Awards and Honors, Business, Free News Articles, Real Estate

Down Payment Resource presents Richmond Association of REALTORS® CEO Laura Lafayette with 2022 Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting home buyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that it selected Laura Lafayette, CEO of the Richmond Association of REALTORS® (RAR), as the winner of its 2022 Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award. Now in its fifth year, the award program recognizes an individual or organization that has exhibited a steadfast commitment to expanding access to affordable homeownership.

The Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award was created in memory of one of DPR's first employees, Beverly Faull, for her wholehearted dedication to the company's mission to provide greater visibility and access to homebuyer assistance programs. DPR received 51 nominations for this year's award cycle. A housing professional with three decades of experience in the industry, Lafayette was selected for her work expanding access to affordable housing as CEO of RAR and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service.

Lafayette's most notable accomplishments include organizing local Affordable Housing Awareness Week initiatives for ten years running, which mobilized hundreds of volunteers across Richmond to help local affordable housing nonprofits build and repair homes. She also launched the Partnership for Housing Affordability, a nonprofit that champions affordable housing policies and programs in the Richmond region, and she led the creation and implementation of the Richmond Regional Housing Framework.

Some affordable housing initiatives that Lafayette is currently spearheading include a regional home repair program for low-to-moderate income seniors, a pilot low-income real estate tax relief program and a pilot initiative that provides partial real estate tax exemption to Richmond's affordable housing providers as a way to preserve existing affordable housing.

"Affordable housing accessibility has been a passion of mine for decades because I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to secure safe, sustainable homeownership for their family," said Lafayette. "I am incredibly grateful to DPR for their recognition and for supporting my mission to help industry professionals better meet the housing finance needs of the diverse Richmond community."

In recognition of her achievements, DPR will make a $5,000 donation on Lafayette's behalf to the charitable organization of her choice. Lafayette has opted to contribute the funds to the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to create affordable, sustainable homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income households. Lafayette established the organization in 2015 and has helped it become one of the fastest-growing community land trusts in the country. She currently serves on the board as the immediate past chair.

To learn more about Lafayette's work with the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, visit https://maggiewalkerclt.org/.

About Down Payment Resource:

Down Payment Resource (DPR) is an award-winning technology provider helping the housing industry connect homebuyers with the homebuyer assistance they need. With toolsets tailored for real estate agents, multiple listing services and mortgage lenders, DPR's technology empowers housing professionals to make affordable home financing opportunities more accessible while growing business and forging referral partnerships. The only organization to track the details of every U.S. homebuyer assistance program, DPR frequently lends its expertise to nonprofits, housing finance agencies, policymakers, government-sponsored enterprises, think tanks and trade organizations seeking to improve housing affordability. Its technology is used by five of the top 10 retail mortgage lenders by volume, three of the four largest real estate listing websites and 500,000 real estate agents. For more information, visit https://downpaymentresource.com/.

Twitter: @DwnPmtResource #downpaymentassistance #homebuyerassistance #affordablehousing @of_Richmond

Related link: https://www.downpaymentresource.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved. ID:NEO2022

Business, Free News Articles, Sports and Activities

GOALS Council Announces 2023 Chairperson and Three New Council Members

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The GOALS Council, a strategic advisory council created by Stack Sports and youth soccer executives, has announced the appointment of Joel Dragan, the Executive Director of Florida Youth Soccer, as the 2023 Chairperson to head the GOALS Council.

"The GOALS Council is about working together for the holistic good and inspiring more children to try out the sport of soccer," said Dragan. "I hope that we can bring the game to kids who aren't currently participating in any fashion. Too often we get bogged down in the details. You don't need anything other than a ball and an open area to play."

In addition, the GOALS Council welcomed three new members: Jennifer Davis, the Executive Director of South Texas Youth Soccer, Melissa Riemer, the Director of Operations at Arlington Soccer Association in Virginia, and Chelsie Hawley, the Executive Director of Skyhawks Rise.

