New Year's Eve is a time for remembrance and thankfulness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne
The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago",^[4] "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, is loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".

As the year draws to a close, here's hoping that everyone has had good times 2011. whatever the case may be leave behind the bad and look forward to the promise of better things ahead.

the New Year brings us a chance to erase what we didn't like about our past and re-write our futures in the present.

for the religious, pray and be thankful for all your deity has given you, the love of your family, the job you may have, the food on the table, the friends that surround us. Continue to hope for mercy on the living and grace on those that have passed.

And if you've not any fond memories, then make tonight count! Bring Smiles and Happiness to others around you and celebrate the passing of a good year and herald the coming of another.

http://www.123newyear.com/new-year-messages/

Come the new year 2012 and all of us wish each of our friends, family and colleagues. We convey our new year wishes to them and hope for their well being, success, prosperity and good health in the coming times through the new year messages.

New year messages show the anticipation good times ahead and wish that our dreams and aspiration all come through. New year messages also convey our remembrances and desires of meeting each other on the happy occasion of the new year.

New year messages can quickly be sent through e mail or simple text message through the cell phone too. New Year messages bring smiles and happiness to the receivers face and make them feel loved and acknowledged at such times.

Happy New Year Messages

Now is the time to act, open up this new years eve and tell that every person you come across even if it is a stranger, to spread love, affection and warmth around them.

Make this new year special by plating a tree, feeding hungry people, adopting a lonesome street dog, helping your house maid by giving some warm clothes for her children, take a vow to never bribe or accept any bribe to get your work done, Make it even more special by telling your beloved that your love for him/her will be like wine, it will get more refined and more precious with time.

And when you are done, welcome the early sun of the new year with open arms and full vigor.So, buckle up and welcome the new year

Friends in the Business

I'm happy to talk about my friends in the business, without which, i probably would be having a (even more) tough time practicing insurance and consulting.

we've been doing quite a number of activities together lately, including canvassing and attending training classes and pretty much checking up on each others' weekly/monthly results.

this is just a quick shout out to all my friends who've motivated and kept me running and offered unending support and consolation, your words of encouragement and stories of "that's not as bad as me la! just last week...." have been invaluable :)

i hope that we'll be able to grow together in this industry, through the years, in our friendships and development into better agents. I know of so many people that have left the business because of the hardship, but with all the shoulders around that i know i can lean on, i rest easy knowing that i can always turn to my buddies in the same boat :)

Cheers to you all,
Jessica

Not for the criticizism of Socialism, but the higher Morality and Ethics of Hard Work

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.
The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little..

The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. It could not be any simpler than that.

These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Christmas isn't Christmas, 'til it happens in your heart

Welcome Back!! Merry Christmas one and all! I hope your Christmases have been fruitful; a time for meeting, reuniting, catching up, good conversations, laughing, making merry, just being happy surrounded by loved ones...  Christmas this year for me was one of overindulgence. The fridge is so full, i'm going to be seeing ham turned to bak kwa (candied(?) roast pork) come this Chines New Year.

what i really wanted to talk about today was how it seems like Christmas is everyday for me. No, not the present receiving, although that WOULD be rather nice. but more of how meeting up with people to do all of that is a day-to-day basis for me, unlike where special occasions call for human interaction.

meeting up with people this year, was also different. In the sense where I have something else to talk about when i see friends and family. it's still difficult, but i've come to terms with people givig me shocked looks and incredulous stares that i've joined insurance. I'm happy for the "opportunity" to practice telling people that I'm with AIA and giving out my namecards.

what better time to do it when there's an occasion for the whole family to be in one place at one time. no other better time except CNY, and that's going to be in a month's time too :/

well, talking about insurance is starting to get easier. one thing i've been finding myself repeating a lot more lately is about how "my heart has to be in the right place" in order to last in this industry. the more i say it, the more i believe it and the more motivated i am to tell people about the importance of financial protection.

i have been telling people that you can't go around asking people about their financial wellbeing with money on your brain (or accurately speaking - with ONLY money on your brain). you really need to want to care for them and take care of their families and to sincerely want to safeguard their assets, physical or monetary-wise.

that's much like christmas gift-giving. you don't normally buy presents for someone with the motive that you'll be getting one back. and that's really similar to planning someone's insurance. i should be doing it thinking about what my clients' needs are, what kind of situation are they in that would require what kind of solution, what would be best in his/her mind's eye... most importantly, doing it because you know it would make them happy. 

so this Christmas I hope that i continue making more people happy, by giving them the gift of a peace of mind with their financial protection, and that when people think about that gift, to thinking about it brings on a smile.

