[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
There is only 7 months until next year’s Annual Election Period (AEP) for Medicare. Boy, how time flies. I remember, like it was yesterday, planning for the opportunity of helping thousands of nice folks (in less than 35 working days) to make sure they had the most appropriate plan for 2020. The clock has already started for client care, processing, engineering, and finance to get ready for next year. It seems like we are stuck at a growth rate of 45% annually. Yup, we helped 45% more folks in 2019 than in 2018. We are truly in a rut for the past 3 years; we seem to grow at the same pace. LOL.
In the Medicare space, there are several important insurance companies that concentrate much of the business, with newcomers joining in, and then the latter usually leaving the market (Maricopa County, Arizona) within a couple years.
When I meet with friends around the country, both insurance companies and individual agents, they always say the same thing, WE ARE NUTS! I ask the same question; they give the same answer. I ask how did you fare with your annual reviews for your Medicare clients? I get the same blank stare and the usual answer, just fine. Hmmm. (Hint… annual reviews are apparently not a thing for insurance companies and insurance agents because it is not in their best interest.)
The insurance carriers wonder how we (American Retirement Advisors, 123EasyMedicare, and The Medicare Architects) write so much business with so few advisors. Apparently, according to those that monitor such things, we help more clients than any other firm, per advisor, in the United States.
The agents can’t believe that we stopped doing house calls years ago because we have too many folks that need our help and people are fine driving to our offices or comfortable with a video chat on their computer. When we mention our volume of clients served daily, monthly, and annually, they are in dis-belief that we help so many folks and then also perform complete Medicare plan research for each client at least once a year to make sure they are in the correct spot.
To me, I see it as our responsibility to help those that have given their trust to our advisors and our firm. This is a team built on a single mission, to serve the planning needs of our clients in preparation for and throughout their retirement.
Our advisors are the best in the business as measured by positive reviews, number of clients served, and adhering to our industry gold standard, a carrier agnostic fiduciary model. Our client care is second to none, offering instant answers to clients without the need to wait for their advisor to return a call. Our client care professionals are fully trained Certified Medicare Planners, meaning they are ready to answer questions just like your advisor you met with in person without waiting!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Its a New Year – 2020
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
The market has fully recovered from the downturn of the fourth quarter of 2018, and we are in positive territory. Hitting all-time highs seems to be the norm. Credit markets are flourishing, and cash is available for business and consumer investment.
Real estate markets are looking at less inventory, so new construction in single-family and multifamily starts are increasing.
Consumer confidence is high. The holiday consumer spending is healthy although auto sales are lower than hoped by the manufacturers. I think that’s good news for anyone looking to get a new vehicle.
Believe it or not, Medicare supplement rates for folks new to Medicare are lower than they were 2 years ago. Medicare Part D plans remained very low cost for 2020. Many, not all, Medicare Advantage plans began to offer every extra goody imaginable; free dental, free vision, free transportation to and from the doctors, free over-the-counter items including vitamins and band aids (buyer beware of FREE). Nonetheless, the government has given Medicare Advantage plans free reign to offer the kitchen sink in efforts to get folks on the plans. Take advantage while the getting is good.
Our business is growing at a very healthy rate of 45%, same as last year and the year before. We have added staff to cover inbound calls, process client requests, and make sure we care for everyone needing our help. Every year we serve more and more clients; we never fail to answer the phones with live humans. All our voicemails are answered usually within the hour and always the same business day. This was a record year for referrals and new clients. I know I say that every year, but it is humbling to see so many new folks allowing our teams to help their friends and families throughout the United States.
I speak for all of us at American Retirement Advisors in wishing you a healthy and prosperous 2020.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
I’m Thankful 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
Here we are again; November came out of the blue. It seems like a minute ago we were in the midst of summer.
Looking back over the year, so many good things have happened. The national economy is in great shape. We are fully employed with the lowest unemployment rates in generations. With a tight job market, wages will increase because companies will compete for workers with higher wages. The State of Arizona has a budget surplus and the governor is striving to re-fill the “rainy day fund” to protect from a market adjustment. Funding for education in Arizona is also up, as are teachers wages, and the retirement health benefits are back to 2013 levels.
