Breakout Workshops
Friday, November 13, 2009
10:15am-11:15am

Workshop 1: The Economy - An Update
This session will provide an update on the state of the economy, particularly the financial services sector, and will also provide a forecast for the next 6-12 months.

Speaker: Dr. Don Ratajczak
Dr. Donald Ratajczak is a leading economic forecaster and currently is Regents Professor Emeritus of Economics at Georgia State University. He provides advice to government and non-profit organizations and is on the board of Assurance America, Ruby Tuesday, Inc., Crown Craft Corp., and Citizens Trust Bank. He currently produces weekly and monthly publications for Morgan Keegan including a weekly economic commentary and forecast and a monthly forecast of short-term national and financial conditions. His commentary on inflation continues to receive prominent attention from the national media. He also contributes articles to several publications. Dr. Ratajczak has received many prestigious forecasting awards including the Annual Economic Forecasting Award for the most accurate U.S. Blue Chip economic forecast during the previous four years, which is the closest thing forecasters have to a national championship. In the past two years he has ranked in the top 5 of 45 prominent economic forecasters in the USA Today survey. Dr. Ratajczak received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College and his Doctorate of economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been a Consulting Economist with Morgan Keegan, Inc. from 1975 to the present.

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Workshop 2: Annuity Market Forces
A convergence of regulatory, demographic, and financial market forces is changing the annuity landscape as never before. Securities regulators are attempting to assert control over non-securities insurance products. Insurance regulators are proposing regulations that could cause a general agency to lose its license due to an unsuitable sale by one of its agents. More retirees means a greater need for solutions providing lifelong income, but behavioral biases make most retirees resistant to accept the solutions. And the Wall Street concept of controlling risk through diversification and portfolio modeling has proved to be fatally flawed. This session examines the forces that brought us to this point, attempts to analyze their future impact and offers suggestion on coping with the changes. The trend line of recent annuity regulations and what is currently being considered is presented. Most sales presentations target only one-third of the consumer’s brain, the speaker will talk about connecting with the whole brain to increase sales.There are two fatal flaws in Wall Street’s Retirement Income Plan: here is why insurance and annuities are the fix.

Speaker: Jack Marrion
Jack Marrion provides research and consulting services to insurance companies and financial firms in a variety of annuity areas. In 1996 he produced the first independent hypothetical return monthly publication comparing all index annuities on the market, and created the quarterly Advantage Index Product Sales & Market Report in 1997 that was the first comprehensive report of index annuity sales, products and trends. In 2006 he co-founded the Annuity Regulatory Compendium that is received by every state securities and insurance department in the nation. Regulators frequently quote from his research; he is frequently referenced or sourced in SEC rule filings relating to annuities, as well as working as an expert witness. He has conducted a broad scope of research ranging from the behavioral economic reasons why consumers buy or don't buy financial products to producer and marketing company future industry impact models. His insights on the annuity and retirement income world have appeared in hundreds of publications. In 2006 the National Association of Insurance Commissioners asked him to address their annual meeting and teach regulators the realities of index annuities. He is a frequent speaker at industry functions and a columnist for Senior Market Advisor, as well as a regular contributor to National Underwriter. Best’s Review said he was likely to affect the course of the industry.

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Workshop 3: The Inner Secrets of Outrageous Marketing
Who are you marketing to? What is the next frontier in Marketing? How does marketing change in a down economy? This session will provide the latest information on new ideas and concepts in marketing. Relationship marketing will also be a major focus of this session: how you can use your existing relationships to help build your business, and how to build new relationships.

Speaker: Ron Rosenberg
Ron Rosenberg is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning expert in marketing and customer service with strategies tested and proven in the real world. Ron is a sought after media resource featured in major publications and radio talk shows such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and ABC Radio. Author of numerous learning resources including a comprehensive Marketing System for businesses and associations, and the Inner Circle monthly subscription marketing newsletter, Ron offers you the right mix of solid information and outrageous fun that will make this session one you will not soon forget.

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