Forbes Stories This Week – May 15
Here are this week’s Forbes stories:
- Surprise: You’ll Likely Need Long-Term Care: Features Jeff Photiades and is designed to support the ACB launch – however, mention of ACB is minimal because of state filing issues.
- 5 Tips For Negotiating The Pay Raise You Deserve: Good touch point for professionals.
- Changing Careers At 50 Without Missing A Beat: Features Jim Fitzgerald and promotes the Whitepaper that published this week.
- 5 Tips To Help Your Child Win The Internship Game: Good touch point for parents.
A Couple of Estate Planning Thoughts……
You forget what a Will doesn’t do
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a will has the final word. But if you have a 401(k), an IRA, insurance policies, and other assets with named beneficiaries, as well as the payable-on-death and transfer-on-death account mentioned above, that money will be distributed directly to the people named, even if your will states otherwise. So if your will says that you want your son to receive your life-insurance proceeds, but your ex-wife is still the beneficiary on record at the insurance company because you forgot to update your information, she gets the money.
Steer clear. Make a list of your assets with named beneficiaries, and review them at least every five years. Make sure that all documents still reflect your desires and that your beneficiaries and financial and health care proxies are still willing and able to serve. In addition, revisit your estate plan if Congress revises estate-tax laws or whenever there is a major change in your life, such as a birth, death, marriage, or divorce.
You overcomplicate your Plan
The federal estate- and gift-tax exemption is $5.43 million in 2015, up from $600,000 in 1997; it continues to increase with inflation each year. Spouses may combine exemptions, so they can leave or give away $10.86 million this year without their heirs owing federal estate tax (which can be as high as 40 percent). The Tax Policy Center estimates that just 0.14 percent of estates in 2014 owed federal estate tax, down from 2.3 percent in 1999 and 7.65 percent in 1976.
When the limits were lower, many married couples funded complex plans that often included a bypass trust to take full advantage of the estate exemption. The trust would include as much of the deceased spouse’s property that he could pass free of estate tax using his exclusion. The surviving spouse would often have access to the income from and the principal of the bypass trust during her life, but the bypass trust would not be part of the surviving spouse’s estate at death and would pass estate-tax-free to the beneficiaries.
In 2011 the law changed to make the deceased spouse’s exemption portable, offering couples the option to jettison the trust to avoid its drawbacks. For example, assets in a bypass trust won’t get a step-up in basis at the death of the second spouse, so the heirs could face big capital gains bills on appreciated assets. Depending on where you and your intended beneficiaries live, the income-tax savings from the step-up in basis may be greater than the estate-tax cost.
In addition, unless trust income is distributed, the income-tax penalty can be huge. That’s because a trust hits the highest income-tax bracket once it has more than $12,150 of taxable income. By contrast, a single individual doesn’t hit that bracket until his taxable income is more than $406,750.
Steer clear. You’re not likely to need a bypass trust to use both spouses’ exclusions. But if you already have one set up, talk to your attorney about what to do. Depending on your situation, you may still find a bypass trust worthwhile if you want to protect assets from creditors or ensure (in the case of a surviving spouse’s second marriage) that the money eventually goes to your own children.
Here are this week’s Forbes articles:
- The Upside Of Downsizing: How Two Families Cut Back For The Things That Matter Most To Them: Features families who found fulfillment by cutting back.
- Ask The Financial Expert: How Do You Make Sense Of Contradictory Economic Reports? (This month’s podcast – features Ron Joelson, John Mroz and Mark McLennon): Good general economic article.
- Should Your Business Consider Group Disability Insurance? (Features Manish Shah): This goes with Disability Insurance Awareness Month. Great touch point for anyone in the Group DI market.
- Staying Solo: Ways To Remain Independent As An Entrepreneur: Features different folks who are making freelance work.
Here are this week’s Forbes articles:
- What You Need To Know About Taxes After A Spouse Dies: (Features Patrick Horning in AP) This article is what it sounds like. There are a number of tax implications when a spouse dies. Most notably you go from being a married filer to a single filer and enter higher brackets sooner. But there are a number of other considerations.
- How Small Businesses Can Compete For Talent With Big Companies: Good Biz market touch point.
- Connecting And Empowering Women Through Mentorship: (Written by Jo Eisenhart). Good touch point for women.
- Finding Balance, Literally: The Best Exercises To Tune Up Your Equilibrium: Good general aging touch point.
| May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month – an opportunity to discuss income protection with prospects and clients as a crucial part of their comprehensive financial plan.
This month and throughout the year, help to educate your clients on the importance of Disability Income (DI) insurance, which protects the income that makes dreams possible – owning a business, sending children to college, leaving a legacy. Need a reason to start a conversation? There are great resources and marketing tools to help you show why DI is a key component of every client’s financial plan. Use these tools to continue sharing your conviction. Find a complete list of resources on LINKnet, including the following new and recently updated Disability Income (DI) tools: |
| What’s New | Audience | Details/Suggestions |
| Forbes Articles | Prospects and Clients | Northwestern MutualVoice on Forbes.com will feature two articles about disability income insurance during the month of May. These articles highlight both individual and group disability. They also describe the value of disability income insurance for businesses. Pre-approved social media posts are available in the social media portal (Hearsay). Share these articles with your clients to highlight the benefits of disability income insurance. |
| Disability Income MultiLife Program Enhancements | Prospects and Clients |
MultiLife Programs: Disability Income enhancements provide additional opportunities for clients to obtain DI through the MultiLife Discount Program.
· Changes to current Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) program: Increasing the maximum limit for non-medical occupation groups · New discount program: Northwestern Mutual Group Supplement Discount Program (5-9 lives) · DI MultiLife Discount Program Checklist (26-4240) · DI Group Supplement Discount Program Checklist (26-4702) Use this piece with your clients or prospects: · Protecting Your Business Is Our Business – Individual DI MultiLife Capabilities (26-4112) |
| DI Explainer Video | Prospects and Clients |
A new video: Help Protect Your Paycheck with Disability Income Insurance explains the importance of disability income insurance to prospects and clients.
To share the video with clients and prospects, visit Explainer Videos on LINKnet (keyword search “Explainer Videos”) for the following tools: · Printable 1-page flier · Pre-approved email for sharing video · Blurb for your website (available in E-Manager) · Pre-approved social media post (available in the Social Media Portal)
Look for a LINKnet news article that highlights this new video in May! |
| Sales Talk | Financial Representatives | Need new sales tips and ideas? Rick Vogt, product & competition consultant, shares the importance of maximizing your clients’ income protection. He highlights the resources and tools that are proven to resonate with clients and prospects. Also hear Financial Representative/Group DI Specialist Tyler Smith of Atlanta (Wright network office) describe how the new DI MultiLife plan enhancements will impact your clients’ plans as well as your practice. |
| Client Story Video | Prospects and Clients |
“You don’t think something like a disability can impact your business.”
Watch how a disability overhead expense policy helps Tim Bauer, his partners and his company, Valore Partners, overcome a sudden and unexpected medical condition. This video will be available mid-May! |
| Additional Support: |
| · Visit the DIAM Page on LINKnet
· Questions on: o Client list? Marketing Resource Center: 1-866-692-9165 o Product or competition? Sales Support: 1-877-926-1500, § Press option 2 for Individual DI § Press option 4, option 2 for Group DI o Group DI illustrations, underwriting, claims, billing, or policy change? Group DI administration: 1-800-378-4665 o Underwriting? IDI Underwriting Service Support: 1-877-392-3434 |
Here are this week’s Northwestern MutualVoice articles on Forbes.com:
- Finding Your Pace: What The Boston Marathon Can Teach You About Investing: (Jeff DeAngelis article) This article reinforces the slow and steady approach to investing and uses a very interesting stat from the Boston Marathon to drive home the value of the approach.
- 7 Tips For Managing Your Debt: Good financial planning touch point.
- 4 Questions To Ask Before Setting Your Retirement Date: (Rebekah Barsch article) Good retirement touch point.
- Helping Children Understand Wealth Before You Pass It On To Them: Good parenting touch point.
DREAM RUN 5K | SAN ANTONIO
Our office in San Antonio spent Saturday morning running for a cause. Northwestern Mutual was the presenting sponsor for the DREAM RUN 5K, a run that benefits the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Our staff along with clients and friends participated in the run.
Dream Run 5K Presented by Northwestern Mutual from Texas Financial Group on Vimeo.
| ACTION
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Accelerated Care Benefit arrives Monday, April 27
· Accelerated Care Benefit (ACB) is almost here for new issue 65 Life, 90 Life and Limited Pay Life! It’s available in most states Monday, April 27–See the product LINKnet page for state availability. · You can already preview illustrations in the Network Illustration System (NIS). Run samples to get a glimpse of this awesome new offering. · Starting Monday, April 27, use NIS to create the ACB Application Supplement. Try it out Monday and see how it looks. · If FRs aren’t seeing these options, be sure they are on LINK version 30.1. If they are on the proper LINK version and still have trouble, try these simple steps. 1. Close out of all LINK applications 2. Make sure they are connected to the home office and launch NIS 3. If your state has approved ACB but they are not able to illustrate it: close NIS, restart the computer, verify they are connected to the home office and try launching NIS again 4. If problems persist call Network Support at (800) 342-4820
Accelerated Care Benefit is an optional benefit that makes our permanent life insurance even more flexible and gives clients the opportunity to accelerate part of their death benefit to get reimbursed for eligible long-term care expenses. It will be a great new tool in helping clients plan for financial security.
