• Monthly Online Newsletter:  RiskTutor's acclaimed newsletter provides essential underwriting information on key medical problems.  The July 2000 newsletter features "Lupus."
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• Personal Health Tutor:  Personal Health Tutor provides important resources for assessing, monitoring and improving your health.

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MIDDLE CLASS MARKET – We've always felt that the middle-income market has been an unappreciated market by planners and companies alike. The Middle-Income Business Models task force, a project sponsored by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, apparently agrees.  The committee plans to release its findings soon, but task force member Jill Gianola, who has worked in the middle-income market for five years, says, "It’s a niche you can drive a truck through."

NURSING HOME COSTS – According to a recent MetLife study, nursing home costs vary widely from region to region, but the average is now $153 per day...Manhattan is the costliest at $295 per day for a private room, while a rural Minnesota area is the lowest at $90. The average home health care aide was $16 per hour nationally, with a high in Hartford, CT of $24 per hour and a low in San Antonio, TX of $12.  Since the average nursing home stay is 2-1/2 years, a family can expect to spend an average of $139,500 per person requiring nursing home care. For a complete geographical list, go to 
http://www.insurance-portal.com/nhcosts.htm.

NEW SPLIT DOLLAR TECHNIQUE – In the June 2000 issue of Broker World, Neal Webster describes a new split dollar technique with the primary advantages of never having to terminate a split dollar agreement due to high economic benefit costs and not requiring gifts when split with an irrevocable life insurance trust.  For more information on this split dollar technique, you can e-mail Neal at dierich1@yahoo.com or call him at (816) 561-3335.

WHICH JOB? – Would you prefer a job that pays $200,000 per year, and nothing if you are disabled and nothing when you retire...or would you rather be paid $180,000 and receive $120,000 per year if you are disabled and $100,000 per year when you retire? Adaptation of an idea by Howard Wight from legendary sales guru Burt Meisel. Thanks, guys.

E-COMPETITION – The Internet now has over 20 million sites and has been described as a "Take One Free" card holder with 20 million slots. How will you get people to visit your site? Simple, continue doing your traditional referred lead prospecting.
 

W-2 DISCLOSURE – The House voted to require that workers' annual W-2 tax form include how much the employer pays in Social Security and Medicare taxes in order to help employees better appreciate amounts paid by their employers on their behalf.  The measure now goes to the Senate.  Sounds like a good idea to us.

CRITICAL CARE INSURANCE – According to Bob Littell, the Atlanta financial services guru, look for critical care insurance (CCI) to become a lot more popular in the U.S. The product, said to have been invented in South Africa by the brother of famed heart surgeon Christian Barnard, covers "modern medical miracles offering life-saving but expensive treatments and procedures." Although it is just appearing on the "radar screen," look for BGA's to sell more CCI in the next few years. See the July, 2000 Broker World for details.

SUMMER PLANNING IDEA – From The Kiplinger Tax Letter:  If your child has a summer job, consider making a contribution to a Roth IRA on his or her behalf.  You can make a gift up to the amount of the child's earnings (not to exceed $2,000) to a Roth IRA for your child, which can then develop into a nice "nest egg" over time and receive tax-advantaged treatment.

TRUSTWORTHINESS – A Zogby America poll of 1,035 adults showed that about 1/3 of those polled said they did not trust insurance salespeople to do an adequate job and to treat them fairly. The remaining 2/3 were split about equally between those who felt that insurance salespeople could be trusted and those neutral on the question. Young people and females were significantly more likely to trust insurance salespeople...proving that there is hope for the younger generation and, of course, that females are just plain smarter than males!

IIAA'S BIG "I" MARKETS – The Independent Insurance Agents of America's (IIAA) Big "I" Markets program, an interactive, Internet-based, specialty and niche market-access program, has been launched. This innovative association service is part of the Big I's for-profit subsidiary and provides members an Internet-based conduit to a product portfolio of specialty, niche, new/unusual and program coverages. Currently operating only in New Jersey, products available are automobile extended warranty, excess workers' comp, flood Insurance, excess umbrella, ocean cargo, etc.

MUTUAL FUND TAXES – A bill introduced in Congress would defer up to $3,000 in taxes on mutual fund capital gains distributions ($6,000 for couples) if investors automatically reinvest capital gains distributions directly back into their funds.  Payment of capital gains taxes would instead occur only after the investor sold the mutual fund.