While flying the other day, I looked up at the fasten seatbelt sign as the pilot said to stay in our seats as we may be hitting some turbulent air.  So, of course I complied.  But it got me thinking about a message we might want to be giving our clients and prospects... “Fasten seat belts while invested, as we may be hitting some market turbulence and volatility over the next several months.”  But, instead of advising them that an oxygen mask will drop or that you can use the cushion as a flotation device, we can tell them the following, “During this turbulence, all monies in a fixed index annuity will be protected from loss of principal and previous gains.”

Now, can I continue to talk about airline experiences?  A few months ago, we were flying back to Hilton Head from Indianapolis and ran into some rough weather.  The pilot was a pro, but we circled quite a bit.  He then advised the passengers that we were going to make a stop in Savannah to get some fuel as he was afraid that we might run out of gas.  So, we landed, gassed up and were on our way without a hiccup.  Well, let's remind the client that they won't run out of gas with a fixed index annuity.  The gas we’re are talking about is the lifetime income.  Doesn't matter how long you live or the weather situation, your income is guaranteed until the day you die.

So, for the passengers with the fixed index annuity, sit back, enjoy the flight as we will be landing shortly.

​The Ohlson Group provides quality annuity leads at cost!
 
It is not unusual for seasoned annuity agents to allocate upwards of $6,000 per month toward marketing. Having helped agents with annuity cases on a daily basis for over 15 years,  the number one question I always get is “what is the best lead source for annuities?”. This used to be a tough question for me to answer – and I generally would send a list of the best lead vendors that specialize in annuity marketing.
 
About five years ago, my brother Nick and myself decided to try to find a better mousetrap … we entered into the world of lead generation! We hired experts as consultants and tapped our digital marketing team to run this program and to learn everything they possibly could about utilizing search engines like Google to obtain high-quality annuity leads.
 
It took several months (and thousands of dollars) to find out what worked and to find an optimized way of keeping costs low. Around late 2017, our stellar digital marketing team had become internet lead experts. In early 2018, we were proud to announce to the agent field force that we were selling high-quality, fresh annuity leads at cost.
 
The ability to sell annuity leads at cost (we do not mark up our leads at all) has been an integral part of what makes The Ohlson Group standout. Since we are an IMO and not a lead vendor, we make money from overrides. This business model incentivizes The Ohlson Group to continuously monitor our lead program and enhance and improve it on a regular basis.
 
These at cost annuity leads are a part of a much larger branding program that we call The Safe Money Places Agent Network. Any agent that writes meaningful business becomes a member of The Network. We create an agent website (agent owns the domain) and we have a drip e-mail follow-up program. Not only do we drip market to your leads, we also can run a drip e-mail program that automatically sends monthly e-mails to all of your clients and prospects.
 
So, give us a call today or shoot us an e-mail to schedule a time to speak. We have several territories available, however as you can imagine – they are going fast!

I had an investment and retirement planning review with my advisor the other day.  We spoke of this rising market, and the great success that I have had.  We have been working together for many years.  Years ago I gave up my Series 7 and RIA status as I focus on safe money instruments and needed the full time pro to handle my investments.  So, as I often say… I am NOT giving investment advice.  I am just passing on some thoughts I have as a result of my meeting.  Okay, yes… many of us just love what we have and the way that our equities have performed. But, if history repeats itself, we are going to hit some speed bumps.  There will be a market pullback at some times.  My advisor, and many others, also look at history and are confident that the market will come back.  They always have.  It just depends on how long that will take.  In my case, as we rebalance, we will take advantage of the pull back and get more aggressive on the equity side.  Now, I have a good portion in my “safe money accounts.”  Let’s look at some facts:

Markets decline every 18-24 months.  In the event of a bear market, equities decline by about 32%.  My advisor is predicting a speedbump that will be short lived with declines of 15-25%.  I am not going to into an economics class, but we have had a very “friendly” Federal Reserve.  They continue to pump money in the economy and are keeping rates very low.  But, inflation, rapid increases in interest rates and a recession could change things quickly.  I am not suggesting that any of things will happen.  But, we all remember (at least us older guys and girls) the song by Blood Sweat and Tears, “What goes up, must come down.”  We just don’t know when or how severe.

I am not writing this to be used with the public for the sale of products.  I am just giving a little history and providing you with info from my investment advisor.  But, as he said, we must continue to rebalance on a daily basis making sure that we do have enough money in our “Safe Money Buckets.”   I think it is a great time to have discussions with our clients and prospects to see if they would get an ulcer in the event of a significant downturn.  Communication in a caring way is the path to a great relationship.  People are looking for conversations and options.  We sure do have them.  Also, I am reminded of an ad that is on TV and in various papers saying that ”If you have $500,000 or more to invest, give us a call.”  The nice thing about what we do, we can also be of service to the majority of Americans that do not have an extra $500K sitting around. 

I have been watching a series called “The Titans that built America.”  A great series that really focuses on the entrepreneurs who risked everything for an idea that they thought would revolutionize the world.  There were so many things going on in the late 1920’s and early 30’s.  First off, we had the stock market crash in 1929.  But, the depression really didn’t kick in for a couple years, and many thought that the market was just a blip and would come back.  Of course… it was more than a blip.  There are so many interesting people to mention, but today I focus on Walter Chrysler.  Of course, of Chrysler auto fame.  But, it was a fierce battle to win the hearts and minds of America.  Let’s take a look and find the similarities to our business…

When Chrysler was starting his car empire, he had to beat out the low cost Model T of Ford Motor that was affordable to most.  Also, Buick had the upscale model that was considered a real move up and status symbol.  Money was tight, most lost all, or a great percentage of their wealth.  So, what was Chrysler to do?  He needed an edge.  Something to create… a different experience.  So, he went for speed.  The Model T could go about 35 miles per hour.  The Buick, with its huge engine, could go about 50 mph.  So Chrysler shrunk the engine, tinkered with the design, and his car went 70 miles per hour.  That was his edge.  So, what does this have to do with our business?  Please read on.

You need an edge to beat out the competition.  You need an edge to maximize the use of your marketing dollars to increase net revenue . In short, you need… a different experience.  We have the edge for you.  We have the speed for you.  We have the best price for you.  If you are looking for digital annuity leads at the best price and a complete digital marketing set up to support your activities, you need to call us at The Ohlson Group.  In short, as Walter Chrysler did, he looked for… a different experience.  And, that is what we have to offer.  Give us a call today and discover… a different experience.