FRs should have already taken steps to ensure they are LTC- product qualified which allows them to also offer ACB. An April 27 LINKnet article will include links to sales resources to help FRs offer ACB.
Please contact the Planning and Sales Support area with questions about the product itself and how to discuss it with clients (877) 926-1500 (follow prompts).
Information provided by Jill Maher |
Some of you have already noticed the updates to the brokerage Switch Form so we wanted to give you all a heads up about this. The Switch Form looks very different, and probably a little overwhelming at first, but it is actually designed to make things a lot easier for you when you’re filling it out. Here are a few of the benefits to the new form that you’ll notice:
- You no longer need to list out the assets being liquidated if you have a statement you can submit with the Switch Form! Please note that you will need to write some brief notes on the statement to provide us a little more information (see the instructions on the Switch Form for more detail). If you don’t have a statement, then you will need to complete a supplemental form to list out assets being sold.
- You no longer need to list out the assets being purchased if you have an investment proposal or variable annuity illustration you can submit with the Switch Form! If you did not provide a proposal or illustration to your client, then you will need to complete a supplemental form to list out the assets being purchased.
- You no longer need to try and write us a narrative of what took place! Instead of trying to guess what we want you to tell us in your rationale, the questions on page 1 of the form will guide you on what additional information we will need on page 2. There may be times that we will need more information than what you’ve provided, but for the most part it will be a lot easier for you to know what suitability info we need.
Until you are familiar with the new form, we strongly encourage you to carefully read through the instructions on each section and each question to make sure you’re covering everything you need to complete and submit. We also recommend everyone to submit their first few new Switch Forms to Emilio, Brenda or myself for pre-review before collecting the client’s signature. We’ll help you make sure you’re not missing anything.
Please note! At this time we do not have a deadline for when the old version of the Switch Form will no longer be accepted. If you already have a case in progress, you are welcome to use the Switch Form you’ve already started. That said, old forms are usually only accepted for about a month or two after a new version is released, so you may want to go ahead and use the new version if you aren’t close to submitting your case.
If you have any questions about this updated form, please feel free to contact any member of the Compliance Team.
Link to new Switch Form- http://fieldforce.nml.com/sites/linknet/fond/Documents/930141.doc
Here are this week’s Forbes articles:
- Saving For The Future? 1 Percent Can Mean A Lot: Good general financial planning touch point.
- Organizing Your Financial Paperwork: What To Keep And What To Toss: (Quotes Matt Johnston from AP) Good information about what you need to keep and what you don’t and when you can throw out your tax returns (hint – you don’t have to keep them as long as you might think!).
- Reinventing Retirement: Passing Your Legacy On To Multiple Generations: This is the digital version of an article that will appear in this month’s edition of Forbes Magazine. By the time today’s retirees die, many will have children that are near or already in retirement. If you have a large enough estate, that can cause potential tax issues. This talks about the how the concept of multi-generational planning can help your family avoid these issues.
- Can Health-Monitoring Technology Help You Live Longer?: Good general touch point about longevity.
As always, you can find these articles in Hearsay for publishing on Social Media: https://service3.nml.com/sm/aff/hearsay/index.html
GA075 – Month Supervisory Newsletter
April 2015
Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have.
From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to Case Notes/Switch Analysis Forms, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS) – Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS) – Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS)
Quote of the Month: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison
Be ready to sell Accelerated Care Benefit (ACB) on Day 1 by completing the following requirements:
Make sure you are product qualified.
Tuesday evening, April 7, another round of emails with the new LTC amendment will be sent to all financial representatives and their field director or college unit director who didn’t complete the signing process. The electronic LTC amendment to your contract allows for the solicitation of LTC products, including both standalone long-term care (LTC) and ACB. Watch your email for an opportunity to take advantage of this fast and efficient process.
Complete any Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements Get signed business associate agreements (BAAs) with third party vendors who will have access to LTC HIPAA personally identifiable information. The BAA instructions provide more information and a link to the BAA form.
WINGS Meeting: Scheduled for May 7th and 8th, 2015 — Austin, TX
Holding Guidelines for “A” Shares: The following holding guidelines apply to liquidations that will result in either a brokerage or advisory switch transaction:
Front end loaded products (Class A shares or annuities) should be held for at least 3 years from the purchase date before being liquidated when the original purchases occurred at NMIS and/or were recommended by a NMIS representative.
Licenses and CE: You are responsible for keeping up with your licenses and CE requirements. Please make sure you are licensed in the state you are doing business and that your CE is up-to-date. If not, you will not receive commissions and may be subject to receiving a Supervisory Memo and/or other disciplinary action.
Switch Forms: Need to Address the following Four (4) Topics in detail:
> Why did the client purchase the securities they are now selling?
> What has changed from then until now?
> Out of all the investment company products available for the client to switch into, why did the
client choose the securities they are now purchasing?
> Did you discuss with the client all the costs and fees associated with the transaction?
THE WOODLANDS CRAWPHISH FESTIVAL
On March 28th, many of our reps were in Town Green Park enjoying a beautiful day of crawfish, catfish, BBQ and lots of family fun. This annual festival raises awareness and funds for Pulmonary Hypertension. Jack Ingram, along with Jean Pierre and the Zydeco Angels, performed throughout the day.
The TFG-Austin community event this past weekend was a tremendous success! Corey, Hannah and Booker spent Saturday mandating a Northwestern Mutual table where they met with well over 75 individuals. They also covered a 3.1 mile radius around the church as Booker, his wife and son ran the 5k sporting our NM T-Shirts and caps.
The pictures above are from NM’s presence at St. James Missionary Baptist Church’s 8th ANNUAL MISSIONS 5K & 1K RUN AND WALK Benefiting Alzheimer’s.
Grow your marketing knowledge with this webinar series!
You and your staff are invited to participate in our upcoming webinar – “Thought Leadership Through Consumer Education” – the seventh in our marketing series.
In the last webinar, we shared ideas on how to make the most of your website to create an impactful first impression with new referrals, tell your team’s story, and provide a hub of information for your existing clients. Next, we’ll showcase a variety of brand-new tools to position you as a thought leader within your target markets. From seminars to webcasts to explainer videos and more, you have access to a wide range of tools to help educate your clients, open new conversations, and place you at the center of their financial lives.
Register Now!
Missed a prior webinar? Listen on-demand!
- Make The Most Of Your Website
- Crafting Your Social Media Strategy
- Maximize Your Marketing Potential
- Delivering the Ultimate Client Experience
- Leverage the 80/20 Rule
- How to Increase Repeat Sales
Presented By
Benefiting
Welcome to the Dream Run 5K! This 5K Walk/Run & Kids’ Fun Run will be on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 8am in support of Starlight Children’s Foundation.
The urgent need to find cures for childhood cancer, the leading cause of death by disease in children under 15 years of age, is driving powerful actions across the country. In just two years, Northwestern Mutual has contributed more than $6 million in the fight against childhood cancer and supported nearly 3,000 families. For more information, visitwww.Starlight.org.
This family-centric race event is presented by Northwestern Mutual San Antonio.
When: April 25, 2015 at 8am
Where: Éilan San Antonio [Directions]
REGISTER NOW
Join us for the Dream Run 5K Walk/Run!
Less than five percent of the National Institutes of Health total funding for cancer research supports childhood cancer research. That’s why Northwestern Mutual launched its Childhood Cancer Program in July 2012 to accelerate the search for cures to childhood cancers by providing research funds and support to families facing the daily struggles of this disease. Please help Starlight improve the life and health of pediatric oncology patients by creating a team or registering as an individual. Your donation will support the work they are doing! For more information, visit www.Starlight.org.
Registration Fees
Runners receive a Technical Race Shirt, bib, pins, and timing chip. This is a family-friendly, dog-friendly, and stroller-friendly event!
- $35 through March 31
- $40 through April 24
- $45 Walk-in registration (shirt not guaranteed)
- $15 Kids under 12 (cotton tee guaranteed through April 20)
Northwestern Mutual is making great advances regarding the look of its brand. Make sure that you are utilizing all the tools that are available to make your practice look fresh and relevant as well. Make sure your email signature reflects our new clean and classic look. The template is also attached in link.
Northwestern Mutual AutoSignature
An email signature identifies you as the sender, but as an associate of Northwestern Mutual it also identifies the brand. As a result, it’s important to communicate a consistent look and feel for the brand, especially when it comes to outside communications. Do not add other elements to the provided templates. Logos, quotes and personal sayings may represent your personal point-of-view, but they may not represent that of the Northwestern Mutual brand. Following the templates ensures consistency and, more importantly, protects the brand and its premium status.