The Fed lowered rates for lending three times, which keeps it affordable for business and consumers to borrow money, which in turn keeps the economy moving. Commercial, government, and residential construction is in full swing. Everywhere you look a highway is expanding, an office park is marked by a construction crane, apartments are popping all over the place. Folks are moving to Arizona, Nevada, and Texas in droves. The snowbirds are filling the hotels, restaurants, and the golf courses; pickleball courts and softball fields are buzzing with activity.
It is amazing what happens to a free-market economy when it is left to its own devices. Higher wages, improved infrastructure, more money for education, and the general mood of folks seems to be optimistic.
Huh.
But what do I know, I only get to meet hundreds of nice folks from all walks of life every month?
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
I wish – 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where things were actually as they appear? Today we can’t read a newspaper, watch TV, or listen to the radio without something being forced upon us. I stopped watching broadcast television years ago. I will catch an occasional football game and it’s a wonder I don’t drink beer with all the commercials pushing the stuff.
I’m pretty sure that there is a difference between pushing beer on TV and the actual consumption of said beverage. If there was a ban, sales would drop as they did for cigarettes on TV and in print. But that sales channel has been replaced with candy-flavored hand-held marvels. The Vaporizer. Kids and adults are “vaping” left and right.
I’m just saying we humans sometime let our guard down. Sometimes we inadvertently click on a button in an email from an unknown source. Sometimes we answer the phone from an unknown number and wonder why the sales calls multiply. (That’s because folks who answer their phone without looking at caller ID have their number sold to others for more money than the profit of the product they wanted to sell you in the first place).
Today, how do folks educate themselves? When it comes to Medicare, believe it or not, the first place consumers go is not the source, Medicare.gov, they go to a national lobbyist group promoting the good life for folks over the age of 50. Kind of odd folks would go to a commercial enterprise, paid by a single insurance company, rather than the source, but that’s what folks do. Unfortunately, with Medicare for 2020, all bets are off. All of the protections put in place for Medicare beneficiaries have been relaxed or removed.
The old high-pressure sales tactics are likely coming back. Cash gifts, while still listed as illegal in Medicare’s marketing guidelines, are being pushed by one carrier if you attend a meeting. It looks like the wild west again. I’m just saying, if you really want to know the truth, you may need to dig a little deeper to find it.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Perception 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
A point of view is derived from an accumulation of experiences. The way you look at a problem is going to be different than the way someone else looks at a problem. Neither one of them is wrong. We all approach things based on the set of experiences we have placed in our mind. These experiences form our perceptions.
For example, a librarian experiences order every day. If a person is loud in the library, that disrupts the pattern, anger is usually triggered. The same trigger is caused by a patron putting a book in the wrong spot when finished reading, instead of placing it in the bin to be re-shelved by a professional. The librarian is annoyed, and their perception is that these things will happen on a regular basis.
Think about the person who has worked all their life in an environment where they don’t get to make a great deal of decisions or on the other hand, a person does get to be involved in most decisions that affect their work environment. These two people will have a different perception or point of view, of what is expected.We meet so many wonderful people every day in our offices with these varying perceptions based on their experiences. Everyone’s perspective is different and perspective drives perception.
Culture from home and work effects their perspective. If you work in an environment where you see the best in people and you can help create that spirit of success in a person, outlook is effected. If you work in an environment where you are tasked with seeing people at their worst, you will have a different perspective. It’s life’s experiences, that will have an impact in how you perceive the world.
We are fortunate we get to help folks navigate their futures. Folks see us in a receptive state of mind. They are meeting us for answers, for advice and for a path to a successful future.
I’ll leave you with a couple quotes which helped build my perceptions. Our job, if we do it well, is to provide the facts, the rules, and the game plan to win. Did you notice in the last sentence, not a single word about pushing an agenda, nothing about selling a product, just providing the tools to make good decisions?
One of my heroes, and who I call the father of ethical selling, was the late Zig Ziglar. I’ll leave you with a couple quotes
which helped build my perceptions.
