Ed Morrow, CLU, ChFC, CEP, CFP®, RFC® It doesn’t matter, initially, whether or not you have done anything wrong. After all, everyone runs a “clean business.” However, the majority of claims filed against financial professionals are groundless. You are facing about $42,000 in costs to protect yourself. Your broker/dealer and any life insurance company involved will probably be brought into the issue, since they are the “deep pockets” people. The Attack. Will this be a regulatory complaint, a case for arbitration, a lawsuit or perhaps mediation? Possibly all four! Certainly your counsel (You do have an attorney on retainer, don’t you?) and that of your co-conspirators (that’s attorney talk for your primary insurance company and broker/dealer) will prefer arbitration. Why? Arbitration usually limits the loss payment, reduces the publicity and reduces the costs. Usually. But arbitration often results in a compromise settlement — even if the case is groundless. Your side will always be pushed to pay up something, and the former client and his or her avaricious attorney get something less than they initially requested. However, now you have a dark mark on your record, and one that must be revealed to regulators, insurers and the public. This will most likely harm you forever and force you to be explaining this event for years. Unfortunately, now you might discover that your broker/dealer wants to distance itself from you, and you are now shopping for a new b/d relationship, but with a tarnished record. The complications of a forced broker/dealer change will only add further stress to your life and consternation to your clients. Page 10 Naturally, (if you can get it and afford it) you need to have professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance, but the purpose of that coverage is to defend you and pay losses. E&O insurance does not help you avoid problems at the outset. E&O insurance policies also have many exclusions, some of which are not discovered by advisors until there’s a problem, or until there is a claim. Then the advisor’s interests can be pitted against the E&O carrier as well. What are the exclusions? They vary with every policy, but frequently these clauses exclude activity or advice related to alternative investments, 1031 exchanges, some types of fiduciary or consultancy services, attacks from heirs and regulators. Take Protective Action. What you should seriously consider is to join Financial Advisors Legal Association. FA Legal is designed to help you prepare your practice so you can aggressively combat the claims made against you, at the outset. This type of strong defense may help you avoid the entire matter. The attorneys at FA Legal frequently recommend mediation as the first step, since it is a good way to test the position of the opposing counsel and to let them realize you are well documented and fully prepared to rigorously defend your actions. Today, what you really need is litigation prevention and defense. Prevention, of course, is taking action to help you avoid these problems in the first case. One of the problems with E&O Insurance carriers is that they frequently want to settle a claim quickly and inexpensively. So they are very prone to offering a quick, small settlement. That is good cost control for the carrier, but can be devastating to you. Let’s take a real case example. The customer claimed damages amounting to $24,000 actual losses, plus $250,000 for distress and was alleging fraud — a serious charge. By claiming fraud they were able to get into a local court in a very favorable jurisdiction. The E&O carrier negotiated a compromise — pay $16,000 and the problem would go away, and they proposed to split that cost with the advisor. The advisor said, “Hell No, I’ve done nothing wrong! We’ll fight it.” The E&O carrier’s attorney explained, “You’re going to lose round one, which will be a jury matter in the small rural town where the customer now resides. If you insist on no settlement, we’ll defend you. Then we will offer to pay the $8,000 that we could settle for now. You would be on your own in the appeal — which you’d probably win, because you have a very strong defense. You will have to hire competent out-oftown appellate counsel and we’d guess those fees to run $60–$75,000. And even still you might lose.” The advisor, very reluctantly, settled for the $8,000 out of pocket loss and the black mark. What advisors need is a Litigation Defense Manager. But where do you get that? The solution is the eDefense Manager offered as part of the program of Financial Advisors Legal Association. It provides: Proven procedures to avoid becoming a legal target. Tips to prevail under a litigious attack. A library of litigation-tested document templates. Client management and practice simplification processes. Up to 14 hours of CPE credits (CFP, PACE, RFC and insurance) with Real-time updates on critical issues. To keep you and your staff focused on the types of issues that could be raised by scurrilous attorneys; you need to be reading about the tribulations of other persons. One source of information is The Litigious Times, which is published quarterly by F.A. Legal exclusively for their members. When you have the first inkling of a problem you need instant representation to support the actions you have been taking to protect yourself. How does the benefit structure of FA Legal work? “If the advisors will practice the proactive and preventative behaviors embodied in eDefense Manager, they will find most potential claims will be dismissed before they become an emotional and financial nightmare,” comments Jerry Reiter, Chairman of FA Legal. continued on page 11 The Register • December 2005 continued from page 10 When You Are Sued An Ounce of Prevention. The heart of eDefense Manager is good record keeping, and it has a prominent role in the defense process — not to help an advisor defend against a claim as much as to stop litigation dead in its tracks. FA Legal is an advocate of initial prompt mediation. “We want to mediate whenever a claim is brought against one of our members to let the opposition know we’re ready for them, know that we have our records (needed to refute the claim) in order. Since many of these claims are made on a contingency basis, when the attorney goes back to his client, the plaintiff, and tells him the advisor has strong documentation and the attorney now wants the plaintiff to pay him something up front, the plaintiff often drops the case. In the Old West, they used guns and bullets; we use attorneys and money.” How does the benefit structure of FA Legal work? The first step is to determine whether a claim is even covered by the advisor’s E&O carrier. Keep in mind that over half of all financial advisors have no E&O coverage, and this topic might be excluded anyway. Then you need to make a choice. Frequently, the manner in which the E&O carrier proposes to handle the situation will persuade an advisor to bypass the E&O coverage and go with FA Legal’s aggressive defense strategy. FA Legal has a pro-active philosophy. Jerry Reiter, CEO, a respected industry leader explains, “We offer unlimited phone consultation as part of membership because we want to talk to the advisor when as soon as a problem is anticipated not when a problem becomes certain. Whereas E&O insurance does nothing to educate the policyholder, we can mitigate a lot of issues by showing our members how to prepare for claims.” Where to go for information: To learn more about Financial Advisors Legal Association, you can review the benefits at: www.FALegal.com and to request more information call: 800 261 0633 Ed is the Chairman and CEO of the