To apply in Outlook, select Tools à Options à Mail Format à Signatures. Next, create a new signature, name it and cut and paste the template signature. Lastly, replace the information in the template with your personal name, title, home office address, phone, etc. Do not change the template formatting.
Template:
Norm Weston | Financial Representative
Address City, state zip
P: 123.456.7890 | F: 123.456.7890 | C: 123.456.7890
NOTE: Your email must include the approved disclosure based on your contract type, licensing and securities registrations. These are available on the AutoSignatures page.
To use social networking badges in your email AutoSignature requires that you have a profile submitted and approved through the Social Media Portal. Instructions for including social media badges appear on the AutoSignatures page.
Summary of AFR Training- FR Websites
Here are links to FR websites we would suggest looking at to get great ideas:
Selection Sunday has come and gone. Some teams snuck in, and some schools were left out. This year’s tournament will once again dominate the media landscape in March. And Northwestern Mutual will be all over it.
Visit the March Madness campaign home on Linknet for ideas and materials to engage your clients and prospects.
http://linknet.nml.com/sales_cycle/prospect_promotion/campaigns_initiatives/march_madness/index.htm
Here are a few ideas to make the most of this year’s tournament:
- Host your own bracket challenge. Use ESPN, CBS Sports or any of the other available bracket challenge tools. (Unfortunately, Northwestern Mutual discontinued its own bracket challenge this year.)
- Host a viewing party. Or join us for one. We are hosting a watch party at TopGolf West in Houston 4-7 p.m., Friday, March 20. Just $40 per person. Please RSVP with your total number of guests by Wednesday to JC or Kristi.
- Social Media – visit Hearsay to publish custom posts related to the tournament.
TFG Bracket Challenge – This year, we’ll have a special challenge for everyone in Austin, College Station, Houston, San Antonio and The Woodlands.
Visit the link below to enter your picks. This year’s prize pack is full of Rose Bowl gear and two tickets to an upcoming network office marketing event (or equivalent funding to host one of your own). Good luck!
Contact JC, Kristi or the marketing resource center (marketing@northwesternmutual.com, (866) 692-9165) if you need any assistance or ideas.
Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have.
From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to Case Notes/Switch Analysis Forms, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS) – Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS) – Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS)
Quote of the Month: “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” –Anatole France
We’re among the ‘World’s Most Admired’ – The 2015 FORTUNE® magazine “World’s Most Admired” rankings were recently released and Northwestern Mutual ranks second in the “Insurance: Life, Health” industry. Most notably, the company captured the highest ranking in six out of the nine categories, including:
Financial Soundness
Quality of Products and Services
Use of Corporate Assets
Social Responsibility
Quality of Management
People Management
The company is ranked second in Long-Term Investment.
WINGS Meeting: Scheduled for May 7th and 8th, 2015 — Austin, TX
Switch Analysis Form – New updated form coming with 60 days. More intuitive, easier to use.
Core Values – A Client-Centered Sales Approach – NM’s sales approach is based on a key concept – at all times, and throughout the client relationship, we put our clients’ needs and interests first. This concept is built into the mission and values of our company. It is the foundation of our network office culture, which is built on the needs-based selling, integrity and enduring relationships.
Suitability Should Always Drive the Sale: Suitability and risk tolerance, determined by fact finding, are cornerstones for the way we conduct our business.
Supervision Maintains our Competitive Advantage: Maintaining a client centered sales approach and a supervision system focused on that approach leads to a greater client satisfaction and persistency, fewer complaints, and an enhanced reputation that makes it easier for FR’s to approach prospects and make repeat sales to existing clients. Greater persistency can also lead to lower expenses and higher dividends, enhancing the competitiveness of our products.
https://nmtfg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Network-Sup-Newsletter-March-2015.ppt
January 1st, 1995, the San Antonio Northwestern Mutual district office opened its doors and Fernando Suarez assumed his role as Managing Director. Here are a few pictures of the celebration that was held in the San Antonio office.
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/02/26/where-are-they-now-doug-dawson
Where are they now: Doug Dawson
Published on February 26, 2015 at 1:01 am
Last update on February 26, 2015 at 1:28 am
BY DANIEL CLAY
Few people are good enough and devoted enough to become consensus All-Americans while pursuing a petroleum engineering degree.
Doug Dawson, a former Texas offensive lineman, managed to succeed in both.
Dawson, an academic and consensus All-American who played from 1980–1983, became a starter by sophomore year. But managing his full-time studies and full-time football career wasn’t easy.
“It means you have no life,” Dawson said. “The old college experience, you know, ‘Hey we’ll meet you out on one of the lakes,’ or ‘We’ll meet you out at Barton Creek’ — that was not my college experience. My college experience was studying and playing football.”
But the sacrifices Dawson made on the 40 Acres paid off. His accomplishments across the board at Texas caught the eye of teammates and general managers alike.
“Doug excelled at the fundamentals,” said Vance Bedford, current Texas defensive coordinator and a collegiate teammate of Dawson’s for two years. “He did the little things extremely well. The work ethic; you couldn’t say enough good things about Doug.”
The St. Louis Cardinals, currently known as the Rams, took Dawson in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Dawson played in eight seasons in the NFL. But what set Dawson apart from other NFL players is the way he prepared for his career after football.
Always wanting to stay a step ahead of the curve, Dawson began thinking about life after football as soon as he joined the NFL. After his rookie season, he passed the test to become a licensed stockbroker. Not long after that, he signed on with Northwestern Mutual and found himself balancing two careers at once.
“I had a couple of injuries about halfway through my career that kept me out of a couple of seasons during that 11-year span,” Dawson said. “That is when I decided to become a financial adviser.”
In the final season of his career, Dawson started as offensive lineman for a playoff-bound Cleveland Browns, which Bill Belichick coached. But he soon found out he was making more money working in his new job in his spare time.
When the 1994 season ended with a second-round playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dawson, then-33, decided to retire from football and become a full-time financial adviser.
“I kind of hit the ground running,” Dawson said. “When they start offering you less to play pro football than you make in your regular business … you start thinking it’s time to grow up and get a big-boy job.”
Although the careers are on opposite spectrums, Dawson finds many similarities between his former and current career — they have the same basic principles.
“As an offensive lineman, my job was to serve my quarterback and to block, and it’s a role where you’re not in the limelight,” Dawson said. “The more you learn to serve other peoples’ needs, the more successful you’ll become. In business and in work, you have to serve other people’s needs to be successful.”
Tuition costs are skyrocketing, student debt has been mounting, and some newly minted college grads are struggling to find meaningful jobs. And yet a four-year college degree has never been more valuable.
Proof that college still matters comes from a 2014 Federal Reserve of San Francisco study that found, on average, people with a bachelor’s degree earn $830,000 more over a lifetime than those with just a high school education.
So how does a family go about planning for a child’s higher education? As with any significant financial goal, there are a few key steps to keep in mind.
5 Steps To Help Make College Savings Manageable
1. Do the math. To set and achieve realistic college savings goals, start by understanding what college may cost. Don’t let the cost put you off, however. The actual, final price (or “net price”) you’ll pay for a specific college is the published price to attend that college minus any grants, scholarships and education tax benefits for which you and/or your child may be eligible. The College Board has an easy-to-use online net price calculator that can help you get a personalized estimate of what a particular college may actually cost you.
2. Open a college savings account. You have more options than ever when it comes to saving for college, ranging from tax-advantaged government savings plans (for example, 529 plans) to investments and permanent life insurance. To learn more about the pros and cons of your various choices, download a free copy of the Northwestern Mutual white paper “Saving for College with Confidence: Your Guide to Education Funding.”
3. Start right away. Look at your budget and come up with a realistic amount you can contribute each month. Even a small amount of money, if invested early, can become sizable through the power of tax-deferred compounding. For example, if you save $250 a month in a tax-deferred college savings plan and earn a 6 percent annual rate of return for your newborn child, you’ll have more than $148,000 for college when he or she turns 18. Use the College Board’s savings calculator to see how early and regular saving can make your money grow.
What if you put off saving and your child is now in high school? You still have an opportunity to save. Remember, college costs don’t arrive all at once; they stretch over a period of four years (or more). Even if you get a late start, saving now can still make a difference.
4. Get your kids involved. Start discussing college with your children in middle school or even earlier. Focus on the qualities they should identify in a good college for them, and help them see which options may be viable if they get good grades and receive merit-based aid. Encourage your kids to set aside part of their weekly allowance, summer earnings, and/or any cash gifts they receive for their own education. Every dollar they save is a powerful reminder that college is an important part of their future.
5. Don’t derail retirement. Many parents and grandparents view funding college as one of their most important financial priorities. However, don’t let your desire to fund your children’s education stall you from saving for retirement. Your child can always attend college by taking out loans (or maybe even with scholarships), but there’s no such thing as a retirement loan.
