Great companies don’t become successful just because they have a great idea or product.  There are underlying foundations that make them what they are today.  Great companies have a culture, a personality, and a character full of integrity.  They truly know that they work for their customers.  

In the case of The Ohlson Group, we know “who butters our bread.”  Yes, that would be the agents/advisors that do their business through us.  While our roots go back to 1975, I credit our staff with our success over all of these years.  What makes us… a different experience? Let me give you my opinion.
 
We have old world values (an immigrant mentality), an eye to the future (with my successor partners Nick Ohlson CLU, ChFC and Joe Ohlson LUTCF), state of the art digital marketing platforms spearheaded by Jason Garriott, a “sales warrior with experience… Jim “Mac” McHale,” our marketing concierge… Jim Ohlson and an administration staff, Annie, Michelle and Taria who are second to none. 

Plus we know it is not business as usual.  We have to provide you with what you need and want to achieve the success level that you desire.  Bottom line, we know that we have to earn your business.  And, we also know that we have to “ask for the business.” 

As a Life Member of MDRT I realize the hard work that goes into being a success in our business.  I realize that it is often lonely and that you need someone to talk to.  Well, we are all ears and desirous of speaking with you.  

Why not “re-visit” The Ohlson Group if you have taken a sabbatical.  Or, if we haven’t done business, speak with one of our marketing consultants and view the tools you would have at your disposal as part of our team. 

“Independence with Affiliation” really sums up our model.
 
Planning for next year starts now.  Don’t do your planning alone.  You have nothing to lose by speaking with us.  I thank you for your time and also your business.  

Over the past decade, the fixed-indexed annuity (FIA) space has been bombarded with tons of guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit (GLWB) riders. Some credit interest to the income-base with multipliers, some have fixed roll-up rates that can never change. Others credit large income-base bonuses. For this article, though, let’s look at a relatively new concept in the GLWB realm: The stacking roll-up.
 
Stacking roll-ups work like this … The insurance carrier guarantees a certain roll-up rate, say 4%. Then, the carrier agrees to add or “stack” all of the client’s interest/index credits on top of the guaranteed amount. This could potentially net a much higher roll-up than a fixed roll-up rate. Let’s take a closer look.
 
In our example of a stacking roll-up GLWB with a 4% base roll-up, let’s assume the client nets 3% on their indexing strategy. Most in our industry would agree that a 3% average return over a 10-year period is a very conservative and fair assumption. In this scenario, the client would end up with a “net” roll-up of 7%. That 7% roll-up rate is right up there amongst the highest guaranteed roll-up rates in the industry.
 
So, if a stacking roll-up returning 7% on average (using conservative assumptions of a 3% indexing return) is on par with a 7% guaranteed roll-up, wouldn’t it make sense to utilize a stacking roll-up for at least some of your clients’ retirement income dollars? I think so – let’s look at a slightly less conservative scenario.
 
For this scenario, we again will assume that the guaranteed portion of the stacking roll-up is 4%. This time, though, let’s assume we had a nice 10-year return on our index annuity that is annualized at 5%. This would mean that the client would have netted a 9% roll-up over that time period. With this totally feasible scenario, we could easily outpace the top guaranteed roll-ups in the industry.
 
The stacking roll-up is a great way to compete against fixed roll-up GLWBs, especially if you are being “spreadsheeted” by a competing agent who is showing your prospect the top fixed GLWB roll-ups. A quick illustration and explanation can illustrate the higher potential income with the stacking  roll-up and at the same time show that there is still a nice 4% minimum guaranteed roll-up each year.

Regardless of your political persuasion, you heard something like this in the last presidential election.  So, I am "borrowing” part of that question.  So, here we go...If your financial services career is not providing you with the income, fun and free time that you had planned, why don't you give The Ohlson Group a shot?  What do you have to lose?  

