PERMANENT COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective May 1st – Prudential Released the Index Advantage UL – The Advantage UL offers the opportunity to build cash value through two distinct interest accounts – an Indexed Account and a Basic Interest Account.

Product Facts

Effective April 9th – Pacific Life Announced the Pacific Indexed Accumulator 4 –

• Higher cash surrender values in policy’s early years
• Up to a lifetime of optional no-lapse guarantee coverage
• 5 Indexed Accounts plus a Fixed Account

Product Description

Effective April 9th – Pacific Life Announced the Pacific Indexed Performer LT –

• 5 Indexed Accounts plus a Fixed Account
• Current interest rate bonus in policy years 11+
• Emphasis on long-term performance and greater cash surrender values in later policy years than Pacific Indexed Accumulator 4

Product Description

Effective April 9th – ING has New Annual Premium Limits for ING GDBUL II & ING GDBUL II NY-ING will be limiting the amount of premiums (including 1035 exchanges) in any year on ING Guaranteed Death Benefit Universal Life II and ING Guaranteed Death Benefit Universal Life II NY. ING will cap the annual premiums at 5x target premium.

Product Guide

Effective May 1st – Mutual of Omaha Updated the Rates for the Guaranteed Universal Life Survivor– In today’s low interest rate environment, it is necessary for Mutual of Omaha to adjust the single premium rates on the GUL Survivor.

Transition Guidelines

Effective May 1st – John Hancock Announced Changes to the Protection VUL (NY) and the Protection SVUL –

• Protection SVUL, in all states, will have a maximum Extended No-Lapse Guarantee duration to age 90 (of the younger insured).
• Protection VUL, in New York only, will have a maximum Extended No-Lapse Guarantee to age 90.

Coming Soon – John Hancock will Release the Newly Re-Priced Protection SUL –

• Competitive premiums
• Strong cash value accumulation potential
• Lengthy no-lapse guarantees

Please stay tuned for the effective date and transition dates

TERM COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective April 9th – ING Changed the TermSmart Rates –

• The rates will generally increase or remain unchanged at most level term periods.
• The policy fee at $1,000,000+ face amounts will decrease from $98 to $68

Transition Guidelines

Effective May 7th – Genworth Colony Term UL Rate Changes-Genworth will announce an increase to rates on Colony Term UL 10 and Colony Term UL 20. Additionally, they are going to suspend sales of Colony Term UL 30.

• Premium increases of 2% – 3%; including New York
• New issue ages for Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York

Transition Guidelines

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know. You can also find the carrier updates on our website under Product & Carrier Intelligence.

Shauna Winer

CBIZ Special Risk

800-422-7536 ext: 3115

swiner@cbiz.com

Effective March 30th – MetLife Will Update its Issue Limit Rules to Implement Premium Caps on Guarantee Advantage UL and Legacy Advantage SUL Policies –

• Applied for both with or without a coverage continuation rider
• New issue rules will limit premiums to eight time the target premium
• Policies with premiums in excess of eight times target must be illustrated prior to February 24, 2012 and applications in these policies must be submitted to the home office in good order by March 30, 2012.

Click for More Information

Effective March 26th – American General Introduced the AG Secure Survivor GUL –

• Second-to-die coverage with flexible guaranteed death benefit protection
• No-cost Enhanced Surrender Value Rider provides a one-time option during the sixty days following the end of policy year 15 to surrender the policy and receive back a maximum of all premiums paid
• Unique guaranteed access: pro-rata adjustments on partial withdrawals allow policy to remain in force with proportionally reduced death benefit, cash values and guaranteed premiums

More Information

Effective March 21st – Hartford to Focus on Property and Casualty, Group Benefits and Mutual Funds Businesses –

Press Release

Effective March 16th – New York Life Launched a New and Improved Version of the AD111 NYL UL Product -The improved AD111 NYL UL will reduce the cost of insurance charges to bolster performance in some target markets. The commissionable target premiums will be raised across the board. The AD111 NYL UL is a current performance Universal Life product that provides affordable death benefit protection, along with flexible coverage, flexible premium funding and payment options, and the opportunity for tax-deferred cash value accumulation.

