A Significant Year

2007 – A SIGNIFICANT YEAR

Two important priorities:
1 – Emphasize how producers make money purveying Disability Insurance, and
2 – Jump starting a practical Education/Training Program.

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Many purveyors fail to acknowledge the new uses of disability insurance in opportunistic situations. Unless a producer is doing a minimum of $100,000 in individual disability premiums per year, a mighty opportunity is being passed. Immediately ahead The Communicator will enlighten the markets and opportunities to be observed and exploited.

The International DI Society and The American College have joined in the promotion and presentation of the new course from the college called, “Essentials of Disability Insurance.” The International DI Society Education Committee has reviewed the course and proclaim high marks for it.

Patterned after the highly successful LUTC system of reinforcing education with practical projects, it has compacted a 13 week course into 8 fast moving weekly classes which will be moderated by experienced and qualified people who have completed a special training course and are designated as “Adjunct Professors of The American College.”

Old timers won’t be wasting their time, for a review of coverages, consumer vulnerability, tax aspects, business uses and the new simplified underwriting standards can be gleamed quickly and effectively, and at an attractive fee.

Attached is some information relating to the class. Course FA 211, as it is referred to in The American College Catalogue, is not only available as a stand alone course, but it is a part of the LUTCF (LUTC Fellow) and the new FSS (Financial Services Specialist) designations. The curriculum is sponsored by The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and The American College, the leader in financial services education. It therefore can yield double value in a short 8 weeks.

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THE NEW DOCTORS MARKET

First up for 2007 is the new attitudes and coverages for Physicians and Surgeons. Petersen International Underwriters stood by this market during the rough 1990s and early 2000s when producers had a hard time securing adequate amounts of disability coverage for the people who comprise this market. We have held an advantage of leadership in this market which presents producers with new capabilities in product and in issue limits.

The Physicians and Surgeons (doctors market) has always had an enticement for it has been a comparatively easy sale. Doctors work with victims of accidents and sicknesses every day. They have no doubt it can happen to them. A producer does not encounter the “it won’t happen to me” cliche of people
in other occupations. Doctors know it can and that it probably will at some time in their productive and lucrative career.

It isn’t a matter of selling to a need. It is a matter of providing enough disability insurance to meet the wants and needs of doctors.

The Physicians and Surgeons High Limit Disability Plan is the best supplemental coverage available. The American Medical Association Plan is not a viable supplementary coverage. It lacks stability, adequacy and quality to do an adequate and dependable Disability Income Program.

The High Limit Disability Plan:

  • Monthly Benefits of $1,000 to $100,000 or more.
  • Lump Sum Amounts up to $20,000,000.
  • “Own Occupation Definition” for the full benefit period.
  • Options include COLA and Residual Disability.
  • Non-Cancelable, Guaranteed Renewable at Guaranteed Premium Rates in increments of up to 5 year terms.
  • Easy underwriting with guaranteed issue, simplified issue and automatic issue (Top Hat) plans.

Coverages outside the Personal Use Plans:

  • Business Overhead Expense – $1,000 to $100,000 per month or more.
  • Buy/Sell, Buy In and Buy Out Plans to $20,000,000.

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THE INTERNATIONAL DI SOCIETY

Petersen International is a founding member of the International DI Society. If you don’t belong to the International DI Society, we encourage your support. We had to save an industry and apparently it has had some positive effect. More companies are adding disability to their product lines and we see more DI
advertising and DI articles in the insurance media than we have in the past decade. The Society has made substantial progress in promoting the Disability Insurance Industry.

Now DI Education is back on a powerful and professional basis.

The Society had its First Annual Conference in 2005 held in The Hyatt Regency Resort in Tampa Bay. Its 2006 Conference at the Hyatt Regency Resort at Lake Las Vegas experienced a 93% attendance increase over the preceding year.

The Society is the first advocate for the Disability Insurance Industry in the past 15 years. The industry is shaping up to become the formidable and dynamic force it was in the 1990s and 1980s and before.