IARFC. He specializes in enabling financial advisors to increase their sales production and client service, by building their practices through effective client relationship management. For information on his services: info@financialsoftware.com The Register • December 2005 Contact Us for a Free Web Demo 800 666 1656 • sales@FinancialSoftware.com www.FinancialSoftware.com Client Relationship Management Solutions for Financial Advisors easily leverages your abilities across a larger client base with less demand on the time you need to spend one-on-one with your clients and prospects. Take your “Best Practices” and multiply them across targeted clients, prospects, and referrals. As competition increases, as market conditions drive you to make changes for more productivity, and as you desire mounts to work less for more reward… stands alone as the tool that will help you — easily and economically. We invite you to find out more about and impact the Client Relationship Management can make in your practice. Senior Sales Manager Client information may be transferred from Practice Builder Financial directly into Plan Builder - EnterAct - to help produce the new client’s first financial plan. New integration with Laser App software provides an easy to use, interactive form system for the independent financial advisor. Laser App uses your broker, rep and client data to assist you in filling out the tedious and redundant fields in securities, insurance and annuity forms. Simply choose an application from the program’s menu and the form appears on your computer screen with your client, rep and broker information already inserted. Whether you are already working or just getting started, we can provide the planning techniques to contact your clients on a regular basis… If your clients aren’t seeing you they are seeing somebody else. Financial Planning Consultants, Inc. 2507 N. Verity Pkwy. • P.O. Box 430 • Middletown, OH 45042-0430 www.FinancialSoftware.com • 800 666 1656 Page 11 CONSUMER Paul Richard, RFC® FOCUS www.ICFE.info Consumer Scams You and Your Clients Should Know About! New “Jury Duty Scam” Seeks Personal Information By Direct Phone Contact. A new scam is underway, nationwide, to trick people into giving out their personal information. It is known among military and civilian law enforcement as the “Jury Duty Scam.” This “phishing” scam is being utilized by credit and identity thieves to deceive victims into revealing their personal information. According to a Criminal Information Bulletin from the 31st Military Police Detachment at Fort Campbell, KY., here is how the scam works: 1. The scammer calls a residence or office phone number of the victim and identifies themselves as an officer or employee of the local court or jurisdiction. The thief tells the victim that he or she has failed to report for jury duty and that a bench warrant for their arrest has been issued against them. 2. The victim’s reaction is one of shock and surprise and it places the victim at an immediate disadvantage, and much more susceptible to the scam. The potential victim will rightly deny knowledge of any such claim; and that no such Jury Duty Notice was ever received. 3. The scammer then shifts into “high gear” and reassures the victim of the possibility this is all “just a misunderstanding” or “some sort of clerical error” that can be straightened out on the phone. All the victim needs to do is “verify” some of their information by answering a few simple questions. (here comes the con…) Any reluctance on the victim’s part and the scammer threatens that failure to provide this information will result in the execution of the arrest warrant. The scammer obtains the full Names, Social Security Number, date of birth and will also solicit credit card or bank account numbers claiming these will be used by the local credit bureau to “verify” the victim’s identity. 4. Family members who receive these calls are especially vulnerable to coercion. Institute of Consumer Financial Education Page 12 Threats against the victim’s career, should he or she be arrested would now have a criminal record. Spouses are frightened and a smooth-talking con artist will be very persuasive. 5. Individual consumers, whether employed or not, and their adult family members must be made aware of this threat to their personal information, credit and identities. Legitimate court employees would NEVER call to solicit personal information. Official notifications would only be sent by standard mail delivery, or perhaps by certified mail, not phone. 6. Any person receiving such calls should record the scammer’s phone number (if caller ID is available) and immediately report the contact to local law enforcement authorities or the military police. New credit card fraud schemes to guard against everyday. Switch expired credit cards for unexpired cards. This is another new scam technique. A man went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, “Funny, I thought I locked the locker.” After dressing he just flipped the wallet open to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay — all cards were in place. A few weeks later his credit card bill came — a whopping bill of $14,000! He called the credit card company, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen. rarely trigger a “warning flag.” Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are all yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, “assuming” that it has to be theirs. It would be easy for an employee at a busy restaurant to just return a similar card, but with an invalid name. Using cell phones to take pictures of your credit cards. A couple went to a local restaurant to pick up an order that had been called in. The customer paid by using a Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to the holder’s checking account. The young man behind the counter took the card, swiped it, then laid it flat on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. Then the clerk takes a picture of the Card with a cell phone. He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, the couple heard the chime that tells that the picture has been saved. Now, they are standing there struggling with the fact that this clerk just took a picture of their credit card. Yes, the clerk played it off well, because had the couple not had the same kind of phone, they probably would never have known what had just happened. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many contain a camera phone these days. “No,” he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and a switch had been made. An expired, yet similar, credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief had broken into his locker at the gym and switched cards. When in a restaurant and the server brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the credit card number off. Truncation — only displaying last four numbers of a credit card number — is now law under the revised Fair Credit Reporting Act/Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. Outcome of Dispute: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts However many establishments, especially restaurants, still put the whole credit card number on a receipt. 