"GOALS stands for Growth, Organization, Advancement, & Learning in Soccer and represents Stack Sports' mission to invest in youth soccer in a meaningful way, as we are truly invested in helping organizations increase participation and grow the game in our communities," said Andrew R. Hiatt, Vice President of Growth and Market Strategy at Stack Sports and former US Youth Soccer Chief Operation Officer. "We are thrilled to welcome the new members of the GOALS Council and are excited about their energy and commitment to youth soccer. Stack Sports is honored to support the council as they identify their primary initiatives and areas of growth for 2023."

Founded by Stack Sports and leading figures in the soccer industry, the GOALS Council is a national strategic advisory group focused on improving soccer for the next generation. This group of soccer leaders works together to address key issues in the sport and serve as a hub for innovative solutions. Stack Sports is committed to supporting the council's efforts through its partnerships, connections, and resources.

"The purpose of the GOALS Council is to check allegiances at the door and meet together with other advocates for the growth of the soccer in the United States to work together collaboratively in ways that is not normally possible," said Frannie Fabian, Head of Partner Engagement at Stack Sports. "We want to inspire more children to pick up the sport as we know youth sports involvement has lifelong health benefits."

The 2023 GOALS Council meeting will be held at the United Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 11, 2023. Subsequent meetings will be held quarterly throughout the year.

To learn more about the GOALS Council, you can visit its website at: https://stacksports.com/goals-council

About Stack Sports:

With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations, including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars, rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on three key pillars - Play, Improve, and Engage.

To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit https://stacksports.com/.

Related link: https://stacksports.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved. ID:NEO2022

Business, Free News Articles, Insurance, Taxes and Accounting

Strategic Benefits Advisors offers guidance for plan sponsors as they seek to comply with landmark SECURE 2.0 retirement legislation

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Independent, full-service employee benefits consulting firm Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) issued a statement today outlining provisions of the newly enacted SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) that are likely to affect most medium to large retirement plan sponsors.

"Employers are still getting their arms around the scope of change represented by SECURE 2.0," said SBA Principal Andy Adams. "We've created an outline that trims the Senate Finance Committee summary down to those provisions most relevant to defined contribution plans without taking all the meat off the bones. Our goal is to give plan sponsors an approachable entry point for understanding where the rubber meets the road."

Hailed as landmark retirement reform, SECURE 2.0 builds on the SECURE Act of 2019 to enhance the long-term financial security of millions of Americans by providing wider access to retirement savings. President Biden signed SECURE 2.0 into law on December 29, 2022, as part of a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that also includes funds for national defense, medical research, safety, veteran health care and disaster recovery.

While most provisions within the 358-page SECURE 2.0 package apply to plan years beginning January 1, 2024, or later, certain provisions apply for the 2023 plan year. According to Adams and fellow SBA Principal Lynn Bullard, SECURE 2.0 provisions that will affect a majority of large and mid-sized defined contribution (DC) plan sponsors can be summarized as follows.

Mandatory changes to required minimum distribution (RMD) rules:

* Effective December 29, 2022, expands the amount that can be excluded from RMD rules if used to purchase qualified longevity annuity contracts.

* Effective January 1, 2023, raises the RMD age (the age at which participants must begin withdrawing from their retirement accounts) from 72 to 73, with a subsequent increase to 75 effective January 1, 2033.

* Effective January 1, 2023, reduces the individual tax penalty for failure to take the RMD.

* Effective January 1, 2023, provides more flexibility in the allowable timing, amounts and features of life annuities to satisfy RMD requirements by removing an existing actuarial test.

* Effective January 1, 2024, allows the surviving spouse of a participant who dies before commencing RMDs to elect to be treated as the employee for RMD purposes.

* Effective January 1, 2024, eliminates RMD requirements on Roth accounts prior to a participant's death.

Other changes to retirement plan distributions:

* Effective for federally declared disasters occurring on or after January 26, 2021, provides permanent rules related to the permitted use of retirement funds by affected individuals including penalty-free withdrawals of up to $22,000, taxation over three years, repayment provisions and special loan considerations.

