Wow - This year is zipping by! As I'm writing this today on April 30th; spring fever is in full effect!  Now let's take a look ahead at what the month of May has in store for us ...

If you are spending any time talking to clients right now, you are likely hearing the exact same underlying concern in every conversation: uncertainty. Between market fluctuations, economic headlines, and the natural anxiety that comes with planning for retirement, clients are exhausted by all of it. They want growth, but more than anything, they want to know if their hard-earned money is protected!

This is exactly where you step in, and this is why the Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA) remains one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. When you sit down with a prospect this week, I want you to focus on changing the conversation from "chasing returns" to "capturing opportunity without the risk."

Because safety and income guarantees are more important to the retiree today than ever. Think about it for a second — setting aside a few blips, most folks have seen a steady rise in their brokerage accounts over the last 15 years.

1. The Math of Losing
Clients often don't realize how devastating a market loss is to their retirement timeline. If a portfolio drops 20%, it doesn’t just take a 20% gain to recover; it takes a 25% gain just to get back to zero. By utilizing an FIA, you eliminate that recovery time completely. You give them the peace of mind that their principal is locked in.

2. Show, Don't Just Tell
Don't just explain the concept of downside protection—show them. Pull out the performance graphs comparing a standard S&P 500 buy-and-hold strategy against a properly structured FIA over the last two decades. When clients physically see the flat line during market crashes instead of the deep valleys, the client can see the power of protecting their nest egg from market losses. "Zero is your hero" isn't just a catchphrase; it's a mathematical reality with FIA's!

3. The Psychological Shift
An FIA doesn't just protect a client's money; it protects their retirement mindset. When they no longer have to check the market daily out of fear, they have the freedom to actually enjoy the retirement they worked so hard to build. You aren't just selling a contract; you are selling financial peace of mind. And we have some really innovative FIA's that guarantee an S&P 500 cap for the entire length of the surrender charge term. We have a new product that can guarantee a 10% annual cap on the S&P 500, and the carrier is contractually bound to renew the cap at 10% for all seven years of the surrender charge term.

At The Ohlson Group, our goal is to make sure you have the tools, marketing expertise, back-office support and lead generation capabilities to help you make each week better than the last one. If you have a tough case on your desk or need help structuring an illustration that highlights these exact benefits, pick up the phone and call our team today.

​Alright Everyone,

I want to keep this one simple and focused, because the opportunity right now is real. We’ve got a combination in the market that we don’t see all that often. On one hand, interest rates are still at levels that allow carriers to offer strong fixed rates and very competitive caps. On the other hand, volatility hasn’t disappeared—and that is important. Because volatility is what helps drive option pricing, and option pricing is what helps fuel the caps and participation rates we’re able to offer clients. So when you’ve got solid rates and lingering volatility, that’s when fixed index annuities tend to shine the most.

Clients are still uneasy. They’ve seen the swings. They’ve felt the uncertainty. And even when the market rallies, there’s still that voice in the back of their head asking:

"What happens if it drops again?" ... "What if the war widens, causing investor panic?" ... "Is OUR nest egg protected enough?"

That’s your opening - What a perfect time to bring up the fixed index annuity concept. We have FIA products that guarantee S&P 500 cap rates for the entire surrender charge period. A product that came out this week guarantees a 10% S&P 500 cap for seven years. Whether it's a cap lock index strategy, a premium bonus play to help refinance your client's retirement plan or a fixed indexed annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit rider that can guarantee income for life and can double the income if your client becomes chronically ill. What other industry can provide these types of financial guarantees?
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If your client or prospect is hesitant to talk about anything index related, that's no problem either. MYGA rates are beating bank CD rates handily and have the added benefit of tax deferral. As my father used to say, "Don't try to sell them a steak when all they want is a ham sandwich!" This season of the business is all about making clients, establishing relationships with prospects and in my opinion, marketing like never before.

Our annuity lead program has continued to produce strong returns for agents. Our Elevate no dinner annuity seminar program is working, and several agents are doubling production by running these workshops. Whether you prefer purchasing leads or presenting in a seminar style fashion, it makes no difference. The key is to have a plan and place and to work that plan. Call us and we can set up a tailored plan for you and your practice.

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.