619 239 1401 ICFE@cox.net The Register • December 2005 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 395 MIDDLETOWN, OH POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGISTERED FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS THE FINANCIAL PLANNING BLDG PO BOX 42506 MIDDLETOWN OH 45042-9981 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 395 MIDDLETOWN, OH POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGISTERED FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS THE FINANCIAL PLANNING BLDG PO BOX 42506 MIDDLETOWN OH 45042-9981 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 202 LAS VEGAS, NV POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE FINANCIAL ADVISORS LEGAL ASSOCIATION 7496 WEST LAKE MEAD BLVD STE 170 LAS VEGAS NV 89195-7194 Build Better Relationships & Communicate with Impact I am interested in the Practice Builder system to attract prospects and clients, build credibility and trust, connect to client priorities, help my clients commit to action by transforming their tasks and goals into powerful intention. I am interested in the Plan Builder system that develops vital comprehensive financial plans, while creating unlimited “what-if” scenarios, including Monte Carlo simulations, and plans with colorful charts and graphs, in real time. I am interested in Professional Sample Plans. Use to Close the engagement agreement by fulfilling the client’s need to see, touch and feel a sample of the product they are buying: Produced with the Builder Suite system. Name_______________________________________________________________ Firm ________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State________ Zip__________________ E-mail ______________________________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________________________ Please Nominate Qualified Advisors for RFC® Please send a complete Registered Financial Consultant application kit and reference material to the following financial advisors. Your Name ____________________________________________________ Your Phone____________________________________________________ Name ________________________________________________________ Name ________________________________________________________ Firm _________________________________________________________ Firm _________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State________ Zip ___________ City_______________________________ State________ Zip ___________ E-mail ________________________________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________________ Yes, I’m interested in learning more about Financial Advisors Legal Association, and how I can redeem $200 and receive the book: The #1 Thing You Need To Do as “told by the Financial Industry’s Top Coaches, Consultants & Industry Insiders” a $40 value! FREE! Name ______________________________________________________________________ Street ______________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________ State_________ Zip _________________ Phone__________________________ E-mail ______________________________________ clip here IARFC Financial Advisor Legal Association, Inc. 800.261.0633 / email: rmills@falegal.com / Fax: 208.730.9442 Valuable IARFC Member Benefits Information Request clip here Note Cards, 5” x 4” dark blue with gold RFC key on the cover, Ethics on the back, imprintable, with ivory envelopes. Consumer brochure, 8.5” x 11” four page version, full color. Do you need a Professional Financial Advisor? Consumer brochure, 8.5” x 3.8” tri-panel version, color, for mailing. Do you need a Professional Financial Advisor? RFC Ethics brochure, 8.5”: x 3.8” two-panel, two color brochure, dark blue and black on ivory stock. Plastic brochure stands for use to display RFC® and other brochures in lobby display or at seminars. Report Binders for Financial Plan, dark blue padded leatherette, with optional translucent Avery Tab Dividers. Notepad, dark blue padded leatherette, to give to clients or prospects, includes standard 8.5” x 11” writing tablet. Additional RFC Certificate Framed Men’s gold Tie Chain with RFC Key key Unframed Large version Ladies gold RFC key Circle Broach Small version RFC gold Lapel Pin Website for my firm, with compliance review features, text pages, calculators, quote forms, optional components. Financial Insider — an 8 page, full color, bi-monthly newsletter for clients, prospects, and centers of influence. The 20/20 Report — 4 page, full color newsletter, monthly or bi-monthly for clients, prospects, centers of influence. Proposal Covers and Policy Wallets to class up your delivery of insurance policies and presentations. Cherry wood Presentation Gift Box, 8” x 10” x 3.5” — with printed client note paper and envelopes. Cherry wood Document Organizer box with hanging dividers and files. Cardboard Document Organizer box. Deluxe padded 10” x 14” Report Presentation kit, lockable leatherette box with 3 rings and tab dividers inside. Business Reply Mail Report, Word format for customization, to create postage-paid reply cards and envelopes. Blue Presentation folders with gold IARFC logo, die cut for your business card and dual pockets for material insertion. Gold Foil RFC seals, 1” round. Can be used to seal envelopes or dress up your proposals. Gold Foil 1.5” seals “Financial Planning Quality Assurance” for placement on your client Financial Plans. Code of Ethics Wall Plaque, 13” x 10.5” on walnut base, ideal for an office waiting area. Journal of Personal Finance, quarterly academic and professional journal, extra copies for other advisors. The Register, monthly IARFC magazine, additional subscriptions for your staff or associates. Continuing Education Recording Form, 4 pages, with over 70 suggested topics and Instruction Method options. Cruise Conference, Europe Caribbean Islands – Oct 8-15, 2006 Alaska – Sept. 12-19, 2007 Practice Builder Financial — CRM Software — Client Relationship Management, drip marketing and due diligence. Plan Builder Financial — Software to produce Comprehensive Personal Financial Plans, Monte Carlo simulation. Building Your Multi-Million Dollar Practice — an intensive two day Workshop for experienced advisors. NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 395 MIDDLETOWN, OH POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGISTERED FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS THE FINANCIAL PLANNING BLDG PO BOX 42506 MIDDLETOWN OH 45042-9981 If mailing, please fold this inside and seal with tape. Your Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number________________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Comments ___________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Or Fax Both Sides to: 513 424 5752 Loren Dunton Memorial Award 2006 This Award is made annually, in honor of the founder of the financial planning profession, Loren Dunton, to a person who has made a substantial contribution to the financial services profession and/or the financial interests of the public. Generally regarded as the father of financial planning, Dunton organized financial professionals in the late sixties and with their help created the financial planning movement — including the formation of associations, magazines, colleges, university programs and foundations. Some persons believed then that “planning” was totally separate from the “sale” of insurance and investment products, but Dunton always recognized that they were but different roots of the common tree. Dunton was able to use his experiences to frankly explain what all of us now recognize. Having been a successful businessman, but never a financial advisor, his comments were obviously from the heart. Dunton realized and publicly Nominations espoused that salesmanship is taught by the managers and trainers of the financial services industry, and that the ethical sale of financial products and the delivery of competent advice is a noble calling. In 2000, at the Financial Advisors Forum in Dallas, the first annual Dunton award was presented to Ben Baldwin. It has been followed by presentations to those, who early embraced the financial planning