There’s a lot to balancing college funding with your other financial goals. For this reason, it often makes sense to speak with a financial advisor who can review your options and help create a strategy to help ensure you’ll be ready for college when your children are.
The Northwestern MutualVoice Team is a group of professionals who share insights and opinions from experts and industry leaders across the enterprise. Our vision is to inspire others to take action and plan for their financial future through topics ranging from financial planning, retirement planning and distribution strategies, wealth accumulation and preservation, to leadership, philanthropy and innovation.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2015/02/25/5-steps-to-help-make-college-saving-manageable/
New Website Designs (examples below)
–http://www.art-blick.com (Layout 1 – blue/gold)
–http://www.bradalderfer.com (Layout 1 – blue/teal)
–http://www.tekwiegert.com (Layout 2 – blue/gold)
–http://stuschlemeyer.nm.com (Layout 2 – blue/teal)
New Financial Security E-Brochures
https://media.nmfn.com/presentation/29-4639-PlanWiselyLiveConfidently/
http://linknet.nml.com/sales_cycle/prospect_promotion/seminars/interactive/index.htm
http://linknet.nml.com/sales_cycle/marketing_materials/catalog/29-5135.htm
Wondering where to get started? Here’s a quick and easy checklist to help get your promotional tools in order.
(Click the link to download. Sample screenshot below, too.)
Contact JC, Kristi or the Marketing Resource Center for more information about promotional tools that are available to you.
http://www.ajc.com/feed/business/northwestern-mutualvoice-what-yogi-berra-can-tell/f3yfG/
What Yogi Berra Can Tell You About Oil Prices
Jeff DeAngelis, CFA Jeff DeAngelis, CFA , Northwestern Mutual
Jeff DeAngelis is the chief investment officer of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company.
There’s an often repeated quip that says economic forecasters were invented to make meteorologists and astrologists look good. While the myriad of failures of economic forecasts are well known (I am not aware of any economist who has correctly predicted in real time every U.S. recession since World War II), it is the sorry fate of energy analysts to make even an economist’s cloudy crystal ball seem like a useful tool.
It often feels like no commodity on earth is studied more intensively by investors and governments than oil. Yet it also seems like there is no price that more routinely embarrasses forecasters, and its friends elsewhere in the energy complex, than oil. The past six years have amply demonstrated this trend. Expert opinion has veered from predictions of endless scarcity to endless glut—and back again. At the same time, the world’s most analyzed price plummeted from almost $150 per barrel of Brent crude down to $36 and then zoomed back up to $110 and, earlier this month, back down to $45, according to Bloomberg.
What Yogi Berra Can Tell You About Oil Prices
Let the experts debate peak oil, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) policy and the promised endless abundance of cheap North American shale resources. On the sidelines, the rest of us can safely conclude that when it comes to oil prices, they haven’t got a clue. As baseball legend, noted philosopher and honorary Ph.D. recipient Yogi Berra famously observed, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future” and “In baseball, you can observe a lot by watching.” With respect to the latest plunge in oil prices, Berra might have uttered his famous line, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
Energy markets are remarkable in their ability to swing from extreme optimism to extreme pessimism, with little room for neutral feelings. It seems probable that the current sudden collapse of oil sentiment into hopeless doubt is an overreaction. And the conventional wisdom on oil is frequently wrong.
In our view, the emerging bearish consensus on oil prices is yet another psychological extreme that will come to look foolish down the road. Yogi once said of a restaurant, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Based on current production levels, the same could be said of the short trade in oil.
The Magazine Cover Indicator
In tracing the history of sentiment extremes in oil, houses, stocks, currencies or virtually any other market, I have found magazine covers to be a useful and reliable indicator of turning points. By the time an idea reaches the cover of Time, Newsweek, or The Economist, often it has so permeated the general consciousness that it seems few people are left to be convinced. Major tops and bottoms are made in these environments. It’s when opinion becomes so one-sided that there’s only one direction in which markets may change their collective mind.
I have found that in general, the more informative the magazine cover “indicator” is, the more general interest in the publication and the wider its circulation will be. I therefore note with great interest that both Time and The Economist have made cheap oil the theme of their respective cover stories: The Jan. 17 cover of The Economist asked how falling oil prices offer a chance to “Seize the Day” to transform energy policy. Then a week later, on Jan. 22, Time magazine’s cover announced “Cheap Gas: How Long Can It Last? How Low Will It Go?”
Like most energy analysts, magazine editors have a terrible record of forecasting oil prices. A look back at the history of oil prices in relation to magazine covers since 1983 illustrates the point. Magazine editors have an opposing mindset for flagging tops and bottoms in oil prices. I have found that they tend to express anxiety about rising prices just before a collapse while extrapolating “low prices forever” just before a dramatic rise. Interesting—right?
Right now, the magazine cover indicator suggests the bottom in oil prices is near. While there are many good fundamental arguments to support this view, experience, humility and the wisdom of Yogi Berra remind us that such arguments are beside the point. As Warren Buffett, arguably one of the most respected investors, once said, “A prediction about the direction of the market tells you nothing about where prices are headed, but a whole lot about the person doing the predicting.”
Take It with a Grain of Salt
Consensus opinion on oil has become both overwhelmingly bearish and very widespread. The long, honorable tradition of forecasting folly argues that now is the time to think about positioning against both a further fall in energy prices and the deflationary expectations in the bond market. Nonetheless, I believe in the wisdom of Mr. Buffett’s advice.
So what does that mean for investors today? Take predictions with a grain of salt and avoid taking action solely because of them. Instead, seek out the guidance of a financial advisor. He or she can show you how to put market predictions into perspective and create a sound investment strategy that will help you reach your financial goals, no matter what makes the magazine covers.
Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.
The opinions expressed are those of Jefferson DeAngelis as of the date stated on this report and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that the forecasts made will come to pass. This material does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment. Information and opinions are derived from proprietary and non-proprietary sources.
Jimmy Siegel and Mike Slabic give advice to the Houston Chronicle about how to prepare for layoffs.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Financial-advisers-offer-tips-on-preparing-for-6083647.php?t=d3cf86061803b1021c&cmpid=email-premium
Financial advisers offer tips on preparing for layoffs
By Andrea Rumbaugh
Houston Chronicle, Business
February 16, 2015 Updated: February 16, 2015 10:59am
Low oil prices have upended the energy sector. Companies are slashing jobs, and employees are fearful for their financial future.
“It could be an unfortunate event for some employees or some people working in the oil industry,” said Peter Ip, relationship manager for Houston-based Kanaly Trust.
It’s not easy to plan for layoffs or periods of unemployment, but Ip said it’s important.
Among the many things to consider:
Understand your medical and health benefits. Through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, COBRA, a covered employee – as well as his or her spouse and dependents – can continue to be covered 18 months after being laid off.
Check your life insurance. If you have life insurance with a company, Ip said, that coverage will generally disappear after losing your job.
Those in an employee stock purchase plan need to decide if they want to keep the company’s stock. If the company is reducing staff, it might not be performing well.
Older employees thinking about early retirement need to ask some tough questions: Do your skills qualify you to land a new job? Have you saved enough for retirement? When do you want to start collecting Social Security? “They just need to look at everything holistically to understand the financial picture,” Ip said.
Those facing potential unemployment should use this time “to get your financial house in order.” Review beneficiary information on company sponsored plans, such as a 401(k) or life insurance policy. Evaluate estate plans. And know options for your 401(k) if you lose your job.
James Siegel and Michael Slabic, Houston-based financial advisers at Northwestern Mutual, discussed a big-picture approach to potential joblessness. “Making sure that a relatively short-term hiccup, like losing their job, is not going to affect their long-term plan,” Slabic said.
Diversification is king. If an energy employee is laid off, it’s important that 100 percent of his or her assets aren’t tied to energy. It’d be a double whammy to lose a job and then watch retirement savings and investments drop alongside the price of oil.
For short-term tips, they said it’s important to look at liquidity. Do you have an emergency fund? And like Ip, they discussed reviewing life and disability coverage. It’s also a good idea to look at the personal budget on a monthly basis and find areas to trim.
However, they said a lot of their clients remember the 1980s and are prepared. They’ve paid off mortgages, beefed up rainy-day funds and diversified investments.
There’s this “whole mantra of we’ve been through this before,” Slabic said.
This year we’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo at the ballpark. The Houston Astros host the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park.
Tickets are $50 each. Food and drink are included through this event in the newly renovated Club Section along the left field line. Tickets will be distributed based on demand in this order: Marketing Program FRs, Forum, and then by request order. Please request tickets from JC or Kristi as soon as possible to make sure you and your clients can attend.
We have prepared an invitation for you to use to send to your clients once tickets are purchased.
In the link below, there is a Marketing Actions Checklist that will help you organize your marketing tactics. Marketing items from Hearsay Social to Segmenting your clients are included on this checklist. Use this tool to help your practice grow and develop from a marketing standpoint. If you have any questions about utilizing any of these tools, reach out to either JC Woods or Kristi Handel.
