Advisors Guide to Medicare and Medicaid provides a detailed study of Medicare, Medigap policies, and Medicaid.  In each of these programs, the areas of eligibility, enrollment, benefits, deductibles, and co-payments are analyzed in detail. This course also includes a chapter on Medicaid Planning discussing the issue of transferring assets during the “crisis stage,” use of Trusts, qualifying Medicaid Annuities and Promissory Notes.  The new 2010 Medicare supplement plans are explained in detail as is how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 affect Medicare and Medicaid.

There is a widespread misconception that “estate planning” is of importance only to the wealthy.  This is due, in part, to the emphasis of the financial service industry on planning for estate taxes, which only concern larger estate owners.  The truth of the matter is, every person, young or old, who has a family or owns property, needs an estate plan.  A good estate plan will allow a person to reach desired economic, legal, and personal objectives. Estate Planning is an educational tool to help financial advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all their clients, their spouses, and dependents.

There is a widespread misconception that “estate planning” is of importance only to the wealthy.  This is due, in part, to the emphasis of the financial service industry on planning for estate taxes, which only concern larger estate owners.  The truth of the matter is, every person, young or old, who has a family or owns property, needs an estate plan.  A good estate plan will allow a person to reach desired economic, legal, and personal objectives. Estate Planning is an educational tool to help financial advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all their clients, their spouses, and dependents.  The last section of this book focuses on the new specifics of NY Insurance Law, Ethics, Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, and the Elimination of Bias.

This course has been developed to give the advisor (licensed agent) a complete guide in the retirement planning strategy process.  The course will focus on the five-step retirement planning process and examine the various risk factors needed to be considered when developing a retirement plan for your client.  It will examine the various sources of retirement income based on the three-legged stool (Social Security, Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, Savings, and IRAs) and introduce a fourth leg to the stool consisting of insurance products and working in retirement.  Also addressed is the complex topic of retirement plan distributions and the many rules and regulations that surround this issue. Finally, the course addresses the subject of health care and long-term care planning in retirement with a discussion of Health Savings Accounts, Medicare, and LTC Planning with the use of LTCI and Hybrid LTCI policies as well as the use of reverse mortgages.

Life insurance is one of the most important tools in modern financial planning, but it is not always the most appreciated. In the purest sense, life insurance is something that pays a death benefit to someone when an insured person dies.   The risk of an early death is evident to most of us, particularly when we have family obligations, dependent minor children to provide for, and unpaid debts.  The need to cover expenses and replace lost family income if early death occurs may be the main reason why people purchase pure life insurance protection, but it is not the only reason people purchase life insurance products.  This course will provide a review of the historical evolution of life insurance and into the 21st century, examining its many forms, other types of benefits, and making it the foundation for financial planning. Also included is a guide to understanding annuities, annuity tax laws and contract structure, and their suitability.  The course ends with ethical practices which will provide the essentials of ethics, market conduct and compliance.

This course has been developed to give the advisor (licensed agent) a complete guide in the retirement planning strategy process.  The course will focus on the five step retirement planning process and examine the various risk factors needed to be considered when developing a retirement plan for your client.  It will examine the various sources of retirement income based on the three-legged stool (Social Security, Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, Savings and IRAs) and introduce a fourth leg to the stool consisting of insurance products and working in retirement.  Also addressed is the complex topic of retirement plan distributions and the many rules and regulations that surround this issue. Finally, the course addresses the subject of health care and long-term care planning in retirement with a discussion of Health Savings Accounts, Medicare, and LTC Planning with the use of LTCI and Hybrid LTCI policies as well as the use of reverse mortgages.  This course contains the latest legislation regarding the changes to the SECURE ACT 2.0.

Small businesses constitute an essential element of the U.S. economy. Approximately 30 million small businesses operate in the United States, making up the vast majority of employer firms in the country. Collectively, these small businesses employ nearly 80 million workers or approximately half of all private sector employees. This course is designed to review and clarify the diverse business structures and the benefit plans available to each. For decades, the tax law has included special rules to provide various benefits or incentives to small businesses or to exclude them from a burdensome rule. Yet, the federal tax law has no single, uniform definition of small business. Instead, as recently illustrated by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, such businesses may be defined based on gross receipts, assets, capital, entity type, number of shareholders or amount of some outlay, such as start-up expenditures. Even with the same base, such as gross receipts, small is defined with varying dollar amounts.

This course has been developed to enhance the Advisor’s 401(k) knowledge and provide updates on the most recent 401(k) plan guidance.  With recent tax law changes, Department of Labor requirements and court settlements, this course extends beyond the basics to cover special 401(k) testing rules and design options, as well as ERISA and fiduciary responsibilities of the “parties of interest.”

This course has been developed to give the financial and insurance professional a complete guide to understanding annuities, annuity tax laws and contract structure, and their suitability and ethical marketing practices.

This is a continuing education course that covers all aspects of Individual Retirement Accounts.  The course is designed to help the financial advisor or insurance professional benefit the client with more in-depth information concerning the history and specific types of IRAs; investing; protections; estate planning; and education.

The Advisor’s Guide to Social Insurance Programs is an educational tool to help advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all their aging Baby Boomer clients, their spouses, and dependents. The course is broken down into three sections to give the advisor an understanding of the various benefits of the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs.

The Advisor’s Guide to Social Security Benefits has been written primarily for financial and insurance advisors to increase their knowledge and comfort zone to be able to assist their clients in navigating the often-complex world of Social Security Benefits. While the rules governing Social Security are complex, this study material will equip the advisor with the information and heuristics to make the most of Social Security benefits. Although there is never just one right answer for the questions a client may ask about Social Security, it is important to understand the options available in each client's case.

Whether you sell life, or health insurance, annuities, long-term care insurance, disability income, or other financial products or services, this course will help you learn and understand the essentials of ethics, market conduct and compliance from a sales perspective.

This is a continuing education course that covers all aspects of Individual Retirement Accounts.  Section II is designed to help the financial advisor or insurance professional benefit the client with more in-depth information concerning the history and specific types of IRAs; investing; protections; estate planning; and education. Sections III and IV of the course present the understanding of New York Insurance Regulation in conjunction with federal regulation.  It includes an outline of the key provisions for Life and Health producers. In Section II the course defines Ethics and gives steps to aid in navigating ethical dilemmas.  The last section explores the questions of diversity, inclusion, equity and equality, and the recognition of bias.