NAIFA Amarillo Area Newsletter

NAIFA AMARILLO AREA
NAIFA Amarillo Area
Newsletter
January 2013
Volume 7, Issue 6
President’s Message
Inside this issue:
January
Luncheon
2
Monthly
Luncheon Info
2
NAIFA Texas
President
2
NAIFA Notices 3
Tri City Sales
Forum
3
MDRT Minute
4
Contact Info
& Awards
5
Welcome, 2013!!
Happy New Year,
2013! Hope you all had a
blessed Christmas and a
great time with your friends
and family while away. It’s
always wonderful to take a
reflective moment to review the last year’s accomplishments and to evaluate
what could have been better or differently. And, of
course, there are those
pesky New Year’s Resolutions! Diet, exercise, business/financial goals, as
well as my “life” goals for
mental & spiritual wellbeing.
I try to get my
business/career goals
done before January 1st so
that I can start the year running. But it’s not always
possible to have them completed by then. Most successful people do commit
their goals to writing, and I
have found that when I do, I
am more apt to keep them
and stay on track.
This brings me to
our goals for NAIFAAmarillo. We have several
goals to fulfill and some important items for you to be
aware of. I have made a
commitment to our board
and you, the membership, to
do the best that I can to help
our association grow this
year, and attract additional
professionals to our ranks.
On January 21-22,
we’ll meet in Austin to combine with NAHU to meet with
our state legislators to educate them on issues concerning our industry. We will
then meet on January 22 for
our NAIFA-Texas business
meeting and elections of our
State board. I am running for
Trustee, and I hope I can
count on your support.
We now have a much better
website, still under construction, but coming along nicely
to help communicate in a
more savvy way. Our TriCities Sales Forum on February 20th at the Ashmore Inn
will be outstanding with a
number of new vendors and
a full line-up of great speakers to hit every niche. On
April 8-9, we need all members who can participate for
a Washington, DC, NAIFA fly
-in to defeat several bills up
before Congress on the taxation of Life Insurance benefits. Finally, we are shooting
to again qualify for the prestigious Jack Bobo Award by
June. Please help us meet
these important watersheds
with your support, either in
person, by letter or contributions. We need your help to
accomplish these objectives.
Until next month, be
safe & take advantage of the
new opportunities available
in this New Year !
Hollie Gandy, Presient
Officers and Directors of NAIFA Amarillo Area
President – Hollie Gandy
Publicity – Hollie Gandy
President-Elect – Jim Thompson
Nat’l Comm/Gov Relations – John Denton
Secretary/Treasurer – Kirk Haworth
YAT - Jason Permenter
Past President – Tom Moore
IFAPAC — Jim Thompson
Executive Director – Lindsay Haworth
LUTC - Brian Moore
Membership — Shirley Clark
Tri City Sales Forum— Sammy O’Dell
Programs — Helen Burton
Board Members: Jackie Bennett, Greg Hall, Jim Hutson
Page 2
January Luncheon: 1/8/13 @ 11:45am
Dr. Leigh Browning joined
the WTAMU faculty in 1991, and
now serves as Professor of Mass
Communication. Dr. Browning was
the director of broadcasting, and
faculty adviser for KWTS, 91.1 FM,
the campus radio station, from
1991-2010. She received her Masters Degree from Kansas State University and received a doctorate
from the University of Southern Mississippi in Mass Communication.
She is one of three partners
in emerging media companies,
GNUMediaLab, Inc., EyeOnMedia,
LLC, and is a research partner in
the academic research team of
BUFFMinds. Marketing consulta-
tion clients include Mirage Entertainment Group and MGM Grand,
Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada, acclaimed music groups, regional startups, and tier one companies.
She has been awarded international Tellys more than half a
dozen times for production coordination of documentary filmmaking.
Browning was selected to
be the keynote speaker for the August 2011 Commencement Ceremony at WTAMU, and is often a
sought after keynote speaker on all
things new media. We are so excited to have her speak!
Meeting
Location:
The Amarillo Club
30th Floor
Meal Catered by:
The Amarillo Club
Fiscal Cliff
On January 1, 2013 the 112th Congress approved a controversial bill, H.R.8, to
avert the “fiscal cliff” -- the $7+ trillion in
higher taxes and deep spending cuts that
would have taken place under current law
had lawmakers not reached agreement. The
package contains about $620 billion over 10
years in higher taxes, mostly falling on highincome Americans. The Senate approved the
measure at 2 a.m. on January 1 by an 89 to 8
vote. The House passed it at 11 p.m. on January
1 by a vote of 257 to 167.
Many of the tax provisions in H.R.8 are
“permanent” meaning that there is no built-in expiration date connected to them. Congress can
always change these rules, but they will not
automatically change as was the case with 2012
tax rates.
More info at www.naifa.org
NAIFA Amarillo’s Own is up for Trustee
Our very own NAIFA Amarillo President,
Hollie Gandy, is on the ballot to represent us as a Trustee at the state level for NAIFA. The elections will take
place out our convention in January and her term would
begin in July 2013, if she is elected. We wish her the
best and know her voice would make such a positive
impact on the state board. Good luck, Hollie!
Page 3
NAIFA Notices
Did You Know?
Do to the increasing price of our luncheons, we will no longer be giving first time guests a free lunch. Also,
meals for guests will now be $15.
Tri City Sales Forum
The 11th Tri City Sales Forum is set for February 20th, 2013. We will keep you updated as we receive
more information on this wonderful event.
Upcoming Events
The State Convention is taking place January 21-22, 2013 in conjunction with the Legislative Day on the
Hill. For more information and to register, visit www.naifa-tx.org.
