How to Sell Final Expense – Why Agents Fail In the Final Expense Business

The reason agents fail learning how to sell final expense is fairly simple. The unfortunate reality of sales, no matter the industry, is that 90% of all sales people fail or quit within the first 12 months of starting their sales profession. Why is that the case?

The number one the reason agents fail selling final expense is because they give up on themselves. They go into the business with aspirations that didn’t match reality. Looking from the outside in, many new final expense agents have the perspective that to succeed in final expense it is only a matter of going out and talking to people. If it were only that simple!

It takes time to learn the skills necessary to sell final expense successfully. Final expense sales training is something that takes months if not years to develop. A lot of new agents don’t understand that sales is totally different from a typical salaried employee position. You have emotional ups and downs almost daily. Being on straight commission, you literally wake up every morning unemployed; you must “eat what you kill!”

If you don’t have experience, there is nothing to really prepare you for it until you understand what that is like and you are living it. It is something that many people just can’t handle.

Then the other reason people fail is because they don’t get involved with the right agency to help train them, to prepare them for the realities. They get involved with a business that sells “Blue Sky,” meaning all the benefits to a lifestyle of Final Expense and none of the gritty work that it takes to succeed in the long-run.

Also, new agents fail because they get involved in an agency that is designed to short change them and squeeze the dollars out of them at a ridiculous rate. It ends up being a revolving door type of sales agency.

It is important that agents do their research on the front-end. Talk to different agencies. Get a feel for your managers personality type. Figure out who has been successful. How long agents have been working with them? Ask for proof. Are they transparent with what to expect as far as commission and percentage advancements based on merit and production history?

What do you get for your investment? Because the manager makes money off of your production. You just have to make sure value is there. Take the time to ask these questions. Again, it is really important you are reading this because most agents don’t go into this business even knowing what to ask, much less what to expect.

Many agents don’t understand that you must come into this business with a business mindset. Most agents must buy direct mail, and won’t have the benefit of a referral network or an existing book of business. Instead, they have to buy leads to get going.

My recommendation is to have about $4,000 to $5,000 to invest into a final expense direct mail lead system, or if you have less than that keep a full-time job and then also you know if you got $2,000 or $3,000 minimum into a telemarketing final expense lead system.

You MUST start on the right foot. You MUST be prepared for the ups and downs. You MUST be willing to work through it with the understanding that the long-term is what makes it worth having. What makes it all worthwhile.

That’s the reasons why most agents fail learning how to sell final expense. The important thing is to go into this with the right group that shows you transparently what to do. When you know that you have got that on your side it is really up to you.

Do you have the X-Factor to work hard and follow the system that is laid out upon you?

That’s really the ultimate determinate of your success or failure.

David Duford is the owner of Final Expense Agent Mentor.

In addition to personally producing business each and every week, David specializes in training new and experienced agents on how to successfully sell final expense burial insurance.

Monaco Might Lose Its Status of Personal Income Tax Haven

That Monaco is crowded with celebrities is no piece of news. Since 1869, when the personal income tax policy became favorable, Monaco attracted very many individuals with high net income, such as movie stars, sporting stars etc. who became residents of the Principality in order to benefit from personal income tax exemption.

Take, for instance, Roger Moore, Shirley Bassey, Ringo Starr, Karen Mulder, Eva Herzigova, the race drivers Jacques Villeneuve, David Coulthard, Jenson Button.

But the number of celebrities is far outnumbered by the number of business people who enjoy the country’s tax facilities: the retail tycoon Philip Green and the Barclay brothers are Monegasque residents.

Being a resident of Monaco implies proving you have a place to live and are rich enough to afford a very high standard way of life. And I mean really rich, as a place to live in the apartment blocks jammed into two square kilometres, either rented or bought, is extremely high.

Keeping residency implies proving you live in Monaco at least 6 months and a day per year. If you are rich, the advantage of being a Monaco resident is that, besides enjoying a sunny, pleasant climate, you can live at the same time in another country. The Principality is very close to main airports and is also easily reachable by sea, by car or by train. Thus, being a Monaco resident and working in another country is not only possible but it’s easy especially speaking of UK citizens: laws in UK permit a maximum stay of 90 days (without counting the day of departure and that of arrival!) for non-residents. Many UK business people reside in Monaco and work in the UK without surpassing the 90 days limit so that they are subject to Monaco lawas for taxation.

Having attracted so many rich resulted in a conflict of interests: many countries disapprove of this taxation policy, looking at it as an evasion from taxes in their national area. And not entirely wrongly! In fact, Monaco has been “tax-cheating” a little by attracting capital from the high tax countries.

