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Also in this issue:

• Cover
• Hot voluntary products—what are they really?
• Why aren't we selling more?
• Pieces and parts do make a difference
• The real pioneers – the mid-size employee benefit brokers
• Industry confidence in voluntary market remains positive
• Outsourcing…at your peril
• The small business market—underserved but how badly?
• 2008 Eastbridge discount programs
• Don’t miss our new Spotlight Reports
• The pros and cons of using specialized voluntary reps

Past Issues

• 2007
• 2006

Fall 2007 / No. 73

Don’t miss our new Spotlight Reports

We’ve been busy! This summer and fall we updated and released (or will release) a number of Spotlight Reports. Check these out:

Large Commercial Lines Brokers and Voluntary Benefits looks, in detail, at the current state of voluntary with the largest commercial lines agencies in the business. Using quantitative research as well as qualitative interviews with key players in over 20 agencies, the report reviews such topics as the prevalence of voluntary sales, what products are sold, the carriers used most frequently, what these agencies need from carriers, and the typical structure of voluntary benefits in the agency.

Voluntary Long-Term Disability Insurance examines the current state of the voluntary long-term disability (VLTD) market and identifies the market’s top players and competitors. The report looks at the marketplace from the viewpoint of the employer, employee, and broker. It also examines the carrier perspective including the current state of the market and information on results, competitors, persistency, penetration, and product success factors. Finally, the report looks at the VLTD products of 14 carriers including product features, underwriting guidelines, costs, and commissions.

Exploring the Voluntary Market Opportunity for Very Large Cases analyzes carrier opportunities for selling voluntary benefits in the very large employer market (defined as cases with 5,000 or more employees). Specifically, the report looks at the size of the large employer market, what products are sold in this market, what very large employers look for in a voluntary product as well as a carrier, the key players (carriers) in the very large market, and what is needed to compete in the market.

Voluntary Products Regional Rep Compensation 2007 looks at the compensation practices of sales reps in the market. Data was gathered from 38 companies covering such topics as base salary/fixed compensation, variable compensation, expected production levels, and more. The study includes companies that use specialized worksite or voluntary reps as well as those that use generalist reps (promoting both voluntary and other product lines).