Just a quick reminder that a change was made to our conversion portfolio in June 2025. As June is quickly approaching, now is a great time to review term policies and explore lifetime coverage options available through Lincoln.

Please note: Contracts issued between April 2007 and September 12, 2016 have until June 23, 2026 to access our full suite of permanent coverage options.

Updates to products available for late duration term conversions
(Limited to in-force Lincoln LifeElements® Level Term and Lincoln TermAccel® policies)

Lincoln is announcing updates to products available for late duration Term Conversions for in-force Lincoln LifeElements® Level Term and Lincoln TermAccel® policies with an effective date prior to September 12, 2016. After an extended transition period, Lincoln ConversionSM UL will be the only product available for conversion for these products. This action will limit the impact of late duration Term conversions, allowing Lincoln to continue offering a comprehensive, competitive and relevant life insurance portfolio.

While this change affects the products available for conversion, the guidelines will continue to meet the conversion privileges provided in the term policy contract language. Financial professionals and their clients will be given a 12-month transition period to evaluate the impact on their policies and consider the options available.

Transition guidelines

For in-force Lincoln LifeElements® and Lincoln TermAccel® policies with an effective date prior to September 12, 2016, please see the following conditions and timeline to secure the products available for conversion:

• The Term Conversion application must be signed, dated and received in good order at Lincoln on or before June 23, 2026.
  • For cases with the owner listed as “Trust to be Established”, Term Conversion applications received at Lincoln on or before June 23, 2026, and signed by the insured will still qualify as awaiting a trust to be set up as part of the normal course of business. The only paperwork that Lincoln will not require at submission is the executed Certification of Trustee Powers with the trustee/owner’s signature. It must be received prior to issue.
    • “Trust to be Established” is defined as a newly established trust in the process of being set up and for which completion of the trust and its established date fall after the original application signed date. Pre-existing trusts do not qualify as “Trust to be Established.” Nor will Lincoln accept a final application that originates with the owner listed as “Trust to be Established” but deviates ownership to another entity or individual.
  • For applications that have been closed out, a new Term Conversion application must be submitted on or before June 23, 2026, otherwise, the case will only be eligible for Lincoln Conversion UL.
• The converted permanent policy must have all placement restrictive requirements, including premium received (and/or 1035 exchange initiated) at Lincoln in good order on or before August 24, 2026. For any pending conversions that do not meet the deadline, the client must select Lincoln Conversion UL, or the case will be closed.

Illustrations
As of June 30, 2025, Lincoln DesignItSM and Winflex software will include an alert message when illustrating a Term conversion, reminding users to consult current Term Conversion Guidelines for product availability.

Residual Disability

Not all disabilities manifest themselves equally. There are many thousands of recognized diseases and countless ways to injure and horribly afflict the human body. And although modern medicine has been remarkably able to serve mankind and heal our fragile bodies, the disabled community is the single largest minority group in the United States. Over 20% of Americans live with some form of disablement, and many of them are unable to earn a steady, sustaining paycheck.

Thus, the need for comprehensive total disability insurance and income protection is imperative. However, many insurance professionals and their unwitting clientele neglect to recognize or fully grasp the importance of a residual disability component.

Petersen International has for decades appreciated the reality that most disability claimants want to continue rehabilitation and strive to get back to work full time after suffering a complete or partial disability due to accident or sickness. We typically find that working people wish to once more be financial contributors to their families and to their own bottom line. Employed individuals desire to get back to work after periods of disablement, which makes a residual disability rider so important to every working client.

Residual disablement is often defined as when an insured person sustains a loss of earnings solely due to sickness or injury, yet remaining gainfully employed and not totally disabled. Residual disability coverage provides monthly benefits that coordinate with a claimant’s loss of earnings to make their income as proportionately whole as possible. The goal of the residual disability rider is to provide a supplemental income to a disabled person who is still working, but not yet or not anymore considered to be totally disabled. The rider allows a person who is not deemed totally disabled the ability to transition back into the workforce with the freedom of time for proper rehabilitation and, if necessary, gradual reacquisition of occupational skill.