You see, the landscape has changed so much.  Many of the very large IMOs (and I have respect for the founders and have been friends with them for years) have now sold out. Yes, they are now becoming parts of large corporations. Sure, they can drive profits by economy of scale (laying some people off), synergism (laying some people off) and focus on the top performers.  So, you guys and girls that do less than $2 million in annuities or $100K in target, don't expect a quick return phone call from their marketing department. So, where does that put you? Read on…
 
Since 1975, The Ohlson Group has functioned as a boutique type of organization.  Early on, we were a career shop. Then I took a leave of absence to help a group buy some US Life insurance Companies.  I was president of our USA companies and had marketing responsibility for our Luxembourg and Bermuda companies.  After we took the company public, the board decided to get out of the financial services business and I re-opened The Ohlson Group in 2003. Yes, I do work as a consultant and had a hand in the design of some of the life and annuity products that you now sell.

Well, fast forwarding, I now have two partners. Nick Ohlson CLU,ChFC and Joe Ohlson LUTCF. They will be the new owners when I decide to retire. The marketing, research, and educational assistance we have provided since 1975 will continue to be displayed through this next generation.

​So, if you’re looking for youth, vitality, expertise, credibility and Integrity, give The Ohlson Group a shot. What do you have to lose?

Interesting time to be an annuity agent, for sure. Just five or six years ago, no agent had ever heard of a volatility-controlled index. Now, they are becoming the norm. These indices made a ton of sense when they were first introduced to our world – but for pure accumulation, are they really the best way to go? Let’s take a brief look …
 
Back in 2011-2012, we first started seeing volatility-controlled indexes on FIA products. Carriers smartly started adding these to the strategy mix on FIAs because they had more attractive crediting rates (higher participation rates, lower spreads and better caps) than traditional strategies. The options that support these strategies were far cheaper for the insurance company to purchase than non-volatility-controlled options. These options are cheaper because the volatility index only allocates some of the client’s money into the actual index component. The other portion goes into a T-bill account with low interest. 
 
A nice example might be that carrier A had an annual point to point cap of 2.50% on the S&P 500, and carrier B might have had a 6% cap on an annual point to point on a volatility index. Naturally, the 6% cap looks better. During this time period, when we learned about the “new normal” from Ben Bernanke, these volatility-controlled indices truly were the smart way to go inside an FIA. Today, however, interest rates are rising – and it is worth taking a look at non-volatility-controlled indices as well. 
 
Here is a great example of the power of using a non-volatility controlled, traditional index in today’s rate environment … Let’s say we are using an S&P 500 annual point to point strategy with no cap, no spread and a 55% participation rate. Sure, it doesn’t sound as enticing as a 100% or 140% participation rate – but let’s check some stats.
 
If we look back at the actual S&P 500 over the last ten years, on its own, it returned 5.14% from 2007 – 2017. During that same time period, the 55% participation rate on an annual point to point strategy would have netted 5.29%! How about the best ten-year history, when the S&P returned 9.19%? With the 55% participation rate, and no risk of loss, we still net a highly respectable 8.68%. 
 
We can contrast that with a popular volatility-controlled index, with no cap, no spread and a 100% participation rate. Even with almost doubling the “perceived” participation rate, the annualized hypothetical return here is 5.31%. Just a smidge better than the real, historical return of 5.29% that the S&P actuallyreturned over the last ten years with a 55%. Which would you choose, with full information?
 
Certainly, we sell a ton of FIAs with volatility-controlled strategies. These are still really viable and can net really great results! However, many clients like to see how an index actually fared over a ten year plus historical period. Most volatility indexes were created within the last five years, so for most illustrative quotes, we can only hypothetically say what the index could havedone. 
 
Many times, for me, the simple approach often works best: show them a good rate on a household index that has actual history – and you can take away much of the “complexity” of the FIA sale.

Well, I hope that you are because that will be great news for both of us.  But, you might be asking, what is a "nominator," and what does the nominator get for nominating? 

