Consumer Articles Of Interest
"A Place In The Sun"... In February 2000, our Principal Nigel Taylor was honored with the front cover of the prestigious national trade magazine "Financial Planning", which included a 7 page biographic feature regarding Mr. Taylor's activities in the politics of financial planning and his work to raise standards for professionalism and disclosure in the business of financial planning
Preparing Financially For Any Disaster... After appearing on the Fox 11 Morning News, "Ask The Expert" segment, Mr. Taylor authored an article designed to provide useful tips on preparing and surviving an earthquake or natural disaster, both physically and financially. Mr. Taylor currently volunteers his time as the Earthquake and child safety Chairperson of his daughter's local PTA Association.
Annuity Suitability Standards... Free lunch and dinner seminars given by pure insurance salesmen are the place where most seniors in California are confronted with the hard core sale pitches for fixed and variable annuities and Equity Index Annuities. By the way, the reason they offer a free one hour consultation is... because they have no authority to charge a fee for their time, period! The business of insurance is a commission business, don't be fooled into thinking you're getting something for nothing. An insurance agent can't charge a fee for any insurance matter unless he's a life and disability (L&D) analyst, and there are less than "40" in the entire State of California. I don't know of one L&D analyst that offers free lunch seminars because L&D analysts don't sell product. Investment Advisers like Taylor & Associates may charge fees for financial planning or investment advisory services. The abuses in the senior market have become so bad that the California Dept of Insurance developed a best practices manual for insurance agents when offering and explaining annuities. ALL seniors and their loved ones should make this article mandatory reading. It will tell you how the agent is supposed to be behaving and whether he is fully disclosing everything he should be. It also points out how others have been scammed in the past so you may learn from their mistakes. In the alternative, read this first and just shun free lunch seminars in favor of calling a "fiduciary" investment adviser like our firm to handle your financial affairs! Click here to read this CA Dept. of Insurance release.
Senior Designations... So the seminar you recently attended was given by a so called "expert" in senior planning and they had a wonderful sounding designation like "Certified Estate Planner" (CEP) or "Certified Senior Advisor" (CSA) printed in gold letters on their business card. Be aware that a new law was recently passed in California that prohibits the use designations claiming "senior" expertise. Nearly all of these designations were gained in less than three days at some annuity selling seminar. Inform yourself and read this CA Dept. of Insurance Notice to Insurance agents and consumers regarding the restriction and prohibition on use of senior designations. Your free lunch just got a little harder to digest! By the way, if you live outside California, many other States now have similar statutes, so please check with your local Dept. of Insurance regulator.
Are you a senior citizen thinking of purchasing any kind of insurance policy? Then please read this important memo issued by the California Dept. of Insurance regarding your rights as a senior citizen in California. Call today if you need expert and competent assistance with your insurance affairs. As a CFP® Certificant with 23 years experience, Nigel Taylor has agreed to abide by the CFP Board code of ethics and practice standards which require him to act in the client's best interest in all matters. Click here!
Other scams that are regularly perpetrated against seniors... Insurance agents are not the only people scamming seniors. Lawyers, accountants and even investment advisers have been caught with their sticky hand in the cash register. The Securities Exchange Commission, (SEC) the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA, formerly the NASD) and the North American Securities Administrators Association joined forces to warn seniors of other scams that could rob them of their hard earned cash. Please read this Advice Notice by clicking here and educate yourself about other schemes to defraud. By the way, some of the largest scams most recently perpetrated by scammers like Sir Alan Stanford, who allegedly stole over $8 billion from his clients using phony Certificates of Deposit are listed here. Forewarned is forearmed. If you've been approached by someone offering an investment that sounds too good to be true, call us today for a second opinion at 310. 260. 1126, we'll investigate for you.
Worried about ID Theft? You should be... this article authored by the Federal Trade Commission will help you get your identity back if it's been stolen, a great "How To" of what to do and what not to do.
Have you considered hiring a "fee-only" planner in California for a comprehensive financial plan that includes insurance planning and risk management? Before you do, understand that such planners are required to be licensed by the California Dept. of Insurance and over 95% of fee-only planners are not! Don't give your business to people who flagrantly violate the law. Read my white paper regarding "The Illegal Activities of Fee-Only Planners In The Business Of Insurance" and educate yourself before hiring anyone to review your financial plan!
Have you received spam or spoof E mail from this web site? If so, please read this important Federal Trade Commission Statement on unsolicited Commercial E-Mail to learn how unscrupulous spammers and spoofers are hijacking reputable domain names of established companies to fill your mail boxes with junk!