The Residual Disability Benefit Rider is an integral component of Petersen International’s personal disability product line as well as our business overhead expense coverage. Disabilities are not black and white, and disabled persons are afflicted to varying degrees. Residual disability insurance provides a more comprehensive level of income protection for your valued clientele.

By Joe Russo – Petersen International

Clients often understand that estate taxes can reduce the wealth they hope to leave behind. But long-term care expenses pose a different—and often bigger—threat. Unlike estate taxes, which come with exemptions and planning options, long-term care costs have no caps, no escape, and no guarantees.

A single care event can:

• Rapidly deplete retirement savings,
• Force the sale of assets, and
• Disrupt even the most carefully designed estate or legacy plan.

That’s why forward-thinking advisors are calling long-term care the “new estate tax.” This framing helps clients recognize that it’s a risk that affects everyone—from middle-income families to high-net-worth households.

By positioning long-term care this way, you can:

• Start impactful conversations about planning and protection,
• Illustrate the real financial stakes of care events, and
• Show clients solutions that safeguard both retirement income and their legacy.

When clients see LTC as an unavoidable financial risk rather than an optional concern, planning moves from a theoretical discussion to a practical, actionable strategy.

RAM GROUP offers strategies with proven products to protect against these risks:

• Helps shield retirement and legacy assets from being eroded by LTC costs
• Provides clients with flexibility, control, and financial confidence during a care event

Contact us today for more information.

Why is it good to have a runner on second base? Two reasons: first, he’s in “scoring position” where a well-placed single will drive him home; and second, he can see the signals the catcher is giving the pitcher and pass them on to the batter. In this subtle game of refined skills, anticipating the correct pitch turns even a mediocre hitter into Ty Cobb on the next throw to the plate.

The savvy fan is aware of the importance of the ongoing flurry of signals that continually circulate the field as players communicate information, strategies and intentions. He or she is also aware that most originate somewhere in the dugout from one of several players or coaches, all making gestures to confuse and mislead the opponent as to their source.

And so it is, sometimes, with businesses whose success is often, in part, because of influence and input from people on the sidelines not involved in the day-to-day activity of the business. Let’s call them key directors.

Consider this:

Sometimes a position on the Board of a company is an honorary thing, much like sitting in the celebrity box for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. More often it entails involvement in decisions and policies whose resolution and implementation require a level of street-smarts and industry background.

But, sometimes a director’s input is so impactful that the untimely loss of his or her services could have an adverse economic impact on the business. A little company-owned coverage on such a director might seem wise and in order.

The problem is that carriers don’t traditionally recognize the importance of these off-field signal-callers for purposes of financially justifying any coverage applied for by the business.

But, as always, there is a crack in the door that affords an opportunity if a good case is made.

Even if convinced of a director’s unusually disproportionate importance, two things works against a carrier’s standard criteria for granting key person coverage: 1) the director is not an employee and 2) the director has little or no compensation on which to apply the “ten-times annual compensation formula”, employment status notwithstanding.

In a recent case we experienced success in getting a carrier to consider modest amounts of coverage ($250,000) on directors where their contributions to the economic well-being of the company was adequately demonstrated, and where they were paid a respectable modicum of compensation ($2,000 a year and $1,000 per meeting), and the company was taking steps to insure its traditionally-defined key people using the standard coverage guidelines. The success on this small matter has allowed the agent to begin personal planning for two of the key people.

Back to baseball. So potentially beneficial is the knowledge of a rival’s signals that teams have been known to put a mole in the centerfield bleachers with binoculars to monitor the opposing catcher’s instructions to the pitcher. Recently the FBI has shown interest in investigating allegations of hacking the data bases of opposing teams for information. Oh my! What happened to the good old days when a strategy of success was as simple as Honus Wagner’s remark, “I just hit ‘um where they ain’t?”\

Contact us with questions or for information on all your key person opportunities, especially those outside the common case parameters – at 800-686-4238

Originally authored on 8-12-2025 by Tom Virkler

Effective April 14, 2025, and pending state approval, Lincoln Financial Group will implement structural and pricing changes to Lincoln MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage^® with the launch of Lincoln MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage^® (2025).