Whew. Let's first take a look at one definition of the word "nominator" in the Cambridge English Dictionary:  "someone who officially suggests that a person should be considered to do a particular job.” 

Okay, so what's the deal? You might not know that The Ohlson Group pays a nominator fee. Yep, you refer an agent to us, open the door for a conversation, and we present to the "nominated agent" The Ohlson Group success story.  If he she/buys into our value proposition and starts selling annuities and life through us... we pay you. Yes, we pay you.  So, you might be asking, what else do you have to do to get the nominator fee every quarter?  Please read on…
 
You do nothing.  That is right... nothing.  He/she produces and we pay you. You might have another question, "Is there a limit to the amount of bonus/fee that you will be paid?”  The answer is no.  I hope that you break the bank.  Limit on the number of agents you nominate?  No, bring as many as you can.  You see, we want to grow and you can help us.  Plus, you should be paid for your efforts.  

Want to learn more about our "Nominator Bonus?"
Call 1-877-844-0900 and speak with one of the marketers today.
 
Until next time... good selling!

Yes, when most of you are reading this commentary, I will be on the road fishing.  Nope, not in the traditional way, as I really don't know how to fish. I am spending the next several months out on the road "fishing" for quality agent /advisors and singing The Ohlson Group song. 

​You see, our industry "fishing pond" is shrinking.  It seems to be working closer to low tide each and every month.  Some IMO's are selling out to bigger organizations as they aren't sure that they can continue to "fish" as they did in the past. Well, I have two sons that will be taking over The Ohlson Group ,and I am on a mission to bring new blood into the company.

So, what (who) am I fishing for?

1. First, I am looking for a producer doing around $1 million in annuity premium or $75,000 in target premium. Of course I look for "the whale" (that $10 million person), but I know that I can get the $1 million producer to $2 million and above.
2. I want to recruit producers that have a solid attitude and great aptitude regarding what we do for a living.
3. I want the honest person. The person who is honest with friends and family will usually always be honest and fair with his/her clients.
4. I want the producer that believes in the "rich get richer" concept. Why?  Because we pay a handsome quarterly allowance based solely on your production. That is why we pay out hundreds of thousands of bonus dollars each year.

 
I guess we want a person that still wants to be in the business. 

1. One that realizes that the opportunity could not be greater.
2. A producer that embraces change and technology.
3. And finally, a producer that is ready to put some fun back in his practice .

 
So, a good fisherman (from what I have been told) wants to know where the fish are biting. So, help me out. If you fit the above description and are up to hearing the story, give us a call at 1-877-844-0900 and we will let you know why this company, that's been around since 1975, continues to be referred to as… a different experience. 
 
Thanks for your time, and  until next time... good selling!

I am sure many of you remember that was the line used by Columbo (played by Peter Falk) right before he cornered the bad guy. That would eventually lead to the successful arrest of the criminal. Well, it also has a lot of relevance to our business. Yep, and in a couple of ways. Let's examine…
 
Right before you leave the prospects'/client's office or home you would want to use this line.  And, it would be for a couple of different reasons. First, if the prospect has stated that he/she is not going to buy, accept his decision but turn and say..."just one more thing". Then you give one more benefit to your proposal and keep the dialogue going.
 
There is another reason we should all be using the "Just one more thing" line. That is when we ask for referred leads. After you have thanked the client for the business, congratulated them on the wise decision, it is now time to get the leads. So, on your way out the door, "Just one more thing Mr./Ms. client, who do you know that would appreciate the work I have done for you? Would you mind making an introduction?" This should also be done after conducting a periodic client review. 

I hope these simple tips help you. I do thank you for taking the time to read this commentary.  "Just one more thing," Mr./Ms. Advisor, if you aren't doing business with The Ohlson Group, can you tell me what I would have to do to earn your business? Give us a call at 1-877-844-0900 so we can chat about this.
 
Thanks for your time and until next time... good selling!