Product Guide

Effective March 5th – MetLife Introduced the MetLife Promise Whole Life 120 –

The MetLife Promise Whole Life 120 offers:

• Very competitive premiums
• Attractive long-term cash value
• Minimum face amount of $250,000

Important Dates

Effective March 5th – Zurich Introduced the Survivor Index UL This is a new flexible premium adjustable survivorship universal life insurance policy with index-linked interest options.

Product Guide

TERM COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective March 26th – American General Re-Priced the Select-a-Term -American General has increased the term premium rates.

Click for More Information

Effective March 25th – Genworth Will Suspend Sales of the Colony Term UL 15- The Colony Term UL 15 is the least used option of the Colony Term UL portfolio. Applications will no longer be accepted after March 25, 2012 regardless of the application signed date.

Click For More Information

Effective March 19th – Principal Term will be Re-Priced –

• The term rates will be reduced in the majority of their target markets

Transition Guidelines

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know.

Shauna Winer
CBIZ Special Risk
800-422-7536 ext: 3115
swiner@cbiz.com

A new House proposal could cut taxes on small companies, including manufacturers.

Marielle Segarra: CFO.com

 A new House proposal to cut taxes on small business might give a boost to manufacturing. The bill would allow companies with fewer than 500 employees to take a 20% tax deduction.

Bill sponsor and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) contends the plan would stimulate growth by giving small companies the cash to expand their payroll. The bill “will put more revenues, more money into the hands of small-business owners so that they can reinvest those funds to retain and create more jobs and to grow their business,” he said Wednesday.

Under the proposal, companies would take the deduction after they’ve taken all their other tax credits, unless they would save less by taking a 20% deduction on their annual domestic business income. Businesses would be allowed to save up to half of what they pay in W-2 wages.

It remains to be seen whether the proposal could pass the Senate and President Obama’s desk in a campaign year. In many ways, the bill contrasts with the President’s corporate tax reformplan, which proposed eliminating many tax breaks and lowering the overall corporate-tax rate from 35% to 28%.

But in other ways, the bill may actually dovetail with the President’s push to strengthen American manufacturing through tax policy, says Dean Zerbe, national managing director at alliantgroup and former tax counsel to the Senate Finance Committee. By setting the maximum at 499 employees, the proposal could bolster manufacturing by going beyond more-limited definitions of a small business, he says. “What I see too often is that policy makers have a far-too-tight definition of small businesses,” says Zerbe. This plan’s size limit would provide cash for the companies that are most likely to grow and hire, such as small manufacturers that have dozens, or even hundreds of employees, he says.

Indeed, Democrats and Republicans may be able to find common ground in their shared efforts to cut taxes on businesses, including manufacturers, Zerbe says: “The parties are at least within spitting distance of each other. You had the President talking earlier this year about a tax for businesses with the payroll employment tax, and now you have Republicans coming out with their proposal to help businesses. Clearly, both parties are interested in talking about business tax breaks.”

The gap may be bridgeable, but it’s unclear whether or not the two sides will see the similarities — or choose to collaborate, says Zerbe. “I’m afraid at the moment that it’s probably more of a policy exercise,” he says.

The bill may also see some opposition because it would be yet another temporary tax cut, says Grafton Willey, managing director at CBIZ Tofias, a tax-consulting firm.

A 20% deduction, even if temporary, would help small businesses boost their cash flow, Willey admits. But he says business owners are more interested in consistent, clear tax policy than in short-term breaks. “What small businesses and the economy really need is some long-term, consistent tax policy that will allow businesses to plan,” Willey says. “The quick temporary fixes do not motivate behavior the way that politicians think they do.”