Looking at the issue from the perspective of the Principality, seems to me only right to try and succeed to evolve with the few means and resources a state so small has. Monaco developed from one of the poorest countries in the world (in the 1860s) into a state with one of the world’s highest per capita income (around EUR22,000). And it was possible due to a strategic leadership of a resourceless country. It is after the territory was drastically reduced that this personal income tax policy came into being. Attracting foreign capital become one of the main targets for development. That’s how the Casino became grand and famous and emphasis was put on tourism, being raised at luxury levels.

After the individual taxation regulations, in 1963 the Principality came with another financial artifice: no tax for local company profits or dividends. Thus the target was to enhance local business flourishing. This stipulation combined with an almost hermetic data privacy did nothing else than to increase even more foreign investments in Monaco.

So, from the point of view of big economic powers, Monaco should be punished, and so deserves any country daring to offer a better taxation alternative, putting at a disadvantage their high-tax based economy. The OECD has a project on “harmful tax practices” stipulating a set of punitive measures for the non-cooperating jurisdictions.

Invoking money laundering and international terrorism tracking, many OECD governments promote a policy of free information exchange that has as main purpose limiting the tax competition, beyond the intention to limit tax evasion and to combat serious crime.

Estimated negative results of OECD policy:

* Eliminating tax competition would result in uniformizing taxes to the amount dictated by some governments. Without the possibility of choosing a better alternative, there is no reason for governments to reduce taxes and make the tax system more efficient.
* This policy would change the present status of emigrants that pay taxes only to their new country and would promote the premise that the state still has a right to benefit from its former national labour. This sounds to me like a violation of fundamental human rights.

Although in 2004 still on the OECD black list of the tax policy non-cooperating jurisdictions, Monaco has changed its policy regarding the high confidentiality of financial data in the light of the expected, recent admission to the Council of Europe (Monaco joined the Europe Council on October 5, 2004 ). Modifications to legislation:

* October 2001: French citizens living in Monaco since 1989 must pay a wealth tax beginning with 2002.
* Information on French nationals are to be unconditionally provided to the Bank of France when required. Information may be passed on to the authorities of France or of a third country if necessary.
* 2004: Under EU’s Savings Tax Directive, Monaco will impose a witholding tax on the returns on savings such as bank interests earned by EU citizens. The tax quantum will be the same as in Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg (initially 15%). 75% of such revenues will be handed over to the Member State of the respective EU resident. This will be applied beginning with 2005.
* December 2000: Monaco signs the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime. The treaty stipulates that its members do not permit anonymous accounts requiring identification of customers. Banks must keep accurate records of accounts and report any suspicious transaction. Moreover, the domestic law enforcement officials are permitted inspection of accounts.

With all these measures, it seems that Monaco’s attraction as a personal income tax haven will decrease. It remains to be seen how all these measures will affect Monaco financial and banking system after becoming operative.

Don’t Invalidate Fire Insurance

We have all had a dishwasher that puttered out or a washing machine that sat idle with clothes floating in a well of water. Fixing creaky old appliances can be costly, and it often seems there is no way of avoiding such expenses. However, many owners and renters have found a solution: purchasing a condo warranty.

Unlike insurance-which covers natural disasters, calamities, and theft-a warranty is a service contract that, among other things, covers major appliances for members of a condominium. These warranties are specifically designed to work within the existing support structure and services provided by your association, so you only pay for the protection you need. Here are four ways a condo warranty can benefit you.

Covers Major Home Appliances and Systems

While the definitions of major systems and appliances may vary from policy to policy, a condo warranty will typically cover HVAC, plumbing, electrical, hot water heaters, garbage disposals, dishwashers, stoves and ovens, washers and dryers, and garage doors. Refrigerators are often covered when they are in the property at the time of purchase. This can be even more beneficial in the event that a retailer or chain goes out of business and/or any coverage you have on the product lapses.

Enhances Market Value

Condo warranties are, in general, cost-saving tools when it comes to maintenance. However, they can also be an enhanced benefit in a competitive seller’s market because they increase a unit’s marketability. According to the National Home Warranty Association, units on the market that covered by warranties tend to sell about 50 percent faster than homes that are not.

Protects from Potential Post-Sale Legal Disputes

Warranties generally protect the condo’s seller from post-sale legal disputes. They allow for the purchaser to invest with confidence, as they are given more security than what is offered by a statute of limitations, which, in most cases, only lasts four years. On the flip side, sellers can avoid legal disputes based on faulty or dysfunctional appliances and systems because they are covered. Of course, reviewing the fine print for specifics is always highly encouraged before purchasing a property.