MARKETING WEBINAR SERIES:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Grow marketing knowledge and tool usage with this engaging webinar series!
What is it?
An exclusive series focused on marketing strategies, tactics and tools to grow your knowledge and skillset.
How long are they?
Each module is relevant and intended to be short (20-30 minutes) and impactful.
How do I sign up?
Prior to each webinar, you will receive an e-mail invitation. The email will include an overview of the webinar, date and time, and links to register.
Can I watch them on-demand?
Yes! Within 48 hours of the live webinar, you will receive an e-mail with a link to the recorded version.
Schedule:
| Topic | Date | Time (CST) | Target Audience |
| Increase Your Repeat Sales | Listen here | Over 5 FR, AFR | |
| Leverage the 80/20 Rule | Listen here | Over 5 FR, AFR | |
| Delivering the Ultimate Client Experience | Listen here | Over 5 FR, AFR | |
| Maximize Your Marketing Potential | Listen here | FR, AFR | |
| Social Media Strategy | Listen here | FR, AFR | |
| Maximizing Your Website | March 10, 2015 | 10:00 am | FR |
| March 11, 2015 | 2:00 pm | AFR | |
| Thought Leadership Through Consumer Education | April 7, 2015 | 10:00 am | FR, AFR |
| April 8, 2015 | 2:00 pm | FR, AFR | |
| Creating a Marketing Plan That Yields Results | May 5, 2015 | 10:00 am | FR |
| May 6, 2015 | 2:00 pm | FR | |
*Dates and times are subject to change with advance notice
Here are this week’s Forbes articles:
- 4 Secrets To Acing A Business Pitch: Good touch point for the entrepreneur crowd. The group mentioned in here (CEO) is one that the college intern folks in Field Growth have a relationship with.
- Market Movers: 5 Key Indicators To Watch In 2015: This is the monthly Jeff DeAngelis Column. It’s good general investing touch point.
- How Drew Brees Is Helping Teen Entrepreneurs Score Success: You’ll notice a business/entrepreneur’s theme. That will continue over the next month. This was timed to go with that little game that the Packers should have been in this weekend.
- 5 Tips For Achieving Work/Life Balance In 2015: Good general touch point.
Here are this week’s TIME INC. articles:
- Left Brain Finances for Right Brain Thinkers: Good touch point for folks who are more creative than financially inclined.
Here are this week’s Forbes articles:
- Does Medicare Pay For Long-Term Care?: As we all know the answer is no. This is a good touch point for anyone having conversations about LTC.
- Home Away From Home: Buying Real Estate In Your Kid’s College Town: If you’re willing to deal with the hassle, it might be a money saver! This is a good touch point for established families.
- 5 Tips For A Happy Retirement Abroad: This features Ruth Driscoll. It’s a good retirement touch point for clients who prefer adventure!
- Want Help Reaching Your Investing Goals? Focus on Process, Not Performance: This is a good general investing touch point.
Here are this week’s TIME articles:
- Addicted To Technology? Good Reasons To Take A Tech Break: Good general touchpoint, now put your phone down ;).
- The Benefits Of Buying Life Insurance When You’re Still Young: This features Al Schor, it originally published on Forbes.com.
Summary of AFR Training- Professional Profiles
Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have.
From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to Case Notes/Switch Analysis Forms, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS) – Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS) – Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS)
Quote of the Month: “Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic.”
40th Southern Regional Meeting: Scheduled for February 5-7, 2015 — Dallas, TX
Use Social Media to Help Build your Business:
* Learn more about clients, prospects or recruits
* Expand your network
* Stay in touch with or in front of clients, prospects or recruits
* Be discoverable in social media, leave a positive first impression with potential prospects
* Position yourself as a subject matter expert / expert in your field
News Brief Email Newsletter : News Brief provides a monthly communication sent to your clients and prospects directly from you. The newsletter includes various articles of interest and includes your photo and contact information, and more.
Wealth & Planning Email Newsletter for Wealth Management Advisors (WMA): Wealth & Planning is a quarterly email newsletter available for WMAs to send to clients, prospects, and centers of influence — personalized with your name, photo, and links to your website.
Affinity Fund Partners: Affinity means “similarity”. The Affinity Fund Partners (AFP) were selected because they share our commitment to doing what’s right for investors. By working closely with a few fund families that have an investment philosophy and business model consistent with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS), clients hear the same message across multiple platforms, whether they are focused on retirement, college savings, or advisory services. Look to the Affinity Fund Partners for help in providing solutions, resources and a streamlined investment process designed to help build lasting relationships.
Speaking Engagements: As your experience, knowledge and expertise grow, you may be invited to give, or decide to give, a presentation to other financial representatives, clients, professional organizations, or to the general public. Prior to presenting on insurance, investment or advisory topics, please submit a completed Speaking Engagement Approval Request (SEAR) to your director of network office supervision (or field supervisor). Your director of network office supervision (or field supervisor) will review your request.
Complaint Handling:
Financial representatives and field office staff may not independently respond to a client’s complaint or try to negotiate a settlement. Immediately notify your field supervisor whenever you think you have received a communication that may be a complaint.
Definition of a complaint: A complaint is a written communication, primarily expressing a grievance received from an applicant, policy-owner, client, prospective client, payer or beneficiary, or from someone acting or writing on their behalf, or from a member of the general public.
Network Sup Newsletter – March 2015
Get into the game and fight childhood cancer
Dec. 22, 2014 – Wondering how to activate your social networks around Northwestern Mutual’s sponsorship of the 2015 Rose Bowl Game? Be part of the Rose Bowl activity by using the following opportunities:
Participate in our #NoOneWinsAlone campaign:
Northwestern Mutual knows that success both on the field and off is never the result of just one person. Tell us what inspires you on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #NoOneWinsAlone and be featured in our campaign. Find out more here.
Publish pre-approved Rose Bowl social media posts:
Be sure to check the Social Media Portal content library for the latest pre-approved Rose Bowl social posts for your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
Subscribe to the Childhood Cancer Program Rose Bowl social media campaign:
Northwestern Mutual will be hosting a childhood cancer patient and his family at the Rose Bowl. During a special on-field presentation honoring this child, we will be inviting fans to text to donate to our philanthropic partner, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, to raise funding for childhood cancer research.
A social media campaign is available so you can share this special experience and involve others in supporting the fight to find cures. If 5,000 people text to donate, we will raise enough money to fund a year of research – so help spread the word.
Follow us on Instagram:
We just launched our official Northwestern Mutual presence on Instagram! Please note that while Instagram is currently only approved for corporate use, you are welcomed and encouraged to engage (via likes and comments) with us on Instagram.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact the Marketing Resource Center, (866) 692-9165.
Join the millions watching the Rose Bowl game and parade on New Year’s Day and you’ll see a familiar presence.
As the presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl Game®, Northwestern Mutual will appear prominently on stadium signage, the mid-field logo, tickets and uniform patches. A new TV advertising campaign that features some of our financial advisors will launch during the game, where Oregon and Florida State will do battle in a semi-final of the inaugural College Football Playoffs.
Join the celebration
Jan. 1: Tune into the Rose Parade, stepping off at 10 a.m. CT (8 a.m. PT) on ABC. Watch the Rose Bowl Game, kicking off at 4 p.m. CT (2 p.m. PT) on ESPN. See four minutes of new commercials throughout the game.
Check out Rose Bowl themed merchandise in the Promo Shop.
Rose Bowl content will be available through Hearsay.
Northwestern Mutual, in its first year as presenting sponsor, will double its presence in this year’s parade with two floats.
Millions of viewers
“The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game are New Year’s Day family traditions,” said Conrad York, vice president of marketing. “It’s exciting to tell our story to a large, diverse and affluent audience that closely fits the profile of our clients and prospects.”
Rich Chinen, 2015 Tournament of Roses president, praised Northwestern Mutual’s embrace of the Rose Bowl relationship: “We can’t imagine a partner with more enthusiasm. It’s a perfect fit, especially around this year’s Tournament of Roses theme. Northwestern Mutual is all about ‘Inspiring Stories,’ for the wonderful causes they support and in the work their representatives do for clients and their families.”
Inspiring potential
One of the company’s floats, “Inspiring Potential,” showcases how NCAA® student-athletes embody our values of hard work, discipline, teamwork and planning. On board will be six current athletes who have shared stories of perseverance and commitment. In addition, the float will feature three professionals who have proven how their former student-athlete NCAA experience has led them to successful careers beyond sports.
The other float, “Celebrating Greatness,” pays homage to the game’s history while giving a glimpse of its exciting future with Northwestern Mutual sponsorship through 2020. Both feature brilliantly colored floral displays.