The House plans to vote on the bill in mid-April.

http://www3.cfo.com/article/2012/3/growth-companies_house-bill-would-cut-small-biz-taxes

Washington, D.C. (February 22, 2012)
By Michael Cohn, Accounting Today

The Obama administration unveiled a set of proposals for business tax reform on Wednesday aimed at lowering the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from a high of 35 percent, while eliminating dozens of tax loopholes and subsidies.

The President’s Framework for Business Tax Reform, which was jointly released by the White House and the Treasury Department, calls for refocusing the manufacturing deduction and using the savings to reduce the effective rate on manufacturing to no more than 25 percent, while encouraging greater research and development and the production of clean energy.

“The current Tax Code was written for a different economy in a different era,” said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in unveiling the proposals. “It needs to be reformed and modernized. Our business tax system is not just outdated. It is unfair and inefficient.”

He had previewed some elements of the proposals during testimony before Congress last week (see Obama Administration Plans Corporate Tax Overhaul).

Another element of the tax reform proposals involves strengthening the international tax system, including establishing a new minimum tax on foreign earnings, to encourage domestic investment. “Our tax system should not give companies an incentive to locate production overseas or engage in accounting games to shift profits abroad, eroding the U.S. tax base,” the proposal said. “Introducing a minimum tax on foreign earnings would help address these problems and discourage a global race to the bottom in tax rates.”

The framework also includes proposals for simplifying and cutting taxes for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The business tax reforms would be fully paid for, under the proposals, to avoid adding to the budget deficit by either eliminating or making permanent and fully paying for temporary tax provisions now in the Tax Code. One such provision that the administration wants to make permanent is the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit.

The document noted that many large corporations are able to avoid corporate tax liability by organizing themselves as pass-through corporations, such as S corporations.

“The ability of large pass-through entities to take advantage of preferential tax treatment has placed businesses organizing as C corporations at a disadvantage,” said the document. “By allowing large pass-through entities preferential treatment, the Tax Code distorts choices of organizational form, which can lead to losses in economic efficiency; business managers should make choices about organizational form based on criteria other than tax treatment.”

Read the full article>>

PERMANENT COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective February 8th – John Hancock Re-Priced the Protection UL Product –

• Low premiums in all funding scenarios
• Excellent on short-pay designs
• Strong Cash Value potential when compared to the Guaranteed UL
• Solves to Endow at age 100 and 10-pay solves have improved on average 5%
• A lengthy No-Lapse Guarantee that can provide coverage for up to a lifetime
• March 15th for the signed Application and Illustration or Tentative underwriting offer and signed illustration
• Approval to issue required by May 15th
• Approved in all states except: CA, CT, Guam, and NY
• States that have not approved Protection UL ’12 will have separate transition dates that will be announced upon approval.

Effective February 21st – Lincoln Life Product Changes –

• Lincoln LifeGuarantee UL (2012) and LifeGuarantee SUL (2012)
  • Decrease in competitiveness in single and 10-pay scenarios
  • Both products will now include payment of compensation on excess premiums above target
  • Minimal level pay premium increases

  Click For More Information and Transition Guidelines

• Lincoln LifeGuarantee Plus UL and Lincoln DurationGuarantee UL are closed to new sales
  • Subject to same economic environment as the other secondary guarantee products
  • Realigning portfolio to focus on core market

  Transition Guidelines

• Lincoln AssetEdge VUL (2009)
  • No Lapse Protection will no longer be included for new sales for issue ages 75 and above
  • The restriction includes both 10-year and 20-year NLP
  • Application dated on or after February 21, 2012 will automatically exclude the NLP for issue age 75 and above

Effective February 27th – Genworth Product Changes –

• GenGuard UL – Planned premiums increase an average of 3% for guarantees to age 105
  • New issue age, 0-80
  • Guaranteed projection must be submitted with application
  • Signed guaranteed projection is only required with a 1035 exchange