* Effective December 29, 2022, eliminates the 10% early withdrawal penalty on distributions to terminally ill participants.

* Effective December 29, 2022, limits the repayment period for distributions taken for qualified birth or adoption expenses to three years.

* Effective January 1, 2023, permits employers to rely on employee self-certification of an event that constitutes a hardship.

* Effective January 1, 2024, eliminates the 10% early withdrawal penalty on amounts up to $1,000 in a year for personal or family emergencies. No other such emergency distribution may be made within three years unless the initial distribution is repaid.

* Effective January 1, 2024, creates a new, penalty-free withdrawal for victims of domestic abuse. Income taxes will be refunded to the participant for distributions repaid within three years.

* Effective January 1, 2024, increases the mandatory distribution cap to $7,000 (formerly $5,000).

* Effective December 29, 2025, permits distributions of up to $2,500 to pay for long-term care insurance premiums with no early withdrawal penalty.


Additional operational changes:

* Effective December 29, 2022, allows employers to give DC plan participants the option to receive employer matching contributions on a Roth (after-tax) basis.

* Effective January 1, 2023, allows employers to offer de minimis, immediate financial incentives (such as gift cards) to encourage employees to join retirement plans.

* Effective January 1, 2023, limits the types of plan disclosures required to those who have not elected to participate.

* Effective January 1, 2024, requires that all catch-up contributions to qualified retirement plans by highly paid participants be made on a Roth (after-tax) basis.

* Effective January 1, 2024, allows employers to offer individuals the option to pay down a student loan instead of contributing to a 401(k) plan and still receive an employer match in their retirement plan. Plan sponsors may conduct separate non-discrimination testing for these individuals.

* Effective January 1, 2024, allows plan sponsors to offer non-highly compensated employees an emergency savings account. Employers may auto-enroll employees at no more than 3% of compensation. Contributions are capped at $2,500, after which time contributions must be stopped or directed to an employee's Roth IRA until the balance falls below the cap.

* Effective January 1, 2024, modifies top-heavy testing so that a plan sponsor may test non-excludable and excludable employees separately.

* Effective December 29, 2023, allows plan providers to offer the ability to automatically deposit a participant's default IRA from a previous employer into a new employer's qualified plan.

* Instructs the Department of Labor to issue new guidance by December 29, 2024, on benchmarking target date funds against appropriate indices.

* Instructs the Department of Labor to create a central data repository (the 'Retirement Savings Lost and Found') by December 29, 2024, for participants to search for their plan administrator's contact information.

* Effective January 1, 2025, requires new 401(k) and 403(b) plans to automatically enroll employees unless they specifically opt out.

* Effective January 1, 2025, creates new, higher catch-up contribution limits for those ages 60 through 63 who participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans.

* Effective January 1, 2025, requires plan sponsors to allow part-time employees who work at least 500 hours a year for two consecutive years (not three years, as under current law) to participate in company 401(k) plans.

* Effective January 1, 2026, requires plan sponsors to provide participants with at least one paper account statement per year, unless the participant elects otherwise.

Updates to plan correction methods:

* Effective December 29, 2022, expands the IRS' Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) by allowing more errors to be corrected through self-correction, extending applicability to inadvertent IRA errors and exempting certain RMD failures from excise taxes.

* Effective December 29, 2022, limits the degree to which plans may seek to recoup excess retirement plan payments from participants and gives plan sponsors the ability to choose not to recoup overpayments.

* Effective January 1, 2024, allows for correction of reasonable errors in administration of automatic enrollment and automatic escalation within 91/2 months after the end of the plan year in which the mistakes occurred (alleviating concern over the existing safe harbor correction method under EPCRS that expires December 31, 2023).


This list is not exhaustive. The full text of SECURE 2.0, including provisions that affect pension and cash-balance plans, may be found on pages 2046-2404 of the omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

The Senate Financial Committee's 19-page summary of SECURE 2.0 may be found here (PDF): https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Secure%202.0_Section%20by%20Section%20Summary%2012-19-22%20FINAL.pdf

"For retirement plan sponsors, the question is not whether SECURE 2.0 impacts them, it's which of the more than 90 provisions apply to them and when do they take effect," said Bullard. "Determining the portions of the law relevant to each plan's unique situation is the first step in building a comprehensive plan of action that will keep employers in compliance with minimal disruption to participants and administrative teams."