Provides Peace of Mind

Out of the nine most crucial appliances in the home, at least one is expected to break down at some point in its 13-year average lifespan. A new buyer is assured some peace of mind in knowing that if something goes awry with any of the condo’s major appliances or systems, they will likely be covered by the warranty.

How to Avoid Expensive Auto Repairs

If you do not take good care of your car, you are very likely going to incur great costs when you head to the auto repair shop for repairs, replacement and other maintenance needs. Your car is an important part of your life, and you should strive to ensure that you do everything possible to keep it in good shape, and in doing so, avoid expensive auto repairs. Here is what you should do:

Follow the maintenance schedule as outlined in the owner’s manual.

The manufacturer of your car includes a maintenance schedule that is to direct you on how and when to touch up your car for maintenance purposes. This schedule is your best guide as it comes from someone who understands the car properly, and all its components and the needs of every one of them.

Fix problems soon enough

Pay attention to your car so that you can detect when something is amiss. And if at all you detect something wrong, get it checked out immediately. If you allow little problems to exist without getting fixed, they will escalate into something much bigger that will not only be expensive to fix but dangerous to your safety as well.

Change fluids, filters and spark plugs as recommended by the manufacturer

You might think you are saving some money by not changing these as recommended, but waiting longer than the time the manufacturer has stipulated only serves to damage your vehicle. So that in the long run you end up spending more money in getting your car repaired.

Inflate tires properly

Tires that contain too little air or too much of it are dangerous not just to your car, but your safety as well. This is because such tires are prone to excessive wear and tear which can result into a blow-out.

Synthetic oil

Consider upgrading your motor oil to a high-performance synthetic oil which will not only prevent certain problems associated with common motor oil, but improve your car’s performance as well.

Unusual noises

Unusual noises on your car might be an indication that something is wrong, and for this reason you should check the owner’s manual to ascertain what is usual and what is unusual. If the unusual noises persist, take your car to an auto repair shop where the repair professionals can check to see what is amiss.

Drive carefully

Avoid expensive auto repairs by driving your car carefully, so that you can minimize the chances of wrecking your vehicle, which would definitely necessitate extensive repairs. If someone borrows your car, make sure they are careful drivers and remind them to handle your vehicle well. This is especially important if you are lending your car to someone who has just started to drive.

Know what you can handle and what you cannot

If your car needs some repairs, do them only if you are sure you can adequately deal with them. Otherwise, let the auto repair shop deal with auto repair problems that are beyond your scope. Tinkering with your car when you are not sure about what needs to be done is only going to worsen the problem, and lead to expensive auto repairs.

Insurance Quotes in a Digital Age

Insurance is great. Yes, it can be a hassle to find. Sorting out the pricing and policies can be complicated. So what if the whole thing could be made as easy as pushing a button? The great news is that it almost has.

What Makes it Frustrating

Making the monthly payment on a premium can be frustrating, but it’s easy. Once you file a claim, you realize how much that monthly payment was worth it. Finding the right policy, on the other hand, can be a challenge. There are policies for your home, condo, apartment, motorcycle, car, and health. Also, there are many different companies. Getting insurance quotes from each carrier can take much more time than you have available. Once people find coverage, they rarely re-evaluate it to see if it is still the best option available.

Technological Evolutions

Luckily, the Internet has revolutionized insurance quotes. Trained agents can help you identify what your priorities are and which policy best meets your individual needs. Filling out a simple form online can generate quotes from several major carriers at once. Many agencies are also now able to incorporate smaller, more specialized carriers into their networks as well. The ability to organize and sort through so much information so quickly has made getting insurance quotes almost push-button simple.

Working Closely with an Agent

Getting a variety of insurance quotes is just the first step. The most affordable policy may not be the one that best meets your needs. Understanding the often complex policy language can be a daunting task. At this point, it is essential to get a trained agent involved. Like many service professionals today, agents are highly trained and strictly regulated. They are a personal part of their clients’ lives because they are helping to protect the most valuable aspects of a client’s life: their health, home, and family. You should be able to work closely with an agent who knows you and understands your priorities.

Your agent can sit down with you and evaluate each of the quotes individually. Together, you can structure a comprehensive package that addresses your coverage needs and financial commitments. The package may consist of the best policies from several carriers or a single umbrella. The use of digital technology allows for highly personalized packages of coverage. With access to so many quotes and coverage options at your fingertips, what you decide to do is up to you.

Obviously finding a safe level of coverage is not something you want to put off until you need it. The task of obtaining insurance quotes and sorting through coverage packages used to prevent people from shopping for insurance. New technology and highly trained agents have simplified the process. Highly personalized packages can provide better coverage and save you money. If you haven’t looked at your insurance lately, now is a great time.