• GenGuard SUL – Planned premiums increase an average of 13% for guarantees to age 105
  • New issue ages for second insured, 15-80
  • Guaranteed projection must be submitted with application
  • Signed guaranteed projection is only required with a 1035 exchange

• Both products, as well as the Lifetime Protector SG II conversion product, will now require guaranteed projections signed with applications

Transition Guidelines

Effective March 30th – MetLife Will Update its Issue Limit Rules to Implement Premium Caps on Guarantee Advantage UL and Legacy Advantage SUL Policies –

• Applied for both with or without a coverage continuation rider
• New issue rules will limit premiums to eight time the target premium
• Policies with premiums in excess of eight times target must be illustrated prior to February 24, 2012 and applications in these policies must be submitted to the home office in good order by March 30, 2012.

Click for More Information

TERM COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective February 21st – Lincoln Life Product Changes –

• Lincoln is decreasing the policy fee on Lincoln LifeElements Level Term

  Click For More Information

Effective March 19th – Principal Term will be Re-Priced –

• The term rates will be reduced in the majority of their target markets

 Transition Guidelines

 

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know. You can also find the carrier updates on our website under Product & Carrier Intelligence.

Sincerely,

Shauna

Shauna Winer

CBIZ Special Risk

800-422-7536 ext: 3115

swiner@cbiz.com

• Lincoln is decreasing the policy fee on Lincoln LifeElements Level Term

  Click For More Information

• Lincoln LifeGuarantee UL (2012) and LifeGuarantee SUL (2012)
  • Decrease in competitiveness in single and 10-pay scenarios
  • Both products will now include payment of compensation on excess premiums above target
  • Minimal level pay premium increases

  Click For More Information and Transition Guidelines

• Lincoln LifeGuarantee Plus UL and Lincoln DurationGuarantee UL are closed to new sales
  • Subject to same economic environment as the other secondary guarantee products
  • Realigning portfolio to focus on core market

  Transition Guidelines

• Lincoln AssetEdge VUL (2009)
  • No Lapse Protection will no longer be included for new sales for issue ages 75 and above
  • The restriction includes both 10-year and 20-year NLP
  • Application dated on or after February 21, 2012 will automatically exclude the NLP for issue age 75 and above

Effective February 3rd – Hartford Will Be Increasing the Pricing on Freedom UL and Joint Freedom SUL – The single-pay scenarios will increase by 5%. The Freedom price only increases if more than two-thirds of the premium is received in the first two years. With the Joint Freedom, the impact will grade down from 5% on single-pays to less than 1% on all-pays. Please note that February 3rd is the last day applications will be accepted for the old rates (informal/trial applications received by February 3rd must be completed within 60-days from the date they were received).

Effective January 3rd – John Hancock Re-Priced the UL-G and SUL-G Products – The UL-G and SUL-G products will be re-priced with premium increases of 12% at most issue ages. Target premium levels on both products are increasing proportionally with the premium increases.

Transition Guidelines

Effective January 23rd – Principal Will Re-Price the SUL Protector – The pricing increase is focused on single-pay scenarios with relatively little impact on continuous-pay or limited-pay scenarios. The current target market remains unchanged:

• Lifetime pay scenarios
• Face amounts above $1 million
• Target ages 60 to 75
• Limited-pay scenarios

Transition Guidelines

Effective March 30th – MetLife Will Update its Issue Limit Rules to Implement Premium Caps on Guarantee Advantage UL and Legacy Advantage SUL Policies –

• Applied for both with or without a coverage continuation rider
• New issue rules will limit premiums to eight time the target premium
• Policies with premiums in excess of eight times target must be illustrated prior to February 24, 2012 and applications in these policies must be submitted to the home office in good order by March 30, 2012.