I first learned… “Stop selling. Start helping. You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other peopleget what they want.”Then... “Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.”“When you do more than you’re paid for, eventually you’ll be paid for more than you do.”And where I perceive myself to be now… “Moving from survival to stability, from stability to success, from success to significance.”“I’m so optimistic, I’d go after Moby Dick in a rowboat and take the tartar sauce with me”!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
We are growing again 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
It wasn’t too long ago that our little company was featured in Inc. magazine as one of America’s fastest growing, privately held companies. We saw growth of over 7000%, then over 2200%, then over 700% before settling into our rut of over 40% year-over-year growth for the past three years.
As you may know, my son, Ian Schaeffer, took over the operations of our company a couple years back. He is an industrial engineer (IE) by education. In the old days, IEs ran factories; today they run companies. Think Tim Cook of Apple. In a few short years, Ian has stream-lined all our processes, aligned marketing, and automated nearly everything. This allows people to work with people. We answer the phones with real people, we get to meet nice folks face-to-face in person or via video conferencing; what a concept. People like to work with people.
If you know me and our teams, we are not folks that sit on our laurels. We are doers. We are folks that get stuff done. Nancy Monaco Ball runs our financial planning practice. Wow is all I have to say. She is the best of the best! Some folks tease us that she is my work wife because we can finish each other’s sentences.While true, my real wife, Thea Schaeffer, is in the office as well. Thea in a past life was an internationally acclaimed advertising designer. Today she runs our national marketing, advertising, and public relations. Oh, and she illustrates children’s books on the side. Check out “MyMagic Hat Rules” at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
My point. We are launching yet another venture. Ian and his right hand, Diego Lundstrom(our financial operations manager), have launched another brand-new company. TheMedicare Architects™ (TMA).Without spilling too many beans, in simple terms, a void in the market was found and they provide the teams, tools, and technology to fill it. Let me expound. American Retirement Advisors, via our community outreach (123EasyMedicare), touches thousands of people every month. It’s hard to imagine we have more market share than some insurance companies in the areas we serve. But we can’t help everyone with our current model. Just about 300,000 people a month begin theirMedicare journey nationwide. However, theMedicare Architects™ technology can scale to serve over 5,000 people simultaneously. That’s 50% of Americans turning 65 every day! The engineers, designers, and developers at TMAtook the processes fromthe most successfulMedicare Advisors (you know who!) in the United States and transformed the knowledge and experiences into a digital platform.
The software is revolutionary because it is not sponsored by any insurance company and not endorsed by any political lobbyist groups. As it learns and evolves, it will become a pureMedicare fiduciary; it will have no bias, it will provide fact-verified answers, it won’t get tired or grouchy like humans. It will only be able to act in its client’s best interest. It’s a lofty goal, but worth striving toward.
TheMedicare Architects™technology will serve employers and their employees at first, as it gets on a solid footing serving their needs. It will continue to grow and develop.
I’m very proud to see our legacy of service with integrity sprouting wings throughout our great nation, before our very eyes.
Does your employer need help with Medicare? Call The Medicare Architects @ 800-568-1095
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
Once upon a time, folks could rely on friends and family to take care of them in times of need. Today may be a little different, or not. Life expectancy in America continues to increase. We are living longer than in our entire history as a species. I think that’s a good thing!
But we need to prepare for a much longer life than in previous generations. Let’s consider health and wealth. On the health side, we are living longer for several reasons. We try to eat healthier; we definitely are medicated to live longer. Some have said the single leading
cause of extended life is due to taking blood pressure medication and cholesterol medication. On the other side of the health equation, manual labor and manufacturing jobs requiring physical stress still exist, but not to the extent they did 50 years ago. Today we are a service economy. Don’t get me wrong; heavy lifting still exists in the workplace, just far less folks are subject to it these days than in days gone by.
Since we are living longer, new challenges have popped up. At the turn of the century, from the 1800s to the 1900s, life expectancy was around 45 in America. Today it’s easy to expect double that number. One of the fastest-growing age groups in America is the centenarians. You know, the folks that get to go on TV because they hit the magic number.
Side note: most old permanent life insurance policies matured at age 100. Folks hitting that birthday get a nice surprise in their mailbox if they updated their address with the life insurance company. They get a check for the death benefit. Yup, they are entitled to the face amount of the policy. Today, permanent policies mature at age 121.