Be Protected Everyone!
Jessica

No Post til Boxing Day! Have a Merry Christmas Everyone!

"Invention of Love"

The above video is slightly longer than your average youtube video and rightly so.

*spoiler alert below*

the ending of the video is thought-provoking and very unsettling. to put it as simply as some of the comments on the actual video: "Crazy how materialized people have become and forget.of.the simple yet beautiful things nature and the world has to offer"

when you find something that's of worth to you, hold it close and never let it go. No money in the world can replace what you've placed emotional and sentimental value in.

Here's hoping that this Christmas, everyone remembers their friends, family and most important people and for me, or for yourselves, tell them that you love them :)

Be Loved and Give Love,
Jessica

Door-to-Door

I was meant to post this last night, but BOY was i TIRED!

i went door to door last night with a colleague in an old estate in the west of Singapore and basically we spend a night knocking down the doors of the residents :)

as bad as it may sound (or desperate, or crazy) to those that have never tried going door-to-door, it was SUPER FUN!!! and i'm not just saying it because i have to do it.

i've had to go door-to-door before though, so it's not just a one-off opinion. I was doing door-to-door in a sales company when i first came out of university, and for a good one and a half years. you meet nice people, shy people, worried people, and people who are just looking for someone to talk to.

surprisingly though, people in Singapore are actually generally friendly and considerate. you don't get that many slammed doors or insults and screaming at you to "get lost". you mostly get people who will tell you politely or paiseh-ly (like embarrassed that they wasted your time) that they're not interested, or genuinely have no need for whatever it is we were doing. what's upsetting though is that the outlook of people in singapore is that they are wary of that  stranger coming around to their private residences with an ulterior motive and most people are just generally concerned.

"whatever it is we were doing" didn't seem to matter. people are preoccupied with their own business and seldom have time to spare a few minutes to listen about financial health or how Medisave/Medishield works, no matter how important it might actually be.

I mentioned in a previous post about how the most difficult part of insurance is not selling it, but getting people to give you a chance to start talking about it. and that being said, it takes a little getting used to - the rejection and the apathy to your cause.

i'm happy that Singapore is full of concerned people. it means that at least through all of the rejection that people are aware of the importance of taking care of their financial issues, their families and how everyone would be affected if something happens and there aren't contingencies in place. the most important thing is to remember that everything has its season and all you need to do, is to find the people that are ripe to receive information about insurance.

after trudging up and down the block for 3 hours, we found our ripe fruit, and i'm pleased to say that one more family has taken the first steps to the planning of their financial health.

whatever your situation may be, i hope that more people will be open to receive information about insurance. whatever you may learn the next time someone "knocks on your door" could be crucial.

be protected everyone!
Jessica

How many Singaporeans have $131,000 in CPF at 55?

Taken from TheOnlineCitizen

I refer to the report “CPF keeps 4% Special and Medisave Account interest rate” (Channel NewsAsia, Dec 19).

It states that “from January 1 next year, the Medisave Required Amount (MRA) will be raised from the current S$27,500 to S$32,000”.

This is an increase of about 16 per cent ($32,000 divided by $27,500).

Since the annual inflation rate for 2010 was only 2.8 per cent (see HERE), why is the MRA increase about six times more than inflation? (16 divided by 2.8 per cent)

Minimum Sum plus MRA?
Those who can meet the CPF Minimum Sum (MS), currently at $131,000, will also have to meet the MRA of $32,000, at age 55.

For example, if you have $180,000 in your Ordinary and Special accounts, and 0 in your Medisave account, you can only withdraw $17,000 ($180,000 minus MS $131,000 minus MRA $32,000), at age 55.