Lincoln MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage^® (2025) is universal life insurance which provides a death benefit and long-term care coverage through a rider. The launch of Lincoln MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage^® (2025) introduces the flexibility for a Point of Claim Choice option for receiving LTC benefits through Reimbursement or Indemnity and incorporates a split premium design to separate Life and LTC premiums to allow for potential tax deductibility. Additionally, the product design will allow for the flexibility to potentially increase benefits post issue.

Overall, the pricing impact for the new product will be consistent with the current MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage offering.

Illustration updates will reflect the Life and LTC premium splits as well as referencing the indemnity as part of the Point of Choice claim.

In accordance with these updates, effective April 14, 2025, Lincoln Financial hereby amends all existing Marketing/Selling Agreements to add Lincoln MoneyGuard Fixed Advantage^® (2025). As this amendment changes the term of the agreement with Lincoln, if you are licensed with them, you should receive an email from Lincoln directly. Please retain a copy of that e-mail with your agreement. For a copy of your updated Schedule of Commissions A1/B1, contact LFGSELLINGAGREEMENTS@LFG.COM. In all other respects, the terms and conditions of the Agreement remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

For additional information about Lincoln Financial, visit our website at LincolnFinancial.com.

Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its affiliates.
Affiliates are separately responsible for their own financial and contractual obligations.
Agent or Broker Use Only. Not for use with the public.
Not for use in New York

Men traditionally have dominated the wealth management industry as both clients and advisors, but a big change is coming. Because women typically outlive men, a “horizontal wealth transfer” from male baby boomers to their spouses, along with broader forces in the economy — such as women earning higher incomes — will put women in control of most of the $30 trillion in baby boomer wealth by 2030¹.

March is Women’s History Month, a time that encourages reflection on the progress made in gender equality but that also acknowledges the ongoing challenges women face worldwide. Even though women will make up a growing share of high net-worth investors and consumers, women still fall behind in retirement readiness. They tend to receive lower Social Security benefits, have lower retirement account ownership rates and lower estimated retirement account balances, and own fewer assets than men². Are you prepared for this emerging market?

1. “Women as the Next Wave of Growth in U.S. Wealth Management,” Pooneh Baghai, Olivia Howard, Lakshmi Prakash, and Jill Zucker, McKinsey & Company, July 29, 2020, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/women-as-the-next-wave-of-growth-in-us-wealth-management

2. “Spotlighting Women’s Retirement Security,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, Sept. 20, 2024, https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/spotlighting-womens-retirement-security#_edn8

Just today, we learned that the Commissioner of the Utah Insurance Department issued an Emergency Order suspending all new sales of A-CAP Group’s Sentinel Security products, which you can read in full here. Per the Order, new sales must cease by or before December 31, 2024, while all new policies issued after this date will be cancelled and refunded to the purchaser. The Emergency Order does not impact policy renewals.

At RAM GROUP, we are actively monitoring the situation and remain in touch with A-CAP Group’s leadership. However, given the concerns raised in the Emergency Order, we are advising the immediate suspension of sales of all A-CAP Group products¸ including products offered by Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to your clients and our business. We will keep you apprised of any new information as it becomes available

Effective November 1, 2024, Legal & General America is defaulting to paperless preferences for policy delivery.

In case you missed it: We are excited to announce a significant enhancement to our policy delivery process. Starting November 1, 2024, William Penn and non-Horizon Banner Life will be transitioning to all paperless policies. This means that we will no longer default to mailing paper policies; instead, BGAs and Advisors can access policies online through our eDelivery platform or Partner Dashboard. Clients will still be able to access documents through the client portal.

What this means for you:

• Get ahead of the transition by choosing to opt-in for eDelivery through DocuSign or update your preferences in Partner Dashboard.
• To opt your agency in to eDelivery through DocuSign, submit the eDelivery Registration Form to your Internal Account Manager. To update your preferences in Partner Dashboard, select YES for paper suppression.
• If no action is taken by the effective date, all preferences will be automatically set to paper suppression in Partner Dashboard to help enable a smooth transition.
• If your agency is opted in for eDelivery through DocuSign, simply fill out an eDelivery Authorization Form with your client and return with new applications to start receiving policies through DocuSign.
• You will receive an email notification when a policy is available. Simply log in to Partner Dashboard or DocuSign to view and download the document.
• If you prefer, you can download the policy directly from the platform.