process, and have written, spoken and served widely in the financial community. In 2004 the Award was also made to a person outside of the U.S. In commemoration of the founder of financial planning, the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants will each year honor a professional who has made significant contribution to the industry and the public, presented at the Financial Advisors Forum. Nominations responsive to the criteria must be made in writing and sent to IARFC by Dunton Award Prestigious Recipients mail, e-mail or fax. Notice is provided to IARFC members and other financial organizations, outlining the qualifications required, prior to the convening of the Selection Committee. Dunton Award Criteria • Must hold a professional designation (such as ChFC, CFP®, CLU, RFC®, CPA/PFS, CEBS, MSFS, MSFM or Doctoral degree). • Must have been published on financial topics (articles, journals, books, etc.) • Must have provided outstanding service or leadership in the financial services industry. • Must have promoted or participated in some aspect of financial education, either to the public or to members of the profession. • Must have demonstrated effectiveness in carrying the message of responsible financial stewardship to the public. • Must have the highest ethical and professional standards. Award Nomination Form Nominee’s Name: _____________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ Jeffrey Chiew 2005 Ed Morrow 2005 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Please comment on why this person is an appropriate candidate to receive the Loren Dunton Award: ____________________________________________________________ Liang Tien Lung 2004 Vernon Gwynne 2004 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (You may attach additional comments.) Alex Armstrong 2003 John Keeble 2002 Your name:___________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________________ Please fax your nomination to IARFC: Donald Haas 2001 The Register • December 2005 Ben Baldwin 2000 513 424 5752 IARFC • P.O. Box 42506 • Middletown, OH 45042-0506 www.IARFC.org Page 13 Cato Comments – About Your Image... Art Linkletter, American Icon, says “Your Image Enables You To Be Accepted Far More Quickly!” Do you personally have a financial planner or have you ever spoken to financial planners? Yes, I have a long-time relationship with a financial planner. I have spoken often before insurance and financial planning groups. And I have great respect for all Registered Financial Consultants. Has your image been important for your outstanding success? Image can enable you to be accepted. Not only that., the right image enables you to be accepted more quickly. The correct established image enables you to save time and not have to work so long and so hard to finally be understood and accepted. My image has been the key to my success. Image is likely to be a big part of any RFC’s success. As a salesman for many national companies, I have asked the public to accept my personal guarantee that a product they have never used before is good, reliable and worth trying. What were those products? Well Wally, these include the first ever electric blanket for GE; the first home permanent for Toni; the first non-ink pen for Papermate; the first cake mix for Pillsbury; the first diet cola for RC; and the first mail order auto insurance to be sold to non-drinkers. How did your image help your career? My image was the reason that I could persuade the Los Angeles School Board to permit me to be the only commercial broadcaster to take children out of school during their daytime lessons. We did this so they could appear on my TV show. The school board knew that I would not exploit the children and that the cause of education would be enhanced. They also knew we would adhere to proper manners, show good taste, be responsible, and produce programs that had class. My image assured them the Program would make them proud of their participation. Consultant, because he or she is asking clients for their trust — to believe that honest and excellent advice will be provided — all to serve the best interest of the clients. How long were you on national television? Do the many recent financial scandals harm the image of the RFC? We were on CBS-TV five days a week for 26 years. I interviewed 27,000 youngsters. This was the basis for the book and subsequent TV series called Kids Say the Darndest Things. People Are Funny ran on night-time NBC-TV and radio for 19, years. These were two of the longest running programs in broadcast history. In this era where corruption, immorality, incompetence and plain thievery has singed our national landscape, the obligation of any Registered Financial Consultant is to be above criticism, above reproach, and adhere to the high IARFC Code of Ethics that is particularly well drafted. The RFC professionals should not be tarnished by these many improper acts since the RFC professionals are not responsible for, or even involved in any of this. The RFC professionals are also victims of these scandals. Have you always made efforts to create, establish, and maintain your desired image within target markets? I struggled as a performer until I learned the importance of doing just this. I was largely unknown until I established my image. My image enabled me to gain the share-of-mind that leads to share-of-market. This works the same way for financial professionals. You will notice that the more successful the financial advisor the more established his or her image will be. My image, not my recognition as a performer, helped me to be appointed Ambassador to Australia by President Reagan. My image helped me to be appointed to the first Drug Abuse Education Committee by President Nixon. My image opened the doors to another successful career lecturing across our country on sales and success attainment. How important is image for the RFC? I consider image to be equally important to the average Registered Financial Regulators are now unfairly hammering independent financial advisors in response to the abuses by giant financial organizations. Can image enhancement help the RFC®? Image can help regarding anything. Imagine is not everything. Image is possibly the first thing on your way to great success. I use the word ‘image’ as the true representation of a RFC’s character based on reputation and record. Out here in Hollywood, images are ‘spun’ by media advocates who often conceal the true nature of the celebrity. There’s an old cynical joke, ‘The key to success is having a good image. Once you can fake that, you have got it made.’ I have enjoyed reading The IARFC Register, and applaud what the Association is accomplishing — for its members and for the consumers they serve. You are making a difference. Thank you for this opportunity to talk with readers of The Register. Forrest Wallace Cato, RFC®, (pictured here after recent eye surgery) has over 20-years experience as a local, regional and multi-national media strategist and advocate serving financial professionals. For financial advisors, he creates, establishes, and maintains, desired images within target markets. This highly proven marketing communications effort leads to increased understanding (brought about by desired media exposures) and results in increased consumer acceptance for the financial product or service provider! Annually he presents The Cato Award for “published writing that promotes greater understanding for and appreciation of financial planning,” during the IARFC Financial Advisors Forum. Cato, former editor of Financial Planning and Trusts & Estates magazines, is author of the book Sales And Success Secrets of The Great Motivators. Cato also wrote the Introduction to the book Financial Planning As I Created It by Loren Dunton, the founder of financial planning. Cato can be reached at: Intergroup II/Atlanta, Inc., 915 River Rock Drive, Suite 101, Woodstock, GA 30188. Phone: 770 516 9395 E-mail: wcato7@juno.com Page 14 The Register • December 2005 Seven Communication Strategies for Doubling Your Sales in Half the Time you identify how much time is required, first determine how important this communication is. Is this a six figure deal that you have one shot at making a great impression? Is it a conversation with a valued employee who has made an error that needs correcting? The amount of time you’ll need varies for each individual and each situation — it may be 5 minutes to review the points you want to cover in a meeting or several hours rehearsing out loud, in the case of a presentation. Teresa Easler The ability to get great results when communicating with your clients, prospects, and staff requires that: • You have the right message for your audience. • Your message addresses what’s important to them. • You deliver the message in a powerful, effective manner. Over the next several months, we’ll be introducing IARFC to seven simple communication strategies designed to help you and your organization always confidently communicate the right message to the right audience at the right time. Strategy #1: Always take the time to prepare for your communication situation. Imagine Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address without thinking it through in advance? Or, John F. Kennedy not rehearsing his inaugural address? The need to prepare for communication is not news. However, so many advisors go into situations where the stakes are high with little or no preparation that it requires mention. Let me be blunt. Regardless of whether you’re an individual planning for a meeting, or a professional getting ready to speak to a large group, never go into a communication situation without taking time to focus and prepare. How to Prepare 1. Schedule time. This is an important first step because it is so easy to get caught up in day to day demands. As The Register • December 2005 2. Put it in your calendar with a start and end time. The greatest challenge will be making sure life’s emergencies don’t side track your intentions. If you have an assistant, get their support in keeping to the schedule or enroll a colleague to collaborate. It is always easier to keep to a plan when you have others to answer to. 3. Complete a Power to Connect Worksheet. It provides you with a simple framework that guides you in your preparation so you achieve your desired results. Always determine a clear and focused objective, no more than three key messages you want to get across, and what action you want your audience to take at the end of the communication. 4. Say it out loud. Words sound different when they are spoken than when they are drifting around in your head. By verbalizing your communication, you will be able to detect places where the tone is contrary to your intentions, like boredom, condescension, self doubt. Then you can easily make the necessary adjustments. However much time you dedicate to preparation, it will be time well spent. It allows you to be present and being present provides a greater opportunity to connect and build relationship with your client/prospect/audience. Ultimately, that’s what real communication is all about. Teresa Easler is a partner in Corporate Vision, an organization that supports people who have achieved a high level of success and understand that achieving more requires superb communication and presentation skills. Teresa is the creator of The Power to Connect® workshop, author of the book, A Guide to Breakthrough Presentations, coauthor of the book The Power to Connect® — Creating Communication that gets Results and co-creator of the Bravo Presentation Coaching® program. She has helped groom many successful professionals to extend their speaking capacity and has personally addressed many associations, including the MDRT and CAIFA. You may learn more about their services at: www.cvcomm.com, and you can contact her at: 416 696 2020 or by e-mail: info@cvcomm.com Call for Papers Reviews, and practitioner insights on the assessment and measurement of financial risk tolerance for a special issue IARFC Quarterly Educational Publication John Grable, Ph.D., Editor 318 Justin Hall, FSHS Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 Phone: 785 532 1486 E-mail: jgrable@KSU.edu Get Involved: We welcome the submission of articles from IARFC practitioners. This is a great way to contribute to the profession. Professional Articles: The Journal is seeking articles by practitioners that may deal with the application of financial planning techniques, marketing and practice management. These are expected to be very high level papers or articles. Publicity Opportunities: Naturally, we encourage published authors to advise both their clients and the media of their being published by sending a press release. Page 15 New Source of Qualified Prospects Surrounding the financial planning process with tools to improve your efficiency, from start to finish. The Registry has high minimum admittance standards that protect investors from advisors who aren’t willing to document their competence and integrity. Some of the requirements are: • A minimum of five years of experience — the average is 16 years • College degrees and/or certifications • RIA or IAR registration • Clean compliance record Plan Builder financial planning software helps you develop comprehensive financial plans, quickly and easily. Create unlimited “what-if” scenarios — including Monte Carlo simulations — then illustrate your plans with colorful charts and graphs. In real time. Plan Builder contains compelling, and easy-to-understand presentations that help your clients see the wisdom of your plans immediately. Unleash the Power of your Investment in Financial Planning Software. In response to requests from professional users of our software we are offering training to enhance and expand the benefits the system delivers to your practice. Increase Your Fee Revenue. High quality financial plans command greater respect, and a greater fee, both of which increase the likelihood that you will be selected to implement the plans with products. Contact us today: 800 666 1656 ext. 20 www.FinancialSoftware.com • A willingness to work for fees — asset-based, fixed, or hourly Jack Waymire The Paladin Registry was launched in April of this year to provide investors with a new way to select high quality professionals who have the knowledge and integrity to help them achieve their financial goals. The Registry evolved from a book, Who’s Watching Your Money? The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor that was written by Jack Wymire, the founder of the company. The principal Registry service is matching investors with qualified advisors. Paladin uses three marketing strategies to produce large numbers of investors who are seeking the services of financial professionals. More than 150,000 investors have visited the Paladin website since April and thousands have used the Registry to find and evaluate advisors. In addition to prospects, Paladin also provides several free marketing tools that are available to Registry professionals on an exclusive basis. The Registry process is very easy for investors to use. Once they register, a Paladin Coordinator screens and pre-qualifies them before forwarding their information to Registry professionals — there’s no spam in this process. Then, Paladin uses the contact