How many Singaporeans are estimated to have more than $163,000 when they reach 55?

55 withdrawal rule reduce from 20 to 10%
As the MS withdrawal rule at age 55 will be reduced from the current 20 per cent to 10 per cent, from 1 January 2012, anyone with less than $145,556 ($131,000 divided by 0.9), in the Ordinary and Special accounts, can withdraw only 10 per cent of the balance in the Ordinary and Special accounts, or $5,000, whichever is the higher.

For example, if you have $120,000, you can only withdraw $12,000 (10 per cent of $120,000) at 55.

How many Singaporeans are estimated to have the MS of $131,000, when they reach 55?

Just In - Change in Medisave Minimum Sum

Taken from Channel News Asia
"From January next year, the Medisave Required Amount (MRA) will be raised to S$32,000, higher than the current S$27,500.

The MRA refers to the amount that must be set aside in the Medisave Account, after the CPF Minimum Sum requirement has been met.

Those who have met the CPF Minimum Sum and have a MRA shortfall at the point of withdrawal have to make a top-up to the Medisave Account with part of the balances from the Ordinary Account and/or Special Account to meet the prevailing MRA.

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, which announced the change on Monday, also said members will continue to enjoy a risk-free interest rate of 4 per cent on their Special and Medisave Accounts (SMA) between January 1 and March 31, 2012.

The interest rate is also set at 4 per cent for the Retirement Account (RA) - from January 1 to December 31, 2012.

This is in line with the government's announcement made in September 2011 to maintain the 4 per cent per annum floor rate for interest earned on all SMA monies and RA monies until December 31, 2012.

The CPF Board said savings in the SMA currently earn either 4 per cent or the 12-month average yield of 10-year Singapore Government Securities (10YSGS) plus 1 per cent, whichever is the higher.

The interest rate on SMA savings is adjusted quarterly, based on interest rates on 10YSGS over a preceding 12-month period.

The average yield of the 10YSGS plus 1 per cent from December 1, 2010 to November 30, 2011, works out to be 3.19 per cent.

The SMA interest rate payable to CPF members from January 1 to March 31, 2012 will be maintained at the current floor of 4 per cent. "

The weather outside is Frightful

but the fire is still delightful,
as long as you've insurance, yo,
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..

ok VERY cheesy and not at all inspiring at all. But very christmassy i hope!

just in line with yesterday's fun-post i wanted to talk a little about accidents during the holidays. what with all the cheer and festivities, it's very easy for people to forget to take care of themselves.

Christmas and New Year IS a time to indulge, and sometimes to just go a little overboard in revelry and cheer. It's good to sit back a little and think a while about moderation and safety, because for lack of a better way to put it, it HAS been rather frightful weather lately.

this morning it's been POURING cats and dogs, thunder and lightning, and it shows no sign of letting up. Good thing we're a tropical nation, or else we'd really be having a tonne of snow at our doorsteps to shovel. I had an Aunt who used to stay up in Sweden and she used to tell me the hazards of Winter. Snow and Sleet and Hail and Ice. the amount of medical bills for the Swedes this time of year really skyrockets.

Even more so for the elderly. One small fall could lead to a sprained ankle or a broken hip or God forbid, an unfortunate angle while landing. Although we don't have any of that white stuff in Singapore, the wet and the slippery are probably just as bad. 

Have you considered your protection against accidents? Accidents are so frequent, and potentially devastating.

Find out about what you can do so that you can party and celebrate the holidays with a peace of mind.

Be protected Everyone!
Jessica

12 days of Christmas

Christmas Cheer everybody! just a small reminder to remember the important things (and people!) in life as we celebrate all the Lord has blessed us with.

Taken from: Bowers Insurance Blog

♫ On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me -a savings plan to accumulate 3-6 months of after-tax income to meet emergencies, unexpected layoffs, etc.

♫ On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –life insurance coverage equal to six times annual income.

♫ On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –A valid will

♫ On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a "Durable Power of Attorney," giving someone the ability to make financial and/or medical decisions on my behalf if I am unable to do so.

