If you aren't using a proven system to generate referrals, you're not tapping into the full value of your clients and you're limiting income potential.  Mastering referrals is your lever to greater success.  Bill Cates, the industry's foremost expert on building a practice with referrals, is hosting his next Unlimited Referrals Boot Camp for Financial Professionals this May 4-5 (near Baltimore, MD).  By using Bill's Unlimited Referrals Marketing System®, you can create a steady flow of high-quality clients through referrals.  (See a referral strategy from Bill in the Marketing and Tax section.)

FSOnline subscribers qualify for the $200 Preferred Client Discount. To learn more about this event, go to
www.ReferralCoach.com/bootcamp.html or call Referral Coach International at 800-488-5464.

ThinkDirectMarketing has provided the engine for LUTC's popular Referred Leads Generator for nearly two years and they now have a new product (ThinkDirectMail v2.0) that could significantly help you in your prospecting efforts.  They have made it easier and less expensive for planners, advisors and companies to obtain highly effective leads. For as little as $195, you can: 

o Create lists right on your PC with unlimited usage. 
o Find all prospects down to 1/10 of a mile radius. 
o Select from 100 million listings with phone numbers included.
o Search by geography or demographics. 
o Get instant results about potential leads with FREE samples. 

Visit ThinkDirectMarketing.com to learn more. Be sure to use promo code TDMEFSO to get your FSO discount! 

REPORTS OF AGENT DEATH EXAGGERATED – According to IBA West President Don Way, "The doomsayers have had their day, but now the smoke created by the online explosion has cleared and the pundits can see that the independent agency system is not going away anytime soon." Don's statement is supported by recent reports and studies that continue to wash aside predictions that direct Internet sales channels would replace insurance agents and brokers. Examples: Ohio Casualty Corp. has abandoned its direct marketing in favor of independent agents and a recent study from Progressive revealed consumers preferred to purchase insurance offline, from independent agents.

LET THE PROS DO IT – JCPenney has apparently decided to return insurance sales to insurance professionals and is selling J.C. Penney Direct Marketing Services (which includes J.C. Penney Life) to AEGON.  The parties also established a 15-year strategic marketing alliance to sell products to JCPenney customers.  The deal was worth about $1.3 billion plus up to $300 million per year for JCPenney.

TAX CUT – While the House quickly passed the income tax cut component of President Bush's tax package, it's unlikely that action will be taken in the Senate until after a budget is adopted.  Without a budget in place, a single senator could block the tax cuts unless proponents could muster 60 out of 100 votes to continue, an unlikely outcome in the evenly-divided Senate.

DATABASE LEVERAGE – Reader's Digest and GE Long Term Care Insurance have created an alliance to market long term care products to Reader's Digest customers.  GE will offer its products to Reader's Digest customers through direct mail, advertising in Reader's Digest magazine and on the Web.  Reader's Digest has other financial services ventures with AIG, Torchmark, a pet insurance company and First USA.

FUTURE OF ONLINE TRAINING – It looks like the ZigOnline people are on the right track for training online. While the product is being sold via a modified MLM approach, the concept and technology is terrific...simple, clean and easy to use.  Check it out by going to ZigOnline.com and clicking on "What is ZigOnline?" If you are a trainer in any capacity, don't miss this!
 

PRE-PAID LEGAL – After increasing revenues for 31 consecutive quarters, Pre-Paid Chairman Harland Stonecipher believes he has a story to tell. "We believe nothing can stop an idea whose time has come and firmly believe the time for legal service plans is now." Check them out at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/direct. 

PRINCIPAL/AMERITRADE IN 401(k) DEAL – Principal, one of the top 401(k) providers, and Ameritrade, an online brokerage company, have announced a partnership to offer self-directed brokerage accounts to 1.4 million Principal 401(k) customers.

DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE – The government is losing billions of dollars in unpaid taxes each year, but the IRS doesn't really know how much and can't figure out a way to find out without upsetting Congress and taxpayers.  There hasn't been a reliable measure of the "tax compliance gap" since the 1980s.  In 1998, the IRS ventured a guess when it estimated that $195 billion in individual and corporate income taxes went uncollected in fiscal 1997...an average of $1,625 for each of the 120 million income tax returns filed that year.  

H&R BLOCK AND ANSWER FINANCIAL – In a new partnership, H&R Block will offer its online customers insurance products from online insurance portal, Answer Financial, and Answer
Financial will offer H&R Block's Internet tax preparation tools.

AFLAC DUCK – AFLAC's duck continues to be a hit with the public and a major league home run for AFLAC.  We think he (or she?) is a great spokesperson for the company...even better than Tiger Woods for American Express.  Plus the duck works for a lot less than Tiger.