Back to the healthy side of the conversation. Life after age 85 almost always requires some form of help. Help like rides around town for shopping, doctors, and visiting friends. More than half of the US population over the age of 85 require formal assistance for activities of daily living. These wonderful folks have seen so much but may not realize the need for help. Proper nutrition, medication maintenance, making sure their home is safe from objects that can cause a fall, or worse. There are solutions, but family and friends need to step in and step up. The challenges facing our loved ones are completely beyond their ability to solve on their own. Heck, we are in the business and we sometimes struggle to articulate a simple plan for such complex challenges.
On the wealthy side of the equation, money sure helps get things done. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your very own private butler and registered nurse? The butler could manage your shopping list, maintain your household, and drive you to and from. The nurse could coordinate your doctor visits and manage your medications and put them in those daily pill packs for your convenience. We have thousands of clients and not one to my knowledge has either of those professionals on staff; most folk just don’t have that kind of money! So, what can be done? PLAN!
Plan for your future. I’m not trying to be a fuddy-duddy, just a realist. It costs nothing to walk through your home and look for things that are a potential trip hazard. It costs nothing to watch a YouTube video on basic daily exercise, and, more importantly how to get up from the ground without assistance.
My trainer was taking a course on physical and occupational therapy. She asked me to lie down on the floor. That was the easy part. Then she instructed me to get up without using my hands. It was nearly impossible, and I am very active. Imagine a person who considers a walk to the car real exercise trying to get up off the floor. It is a call to 911.
I’m just suggesting living without a plan is creating issues for those you care about! Worse, you may have too much money for help and too little money for the help you would like to receive.
As always, we will help everyone we can, but as Nancy says, “our home won’t fit all of you” so you better make a plan to take care of yourself when you yourself can’t take care of you.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Change is Inevitable 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
People change their minds. People change their opinions. People change their hair color. People change their jobs, their friends, their… whatever!
Change is what we do. You get the point. We humans seem to always want something different. For me, I’m content with a white business shirt, half a dozen ties, and one pair of shorts. My dad used to comment he has over 20 pairs of shorts. I say I can only wear one pair at a time on the weekend. But this fashionable family of mine insisted on buying me three more pairs of shorts and seven colorful tee shirts.
Back to the point. Change happens for many reasons. Companies may change directions to meet their missions for growth in topline revenue, profit, or market share. These changes may affect Medicare beneficiaries, but 2020 is expected to be mildly disruptive. But rumors, misinformation, and concern will abound.
My concern is most folks when given a choice to make a change or not, default to staying where they are. It is human nature. The insurance companies know better than most how we humans think and behave. But I’m just like you. You have heard the axiom “cobbler’s kids have no shoes”. Well, I finally got my son to research my car and home insurance! He saved us over 50% in 20 minutes. He happens to be a millennial, an engineer, and a CEO, and he is under 30. (Yes, I’m a proud dad!)
My point. Every year, it seems, we need to beg our clients to allow us to help them not be taken advantage of by the insurance companies. I coined the phrase “Medicare Guardian Angel” in a workshop last month. We are Medicare guardian angels for our clients. For no cost to the Medicare beneficiary (our clients), we search every plan available in the zip code they reside. Insurance companies think we are nuts offering such a service, especially because we are not paid to do so.
I was speaking at a conference in Omaha. The audience was insurance agents focused on Medicare sales. I had the privilege of meeting agents from around the country. I was flabbergasted when I found that many sold only Medicare Supplements; some may be helped folks find a drug plan; many agents were adamant that their Medigap plan was the only option, when, in fact, 40% of the folks in the market they serve, select Medicare Advantage plans. Some only sold Medicare Advantage plans and never considered the benefits of Medicare plus a Medigap plan plus a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. I could not find a single agent who was licensed, certified, and appointed to help Medicare beneficiaries to compare both types of programs. I also could not find a single agent that offered more than five different insurance company offerings on either side of the equation.
Most experts, pundits, and agents say what we do is unheard of in the industry. Guess what. It’s the right thing to do, period. So, we will continue to advocate for our clients, continue to educate the general public, medical providers, and human resource professionals on how real people experience Medicare. We will continue to publish new books on the subject. We will keep up the good fight.
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
We have all heard the colloquialism “You want your cake and eat it too”. Don’t get me wrong! I’m all for a bargain. Maybe it’s my upbringing, perhaps my genes. I love a bargain. It just feels good to get a deal.
