By: Mark D. Milbrod, CLU, CLTC
Vice President, ASG
Looking Back, Planning Forward
It is hard to believe we are in the midst of the Holiday Season, closing out another sales year. Time truly does fly—it feels like just yesterday my wife and I dropped our son off for his Freshman year, and now he is a college Junior.
As January approaches, this is the perfect time for a retrospective view. We encourage every advisor to look into the rear-view mirror and assess: What strategies went right? More importantly, what went wrong, or what simply didn’t live up to expectations?
Our industry has experienced a seismic shift in how we conduct ourselves and how we do business. Our advisors often quiz us on what others are doing successfully. At ASG, we believe in sharing our proven strategies to help you build your practices and better serve your clients.
A Seismic Shift in Focus: The Long-Term Care Imperative
One of the largest areas of growth, and a critical missed opportunity for many advisors, has been the Extended Care space.
While I have always been a proponent of LTC products, the last few years have brought the reality of these plans into sharp focus. I share this with deep personal conviction:
- A Policy in Action: Following my father’s passing in May of 2024, I saw his Long-Term Care Policy kick in during his final years. Despite years of discussing the importance of planning, I have never been more humbled than when seeing firsthand the difference that policy made. Essentially, all of his care expenses were covered, which made dealing with “his situation” much easier for me and my family.
- The Pain of No Plan: Unfortunately, I am now experiencing the opposite scenario with another aging family member in Assisted Living on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. Writing those massive monthly checks is a painful experience—an extra, avoidable financial and emotional stress that proper planning could have eliminated.
I share this because this is the most important conversation you can have with every client you encounter. Most people do not understand the full financial and emotional impact an Extended Care Event has on a family.
The ASG Difference: Education Over Selling
The biggest mistake advisors make is attempting to sell a Long-Term Care Policy without first educating the client on why they need it.
You cannot sell the client as much as you must educate them. That is why we focus the discussion on the consequences of not planning and the devastating effect the lack of preparation has on the family. Once a client understands that, it is no longer a sale—it is a recognized necessity.
Dispelling the “Self-Fund” Myth for Affluent Clients
We often hear advisors believe that Long-Term Care products are unnecessary for high-net-worth clients, arguing they can “self-fund.” To the contrary, these types of products are extremely popular with affluent clients. An LTC policy is one of the best decisions one can make as a risk management tool to protect their financial legacy, regardless of their current net worth.
Your Strategy for 2026
We have developed a series of materials geared toward this educational, consequences-first approach, and we offer a seminar designed to assist you in this area.
For the coming year, if you haven’t done so already, you need to incorporate the Extended Care discussion with all clients.
When you look back on your year, if you are seeking to open new revenue streams, let us show you how to successfully integrate LTC discussions into your practice. This proven strategy will undoubtedly lead to increased life insurance and annuity sales and make 2026 one of your largest sales years ever.
Happy Holidays!