Click for More Information

Effective February 27th – Genworth Product Changes –

• GenGuard UL – Planned premiums increase an average of 3% for guarantees to age 105
  • New issue age, 0-80
  • Guaranteed projection must be submitted with application
  • Signed guaranteed projection is only required with a 1035 exchange

• GenGuard SUL – Planned premiums increase an average of 13% for guarantees to age 105
  • New issue ages for second insured, 15-80
  • Guaranteed projection must be submitted with application
  • Signed guaranteed projection is only required with a 1035 exchange

• Both products, as well as the Lifetime Protector SG II conversion product, will now require guaranteed projections signed with applications

Transition Guidelines

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know.

 Sincerely,

Shauna

Shauna Winer

CBIZ Special Risk

800-422-7536 ext: 3115

swiner@cbiz.com

Below you will find the latest updates to carriers and their products. Please review the changes as they may affect your clients and their existing policies.

PERMANENT COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective February 3rd – Hartford Will Be Increasing the Pricing on Freedom UL and Joint Freedom SUL – The single-pay scenarios will increase by 5%. The Freedom price only increases if more than two-thirds of the premium is received in the first two years. With the Joint Freedom, the impact will grade down from 5% on single-pays to less than 1% on all-pays. Please note that February 3rd is the last day applications will be accepted for the old rates (informal/trial applications received by February 3rd must be completed within 60-days from the date they were received).

Effective February – Hartford – Fixed Account Crediting Rates – The credited rates on Founders Plus will not change in February. The fixed account will remain at 4.30% for Founders Plus and Founders II, and the Plus account will continue to illustrate at 5.55%. The index caps for both the Founders Plus and Frontier will also remain the same.

• Some fixed account credited rates will be reduced effective February 1st.
  • Frontier Fixed Account: from 4.5% to 4.25%
  • Hartford Extraordinary Whole Life: from 4.25% to 4.00%

Effective January 3rd – John Hancock Re-Priced the UL-G and SUL-G Products – The UL-G and SUL-G products will be re-priced with premium increases of 12% at most issue ages. Target premium levels on both products are increasing proportionally with the premium increases.

Transition Guidelines

Effective January 1st – John Hancock Reduced the Dividend Interest Crediting Rates –

• Policies issued prior to February 1, 2000 (closed block of business) are being reduced by 70 basis points (.70%).
• Policies issued on or after February 1, 2000 (closed block of business) are being reduced by 20 basis points (.20%).

Click for More Information

Effective January 1st – Lincoln Reduced the Crediting Rates on Universal Life and Other Interest Sensitive Life Insurance Products –

Announcement

Current Crediting Rates

Effective January 23rd – Principal Will Re-Price the SUL Protector – The pricing increase is focused on single-pay scenarios with relatively little impact on continuous-pay or limited-pay scenarios. The current target market remains unchanged:

• Lifetime pay scenarios
• Face amounts above $1 million
• Target ages 60 to 75
• Limited-pay scenarios

Transition Guidelines

Effective January 3rd – Principal Introduced the Variable Universal Life Income III – The VUL Income III is an enhanced version of Principal Variable Universal Life II, with a focus on maximizing income out while also providing strong guarantees during both the accumulation and distribution phases.

Fact Sheet

Effective December 15, 2011 – Prudential Announced Policyholder Dividend Scales – Prudential has approved payment of approximately $1.9 billion in dividends in 2012 for participating individual life insurance policies and annuity contracts in the Closed Block.

Frequently Asked Questions

Effective December 30, 2011 – Sun Life Discontinued the Sale of New Variable Annuity and Individual Life Products – The Company’s U.S. operations will focus on becoming a leader in group insurance and voluntary benefits in the U.S. marketplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Effective January 3rd – Pacific Life Introduced the Pacific Prime IUL – This product is designed to appeal to clients who want market-paced growth potential but fear losing money due to poor market performance.

Click for More Information

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know. You can also find the carrier updates on our website under Product & Carrier Intelligence.