opportunity to educate investors about selecting and working with advisors. A large number of advisors have said the information that was given to their clients during the selection process helped them develop more positive, longterm relationships. Page 16 • Acknowledged fiduciary Paladin believes its service solves a major problem for investors who don’t know good advisors from bad ones. Consequently, they are prone to selecting advisors based on personalities and sales skills versus competence and integrity. The Paladin Registry also solves a major problem for advisors by providing an efficient, low cost way to expand their businesses. Plus, participating advisors can use the Registry as a credential for all types of prospects and referral sources. There is no fee to be listed in the Registry. The advisor pays a nominal match fee ($34 to $68) when Paladin produces prospects that the advisor agrees are qualified. You can also select an optional fixed fee arrangement that would eliminate most match fees. Paladin guarantees the quality of all matches, so if you disqualify a match, there is no fee. For more information about the Paladin Registry you can visit their website at www.paladinregistry.com or call them at 916 780 8737. Be sure to ask for Jack Waymire, the founder when you call. Important Notice: Have You Edited Your Advisor Profile or Added Your Photo at IARFC.org? The Register • December 2005 The Register • December 2005 Page 17 Financial Advisors Forum 2006 Financial Advisors Forum brings together financial advisors from around the world for three action-packed days of sharing information, building knowledge, professional exchange and networking with the leaders of financial services. IARFC’s annual conference and exposition features educational programs for all levels of experience. Expositions that showcase the latest financial services and products, and fun activities where you can meet other professionals. You will gain new business ideas, make contacts, see prospective resource providers, learn new planning design techniques and explore ways to promote your business. If you’re seeking to build your financial advisor practice, the knowledge can be found at the Financial Advisors Forum. Who Should Attend? Financial planning professionals with all levels of experience in every area of specialty will find that these practical educational sessions will exceed their expectations. Industry leaders will deliver their most valuable concepts and techniques in a collegial atmosphere. Whether you are a single practitioner, head up a firm of advisors, or are an executive of a broker/dealer, insurance company, bank, or a financial product provider, you will find these ideas, contacts and leadership skills to be invaluable. Program Schedule The Forum 2006 opens Thursday, May 11 with six optional pre-conference workshops at 8:30 am. All attendees will enjoy the Thursday opening night reception to be held in the home of IARFC Chairman, Ed Morrow. Whether you are a first time or international attendee, plan to attend the Loren Dunton Award Dinner on Friday evening. The Forum concludes Saturday, May 13, at noon. Activities are planned during the afternoon for those who fly out Sunday. Other Financial Forum Highlights Join us Friday evening for the Annual Loren Dunton Award Dinner — an opportunity for financial advisor professionals to network and honor Loren Dunton and congratulate the prior recipients, and of course, the distinguished 2006 recipient of the Award — whomever it may be. As a renowned figure and pioneer in the industry, Dunton is widely recognized as the father of the financial planning movement in the United States. He started the College for Financial Planning and the International Association of Financial Planning, was the first editor and publisher of Financial Planning magazine, and his precepts on the role of advisors are the basis for the IARFC. 2006 attendance is limited to the first 200 who register. Call Now! And reserve your position: 800 532 9060 Page 18 The Register • December 2005 IARFC Financial Advisors Forum 2006 Thursday Morning Six Power Workshops - - - Thursday, May 11 - - Registration Desk Open Six Financial Planning Workshops Exhibition and Buffet Luncheon 8:00 - 5:00 8:30 - 11:30 11:00 - 1:00 Opening Ceremony 1:00 - 1:20 Charlie “Tremendous” Jones 1:20 - 2:10 Jim McCarty 2:10 - 3:00 3:00 - 3:20 Lew Nason 3:20 - 4:10 Jerry Tan 4:10 - 5:00 5:00 - 6:45 Refreshment Break Exhibition Area Reception at the Morrow Home 7:00 - 8:00 Les Anderson 8:00 - 8:50 Michael Zmistowski 8:50 - 9:40 Refreshment Break 9:40 - 10:00 Michael Zmistowski 10:00 - 10:50 Norman Levine 10:50 - 11:40 Lunch in the Exhibition Area 11:40 - 1:20 Kip Gregory 1:20 - 2:10 Robin Mills 2:10 - 3:00 2:30 - 3:20 Peter Vessenes 3:20 - 4:10 Rev. Dr. John Clements 4:10 - 5:00 5:00 - 6:30 Refreshment Break Reception in the Exhibition Area The Loren Dunton Award Dinner Session A: 8:30 - 9:20 ♦ Client Relationship Management ♦ Long-Term Care Choices Session B: 9:35 - 10:25 ♦ Financial Plan — Design & Delivery ♦ Clergy Planning & Marketing (RCA) Session C: 10:40 - 11:30 ♦ Legacy-Based Marketing ♦ Powerful Tie-Downs & Closings 7:00 - 10:00 - - - Friday, May 12 - - Continental Breakfast in the Exhibition Area Schedule of Events 7:00 - 10:00 World Famous Featured Speakers Charlie “Tremendous” Jones America’s No. 1 Motivational Speaker (as rated by National Speakers Association) Mehdi Fakharzadeh The Legendary and Beloved Veteran MetLife Agent and Financial Advisor Norman Levine The World Famous Agent & Manager Who Built a Financial Services Giant Rev. Dr. John Clements Britain’s Celebrated Motivational and Acclaimed “Right-Thinking” Specialist - - - Saturday, May 13 - - Continental Breakfast 7:00 - 8:00 George Flack 8:00 - 8:50 James Lange 8:50 - 9:40 Refreshment Break 9:40 - 10:00 Hal Chorney 10:00 - 10:50 Mehdi Fakharzadeh 10:50 - 11:40 Box Lunch Pickup 11:40 - 11:45 Ed Morrow 11:45 - 12:30 Option #1: U.S. Air Force Museum 1:00 - 6:00 Option #2: Dayton Art Institute 1:00 - 6:00 The Register • December 2005 Page 19 Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, CLU, RFC ® Life is Tremendous! The things that matter the most in your life never change. Learn how to focus now on the essential — from the Master of Motivation, the author of seven best selling books and the founder of the Leadership Library. His principles of the Seven Laws of Leadership have mesmerized audiences worldwide: Put Excitement in your Work Use It or Lose It Production to Perfection Give to Get Exposure to Experience Flexible Planning Motivated to Motivation Jim McCarty, CLU, RHU, LUTCF, RFC ® The Day Mañana Came As a national sales trainer and educator for Ameriprise (American Express) and a Director of the LUTC, Jim has enlightened, amazed and entranced his audiences. From his personal and professional experiences he will help you communicate a strong sense of urgency to your clients. Lew Nason, LUTCF, RFC ® Asking the Right Questions Using proven questioning techniques gets your prospect or client emotionally involved and helps you secure 9 of 10 appointments. Adapting the right questions will also achieve a 9 out of 10 closing ratio for getting your clients to accept your planning and product recommendations. Norman G. Levine, CLU, ChFC, CSA, RFC ® Leadership is Never an Accident A great leader talks about how he used transferable principles of leadership to build two diversified financial service firms, in New York City and the other with 11 offices from Fairbanks to Southern California. Past national president of NAIFA, GAMA, LUTC and recipient of the John Newton Russell award, Norm has been both a TOT