Fiduciary Insurance Consulting

The Need

Insurance has many important applications in advanced planning, but can also be problematic for many reasons, ranging from product complexity to challenges with long-term servicing and product sustainability, the opaque commission-based delivery structure, and potential conflicts of interest. Fee-based insurance consulting under a fiduciary standard of care provides a solution that delivers tremendous benefits.

A transparent fee-based arrangement turns the light on the facts, provides clients objective information and documented analyses, and empowers clients and clients' advisers to make the best decisions based on the merits. Fee-based arrangements remove the impetus to create transactions just to get paid, helping to assure the client that recommendations are being made for the right reasons -- not to generate a commission that is favorable to a seller. When no transaction is needed (servicing needs, solving funding puzzles, fixing split-dollar arrangements, or simply when no transaction is warranted), a fee-based consultant can provide valuable intervention, alternative solutions, product repair, or ongoing service.

Fee-based consulting arrangements may be suited for large cases, second opinions of sales proposals, reviewing in-force policies, and reviewing complex business and estate plans.

An Unusual Offering

Many insurance agents/brokers are not licensed to provide fee-based services and have little appreciation for the issues of conflict of interest and opacity in the commissions-based sales model. Many fee-based advisers lack experience or expertise in insurance strategies and products and maybe unable to provide expert help in these areas. Mallery Financial combines its commitment to objective, independent, transparent analysis with deep experience in insurance strategies and products to provide clients this unusual offering.

Mallery Financial’s fee-based approach to insurance consulting was recently featured at America’s Top Planner, a national forum of planning approaches and ideas. For an informative write-up about our process, please see the story America's Top Planner wrote about our approach.

Insurance Areas Where We Provide Consultation

  • Life insurance
  • Disability income insurance
  • Long-term care planning
  • Annuities (fixed, variable, and equity-indexed)

 

No-Load Insurance Products*

Most insurance is sold, on a commission basis, but a niche market of no-load insurance products is available only through fee-based insurance professionals -- no commission is embedded in the product, which may translate  to enhanced liquidity, flexibility, efficiency, and transparency as well as potential cost savings to the client.

Deep Analytics

Mallery Financial combines qualitative analysis (deep industry and product knowledge) with a rich toolbox of quantitative analytical tools (software) to reveal the parameters of future performance and which strategies might maximize the likelihood of long-term success.

Client Control, Empowerment

Our transparent, full-disclosure process puts the client in control of the process. The client chooses whether and how to proceed based on fully disclosed costs, benefits, and risks. They know at every step of the way whether and how much things cost them and how much the adviser is being paid. No secrets, no opaque processes, all potential conflicts of interest disclosed.

Credentials

Stephen Mallery's Credentials

  • 12 years of professional insurance experience, spanning personal, business, and estate planning
  • Independent,** fee-based financial financial planner and adviser
  • Licensed independent insurance consultant

Certified Fee Insurance Specialist (CFIS)

The Fee Advisor Network awards the Certified Fee Insurance Specialist , or CFIS™ designation, to individuals who have successfully completed their five courses and passed a final exam on Life Insurance Policies, Concepts, and Ethics.

The CFIS™ distinguishes the practitioner as one who is knowledgeable in fee-based life insurance design and functionality, encompassing competency in policy style, design, concept, and efficiency considerations with full disclosure and fiduciary care.

Additional Information regarding this designation is available by contacting The Fee Advisor Network at 248-250-6830 or online at http://feeadvisorsnetwork.com.

Trust Services

We offer access to client-friendly institutional trust service providers, and we facilitate and coordinate the establishment and servicing of trust relationships.

Common uses of trust services:

  • Self-directed IRAs
  • Administration of revocable and irrevocable trusts
  • Creation of self-settled asset protection trusts


We can help you find and access the trust services provider that works best for your needs, and help implement, monitor, and maintain the relationship.

*No-Load products may not be the most appropriate product in all instances. Investors should take into consideration a number of considerations including, but not limited to: total fees/expenses, tax situation, product considerations such as benefits or limitations, as well as the anticipated duration the investor will have the product.

**Please Note: The investment adviser representatives in KMS branch offices are under the supervision of KMS Financial Services, Inc.