President's Message
By John Rippinger
CLU, ChFC, CFP™, LUTCF, RHU, REBC, RFC, LTCP, CSA

In our last newsletter, I speculated on the outcome of the presidential election. Well, the new administration is in with a new agenda and we (the insurance brokers) are on their short list for replacement. The health insurance industry is the main target but make no mistake, there will be collateral damage in the life, annuity and LTCI areas as well. Please read Blair Farwell’s article in this edition to get his take on what’s going on in Washington. I’m going to let you read a recent Code Blue Communication from NAHU and see if you get their drift.

“Action Required to Preserve the Role of Agent/Broker in Health Reform. Make sure that Congress and the President understand the value of the Agent/Broker
The debate over comprehensive health reform gets more intense with every passing week. As Congress and President Obama consider health proposals for national health reform, it is critical that they understand exactly how agents, brokers and consultants serve American health care consumers. There are some policymakers who think agents and brokers add unnecessary expense to the cost of health insurance. Some believe a government-run entity can substitute for the role and value of professional benefit specialists. We need to make sure that all members of Congress and the President are clear on the value of the agent and broker – it’s the only way to preserve our role in a reformed system.”

If you are not a member of NAHU or NAIFA, join now. Call or email our health division and ask to be put on the NAHU forwarding list. We will then send you, via email, all of the hot topics of concern to our industry. Those emails will contain links which enable you to send your Congressman and/or Senators messages voicing your concerns. NAHU makes it simple. All you have to do is enter your zip code and they will direct the pre-drafted letter to the appropriate parties on your behalf. This is our future. I was in Washington in 1993 when Hillary and Bill tried to hijack our business; and with grassroots support, we were able to keep the health business in the private sector. Our Vice President of the Group Benefits Division, Blair Farwell, is going to bat for us now so let’s all lend him a hand.

And now let me move on to more pleasant topics. Everyone here at Resource Brokerage had a wonderful time at our open house in February. We had a full house and our brokers seemed to make it around the office with a glass of wine to visit the employees that they work with on a regular basis. Our Resourceful Marketing™ seminars as well as the InsuranceLook.com™ presentations were well attended and are now being put to good use by the attendees. Everyone enjoyed the music from the Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra, one of the many charitable organizations we support. We look forward to hosting more of these events in the future.

Talk about a great turnout….The Sky Is The Limit III had over 250 attendees who heard Bill Cates, The Referral Coach, give us at least a dozen solid ideas and techniques on how to get referrals in a more relaxed and expected manner. Just remember “Please don’t keep me a secret.” Then there was Jeff Miller’s compelling and often humorous (yes, I said humorous) story of how he survived an airliner crash in an Iowa cornfield and how it changed his life forever. Both brokers and staff are still talking about the powerful messages that they heard from these great speakers. By the way, during the meeting, our attendees gave, or pledged, over $1,000 to the Schaumburg Child and Family Center. Resource Brokerage matched that dollar-for-dollar and an anonymous donor matched it again. The bottom line is we sent a check to the Center for over $3,000. Thank you for helping support this very worthy cause.

We have already started work on next year’s “Sky” program and it will be even bigger and better. By the way, we do review every one of your surveys and that’s how we can continually improve our programs. Just keep submitting and paying for business and I promise you more programs of the absolute highest quality that you will not find from any other General Agency in the area.

My advice to everyone lately is to go on a media diet. Turn off the network news and read a good book. Stay in a positive state of mind by doing what you do best - helping prospects and clients with their health, life, disability, annuity and LTCI needs. Your clients are looking for positive guidance in these turbulent times, and we have the knowledge and training to help put them at ease, while at the same time the “do it yourself consumers” are panicking.

I will leave you with a quote from Dr. Nick Bontis, a professor and futurist at the University of Toronto: “Intellectual capital is the currency of the future and you’re your organization’s most important asset. Those who learn how to manage it effectively will realize accentuated performance and achieve the ultimate competitive advantage.”

In closing, thank you, always, for your continued business support and have a safe and pleasant summer. And remember, don’t keep us a secret!