Visit this link to view the article:
http://www.mdnews.com/news/2014_12/minimize-risk-to-maximize-business-potential.aspx
DECEMBER WinGS
WinGs was held on Friday, December 12th. During our time at the Houston Racquet Club, our firm shared and developed goals for the coming 2015 year. The topics covered included marriage and family, spiritual growth, business, physical growth, financial growth, mental growth, community involvement, hobbies and vocational pursuit. Members on our team shared their personal experience in these areas. If you would like more information about what was covered, reach out to the individual who led the topic you are interested in hearing more about. Also, all the handouts given out during the WinGS meeting are at the bottom of the post. Below is the list of people who spoke:
Mental Growth: Jennifer Steil
Marriage and Family: Barret Kolle
Community: Mike Slabic
Financial Growth: Jamie Sharples
Spiritual Growth: Bryce Burch and Ryan Kimbro
Hobbies: Rick Thurman
Vocational Pursuit: Jeff D. Reeter
Five Priorities for 2015
Your M.A.P Workbook
How to Register for American College
The 2015 Incentive Plan was announced at the December WinGS meeting. Please follow the link below to review the incentives that will begin in January 2015.
Follow the link for an article about a special Christmas that Stephen Ratcliffe, an FR in the Charlotte area, is creating for kids in his area. Christmas time is a season of giving, but it’s also a time when the struggles of those less fortunate are magnified.
Please consider how you can make a difference for people in your own community this holiday season. The smallest action can make a big impact on those in need.
When
Friday December 12, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM CST
Add to Calendar
Contact
Maria Velez
Northwestern Mutual
713-972-8023
maria.velez@nm.com
WinGS – Ready. Set. Plan.
Are you ready to make 2015 the best year of your life?
As we close out 2014, it’s time to take serious look at your ambitions and goals for the coming year. Between now and the upcoming WinGS meeting on December 12, use the packet provided in this post to help you plan for an amazing year.
Think about all areas of your life: Family, Spiritual, Business, Physical, Financial, Community, and Hobbies. How can you make improvements in these areas and realize your full potential?
This is an exciting time as we all come together with a common vision and purpose. How will you make an impact in 2015?
Follow this link to download the “Ready Set Plan” guide for 2015. Or pick one up at the front desk in the Network Office. Copies have been sent to the district offices and should arrive shortly.
Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have.
From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to Case Notes/Switch Analysis Forms, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS)
Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS)
Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS)
Quote of the Month: “Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
Account transfers no longer necessary for inherited trust securities: In the event of a client’s death, assets are generally transferred to a new account. That’s about to change for trust accounts. Now, the existing account can simply have the cost basis adjusted for inherited securities:
- Held in a trust account (if the trust assets are included in the decedent’s gross estate for U.S. Federal estate tax purposes).
- If securities were sold after an owner’s death but before being transferred to a beneficiary’s account (to update realized gains/losses).
- To update inherited securities to an alternate valuation date.
New form available: A new form is available to adjust the cost basis on trust accounts for inherited securities – the Cost Basis Adjustment for Inherited Covered and Non-Covered Securities (92-0743).
Continuing Education (CE): To review your 2014 NMIS CE training requirements, go to the NMIS CE Section of LINKnet.
40th Southern Regional Meeting: Scheduled for February 5-7, 2015 — Dallas, TX
Blank or Incomplete Forms – REMINDER:
- Requesting anyone to pre-sign a form (i.e., sign an incomplete or blank form) is prohibited.
- Neither a representative, nor a staff member, may ask or permit a client to sign a form “in blank,” even if it is for the client’s convenience or at the client’s request.
- Only forms that have been duly executed by the client after information on the form has been properly completed will be accepted.
- Once a client has signed a document, no changes may be made to anything that appears above the client’s signature.
Solicited versus Unsolicited:
Solicited (will be the vast majority of times): A transaction is considered to be solicited if the security being purchased or sold was brought to the attention of the client through:
- Direct verbal communication (for example, phone, in-person, etc.)
- Written or electronic communication
- The delivery of promotional material or research (even at the client’s request).
- Keep in mind that an order is considered solicited when you discuss any of the merits of a particular security with the client, even if the client initiates the conversation about that particular security.
Unsolicited:
Keep in mind that an order is considered solicited when you discuss any of the merits of a particular security with the client, even if the client initiates the conversation about that particular security.
Only transactions initiated or requested by the client without your solicitation, recommendation, or discussion are considered “unsolicited.” Orders for transactions that are unsolicited and inconsistent with the client’s stated investment objectives should be accompanied by the Letter of Non-Solicitation or a signed letter from the client detailing the rationale behind their decision
Message from the home office about new LinkedIn policies.
Northwestern Mutual is committed to periodically reviewing its policies and procedures regarding social media use to help you grow your business the right way.
As a result, we are happy to announce that the LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements section will no longer be prohibited for use. While this change increases your marketing flexibility, there are important guidelines and best practices to consider:
On a basic level, LinkedIn is similar to an online resume that highlights professional experience, specialties, etc. to share with and engage a network of friends, family and professional contacts. To share a deeper understanding of your practice, you should continue to direct your contacts to your Northwestern Mutual approved website. If you haven’t already added it, your profile should include a hyperlink to your website, or to your office website if you are a recruiter.
Be mindful of the Skills and Endorsements you choose to display. Make sure that it is reflective of your qualifications and experience. Remember that choosing not to accept certain Skills and Endorsements may actually better position you as an expert.
Do not confuse written LinkedIn “Recommendations” with an “Endorsement” of a specific skill. The rules for written LinkedIn Recommendations still apply and have not changed.
For additional guidance on how to best use social media, contact the Marketing Resource Center at (866) 692-9165.
LINKnet keyword search “social media”
Wish your clients a Happy Thanksgiving
Nov. 05, 2014 – Registered financial representatives can now take advantage of an additional e-newsletter opportunity by signing up contacts to receive the Thanksgiving e-card.
The card contains a holiday greeting. It is intended to generate goodwill and serve as an additional touch point to your prospects and clients. You can preview the e-card that clients and prospects will receive.
Use the E-Manager subscription tool to sign up contacts today for this extra send – find instructions on LINKnet. Like our e-newsletters, the card will be sent automatically to your contact list and appear as though it’s coming directly from you.
The opportunity is free for current e-newsletter users (News Brief, Wealth & Planning). New users will be added to the program and can learn more on LINKnet.
Please note these dates regarding the e-cards:
- Now through Nov. 21: Select or add recipients using the E-Manager tool.
- Nov. 21: Last day to subscribe contacts
- Nov. 25: Card is emailed to your selected contacts
- Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
Grow your marketing knowledge with this webinar series!
You and your staff are invited to participate in our upcoming webinar – “Maximize Your Marketing Potential” – the fourth in our marketing series.
In the last webinar, Aaron Young, Financial Advisor from the Rivers Network Office, shared his tips on creating a unique client experience and developing an actionable touch plan. What are some automated, turn-key touches that you need to be using? How can you implement tactics that are “low input, high impact”?
Join us for this 30-minute session as we showcase the tools that will help you stay top-of-mind with your clients and prospects!
Register Now!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014 – 11 am ET / 10 am CT / 8 am PT
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 – 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 12 pm PT
Missed a prior webinar? Listen on-demand!
Delivering the Ultimate Client Experience
Are you ready to make 2015 the best year of your life?
As we close out 2014, it’s time to take serious look at your ambitions and goals for the coming year. Between now and the upcoming WinGS meeting on December 12, use the packet provided in this post to help you plan for an amazing year.
Think about all areas of your life: Family, Spiritual, Business, Physical, Financial, Community, Social and Hobbies. How can you make improvements in these areas and realized your full potential.
This is an exciting time as we all come together with a common vision and purpose. How will you make an impact in 2015?
Follow this link to download the “Ready Set Plan” guide for 2015. Or pick one up at the front desk in the Network Office. Copies are being sent to the district offices and should arrive shortly.
Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have. From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to U4 Disclosures, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS)
Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS)
Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS)
Quote of the Month: “People are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit and seldom draw to their full extent.”
Thanks! – The annual audit was recently completed. It went very well thanks to all of you doing business the right way.
Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP ™): The RICP™ designation will show you how to create sustainable retirement income for your clients, covering all of the best techniques that are working now; using a practical, comprehensive, and current approach. Type in “RICP” in LinkNet for more information.
Continuing Education (CE): To review your 2014 NMIS CE training requirements, go to the NMIS CE Section of LINKnet.
Emails: When sending an email to an outside email address, you are required to encrypt any message that
includes content or attachment(s) containing personally identifiable information. This includes not only information
sent in the original outbound message, but also information contained anywhere in a string of messages that you
reply to or forward. The encryption policy can be found in the Field Compliance Manual.
Switch Suitability Analysis: You can speed up the review process by thoroughly completing the switch form and adequately detailing: the transaction, your suitability analysis, and why the transaction is suitable for the client. Before submitting the form, consider if it addresses the: disadvantages, advantages, and expenses of the transactions as well as the reason for the transaction and the client’s time horizon.
The fact that you made the required disclosures and discussed the information used in this analysis with the client must be well documented both on the form and in case notes to facilitate the review process, address regulatory expectations, and protect yourself should there be a client complaint or regulatory inquiry.
