Field-Support Experts Discuss Sales Success

Marketing specialists from two client companies discussed popular advanced marketing concepts at a COSSConference '05 business session titled “Sales Success in Needs-Based and Niche Markets.”

Derek Suter, MCP, a member of the Sales Development Team at Lafayette Life Insurance Company, and Advanced Marketing Consultant Justin Gorelik, CLU, ChFC, FLMI, of AIG American General, also shared their field support experience with COSS’ advanced marketing system. COSS Vice President of Business Development Cathy Belteau hosted the hour-long discussion.

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Regulation JEOPARDY Follow-up

COSSConference '05 guest Brian King FSA, MAAA discussed revenue rulings and regulations at a Conference business session titled “Regulation JEOPARDY!” The three-panelist discussion was modeled after the popular game. COSS VP of Strategic Relations Chris W. Kite, MBA hosted.

As a follow-up to the topics presented, King has offered detailed articles from the Society of Actuaries’ Taxing Times newsletter.

Visit the Taxing Times table of contents to learn more about these topics:

	Mortality Requirements and Notice 2004-61 (May 2005, page 1)
	Qualified Additional Benefits Under Revenue Ruling 2005-6 (May 2005, page 14)
	Proposed Regulations on Attained Age (September 2005, page 20)

In addition to editing Taxing Times, King is a vice president and consulting actuary with Aon Consulting in Connecticut. He was also a COSS Market Connection guest speaker in 2004. To learn more about King’s presentation, or to suggest a future Market Connection topic, please visit cossdev.com/connect.

Market Connection Recap: Consumer Disclosures
By Chris W. Kite, MBA, Vice President-Strategic Relations, COSS

Last month, I hosted consumer advocate and consumer information specialist Dr. Brenda Cude on a Market Connection teleconference. Dr. Cude is the professor of housing and consumer economics at University of Georgia and a designated consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

On the Market Connection call, Dr. Cude:

	Re-capped a recent NAIC presentation on purposes of consumer disclosure
	Described the characteristics of helpful disclosure statements, based on a 2005 NAIC-sponsored consumer focus group
	Evaluated the readability of a sample COSS life insurance illustration

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Hammen Advances, Assumes New Duties

COSS promoted Paul Hammen, FLMI, ACS, AAPA last month to an actuarial developer’s position on Milwaukee’s Illustrations Team 1.

Hammen, who has been with COSS for four years, previously served as a programmer/analyst. He developed Web system functionality, the illustration system’s user interface, and directly supported COSSTools™ customers using the UI tool. He also earned three designations and cross-trained in other development roles—skills that will serve him in his new position.

Hammen has a B.B.A. and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He worked in Visual Basic development for two and a half years prior to joining COSS. He assumed his new role October 13.