For help bringing your plan into compliance with SECURE 2.0, talk to your SBA consultant or email info@sba-inc.com to connect with SBA's experienced team of actuaries, consultants and systems specialists.

About Strategic Benefits Advisors:

Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) is an independent, full-service employee benefits consulting firm focused on creatively and effectively solving complex benefits issues for clients ranging from 1,000 to over 300,000 employees. Founded in 2002 by veteran consultants Mindy Zatto and Andy Adams, SBA provides practical consulting recommendations and expert implementation of solutions for all types of employee benefits programs, including retirement, health and welfare, financial wellness and employee recognition. With an average of over 25 years in the field, SBA's team of actuaries, consultants and systems specialists is among the most experienced in the industry.

For more information, visit https://www.sba-inc.com/.

RELATED LINKS:

https://www.sba-inc.com/new-bill-targets-employer-sponsored-retirement-plans/

https://www.napa-net.org/sites/napa-net.org/files/SECURE%20Act%202.0%20Final%20Text_122022.PDF

Related link: https://www.sba-inc.com/

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Awards and Honors, Business, Free News Articles

FormFree’s Brent Chandler named a 2023 Industry Titan by National Mortgage Professional

ATHENS, Ga. -- FormFree® today announced that its founder and CEO Brent Chandler was featured in National Mortgage Professional's list of 2023 Industry Titans. The inaugural Industry Titans awards program recognized 24 of the most notable leaders in mortgage lending.

Chandler was honored for his numerous achievements in the housing finance ecosystem, including being the first to bring electronic asset verification to mortgage lending with FormFree's pioneering product, AccountChek®. Using consumers' direct-source bank data, AccountChek combines verification of a loan applicant's assets, income, employment and rent payment history into one paperless step. It then automatically delivers findings to financial institutions in a single, underwriter-friendly report.

Chandler broke new ground again with the October 2022 release of FormFree's Residual Income Knowledge Index(tm) (RIKI(tm)). With rules-based alternative credit algorithms, RIKI measures consumers' ability to pay (ATP®) for a loan based on their monthly income and spending, opening the credit box for the 53 million American consumers without a credit score and 100 million renters who receive no credit for their monthly rent payments.

"For more than a decade, our incredible team at FormFree has focused on developing solutions to reduce long-standing biases in credit decisioning and help expand access to sustainable credit for historically underserved communities," said Chandler. "I'm humbled that this passion has earned me recognition among some of the most influential leaders in the mortgage industry."

The 2023 Industry Titans are featured in the January 2023 issue of National Mortgage Professional magazine. Winners' profiles can also be viewed online at https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/meet-nmp-2023-titans-industry.

About FormFree®

As the industry's go-to provider for direct-source VOA and VOI/E data, FormFree helps lenders understand credit risk like never before. Our patented AccountChek® and Passport® products open doors to more inclusive credit decisioning by revealing each customer's true ability to pay (ATP®). We have completed over $4 trillion in loan verifications that help lenders lower operating costs while improving the borrower experience.

For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

Related link: https://www.formfree.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved. ID:NEO2022

Awards and Honors, Business, Free News Articles

Down Payment Resource’s Rob Chrane honored by National Mortgage Professional’s inaugural Industry Titans award program

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting home buyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that National Mortgage Professional (NMP) selected its Founder and CEO Rob Chrane to its first cohort of Industry Titans honorees. The 2023 Industry Titans award program recognizes influential leaders that have made impactful contributions to the housing finance industry.

Chrane was honored for his work at DPR, a technology firm enabling the housing industry to connect homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs that make the wealth-building advantages of homeownership more accessible. Consumers and housing professionals query DPR's database to discover homebuyer assistance programs more than 200,000 times a day. To date, more than 9.3 million unique consumers and housing professionals have used DPR to find home financing assistance.