Here are this week’s Forbes stories:
- Hot Commodities: Why Colleges And Universities Are Focusing On Financial Planning Grads (This is great for offices’ recruiting efforts! This article is good both for young people looking at a career in financial planning and for their parents. It’s also a subtle reminder to the reader that most of us will need to do this kind of planning. The article quotes Michael VanGrinsven and some professors our Field Development folks have worked with): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/10/06/hot-commodities-why-colleges-and-universities-are-focusing-on-financial-planning-grads/
- How To Make The Most Of The Sharing Economy (Good general non-business touch point): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/10/07/how-to-make-the-most-of-the-sharing-economy/
- How To Make Financial Planning Easy With A Simple Checklist (Good touch point for new clients or anyone who needs a little help budgeting. This article quotes Matt Carothers from the Kiecker NO): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/10/08/how-to-make-financial-planning-easy-with-a-simple-checklist/
- Protecting Your IRA For The Future: What You Need To Know About A Recent Court Case (This is a bit more of a niche, but an important one for any client who has inherited an IRA. A recent Supreme Court ruling means the inherited IRA isn’t protected during bankruptcy. While this isn’t like to directly affect a lot of our clients, it’s a good reminder that we stay on top of this kind of stuff): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/10/09/protecting-your-ira-for-the-future-what-you-need-to-know-about-a-recent-court-case/
- Want The Support Of A Professional Sponsor? Earn It. (Jo Eisenhart Column. This is good content for anyone in the professional market – especially women): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/09/22/want-the-support-of-a-professional-sponsor-earn-it/
- Out Of Office In An Always-On World: 4 Tips For Managing Email (Good non-business touch point): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/09/23/out-of-office-in-an-always-on-world-4-tips-for-managing-email/
- What You Need To Know Before Retiring Internationally (Interesting touch point for anyone approaching retirement): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/09/24/what-you-need-to-know-before-retiringinternationally/
- Should You Worry About Bonds Right Now? (Jeff DeAngelis Column. Good touch point for investors): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/09/25/should-you-worry-about-bonds-right-now/
Your Competitive Advantage: Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have. From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to U4 Disclosures, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS): 713-972-8059
Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS): 713-972-8058
Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS): 281-658-6828
Quote of the Month: “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” ~ Vince Lombardi
New Training Program: It’s exciting to announce for those that haven’t heard that we are putting a training course in place for the Series 6/63 exams. Virtual classes will be conducted by one of the top instructors in the country with the first class starting September 29th!! We hope to have classes two or three times per year and also plan to have a Series 7/66 class sometime early next year. Please contact Tom Mack if you have any questions about the program(s).
New FR Training Class: The September Team Camp recently concluded and there are several new faces in the offices. If you get a chance please introduce yourself to the new team members. Welcome to all the new FRs
Annual Compliance Meeting: REMINDER – Please plan on attending the Annual Compliance meeting to be held October 3rd at the Houston Country Club.
Continuing Education (CE): To review your 2014 NMIS CE training requirements, go to the NMIS CE Section of LINKnet.
Altered Documents: Please do not use white-out on any client documents. Once a client has signed a document, NO changes may be made to anything that appears above the client’s signature.
REMEMBER
- Requesting anyone to pre-sign a form is prohibited,
- Requesting or accepting a signed form from the client “in blank” is not permitted, and
- Only forms that have been duly executed by the client after information on the form has been properly completed will be accepted.
Annual Audit: An Audit team from the home office will be here starting Monday, September 22nd.
Additionally, to review your 2014 NMIS CE training requirements, go to the NMIS CE Section of LINKnet.
When
Friday October 3, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM CDT
Add to Calendar
Contact
Maria Velez
Northwestern Mutual
713-972-8023
maria.velez@nm.com
WinGS
Friday, October 3
8:00AM – 3:00PM
Houston Country Club
Please join us for WinGS. . .
Thursday, October 2, Flag Football – 5:30pm at Houston Christian High School
2700 West Sam Houston Pkwy N., Houston, TX 77043
Friday, October 3, WinGS – Compliance, Granum & CRM, Marketing Ideas and come hear our Forum producers share their business insights.
8am – 3pm, Houston Country Club
This is just a reminder that the Buettner Retirement Event is being held at the Omni Houston Hotel on October 8th. RSVPs are due to JC soon.
We still have some hard copies of the invitation if you are wanting some to send to your clients. Contact either JC or Kristi to get these invites.
Grow your marketing knowledge with this webinar series!
You and your staff are invited to participate in our upcoming Leverage the 80/20 Rule webinar. As you know, your top 20% of clients are driving 80% of your revenue. Why not deepen your relationships with the clients that are driving the most revenue for your practice? This 30-minute presentation, our 2nd in the marketing webinar series, will walk you through how a segmented practice can help you grow your revenue, build on existing relationships, and ultimately increase the quality of referrals in your business. Everyone that attends will receive their client base in an e-mail to start the segmentation process!
Please click on a date below to register:
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 – 11 am ET / 10 am CT / 8 am PT
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 – 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 12 pm PT
Note:
There is not a call-in number. This webinar uses streaming audio. Your computer must have a sound card and speakers, as the sound will be streamed directly to your machine. Be sure to have your volume on before the webinar begins.
System Setup and Compatibility Check:
You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled to access this webinar. We recommend you test the computer you will be using to make sure you have the minimum technical requirements to support the presentation. Click here for additional help and to test your computer in advance.
Your Competitive Advantage: Please contact your Supervision team with any questions or concerns you may have. From questions on Outside Business Activities to Application Completion to U4 Disclosures, we are hear to help!
Tom M. Mack (DNOS): 713-972-8059
Emilio Gutierrez (ADNOS): 713-972-8058
Brenda Arriaga (ADNOS): 281-658-6828
Quote of the Month: “I don’t believe you have to be better than everyone else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be” ~ Ken Venturi
Learn and Earn: Have you started working on your designations yet? Our industry continues to get more complex and you can better serve your clients by increasing your knowledge and confidence. Reps with a CLU earn average incomes 12% higher than those with no designations. Add a ChFCwith a CLU, and average income increases 46%, and if you add a CFP to these your average income increases 123%!!
Internal Use Only ~ Confidential | Confidentiality and Courtesy to Others: When a client visits you in the office please meet with them either in your personal office or in one of the conference rooms. This will Insure the confidentiality of information rather than being discussed in the open.Please do not walk up and down the hallways talking on your headsets/cell phones. This not only disturbs fellow employees but such information should also be treated as confidential.
Annual Compliance Meeting: Please plan on attending the Annual Compliance meeting to be held October 3rd at the Houston Country Club. Further information will be provided as we get closer to the date but please mark your calendar for 10/03/14 for the meeting.
Outside Business Activities: Have you been asked to be on a board? Want to run for political office or become a landlord? If you are contracted or registered, you must obtain approval BEFORE you engage in any activity outside the scope of your contract. Please complete form #93-0086-02 and submit it to a Supervisory team member and allow a minimum of two weeks for approval. Questions? Contact Emilio Gutierrez at 713-972-8058 for further information.
Protect Your Passwords: Please pick secure, hard-to-guess passwords, change them often, and keep them protected. Contact Jenny Kocian at 713-972-8024 for further information
Continuing Education (CE): Please complete any CE as soon as possible. It is highly recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to complete. We have had several instances where Reps have waited too long to the point their licenses became inactive. Each individual Rep is responsible for keeping their CE up-to-date. Any questions contact Beverly Meek at 713-972-8026
Additionally, to review your 2014 NMIS CE training requirements, go to the NMIS CE Section of LINKnet.
Grow marketing knowledge and tool usage with this engaging webinar series!
On August 12th, the Marketing Webinar Series will go live! This is an exclusive series focused on marketing strategies, tactics and tools available for your FRs. Each module is relevant and intended to be short (20-30 min) and impactful.
Prior to each webinar, you will receive an e-mail invite to forward to representatives and their staff. The invite will include an overview of the webinar, links to the registration site and other relevant information. Within 24-48 hours after the webinar, you will receive a link to the recorded webinar and a list of the attendees. Please work with your consultant on additional ways to promote and leverage the series as a compliment to your marketing training efforts.
Series Schedule:
*Dates and times are subject to change with advance notice
Free, educational webcast to help start a retirement planning discussion with clients and prospects.
Event Information
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Time: 1:00 pm ET /Noon CT/ 10:00 am PT
Duration: 30 minutes (includes live Q&A)
Registration link: Register now
Invite your clients and prospects to attend!
Northwestern Mutual is presenting its next webcast in the consumer-facing webcast series, titled “Maximizing Social Security: How and When to Claim Your Benefit.”
Learn to navigate your Social Security options and make
informed decisions based on your unique circumstances
with attorney and retirement planning expert
Ruthann Driscoll from Northwestern Mutual.
Register for this 30-minute webcast with live Q&A to:
• Understand Social Security rules and guidelines
so you can make informed decisions.
• Learn how benefits can vary between ages 62 and 70.
• Discover often overlooked filing strategies to help maximize your benefits.