♫ On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a "living will" indicating actions to be taken (or withheld) in the event of a debilitating illness, accident, etc.

♫ One the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –an organ donor card in the event of my death

♫ On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a safe deposit box to hold valuable papers such as home mortgages, life insurance policies, wills, etc.

♫ On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a list of email addresses, computer IDs, passwords, and other computer-related information

♫ On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a list of pre-authorized payments and other monthly debit transactions that automatically occur in bank or brokerage accounts

♫ On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me –a long-term care insurance policy to provide inflation-adjusted coverage

♫ On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me – A retirement plan, which may include IRAs, 401(k)s, SEPs, and other tax-qualified savings programs

♫ On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - A Section 529 plan to fund college education for the children in my family

And a lovely song to end it off with (lyrics are NOT the same as above) :


just hope that as funny as the video is, that we'll all think about what could happen, any time, any place.

Be protected this Happy holiday!
Jessica

Practice makes perfect

Independence Day

Today I went to meet up with an Independent Financial Advisor's company.

What is an Independent FA? Independent Financial Advisers or IFAs are professionals who offer independent advice on financial matters to their clients and recommend suitable financial products from the whole of the market

as opposed to a normal services consultant or Agent which represents a single agency, could you imagine what possibilities that could lead to?! endless combinations of each and every product for every different purpose, perfect equilibrium of budget versus availability, total elimination of that age old question - why should i buy with (insert company name here).

i was really contemplating it, long and hard. should i switch so that i can offer my clients the best products of the market? should i stay so that i will be able to service claims efficiently? what would my clients say, what would my prospects say! what would my boss say!!!

my district is having an overseas "meeting" cum team-building session in Hong Kong, I've already put down deposits for the tickets. I'm sure my boss has invested innumerable hours of time and money on me.  I've already committed myself to so many potential clients that i would be around for them any time they needed ask a question on insurance, much less about digging out product information and servicing claims. what am i going to look like to all the people that told me "no one really STAYS in the insurance industry" if i just leave my company of choice after 3 months?

i feel immensely blessed that i have friends that have already supported me in my short time in AIA. they trust me completely to package products in a portfolio that best suits their needs and purely because they are my friends that they have chosen to support me.

i made a promise to these most important people, that i would try my best to be there when they needed my help (with AIA related issues or not).

coming across this opportunity to represent a myriad of other product providers really sucked the wind out of me. did i make a wrong decision in deciding to join an agency instead of an independent firm?

i had to do some serious soul-searching. i think that i am actually pretty easily brainwashed. gullible, naive and sometimes all too-trusting. i believe in things a little too easily and sometimes that makes me feel insecure about my decisions.

the only thing that i say gives me courage to propose a product or to go ahead with a particular configuration of products is knowing that my job is to help people.

why then am i so worried about what product am i selling, or whether the company is the right fit, or even the culture of the office is right?

one person i spoke to who has been in the industry for a fair number of years told me: no matter where you choose to go, people are going to see you for who you are. why do you want to give them a smoke screen full of products. if you're going to plan the best that you can plan for someone, that's really all that matters; you'll do well anyway.

and those are words to live by. hearing that restores my faith in myself. and i know for sure that i'm staying put and no matter what it takes, living up to my promise to be there as long as my clients need me, putting myself in their shoes and offering them the best i can possibly offer.

renewed and rejuvenated,
Jessica

do you trust me?

ever since i started out in insurance, i've made it a point to talk about insurance as pointedly and as straight to the point as I can. Not only to understand about a person's concerns with regards to the 5 Aspects, but also to understand about that person's perspective on the industry.

what i've realized is that people generally believe in insurance, but they want to take their time at getting to it. there are so many factors!