Key benefits of choosing eDelivery:

• Faster service: No more waiting for the mail; policies are delivered quickly and seamlessly directly to you and your customers.
• More secure and simplified process: eDelivery through DocuSign solution makes it quick, easy, and safe to sign and pay for policies through our partnerships with DocuSign and PayPal.
• Cost saving: eDelivery through DocuSign is free to use and will help reduce or eliminate mailing costs for your agency.
• Environmental impact: In the last 12 months, eDelivery through DocuSign has saved over 5.5 million sheets of paper. Help us contribute to a more sustainable environment.

Click here to learn more about eDelivery

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to your team. Thank you for your continued partnership.

Let’s embrace the future, together.

Note: Paper policies will be still available upon request. Clients may withdraw consent to sending or receiving electronic records or to the use of electronic signatures at any time. Legal & General America life insurance products are underwritten and issued by Banner Life Insurance Company, Urbana, MD, and William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York, Valley Stream, NY. Banner products are distributed in 49 states and in DC. William Penn products are available exclusively in New York; Banner Life is not authorized as an insurer and does not do business in New York. The Legal & General America companies are part of the worldwide Legal & General Group. CN10032024-2

New rating acknowledges EquiTrust’s strong capacity to meet financial obligations

We are pleased to announce that S&P Global Ratings (S&P) has upgraded its EquiTrust Life Insurance Company issuer credit and financial strength ratings to A- (Strong) with a stable outlook.
Important rating factors

EquiTrust’s upgraded S&P rating was assigned based on a number of key factors, such as our strong financial health and operating performance, as well as our ability to meet our financial commitments. Review the S&P press release for more specific details about this rating action and factors behind the rating decision.
View S&P press release

In addition to the S&P rating upgrade, earlier this month, A.M. Best affirmed EquiTrust’s B++ rating, and raised the outlook from stable to positive. EquiTrust received an A- (High) rating from Fitch in March 2024.

• Standard & Poors: A- (Strong)
• Fitch: A- (High)
• A.M. Best Company3: B++ (Good with a positive outlook)

For more information about our financial performance and ratings, visit Agents.EquiTrust.com to download our financial overview.

If you’d like to know more about our insurer ratings or have questions about the S&P rating action, call Sales Support at
866-598-3694 or email Sales.Support@EquiTrust.com.

866-598-3694 | Sales.Support@EquiTrust.com | Agents.EquiTrust.com

Active Member
1 Standard & Poor’s Rating Services “A-” (Strong) rating as of July 2024. Standard & Poor’s has eight financial strength ratings assigned to solvent insurance companies: AAA (Extremely Strong), AA (Very Strong), A (Strong), BBB (Good), BB (Marginal), B (Weak), CCC (Very Weak), CC (Extremely Weak). Plus (+) or minus (-) modifiers show the relative standing within the categories from AA to CCC.

2 All Fitch Ratings (Fitch) credit ratings are subject to certain limitations and disclaimers. Please read these limitations and disclaimers by following this link: https://www.fitchratings.com/understandingcreditratings. In addition, the following https://www.fitchratings.com/rating-definitions-document details Fitch’s rating definitions for each rating scale and rating categories, including definitions relating to default.

3 A.M. Best “B++” (Good) as of August 18, 2012. A.M. Best has 13 active-company insurance company ratings and reflect the current and independent opinion of a company’s ability to meet its obligations to policyholders, and are derived by evaluating a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile. A “B++” rating is the fifth highest of the active-company ratings. The A.M. Best rating scale is A++ (Superior), A+ (Superior), A (Excellent), A- (Excellent), B++ (Good), B+ (Good), B (Fair), B- (Fair), C++ (Marginal), C+ (Marginal), C (Weak), C- (Weak) and D (Poor). A.M. Best’s ratings are not a warranty of an insurer’s current or future ability to meet obligations to policyholders, nor are they a recommendation of a specific policy, contract, rate or claim practice.

Products underwritten, issued and distributed by EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, West Des Moines, Iowa.