A Message from

Mark Milbrod, CLU

The IUL'ercoaster

Being in this industry for three decades, I have certainly experienced riding the "first" car of the Life Insurance Rollercoaster.     Being pulled up to the top of the first hill, hearing the rickety sounds was the easy part and when we got to the top, down we went, watching the double digit interest rates come crashing down with it. That was obviously the Universal Life part of our ride.

Then came the next hump to get over, Variable Life.   That one was tricky and a lot of us left our stomachs behind on that one. Just when we thought it was over, there was one last big hump to get over, the Term-Blended Whole Life hump. That one came with a big bank turn followed by yet another big drop - The Dividend Drop.   Well, that was basically it. We all learned a great deal about what we were selling, looked back at the dreaded "V-Word," and Vanish was removed from our vernacular.

We then pulled back into the station, relieved that the ride was finally over - but we all learned a thing or two and changed the way we do business.   Our eyes were not only opened to what we were selling, but how we were selling it.

One thing the Insurance Industry has is a way of always reinventing itself.   So when, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) came up, a lot of us were not sold at first on the concept.   Very likely due to the Rollercoaster ride we were previously on.   Personally, I wasn't sold on the design at first. But, with this product, education is key. Once it is understood, it can become a very unique product that many of us can offer to our clients.

The design element is quite unique and there are many versions available through many carriers. Some designs are more dynamic and have many moving parts while others are more simplistic in their design capabilities.   Either way, it is about educating ourselves on these products.

After learning about what these products have to offer and what makes them tick, you can actually design a policy to help your client s achieve a number of goals, SAFELY, and in some cases offering very strong guarantees while taking advantage of possible upside potential.

Guarantees are available for Cash Values as well as Death Benefit. When comparing to a typical GUL or Whole Life design, you can offer the same relative benefits with downside protection.  The product is unique and once educated on what makes it tick, you may find it to be one of the most valuable tools you have available.

We have designed a Workshop this month to help you understand this product in greater detail. We have two locations for your convenience; one at our Bedminster location and the other in South Jersey in Cherry Hill. The information for both Workshops is in this Newsletter.

There is no one product that will be right for all of your clients and IUL may not be suitable for all. We understand that you might be hesitant to get back on that ride, but we are certain that once you learn about the product, you will see how it can be properly utilized and help you increase your sales and fully enjoy the ride for all the "thrills" it has to offer.