Thought for the day:
Ability is what you’re capable of, motivation determines what you do and attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

If you will read no further:
You are correct when it occurs to you that everywhere you look today is seems like financial advisers are discussing Social Security strategies, retirement planning and the inclusion of annuities as a part of their recommended strategies. No one is a better resource than our own Josh Ver Hoeve the human annuity encyclopedia. Call Josh (800)238-8144, for help with a retirement plan design or a second opinion on an existing annuity recommendation. You cannot rely on product information that is more than a week or two old as changes occur daily. In fact, lately Josh has had to refresh his knowledge each time when he returns from lunch. So when you call Josh, you know you are getting the best.

Important announcement:
Please welcome Mikah Fitzpatrick, our newest addition to Westland. She will be responsible for making sure you are properly licensed and contracted with each carrier as needed. She will also be working with Cynthia to make sure your business is processed as quickly and accurately as possible. Which reminds me; make sure you have your insurance license(s) in force and your CEs for LTCi and Annuities are current. Do not forget to take carrier specific product training prior to writing an annuity application. This is required in just about every state and for every carrier. If you are not sure, send a note to Mikah at Mikahf@westlandinc.com and she can quickly check it out for you.

Thought for the week:
You know how occasionally you wake up in the morning with a fresh idea, significant revelation or remembering an important item? This morning when I opened my eyes it occurred to me that this is the 40th anniversary of Westland Financial Services, Inc. In April 1974 the month of Fools Days (1st and 15th) we created a company that would ultimately play important roles in the development of the financial services industry. And over the years we have in fact, created an impressive record.
• We were the first insurance marketing company to form a vendor relationship with a securities broker dealer to provide insurance and annuity education and products to their representatives. That broker dealer was Private Ledger; now LPL Financial, one of the largest in the industry.
• We played a prominent role in the national rollout of Universal Life which, because of us, caught hold with Financial Planners well before it was accepted by life insurance agents.
• We were the first to create single premium polices using Universal Life to store Legacy Assets, accumulate them at competitive rates of return without taxes, with substantial liquidity and pass income tax free to the heirs. It was three years before the rest of the industry embraced SPWL.
• And most significantly, we developed the concept of Linked-Benefit Life in the form of Assured Care which became MoneyGuard which became the granddaddy of an entirely new product segment to address long-term care and has consistently increased yearly sales, currently exceeding $2Billion.
• We continue to lead the country in our knowledge, understanding and access to the best of these products like TLC from Genworth, Asset Care from State Life, Asset Preserver from New York Life and the Life Care rider from John Hancock.
• We provide leading edge services for conventional LTCi insurance as well, keeping the financial advisors current and exceptional in their recommendations to their clients.
• And now the latest innovation in life insurance is the accelerated benefit rider. No one should be paying for life insurance with a death benefit they cannot access early for chronic illness, critical illness or terminal illness. Our life department is unexcelled in the inventory and knowledge of the best of these products.

I tell you all this for two reasons: first, because I am proud of Westland’s people and our rich history; and second because I want to emphasize the leading edge nature of our unique company.

In an industry where all competitors have the same products paying the same commissions requiring the same administration to consummate business, Westland has consistently demonstrated a level of sophistication and professionalism that excels among our competitors. Who you rely on for assistance in recommending and placing your insurance business should be someone you would hire If you were creating your own “in house” insurance department. That is the caliber of knowledge and service we provide.

With the constant changes and innovations coming from the insurance industry now and in the years ahead, Westland Financial Services will continue as the leader in insurance and retirement planning.