"By spreading awareness about financial programs designed to uplift homebuyers through my work at DPR, I have the opportunity to help the housing industry meet community needs and help community members build wealth through homeownership," said Chrane. "It is an honor to be recognized by NMP for following my passion for affordable lending programs, trends and strategies."

Over the last year, Chrane has greatly expanded DPR's ability to raise awareness about homebuyer assistance programs by partnering with numerous multiple listing service (MLS) providers and consumer home search sites Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. He also oversees the development of DPR's Homeownership Program Index (HPI), a quarterly report that uncovers DPA trends by surveying the funding status, eligibility rules and benefits of all U.S. homebuyer assistance programs.

Read the full list of 2023 Industry Titans in the January issue of National Mortgage Professional, or online at https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/meet-nmp-2023-titans-industry.

About Down Payment Resource:

Down Payment Resource (DPR) is an award-winning technology provider helping the housing industry connect homebuyers with the homebuyer assistance they need. With toolsets tailored for real estate agents, multiple listing services and mortgage lenders, DPR's technology empowers housing professionals to make affordable home financing opportunities more accessible while growing business and forging referral partnerships. The only organization to track the details of every U.S. homebuyer assistance program, DPR frequently lends its expertise to nonprofits, housing finance agencies, policymakers, government-sponsored enterprises, think tanks and trade organizations seeking to improve housing affordability. Its technology is used by five of the top 10 retail mortgage lenders by volume, three of the four largest real estate listing websites and 500,000 real estate agents.

For more information, visit https://downpaymentresource.com/.

Related link: https://www.downpaymentresource.com/

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Business, Free News Articles, Insurance

Alliance Group Launches Living Benefits Awareness Month 2023 with Theme: GoFundYourself

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Alliance Group launched their sixth annual Living Benefits Awareness Month, or LBAM, to be observed throughout the month of January 2023. The industry-wide campaign, which takes place each January, aims to educate consumers on the importance of owning Living Benefits life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families' financial security.

Living Benefits are features built into life insurance policies (term and permanent) that allow the policyholder access to their death benefit while they're still alive if they get sick or injured. Cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ transplant, blindness, paralysis, and chronic illness are some of the triggering events that would allow for acceleration of the policy's death benefit.

"Getting sick no longer means certain death," says Samuel Howe, CMO of Alliance Group. "People are surviving longer, which is great news, but survival requires treatment, and treatment requires money. Having emergency access to your life insurance policy's death benefit while you're still alive is a hugely valuable option to have."

He adds, "More people should know about that option. That's why we created Living Benefits Awareness Month six years ago, and we're so excited about building on that success in 2023."

2023 LBAM Theme: GoFundYourself

Each January, Living Benefits Awareness Month is punctuated with a new theme, and this year's theme is "GoFundYourself."

"To illustrate the importance of owning Living Benefits, we are looking to raise awareness about the dangers of relying on GoFundMe as a safety net if something goes sideways with your health," said Howe. "It's wonderful that GoFundMe empowers us to help those in need, but the statistics show that it's not a reliable backup plan.

"Only 12% of GoFundMe campaigns started reach their funding goals. Actually, a larger portion - 16% - fail to get a single donation. This year, we're spreading the message that consumers should plan ahead and get a Living Benefits plan in place that will negate the need to rely on charity in the event of an unexpected illness."

According to Howe, consumers can get a better idea of what LBAM is all about by visiting the website geared towards educating the general public on Living Benefits.

The address for the site is: https://www.alliancegrouplife.com/site/lbam.