producer, a GAMA Master Agency builder and 10 time MDRT speaker. His Non-Interview technique and Joint Work philosophy are timeless strategies that will work effectively for you and your associates. Page 20 IARFC Financial Advisors Forum 2006 Jerry Tan, LLIF, CIAM, CMFA, RFC ® Breakthrough Strategies to Assure Your Success As the leading coach, motivator, manager and producer in Singapore, who lectures and trains agents and financial advisors throughout Asia, Jerry will share the techniques that have helped propel him and his associates to Top of the Table production as qualified financial advisors. Les Anderson, MBA, RFC ® Make Sure You Are The Product When you are selling the same products at the same prices as everyone else, how do differentiate yourself from your competition? Learn from the author of The Product is You his proven process to market yourself, rather than sell a product, thereby shifting the client’s emphasis from product to personality. Michael Zmistowski, RFC ® Retirement Income Management Techniques & Retirement Income Case Studies Dramatically increase your “hard dollar” income by getting the “soft facts” from the client. Smart Retirement Income planning will determine which services and products will be most appropriate to meet client goals. Learn to demonstrate techniques to maximize retirement income — and to create certainty your clients will never run out of money. Kip Gregory Strategies for Growing Your Business Faster with Technology Let the author of Winning Clients in a Wired World, show you how to harness the technology you own to increase your efficiency and effectiveness. Kip will share simple, easy-to-master strategies you can implement immediately to reach upscale prospects and clients and enhance the services you deliver. Robin Mills Why Are You More Likely to be Sued Than Your Physician? Financial advisors are now a better target than doctors for predatory lawyers. How can you identify your exposures and modify your operations to be better protected, better prepared and live with a greater peace of mind? If you’re not managing your defense now, you may have major problems later! The Register • December 2005 Rev. Dr. John Clements, Th.D., FCIPD, FInstSMM, RFC ® Featured Speakers Peter Vessenes, RFC ® How You Business Plan Defines Your Market Your most desired and suitable clients should be defined by your Business Plan and your Vision. Learn from the co-author of Building Your Million-Dollar Practice why and how to restructure your marketing strategies, differentiate your practice effectively and attract many more class “A” prospects. George Flack, FPNA, AFAIM, CFP , RFC ® ® An Improved Client Service Model Learn how to generate an increasing and recurring income from planning and asset management fees by expanding and segregating your operations. George has achieved impressive results by offering his clients a choice of three ongoing professional service models: standard, tailored and platinum. James Lange, J.D., CPA, RFC ® Unique Beneficiary and Distribution Options Techniques for maximizing retirement and estate values from the author of a new book entitled, Retire Secure. Learn to use the Lange’s Cascading Beneficiary PlanTM, an important planning concept that has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplingers and the Journal of Retirement Planning. Hal Chorney How Can You Stay Out of Prison? Your clients entrust you with their private personal and family information as well as with all of their financial assets. When government agencies request this confidential material how do you respect the privacy rights of your clients — and avoid being imprisoned as Hal was? ® Presentation of the Cato Awards The legendary media advocate, popular financial writer, and early editor of Financial Planning magazine will present the Cato Award for Distinguished Financial Journalism to two recipients whose literary efforts are a major contribution to the financial services profession. Burnett Marus, RFC ® Master of Ceremonies As the IARFC board member with the greatest tenure of service, Barney is well positioned to introduce the Speakers and Forum events. He is teamed in this task with George Flack, who will help us put into perspective what we have just learned. You’ll enjoy this dynamic duo! ® ® The Future of the Advisory Profession The financial planning profession has undergone three phases — the giant plan; fee-based portfolio management; distributions planning. Ed will talk about the next phase: finally serving the mass of the market through smaller fee-based plans delivered within a more efficient consumer-oriented structure. The Register • December 2005 Forrest Wallace Cato, RFMA, CRR, RFC Mehdi Fakharzadeh, RFC Ed Morrow, CLU, ChFC, CEP, CFP , RFC ® Fruitful Prospects – Ripe for Picking England’s most renowned inspirational presenter and life coach will explore your “Appletunities.” With his best-selling book Fruitful Prospects he excites and enlightens audiences worldwide with how to uncover the opportunities that already exist. John is a popular BBC-TV personality and in high demand as a speaker and as a Lifewise Coach. You will explore how to make your most desired alternate universe a reality. You will learn why financial advisors are “Excellence-Seekers” who only need a slight redirection now in order to achieve major business and personal results and enjoy a heightened “Sweet Taste of Success.” A Rich Life is a Life of Service As an immigrant student from Iran, Mehdi had been acquiring degrees, but no income. Suddenly faced with a baby on the way and the loss of Sigrun’s earnings, Mehdi faced real adversity! Starting on a MetLife debit on 47th Street in New York City, collecting dimes and nickels, he elevated his sights to become the all-time sales leader for MetLife. From “premium collector” he advanced to “problem solver” and from agent to financial advisor. For the man who started at the bottom, Nothing is Impossible in his lifetime of service. Page 21 IARFC Financial Advisors Forum 2006 Client Relationship Management Long Term Care Choices Financial Plan — Design & Delivery Legacy-Based Marketing Opportunities Clergy Planning & Marketing (RCA) Powerful Tie-Downs & Closing Techniques Mark J. Terrett, RFC® To maintain frequent professional contact with your clients and prospects takes a system that can be easily administered. Learn how CRM will turn prospects into clients and clients into raving fans. David M. Stitt, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, CEP, RFC® Learn how to use your Sample Financial Plan to close fee-based engagements by offering a formal satisfaction guarantee — and by delivering a truly superior comprehensive plan for implementation. John E. Harris, CFP®, CSA, RFC®, RCA® The clergy need special counsel for which you need unique planning tools. The new Registered Clergy Advisor program will escort you to these persons, and then to the leaders of their institutions. Dunton Award Prestigious Recipients Jeffrey Chiew 2005 Liang Tien Lung 2004 Alex Armstrong 2003 Donald Haas 2001 Page 22 Power Workshops Ed Morrow 2005 Vernon Gwynne 2004 John Keeble 2002 Ben Baldwin 2000 Wilma G. Anderson, RIA, RFC® What is the best way to cover your client’s need for Long Term Care, based on age, income, health history, employment, financial assets, existing employee benefits, annuities and insurance? Presented by the LTC Coach. Brian S. Nelson, CLU, MBA, RFC® Your best high net worth prospects are strongly motivated to passing on their legacy of values in addition to their wealth. Learn how to meet and serve these people — and acquire new up-scale client relationships. Bill J. Nelson, LUTCF, CEP, RFC® The