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Best Business Practices
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- How to prepare your 2013 marketing strategy
As you look ahead to 2013, you can refine your marketing efforts by maintaining an active LinkedIn profile, fine-tuning your company's website and sharing your knowledge on your blog, Deborah Shane writes. It's also a good idea to attend conferences and to use Twitter and Facebook to build your brand. Small Business Trends
(12/10)
- Expertise is the secret to sales success
Sellers who are successful in the current business climate have the expertise necessary to engage with customers, writes Ryan Estis. "I am talking about sellers that are informed and invested enough to become experts on the customer's business," he writes. "They are positioned to offer the customer a more compelling value proposition." You can get ready for a strong performance in 2013 by gathering insights from your customers and ensuring that your representatives have the skills they need, Estis advises. PassionOnPurposeBlog.com
(12/10)
Industry Insight
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- Brokers' revenue to hold steady in 2013, Fitch says
Increased competition and global economic difficulties will remain challenges to insurance brokers in 2013, but a Fitch Ratings report says the sector's earnings "are anticipated to remain relatively stable in 2013 with levels reported in the first nine months of 2012." The report also notes that revenues did not see a significant change this year. "This pricing trend appears sustainable into 2013, which should promote continued moderate growth going forward," the ratings firm said. PropertyCasualty360
(12/7)
- Consumer tips for choosing the right HSA
Health savings accounts are gaining popularity, according to data from AHIP. Consumers can choose between a bank-type account, intended for modest deposits and frequent withdrawals, or investment-type accounts, intended for long-term investment. Among the factors to think about when choosing an HSA are fees, access features and the consumer's planned use for the savings. CBS MoneyWatch/The Associated Press
(12/10)
Market Trends
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- Feds conditionally OK 6 states for health exchange enrollment
Six states have conditional approval to start enrolling residents in their health insurance exchanges in October, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The states are Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon and Washington, which all have Democratic governors. Eight additional states have said they will operate their own exchanges, while 22 are ceding that responsibility to the federal government. The remaining states must announce their decisions regarding the exchanges by Friday. Bloomberg Businessweek
(12/11)
- Sales of whole life, indexed universal life rose in Q3, LIMRA says
LIMRA data show an improvement of overall individual life sales for this year's third quarter, driven largely by sales of whole life and indexed universal life. Whole-life sales were up by 5% for the quarter, while indexed-universal-life sales rose 39%. "Both product lines have consistently performed well under challenging economic conditions because they offer consumers the opportunity for steady growth while protecting their principal from the prolonged market volatility," LIMRA's Ashley Durham said. National Underwriter Life & Health
(12/10)
Health Insurance Plan Company News
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Vendor Company News
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AHIP News
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Special Year-End Pricing on AHIP’s National Policy Forum
Register for AHIP’s National Policy Forum, March 13 and 14 in Washington, D.C., by noon ET on Dec. 31, 2012 and take advantage of special year-end pricing. Learn from health insurance plan leaders as well as business, health policy and political speakers as they focus on the political and regulatory issues affecting our changing health care system.
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Tweets to learn by—follow @AHIPEducation on Twitter
Follow @AHIPEducaton on Twitter for daily tweets about AHIP’s educational opportunities, including conferences, online courses and webinars. View our profile.
SmartQuote
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 | Put a grain of boldness into everything you do."
--Baltasar Gracián, Spanish writer

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