I was watching a candidate for president on CSPAN last night. He was talking about “a Medicare-like plan for all”. Not “Medicare for all”. He was an endearing speaker. His tone seemed genuine and his empathy appeared genuine as well.
Then he began to reach and say things that would tie him to the heartstrings of a woman and all men that have a daughter. Then he repeated his words, in a similar fashion, to our current President. It was a similar speech pattern to what we have heard over the past few years.
(Sidebar, according to psychologists, a person that says the same thing multiple times in the same sentence is usually ill-prepared on the
subject or is stretching a truth). I learned this in my early corporate days working for a Fortune 60 company. It was a clear sign to look out for in conversation with new employees or at the negotiating table.
My intrigue was peaked; I knew he was making things up to garner empathy of his audience. He was trying to say what folks wanted to hear. UGH!
I kept watching…The sympathy play was going to be turned up to full volume. He was now going to use the passing of his son as another tool to garner a connection. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one. I can’t even imagine the pain of losing a child or, in his case, a grown son. I don’t know. But it just seemed off to me to discuss the conversations he had with his son about his run for office.
I was hoping to hear something new, something exciting. Nope, just more of the same from that party. Don’t get me wrong, I truly believe Americans should have access to healthcare without limitations of pre-existing conditions. I also believe we should “Ask not what our country should do for us, but what we can do for our country”. Hey, that was a famous quote from the same party. Ok, how ’bout this, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” That one is biblical. Dang, I need to find a good quote for the party in office now.
Ok Google, help me out…
“Never let the things you can’t do, stop you from doing what you can.” Ronald Regan
I like that. It's positive, implies you need to WORK for what you get. He also said…“I’ve heard that hard work never killed anyone, but I say why take the chance?”
I work hard, and a lot. Some folks say they have never met anyone that works as hard as I do. I earn what I deserve, pay my taxes, love my wife, take care of my kids, and serve our community. It makes my blood boil when a politician or a political party says they are going to take away my ability to take care of those around me. The government should have a balanced budget. The government should keep us safe from threats, domestic and abroad. Promote the general welfare. They should secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our prosperity. I’m pretty sure the founding fathers DID NOT SAY “we should give welfare to everyone!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
I’m happy, how about you! 2019
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"]
Just getting back from a week in paradise; I must say, it’s good to be home. Many of the folks at the office enjoyed a week in Costa Rica. It was a much-needed respite from the rigors of the everyday routine!
I learned a few things while there. They like America. That was so refreshing to be in another country and not be hated. Folks were genuine, polite, and nice to be around. I’ve visited many places where, let’s just say, Americans are tolerated.
Folks I spoke with were so involved in our politics. They knew everything. I was very impressed with their clear understanding of the ways of the world and where they fit in. I learned that if you are eating Tilapia it is very likely grown (harvested) in Costa Rica. The country is focused on CLEAN. Clean water, clean energy, and clean living. Their local produce and meat were noticeably fresh. The AIR was clean and free of pollutants. Perhaps it’s easier than in the US to avoid the air quality and pollen if your country is narrow in geography and bordered by water.
One thing I learned is they have an immigration challenge as well. Costa Ricans usually have one offspring. They are well educated and very family oriented. They are about 2.5 million in population. The immigrants, on the other hand, have many offspring, do not educate their children, and have created a challenge for the country because they number about 2.5 million folks as well (not my words). The government is challenged by increased population and reduced income from the immigrants taxing their resources. Sound familiar?
The Costa Ricans are keenly aware of the socialist experiments in Central (Latin) America and they do not approve. They see first-hand the challenges of illegal immigration.
I am all for the quote from the fundraising sonnet written by Emma Lazarus, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” on the base of Statue of liberty, but…There is a process, albeit a cumbersome, broken, outdated, and terrible process to enter our country. But there is a process. Our parents, grandparents, great-great-grandparents, and great-great-greats followed the lawful process, and here we are.
I don’t want to seem callous or insensitive and I don’t have any answers about our immigration challenges. However, our government has the ability, know-how, and means to exert our will (for good or bad) on any nation we wish. It is certainly within our wheelhouse to help our neighbors to the south reinvigorate their economies as we have in the past.
Someone in the past was quoted saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]