Master of Closing will demonstrate how he and his associates have shifted millions of client dollars by emphasizing the clients’ need for a unique distribution-based financial advisory approach. Forum Attendee Demographics Employment Affiliation Financial Advisory Firm .................57% Life Insurance Agency ...................18% Multi-line Insurance Agency ............6% Broker/Dealer ..................................9% Producer Group................................5% Bank or Credit Union .......................4% Charitable Organization...................1% Professional Designations 6 or more designations ...................3% 5 designations ...............................18% 4 designations ...............................26% 3 designations ...............................23% 2 designations ...............................18% 1 designation .................................12% Special Study Course ....................28% Organizational Memberships FPA..................................................26% NAIFA .............................................21% SFSP ...............................................19% MDRT..............................................15% AICPA.................................................8% Bar Association ................................3% NICEP ................................................7% NAPFA .............................................. 1% Industry Service Current Instructor ............................3% Prior Instructor ...............................31% Regular Article Writer.......................6% Book Author......................................7% Radio/TV, current.............................2% Radio/TV, prior .................................8% Association President....................19% Association Officer ........................82% Investment Advisor Status Independent RIA ............................16% RIA Affiliate ....................................51% No RIA capability............................15% Not Applicable................................14% Trustee Status ..................................4% Licenses Held Life Insurance ................................94% Health Insurance ...........................88% Securities .......................................93% Mortgage Broker............................16% Real Estate Broker ...........................4% Primary Income Source Fees and Commissions.................62% Commissions Only ........................17% Salary and Commissions.................7% Salary and Bonus.............................5% Salary Only .......................................3% Fees Only (to firm)............................4% Undisclosed ......................................2% Educational Achievements PhD, DBA ..........................................4% JD ......................................................3% LLM ...................................................2% MBA...................................................7% MSF/MSFS .......................................8% BS/BA .............................................88% AB......................................................8% The Register • December 2005 IARFC Financial Advisors Forum 2006 Registration Form Manchester Inn and Conference Center, Middletown Ohio ♦ May 11 - 13, 2006 ♦ Registrant Information (please only one attendee per form) ♦ Method of Payment Name _________________________________________________ T Check (Please make payable to: IARFC) First Name on Badge ____________________________________ T MasterCard Title __________________________________________________ Card Number ___________________________________ Designations ___________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________________________________ Company ______________________________________________ Account Address (if different from above) _______________ Address _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ City_________________________ State______ Zip ____________ Signature ______________________________________ Phone_______________________ Fax ______________________ Date __________________________________________ T Visa T Amex T Discover ♦ Hotel Accommodations ♦ Registrant Investment NonMember IARFC Member T Very Early Bird, Before 12/31/05 $345 $295 T Early Bird, Before 2/28/06 $395 $345 T Regular Rate, after 3/1/2006 $495 $445 T Spouse/Companion Rate $125 $125 T Financial Planning Student Rate $ 95 $ 95 T Golf Outing, Wednesday afternoon $ 40 $ 40 T Air Force Museum – no charge T SunWatch Indian Village and Dayton Art Institute, Princess Diana Exhibit $ 30 $ 30 ♦ Save on your tuition with “Sign-Up-A-Colleague” Receive a $50 discount for one nominee who signs up for the Financial Advisors Forum. I hereby nominate: Name _________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________________________ How to Register Now! Fax: 513 424 5752 E-mail: Director@IARFC.org Call: 800 532 9060 Mail: P.O. Box 42506 Middletown, OH 45042-0506 Website: www.IARFC.org The Register • December 2005 Receive special room rates by calling the Manchester and using our group code: IARF Manchester Inn – 800 523 9126 Reserve your room for only $64 or $74 per night. You may extend your stay to enjoy the same low rate for additional days. No online reservations are available for this event. ♦ Additional Conference Information Registration Location: Second floor at the Manchester Inn and Conference Center. Continuing Education Credits: Each state has different insurance and securities CE regulations. This event has not been pre-registered for CE. Varying credits will be available for IARFC, CFP, PACE, and state credits, depending on sessions attended. Fax Registration to: 513 424 5752 E-mail _________________________________________________ Recommended Attire: Business casual is appropriate. For your comfort, we encourage long sleeves or a light sweater as inside temperatures can occasionally fluctuate. No jeans, tennis shoes or T-shirts please A jacket is optional, but recommended, for the Dunton Award Dinner held on Friday evening. Cancellation: A refund (less 20% administration fee) will be made if notice of cancellation is received in writing three weeks before the event. We regret that no refunds can be given after this period. A substitute delegate is always welcome at no extra charge. Disclaimer: The program may change due to unforeseen circumstances, and IARFC reserves the right to alter the venue and/or speakers. IARFC accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to property belonging to, nor for any personal injury incurred by attendees at our conferences, within the conference venue. Page 23 phone 800 532 9060 fax 513 424 5752 email Director@IARFC.org web www.IARFC.org RFC Graduation Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur The first formal graduating ceremony of Registered Financial Consultants in Malaysia is pictured above. In the center left, with gold edges on their gowns are Dr. Michael Cheong, RFC®, and Ralph Liew, RFC®, followed by IARFC Chairman Ed Morrow, RFC®, whose robe is edged in red. Next to him is Dr. Jeffrey Chiew, RFC®, the Asia Chair for the IARFC, whose robe is edged in green. Next to Jeffrey are Ms. Heng Lin Meng, RFC®, Organizing Committee, Benjamin Kan, RFC®, the IARFC Malaysia Vice Chairman and Ng Jyi Vei, RFC®, the IARFC Malaysia Chairman. the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants Financial Planning Building - 2507 North Verity Parkway P.O. Box 42506 - Middletown, Ohio 45042 Return Service Requested Financial professionals helping people do a better job of spending, saving, investing, insuring & planning
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