Shauna Winer
CBIZ Special Risk
800-422-7536 ext: 3115
swiner@cbiz.com

The first few months of a new year is the perfect time to review your marketing strategy and re-evaluate whether or not it is designed to help deliver and enhance the value and experience your customers demand and deserve. It is important to actively participate in the practices that will yield great service and properly and effectively communicate your message. Aligning the two is the key to a successful and prosperous year.

Start your evaluation by asking yourself the following essential marketing questions:

Is your marketing message clear and defined?

Often times, businesses get caught up in trying to push a thousand messages in one advertisement, email or campaign. Too many messages are confusing and will leave your audience with unanswered questions. Remember, less is more. Let your customers know the value you deliver by providing them with a simple solution to their problem. After all, it’s about what the customer wants and needs.

How often do your customers hear from you?

When re-evaluating your marketing strategy, look at how often your customers will be touched. Is it monthly, quarterly, or yearly? It is vital for your company to remain top-of-mind among your target audience. Consistently entice your customers to take action without jeopardizing the relationship. Implement a marketing drip campaign as an effective way to be consistent with your marketing all year. It may seem cumbersome, but if done correctly the return on the investment will be worth it. Try sending postcards, newsletters, emails or whitepapers on a monthly basis.

Does the marketing plan include customer appreciation?

Marketing through customer appreciation will generate stronger demand. When you exceed customers’ expectations you will likely experience an increase in referrals, positive word of mouth, and sales! Planning for client appreciation doesn’t have to be elaborate or costly. Implement smarter marketing for a tighter budget. For instance, try handwritten thank you notes for your top customers, send birthday cards, and pick up the phone. The little things go a long way.

Does your company communicate internally as well as externally?

It’s imperative that your employees are all on board and believe in the message they are sending your target audience. Knowledgeable employees can be a powerful tool in maximizing your marketing efforts.

Is your brand credible and does it hold value?

How do your customers and prospects perceive your brand? Do you have a user-friendly website? Is your company easily found on a search engine? Do you utilize social media sites like LinkedIn or Twitter? Customers trust companies whose presence is spread across many channels and who have a solid internet presence. Having a strong presence helps customers perceive your company as an authoritative figure within the industry, as cutting edge, and as a credible and reliable resource.

Embrace 2012 with an effective marketing strategy in place. Establishing a defined marketing platform will help you leverage more sales opportunities and deliver desired satisfaction.

If you would like more information on this or other marketing strategies, please contact the author.

Emily Woodward, CBIZ Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc. • San Diego, CA • 858.444.3107 • ewoodward@cbiz.com

The national unemployment rate stubbornly hovered near 9 percent as 2011 drew to a close. That doesn’t mean, though, that companies won’t be hiring in 2012.

But not all will be hiring equally. Career experts across the country said that certain occupations will offer solid career opportunities in 2012, with everyone from health-care workers to IT pros to sales stars in good position to land solid jobs in the coming months.

“Jobs are harder to mid. The good times are not rolling,” said Billie Blair, president and chief executive officer of California’s Change Strategists, Inc. “But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t jobs out there. There are, in a wide range of fields.”

WHERE THE JOBS ARE

Sid Mitchener, partner with the Raleigh, N.C. office of accounting, financial, IT and administrative staffing firm Vaco, said that high-tech professionals who can help develop software for mobile phones, tablets and other smart devices will be in demand in 2012.

“Wc arc seeing more and more people focusing on developing software applications that are mobile,” Mitchener said. “People are continually thinking today about how to get applications to consumers and end users faster through mobile smart devices.”

A growing number of companies are also looking for security engineers, the high-tech professionals who can help develop security software to protect the desktop and mobile computers and devices oil which consumers today rely so heavily, Mitchener said.

Job seekers looking for positions in the healthcare industry should find plenty of options in 2012, too, Blair said.

There’s an obvious reason for tin’s; the U.S. population continues to age. When people get older, they need more medical care, opening the door for an expansion of medical office buildings, emergency care clinics and hospital additions.