Tri City Sales Forum
The 11th Annual Tri City Sales Forum in quickly approaching! We’ve got
an awesome line-up of seven speakers
coming in from all over the region to
speak on multiple topics in our industry.
This is a great networking and
learning opportunity and we hope you
make time in your schedule to attend.
The Forum is set for Wednesday,
February 20, 2013 at the Ashmore Inn and
Suites in Amarillo, TX from 9:00am3:30pm. In between speakers, we’ll have
time for you to speak and network with
vendors who will be coming in from all
across the United States. Lunch will also
be included.
Tickets are $50 for NAIFA and NAHU
members and $75 for non members and at the
door. Contact our executive director, Lindsay,
or our chair, Sammy O’Dell, for tickets and/or
more information on becoming a vendor or
sponsor.
Lindsay Haworth:
681-2465
Sammy O’Dell:
358-0988
MDRT Minute: “The Evolution of Underwriting”
The underwriting process has come a long way, especially in the past 10 to 15 years. Thanks to technology and the change
in the general business climate, what was once a very paper- and time-intensive effort has moved to enable the passing of
information within minutes. We also now have the abilities to design products with more bells and whistles than ever
imagined. This capacity to access information at a moment’s notice has also shifted consumer’s expectations. People no
longer like to wait; they expect a near-immediate response for everything. As we embrace this new, current world of instant information and more sophisticated risk assessment, what does the future of underwriting hold?
Automated underwriting
As companies look to drive efficiency, lower cost, take advantage of new technology and drive consistency, straightthrough processing and variations thereof will likely continue to be the focus over the next few years. With straightthrough processing, data is put through an automated rules engine that checks the application, takes in data from various
data inputs, and determines, through an algorithm, the decision or serves as a prescreen and presents any outliers to the
underwriter for review.
Changes in underwriting requirements
As we continue to learn more, analyze more and have more information, we will continue to adjust our requirements.
This also comes with new medical research and enhanced treatment programs for diseases and health issues. According to
the Society of Actuaries 2011 New Business Process Survey, most carriers (75 percent of those surveyed) have
changed requirements in the past two years, with a vast majority (80 percent) becoming more liberal and less invasive.
Medical record retrieval
Online medical record storage will improve speed and allow insurers to access medical information directly from the
medical provider. Those who review the Attending Physician’s Statements (APS) to better understand a client’s particular
medical situation and also work to position it with the carrier (along with more privacy regulation) this will further restrict
the underwriter’s ability to share this information with you.
Pharmacy database checks
The prescription database check now provides the names of medications the applicant is using, how often the medications
are filled and the prescribing physician. It helps underwriters verify medications, determine the degree of compliance, root
out misrepresentation and uncover omissions. It’s a great tool that can help expedite the process by providing enough information for the underwriter to avoid the APS; it also can uncover situations that may be less favorable for the client.
Predictive modeling
The use of predictive modeling has gained attention and will be a factor in underwriting assessment. The premise is that by
analyzing data systematically and tracking historical outcomes, you can create predictive models and apply the information
to current applicants and classify risks accordingly. These models have the potential to be faster, better and
cheaper than traditional underwriting methods, and thus offer a better client experience.
How can you prepare?
Underwriting is fast becoming more science and less art. It is expected that the next decade will introduce new
approaches to risk evaluation, including less traditional data elements, statistically rooted analytics and less invasive techniques. So, stay current and informed about the macroenvironment; get “techy” and make your business model fluid to
change with the times; think about how your clients are changing the way they work, communicate and build relationships.
While it’s widely stated that insurance is sold, not bought, how it’s sold must change with the times.
Karen M. Phelan, FLMI, has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She began her career as an
underwriter and subsequently moved into leadership roles in producer marketing, customer service and brokerage underwriting. Before departing as corporate vice president of life underwriting in 2012, she received the President’s Leadership
Award and was named the Agents’ Advisory Committee’s MVP. Phelan’s entire presentation is available for purchase in
the MDRT store at www.mdrt.org.
NAIFA Amarillo Area
If you or someone you know is interested
Lindsay Haworth
Executive Director
6900 I-40 West Suite #160
Amarillo, TX 79106
in advertising with NAIFA Amarillo Area, or, if you
Phone: 806-681-2465
Fax: 806-353-2366
E-mail:
naifaama@suddenlinkmail.com
Executive Director at 806-681-2465. Our rate is
would like more information, please contact our
$100 per year for a business card size ad and your ad will be seen
in all 12 issues.
We’re on the Web!!!
www.naifanet.com/amarilloarea
NAIFA Amarillo Area 2011 Awards
2011 National Quality Award
Years
2011 Million Dollar Round Table Years
S. Sean Saied, FIC
1
Danny Cathy
1
Sean Saied
1
Landon Landry
2
Todd Selmon
8
Todd Selmon, FICF
4
Michael R. Ruff Q
12
James Baker
6
Kris L. Bosley, FIC
7
John S. Denton QL
15
John Denton
11
Darren G. Fincher, FICF QL
16
Jack Fuqua, CLU
18
**Samuel Saied, FICF
16
Darren Fincher, FIC
19
Kirk H. Haworth, CLU, ChFC QL
30
Samuel G. Saied, FICF
19
Don Lee, CLU QL
32
Michael Thomas, CLU
20
B. J. Gililland QL
33
Robert Curl, CLU, ChFC
36
Daryl Curtis, CLU, ChFC L
34
Joe Flores
39
Robert Curl
46
** Denotes Top of the Table qualification