The Window Is Open Right Now!

To say the world is in turmoil right now would be an understatement.
 
And one of the clearest indicators of that is the volatility index. As we all know, the 10-year Treasury yield is the primary driver of how annuity rates are priced, especially in the fixed indexed annuity space. Layer on top of that elevated market volatility—measured by the VIX—which impacts the cost of options, and you’ve got a very dynamic pricing environment.
 
That’s exactly what we’re seeing right now. Rates are moving. Some are going up, some are coming down—but the opportunity for clients today is still incredibly strong.
 
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen volatility spike and remain elevated, with larger daily swings in the market—both up and down—and sometimes multiple times within the same day. That kind of movement is being driven by several factors: geopolitical tension, particularly the U.S.–Iran conflict, rising oil prices, inflation concerns, and continued interest rate uncertainty. All of this is leading to increased hedging activity and more defensive positioning across the board.
 
Now, what does that mean for us?
 
It means we’re in one of the most dynamic pricing environments we’ve seen in years. And despite that, we’re still seeing tremendous opportunities for clients.
 
We’re seeing S&P 500 cap rates at 10% and higher. We’re seeing products that will lock in cap rates for the entire surrender charge period. Think about that—clients can purchase an annuity today and know that the cap they start with is the same cap they’ll see years from now when their renewal letter arrives. And in my opinion, those caps are going to look very attractive down the road.
 
This is a big reason why we’re continuing to see a record number of annuity applications flow through our office in 2026.
 
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—this is the time to be proactive. But given everything that’s transpired over the last month, and especially with the outlook that this current conflict could extend for several more weeks or longer, I’m going to take it a step further:
 
It’s time to reach out to every client you’ve ever done business with. This is also an ideal time to launch a lead campaign or get a seminar on the calendar.
 
At the Ohlson Group, we can help you do both. Our Safe Money Places® annuity lead program has been running in-house for nearly a decade, and those leads are priced at cost. We also offer a no-dinner annuity seminar system mentored by a $50 million producer. We have several agents actively running that program right now, and they’re averaging roughly $700,000 to $800,000 in fixed indexed annuity premium per campaign.
 
If you’d like help putting together a client letter or follow-up communication, we can assist with that as well.
 
I’ve always believed this, and it’s especially true right now—when there is uncertainty in the world, this is when I get the most excited about what we do. Because when the world is full of anxiety, we get to be the calm.
 
We can’t fix everything going on globally, but we can take financial worry off our clients’ shoulders. We can ensure they don’t lose money due to market downturns. We can provide guaranteed income they and their spouse cannot outlive. And we can offer solutions that include enhanced benefits—like income increases in the event of chronic illness or long-term care needs.
 
And I’ll say it—we have the best back office in the industry here at the Ohlson Group.

---

Until Next Time – Good Selling! 

​Joseph R. Ohlson, LUTCF
President
1-877-844-0900
[email protected]