We’ve developed several promotional tools to help you spread the word, including a pre-approved email and social media posts. You can find more information and subscribe to alerts for future webcast opportunities on the LINKnet Webcast page.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage in a retirement planning conversation with clients and prospects—invite them to attend today!
Questions? Contact the Marketing Resource Center at 866‐692‐9165 or marketing@northwesternmutual.com.
We are partnering with the JJ Watt Foundation for its tailgate reception before the LSU vs. Wisconsin game to launch the 2014 college football season.
We will do more to help the JJ Watt Foundation deliver quality athletic equipment and opportunities to young champions in the Houston area throughout the year. And we will do our best to tie their efforts to our continuing support for families affected by childhood cancer. Please visit NMTFG.com regularly to discover how you can get involved.
pacesetter
weekly_leaders
Here are this week’s Forbes stories. As always, there are corresponding and pre-approved social posts in the social media portal for each:
I’m Okay, You’re Okay: 5 Tips For Giving Feedback That Works (good general touchpoint. This is geared toward managers, but can apply across the board for anyone looking to give someone feedback): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/07/21/im-okay-youre-okay-5-tips-for-giving-feedback-that-works/
7 Tips For Lending Money To Family (Good general touchpoint): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/07/22/7-tips-for-lending-money-to-family/
Risks In Retirement: Don’t Forget About Health Care Costs (This is good content for anyone who helps clients plan for retirement): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/07/23/risks-in-retirement-dont-forget-about-health-care-costs/
Investing In Your Life: 4 Ways To Strengthen Your Relationship (another good general touchpoint, this is advice to help people improve their lives): http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/07/24/investing-in-your-life-4-ways-to-strengthen-your-relationship/
You obviously won’t want set your money there. But during the moment Bidwell was killed and left the teams holding to his daughter, Violet Bidwell. All three landed recruiting classes have been ranked involving top 20 in the continent by Collegiate Baseball magazine last month, and those players are now on campus.
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Celek is improving at blocking, but he needs to raise more in the blocks. The Q is not the place to wear your Michael Jordan Rasheed Wallace or Carlos Boozer jerseys. Method alone, fans are turned to sure owners. Injuries tragically plagued this stars’ career, but let’s stick to the great parts of his duty.
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Capacity Building and Curriculum Workshop
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Free, educational white paper to aid financial planning discussions with clients and prospects
The new white paper, Building the Foundation for a Solid Financial Plan: Your Guide to Money Management, is an objective marketing tool that can aid your financial planning conversations with prospects and clients in a number of ways.
Use it to:
• Help prospects in the young professional market get started with financial planning.
• Send to established prospects before you meet so they can compare their approach and bring questions to your meeting.
• Help prospects understand how offensive and defensive strategies can work together to help them achieve their goals.
• Highlight ways to save while paying off debt strategically,.
• Empower clients to make an informed, unemotional decision (nice leave-behind).
• Keep the importance of long-term planning top-of-mind with consumers after a sale is not made.
• Aid a speaking engagement, such as a seminar.
It can be downloaded from northwesternmutual.com or your own website.
There is a form that must be completed for access; if one of your prospects or clients downloads it, you will be notified via the Lead Distribution System, and you can follow up directly on the topic.
This white paper features tips for:
• Managing your money for today’s needs and tomorrow’s dreams.
• Paying off your debt strategically.
• Protecting your income and your family.
This white paper can help make sure you’re spending, saving, investing and protecting your money the best way for achieving your goals.
Access your own preview copy of the paper along with promotional tools to help you spread the word, such as pre-approved emails, on the White Papers LINKnet page.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage in a valuable conversation with clients and prospects—invite them to download it today!
Please contact the Marketing Resource Center with questions, at (866) 692-9165.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
The Houston Omni | 4 Riverway, Houston, TX 77056
Event objective
Build awareness among clients and prospects about Northwestern Mutual’s newly enhanced comprehensive financial planning capability: a unique planning process to assist them in achieving their financial security needs, including their goals for retirement.
Strategy & tactics
- Host a high-touch, high-end evening reception featuring guest speaker Dan Buettner.
- Provide a shared opportunity for FRs and clients and prospects together to hear important messages about living a long and happy life.
- Deliver value through helpful and informative material provided by speaker
Attendees
- 25-30 FRs who have completed the Retirement Strategy and Allocation online training
- Participating FRs must have delivered a minimum three Retirement Allocation Modules.
- Participating FRs to invite 5-10 clients and prospects each for a total of 250 – 300 guests
- Top FRs in the retirement space (those with the most delivered Retirement Allocation Modules) may have priority seating or the opportunity to bring more guests.
- Each client/prospect will receive a copy of Dan’s book, The Blue Zones. (One per couple.) I have several copies in my office. They are $25 each.
Theme
Live Longer, Better: Best Strategies for Longevity, Wellness and Happiness
Speaker
Dan Buettner- New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned explorer (http://www.bluezones.com/)
- Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow who has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity, wellness and happiness.
- Go here to see Dan’s presentation via the TED lecture series. http://youtu.be/waGHi6aMzh8
- New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones and Thrive
- His work has been featured on CNN, Fox News Channel and ABC’s Good Morning America, Dr. Oz and his books have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
- In his dynamic presentation, Buettner discloses the well-being recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life and increase your happiness.
Dan’s message for living a longer, better life complements Northwestern Mutual’s emphasis on financial security and a thoughtful, holistic process for helping clients who seek to plan for their future. Lastly, an association with National Geographic provides a good opportunity to positively build the receptivity of another famous and strong brand, Northwestern Mutual.
Tentative Timeline
| Activity | Timeline |
| Lunch (10-12 Top FRs in the Retirement Market including MP and Dan) Location TBD | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. |
| Lunch (Over 5 FRs & their staff interested in the Retirement Market) Location TBD (Likely at the Network Office pending head count.) | 12:00-1:00 p.m. |
| Cocktail reception with heavy hors d’ oeuvres | 6:00 – 6:50 p.m. |
| MP introduces speaker | 6:55 – 7:00 p.m. |
| Keynote speaker | 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. |
| MP closes presentation | 8:00 – 8:05 p.m. |
| Dessert and Coffee | 8:05 p.m. |
Please contact me directly for more information.
Here’s Your Opportunity to Attend the Retirement School!
You’ve heard about Northwestern Mutual’s Retirement Strategy. You’re interested and excited about expanding your practice to include the opportunity to assist your clients in retirement. You’ve expressed interest in attending the Retirement School. Here’s your chance. The School has been expanded to two and a half days – added content!
The Retirement School can help you “take it to the next level” and increase your success in the retirement market by tapping the experts and sharing insights with your colleagues. The school provides focused instruction about Northwestern Mutual’s new Retirement Strategy, the retirement allocation models, implementing solutions, and liquidation considerations. In addition, the school will also cover broader retirement-related topics such as the six risks of retirement, social security and the Affordable Care Act. Note: This School has significantly new content than the Retirement Schools held in 2009 and 2010; as such, those who attended a Retirement School prior to June 2011 are encouraged to attend again. Attendance is limited to foster participation.
You have two opportunities to attend the school in Fall 2014: September 8-10 or October 20-22.
Pre-Requisites: The school builds on the foundational knowledge provided by completing the online training and running plans for clients. It is not designed to be an introduction to the Retirement Strategy. As such, there are 3 FIRM pre-requisites that every registrant must complete:
1. Take the Retirement Strategy and Allocation online course.
2. Read the research document (“white paper”): Inside the Retirement Allocation Models.
3. Run at least 2 plans in the new Retirement Allocation module in PPA.
Eligibility: The Retirement School is for financial representatives (all models) as well as staff who attend with his or her financial representative. AFAs and AWMAs working for financial representatives who have already attended a Retirement School will be accepted if space is available.
Tuition: $250 tuition will be charged to your 120 Account at the conclusion of the school.
Registration: Register for either the September or October school by clicking on the following link: https://service3.nml.com/sm/aff/meetingreg/index.html no later than July 25, 2014. Your registration will be confirmed via e-mail after verification of completion of the above-stated pre-requisites. Due to the high demand for the school, failure to complete pre-requisites within one week of receiving confirmation will result in cancellation of your registration to allow other advisors who have completed the requirements to attend the school. It is highly recommended that you complete the pre-requisites as soon as you register.
Here are this week’s Forbes stories. As always there are pre-approved social posts in the portal for each:
Please join us for our Annual Dinner in a new day and location
The Iron Horse Hotel – The Gallery Room
There are less than two weeks left to raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to fund childhood cancer research. Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved so far! Your participation matters – click here to view a special message from ALSF.
Only Have 5 Minutes? Here’s A Quick Way to Participate:
Use the branded emails in the Field Toolkit to ask for donations to our team’s fundraising page. Just click on the email you want to send, insert this link: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1114338 add your name to the bottom, and send it to everyone you know. (Financial Representatives can also use the “Race for Research” social media posts available in the Social Media Portal.) Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank YOU for supporting the fight against childhood cancer,