MULTIMEDIA:

VIDEO (Vimeo): https://vimeo.com/491677929

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

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Alliances and Partnerships, Business, Free News Articles, Insurance

Docsnap Partners with FlexCare Digital Health to Expand Services to Members, Families, Employers, Veterans, Medicare, and Medicaid Patients

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Docsnap, the first nationwide Consumer Health Utility, supports consumers leveraging their HIPAA rights to take ownership of all their medical records. Docsnap announced today its partnership with FlexCare Digital Health to expand access to quality healthcare services for members, families, employees, veterans, Medicare, and Medicaid Patient services. This partnership allows docsnaps' members to benefit from Telemedicine & TeleDentistry virtually, 24/7/365. Docsnap and FlexCare will start their partnership immediately to begin providing digital health access to all docsnap members and enterprise customers.

"Docsnap is excited to welcome FlexCare Digital Health to our partnership family, filling a vital need for our members. As the founder of docsnap and the father of a daughter with a chronic health issue, having access to virtual care visits when it's needed and not when you are told you can have it is critical for the reduction of pain and suffering, stress and anxiety, and the high cost of avoidable urgent care and emergency room visits," said founder Dr. Anthony Mari.

According to UnitedHealth Group research, two-thirds of hospital ED visits annually by individuals in the United States - 18 million out of 27 million - are avoidable. By docsnap and FlexCare providing access 24/7 to compensate for the nation's shortage of Primary Care providers, docsnap provides members "peace-of-mind," knowing they have access to advice about urgent and emergent care when they need it!

"FlexCare is excited to partner with docsnap in providing virtual care services for their Consumer Health Utility," said Principal Lee Shoemake. "We view this as a tremendous opportunity to provide a valuable benefit to millions of docsnap members."

A virtual consult by a licensed physician or dentist from the comfort and convenience of a computer or mobile device can help members get the care they need when they need it.

FlexCare is committed to fulfilling this important member benefit, which will not only assist with providing on demand care, but it will also close the gap of availability to digital health providers.

Learn more: https://flexcare.com/

About FlexCare

FlexCare Digital Health is a leading provider of online and on-demand healthcare delivery services to private and public employers, associations, brokers, school systems, and more. By using digital health services instead of more expensive urgent care and ER visits, FlexCare cuts unnecessary costs and keeps members smiling, instead of waiting.

In addition to Telemedicine, FlexCare also offers TeleDentistry, Virtual Primary Care, Dermatology, Behavioral Health, Telespine and other digital health services.

FlexCare seamlessly provides multiple member benefits, either bundled or unbundled, which improves not only access, but cuts the overall cost of care for members and their dependents.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlexCarePlus

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexcare-telemedicine/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/FlexCarePlus

Instagram: https://instagram.com/FlexCarePlus

Related link: http://flexcare.com/

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Business, Free News Articles, Insurance

Alliance Group recently announced the 2023 class of Living Benefits Ambassadors team

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Alliance Group recently announced the 2023 class of Living Benefits Ambassadors team as part of their upcoming sixth annual Living Benefits Awareness Month campaign. The Ambassadors will head up local grassroots campaigns and work alongside Alliance Group to spread education and awareness for Living Benefits Awareness Month in January 2023.

The chosen Living Benefits Ambassadors are as follows:

* Dylan Janzen (Legacy Insurance Group - Omaha, NE)

* Sharon Mooney (Five Rings Financial - Billings, MT)

* Drialys Munoz (Univista Insurance - Miami, FL)

* Jeremy Springer (Pike Creek Financial Group - Middletown, DE)

Living Benefits Awareness Month, or LBAM, takes place each January and aims to educate consumers on the importance of owning Living Benefits life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families' financial security.

ABOUT LIVING BENEFITS AWARENESS MONTH:

Living Benefits are features built into life insurance policies (term and permanent) that allow the policyholder access to their death benefit while they are still alive if they get sick or injured. Cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ transplant, blindness, paralysis, and chronic illness are some of the triggering events that would allow for acceleration of the policy's death benefit.

"Living Benefits will safeguard your family from the cause of 50% of the bankruptcies in the U.S. every year ― medical bankruptcy resulting from a critical illness," says Lee Duncan, President and CEO of Alliance Group.

"Getting sick no longer means certain death," says Duncan. "Having emergency access to your life insurance policy's death benefit while you're still alive is a hugely valuable option to have. More people should know about that option. That's why we created Living Benefits Awareness Month five years ago, and we're so excited about building on that success."