Blair also sees an expansion of home health care.

Consumers and medical companies are looking for ways to reduce the cost of health care, Blair said. One way to do this is to treat patients in the comfort of their own homes. Job seekers who are willing to pro vide home health care sendees, then, should find plenty of employment opportunities in 2012.

Philip Noftsinger, business unit president for CBIZ Payroll, a provider of business services such as payroll processing and COBRA administration, says salespeople will be in demand in 2012.

“As organizations sec new revenue opportunities opening up, they will expand their sales forces,” Noftsinger said. “As consumer demand for goods returns, something that is already starting to happen slowly, there will be a lot of new sales positions to open up.”

Michael Mclntyre, chief executive officer of Benefits America and author of the book “The Authentic Salesman: Mastering the Art of Transforming Real Objections into Real Transactions,” says that as federal stimulus money continues to be spent, more workers will find jobs in the construction industry.

And as the economy continues its struggles, more workers will find opportunity in childcare. There’s a reason for this: More households today feature two spouses who work outside the home thanks to the demands of the challenging economy. Someone has to care for these couples’ children during the work day.

Mclntyre points to the accounting field, too, as one that will grow in 2012 and beyond.

“Accountants, especially those with good, strong personalities, will see plenty of opportunities,” he said.

HOW TO GET THESE JOBS

What skill sets are needed to land these positions? That varies. Mclntyre says a strong work ethic will be needed in 2012 and beyond.

That may sound trite, he said, but when so many people are looking for a relatively small number of jobs, a good work ethic can make a dramatic difference.

“It’s like with professional athletes. People are hired and recruited based in part on how well they can nlav the mnw when hurt/’ Mclntvre said.

Now, don’t iorgo an appendectomy to go to work. But if you have a sniffle or a cough, it might be best to gut it out and show up anyway.”

Being able to adapt to evolving workplaces is also an important skill set. Job hunters today can’t afford to be skittish about new technology. They must instead embrace it.

And in today’s jobs world, the ability to communicate is a more important skill than ever, said Mclntyre.

Finally, there’s persistence. This underrated trait can give job hunters the will to go on when a job search seems hopeless.

“Companies today might get 500 applications where they might have gotten 80 to 100 applications in the past,” Blah’ said. “For people getting out of university, this might be a surprise. But contrary to media reports, there certainly arc jobs out there. You just have to work harder to find them.”

PERMANENT COVERAGE UPDATES

MetLife 2012 Dividend Scale Announcement

More Information

Effective November 7th – Nationwide Introduced the YourLife Indexed UL –

• Offers the traditional benefits of a universal life product with cash accumulation
• Accumulated value can be allocated to a fixed interest strategy or an indexed interest strategy
• The interest credited to the indexed account is based on the performance of reference market indexes, a participation rate, a cap and a floor rate
• Targeting clients age 35 to 55

More Information

Effective January 16th, 2012 – AXA Changes to Crediting Rates and Cap Rates for Fixed Life Products –

• Any money allocated to the segments beginning December 15th and earlier will receive the current cap rates
• Money received after December 15th will be allocated to segments on or after January 16th and will thus receive the new caps

More Information

TERM COVERAGE UPDATES

Effective December 1st – United of Omaha Re-priced Term Life Answers –

• Competitive Nontobacco rates for ages 40-60
• New Preferred Tobacco class
• Age last birthday advantage with backdating up to 6 months

More Information

Effective December 12th – Protective Re-Priced the Secure-T –

• New Secure-T rates have decreased by as much as 20% in some risk classes, specifically in the Select Preferred and Preferred categories

Transition Guidelines

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the Carrier and Product Updates. If you would like to request illustrations for your clients, please let me know. You can also find the carrier updates on our website under Product & Carrier Intelligence.

Shauna Winer

CBIZ Special Risk

800-422-7536 ext: 3115

swiner@cbiz.com