We would love to hear from you. Click on the ‘Contact Us’ link to the right and choose your favorite way to reach-out!

wscdsdc

media/speaking contact

Jamie Johnson

business contact

Victoria Peterson

Contact Us

855.ask.wink

Close [x]
pattern

Industry News

Categories

  • Industry Articles (21,155)
  • Industry Conferences (2)
  • Industry Job Openings (35)
  • Moore on the Market (414)
  • Negative Media (144)
  • Positive Media (73)
  • Sheryl's Articles (800)
  • Wink's Articles (353)
  • Wink's Inside Story (274)
  • Wink's Press Releases (123)
  • Blog Archives

  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • August 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • November 2008
  • September 2008
  • May 2008
  • February 2008
  • August 2006
  • Avoiding the Dementia Trap

    March 18, 2012 by Harry Lew

    By Harry Lew

    March 13, 2012 •

     

    In the wake of the Glenn Neasham case, agents are concerned about their ability to sell annuities to elderly clients without getting charged with a crime. As has been widely reported, the Lakeport, California agent has been sentenced to 300 days in jail (reduced to 60 days, plus three years probation) for what the government claimed was felony theft from an elder. Neasham says he sold his 83-year-old client the equity-indexed annuity she wanted, and did so by the book. After she developed dementia symptoms several years later, the government brought charges against him, even though the annuity made her money.

    [See: Annuity Sales in the Post-Madoff Era]

    How should you respond to what some are calling a landmark case in the annuity industry? For starters, make doubly sure you are following all relevant senior protection laws in your state. If you’re not sure what they are, check with your state insurance and carrier compliance departments.

    Also, make sure you are 100 percent compliant with your state’s annuity suitability regulations and that you follow the issuing carrier’s procedures for determining eligibility, establishing need, and making necessary disclosures.

    The most difficult area is detecting behavioral signs that a prospect may have a cognitive impairment. This is especially difficult when you haven’t known a person’s baseline behavior. Still, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the early-warning signs of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are ten red flags to watch for.

    1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. This is one of the most common early warning signs, most commonly affecting recently learned information. Watch for forgetting of important dates or names and asking for the same information over and over.
    2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Especially common is difficulty working with numbers (example: balancing a checkbook).
    3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work, or leisure. Watch for difficulty managing a budget or filing or finding key financial documents.
    4. Confusion with time or place. Alzheimer’s sufferers often lose track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. If a client often expresses confusion over the current day or hour, make a note of it.
    5. Trouble with visual images and spatial relationships. If you hand a client a document to review and they have difficulty processing the information, this may reflect a cognitive impairment. 
    6. Problems with words in speaking or writing. Clients may stop in the middle of a sentence and have no clue what they were talking about. Or they may not be able to find the right words to express themselves or use inappropriate words.
    7. Misplacing things or losing the ability to retrace steps. Repeatedly losing account statements or financial correspondence fits the dementia profile.
    8. Decreased or poor judgment. People with Alzheimer’s often have changes in judgment or decision-making. They may make inappropriate investments or charitable donations, or fall victim to phone or Internet scams.
    9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. If a client retires unexpectedly or becomes reclusive, this may indicate cognitive difficulties.
    10. Changes in mood and personality. A normally friendly client can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious.

    If you notice one or more of these red flags, immediately document them in the client’s file. If they persist, seek advice from your compliance and legal experts in order to determine appropriate next steps.

    Originally Posted at LifeHealthPro on March 13, 2012 by Harry Lew.

    Categories: Industry Articles
    currency