According to Duncan, consumers can get a better idea of what LBAM is all about by visiting a website created by Alliance Group that is geared towards Living Benefits education. The address for the site is https://www.alliancegrouplife.com/site/lbam.

The company's main website is https://www.alliancegrouplife.com

ABOUT ALLIANCE GROUP:

As "The Living Benefits IMO," Alliance Group provides independent agents and agencies with superior marketing and training solutions. Since 1998, Alliance Group has been helping life insurance agency partners spread awareness about Living Benefits life insurance, while also helping them solve clients' tax-free retirement, mortgage protection, small business planning, and estate planning needs. Alliance Group has an A+ rating on BBB, as well as

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

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Business, Free News Articles, Insurance

Eric Ojeda joins Alliance Group staff

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Atlanta-based Alliance Group, a national IMO, announces the hire of 25-year industry veteran Eric Ojeda as their new Director of Sales Enablement. Ojeda (MAM, LUTCF, ACS, SSRI, ALMI), who previously spent 22 years at Ameritas in their life insurance division, brings a wealth of experience to a fast-growing organization.

"We've worked with Eric for many years and we know the skillset and unique abilities he brings to the table," said Alliance Group CEO Lee Duncan. "Eric is going to plug right in and immediately provide additional value to our sales force and agency partners. His experience, product knowledge, and people skills are going to help him grease the skids for sales opportunities. Eric will be helping our agents find the best and most efficient route to getting their clients' business placed quickly and with the best products and carriers to solve for their needs."

Ojeda worked as an internal wholesaler for Ameritas' career agent force before building a sales team that worked closely with their independent distribution, which is how he was first introduced to Alliance Group. In his new role, he'll be working closely with Alliance Group's Steve Walther, who serves as the Director of Sales and Distribution.

"Eric has had experience and enjoyed success in a variety of roles that make him a versatile and dynamic addition to the team," said Walther. "He's been an agent, he's built a team, and he's got a ton of knowledge with case design and getting business submitted and issued. We're looking forward to leveraging that experience and we're thrilled to have someone of his caliber on board."

Ojeda's official start date is December 12, 2022.

More information on Alliance Group and Living Benefits life insurance is available on their website, https://www.alliancegrouplife.com/.

MULTIMEDIA:

WISTIA

https://alliancegroup.wistia.com/medias/dsetop1zi3

YOUTUBE

https://youtube.com/shorts/wAErZKBdJAE

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

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Advertising and Marketing, Business, Free News Articles, Insurance

Alliance Group Expands Video Marketing Department with Hire of Assistant D/E

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Alliance Group, an Atlanta-based insurance marketing organization, announced the hire of Josh Thompson as Assistant Director / Assistant Editor. The move comes as part of a recent series of personnel moves to reflect the company's growing needs as they continue to expand.

"Our agents and partners' needs for quality video marketing content has been steadily increasing over the years, and bringing in additional help to get content shot, edited, and into the hands of our producers was a move we needed to make," said Alliance Group CMO Samuel Howe. "Josh was hand-selected by Travis Grenier, who has built the Video Marketing department here, and he's going to help us keep pace with our partners' growing appetites for quality video content to market themselves and the solutions they provide to their clients."

Thompson has a background in theater production and has owned and operated his own video production company for the past ten years. He has freelanced with Alliance Group on individual projects in the past, and his talent and rapport with the team led to Grenier offering him a full-time position.

"Josh's talents are obvious, and he has plugged right into the team," said Grenier, Alliance Group's Video Marketing Director. "Having him on board has allowed us to massively ramp up our output for video content. Since he's come on, we've seen a huge influx of our agents visiting Stratton Studios to shoot individualized content. This is a huge value add for our partners and it wouldn't be possible without the addition of Josh to the team. We're super happy to have him on board."

More information on Alliance Group and Living Benefits life insurance is available on their website, https://www.alliancegrouplife.com/.

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved. ID:NEO2022