1. which company has the best (see cheapest, most cost effective, most comprehensive) products
2. why should i get insurance now when i can get it later
3. how much should i be insured for
4. i want to make sure returns are really worth it
5. how long has the agent been with the agency and how long are they GOING to be with the agency

etc etc etc.

in my opinion, all these issues are nothing compared to the issue of TRUST. if you TRUST the person that is serving you, all the other factors pale in comparison.

for most agents, the first group they would naturally "target" would be their closest friends and family (affectionately termed warm market). This warm market is made of people that you know; ranging from those that know you inside and out and see you on a frequent basis, to those that you know passingly, like a hi-bye friend. In my circumstances, i have many friends that i used to be closed with at one point in time, but somehow drifted away over the years, but still think about from time to time.

secondly are the cold market clientele, stranger who you've never met before, and never had contact with before.

lastly are referrals, you've heard of from hearsay, but do not know personally.

whichever the origin of the relationship, what closes a sale at the end of the day, is the impression you have on your potential client. and for me, that means i have to constantly ask myself: what can i do to prove that i am trustworthy? can i handle something as important as this family's financial protection and the safeguarding of the lives covered by the policies i helped to put in place? what do i need to do?

the answer is simple - to always put myself into my clients' shoes and only recommend what i would recommend myself if i were in my clients' situations. to fully have a mind for the customer and consider what they would consider.

it will take time to see my sincerity bear fruit, but rest assured that the most important aspect of insurance, ensuring that the client has that peace of mind, is my number one priority and i appreciate all my friends, new and old that have already placed their trust and support in me.

i will definitely live up to my promise!

Be Protected Everyone!
Jessica



 

No Post Tonight! Sweet Dreams Everyone!

Importance of Fact-finding (Risk Profiles)

I just did an online "training" session which basically consisted of me screening through a bunch of powerpoint slides on my own time and doing a set of TRUE/FALSE questions that coincided with the information presented in said slides. the Training session was one of high importance though - Company/Industry Updates 2012.

one of these updates is the Customer Knowledge Assessment.

Basically, this section assesses a client on their competency or familiarity with Investment-linked products and is actually a Know-Your-Client (KYC) requirement by the government following the Lehman Brother's hoo-ha.

What I've come to realize (ok, not really "realize" but more like, voice out loud) is that many people are desperate to grow their money. Who wouldn't want to grow their money right? they turn to professionals for advice on where, how much, and when to put their money into something they hope will churn our a fair amount of return in the coming years.

Some people are more savvy than others. They know where and who to look for to pick up tips, they have a sense for the timing of buy and sell, they find it easy to spot trends and leverage on them. Others are not so lucky, they require the sound advice of someone who skilled or trained in such business.

When it comes down to actually putting money into the investment, there are 3 different options. You can:

1. Take the professional's advice wholesale
2. Take half the advice
3. Totally not bother with anything the professional is saying.

Which leads me to the purposes of this Customer Knowledge Assessment requirement as a checklist to yourself and the professional  who is helping you to invest.

It's important to find out about your risk profile. How much loss are you able to withstand, how long before you intend to tap into your invesments, do you have any knowledge of your own, are you able to make decisions not knowing about the investment climate, what kind of products are suitable for you, etc?

For example, I wouldn't recommend the same type of products to cater to Mr. A who wants to put money into something and see a small and steady return, but also wants to make sure that capital is protected, to Mr. B who is ok with volatility in his account as long as his returns are potentially greater (i.e. more risk = more gain).

This section of fact-finding is MANDATORY not only for anyone that is investing for the first time, but also for your advisor to understand any requirements. At the end of the day, it is your hard-earned money that you will be putting in, and the more information you provide to the person assisting you, the better they can ensure that they can cater as closely as possible to your risk level.

Find out more from your friendly insurance agent today how you can put your money into funds that are specially suited to your type of risk profile and be protected today!

Jessica

10 Top Common Myths about Singapore Healthcare

" Our healthcare system, premised upon the principal of co-payment, encourages individual to take ownership of his/her own health care costs. However, everyone can access affordable healthcare with the many support schemes and subsidies available.

" Here are some of them :

• Means-tested subsidies
• Medisave
• Medishield
• Medifund

" Myth #1 - I am afraid of being hospitalized because hospital bills are unaffordable.
" Myth #2 - I don't need Eldershield because I have Medishield.
" Myth #3 - Because of means-testing in hospitals, I can no longer be admitted into B2/C class wards.
" Myth #4 - My agent informs me that my coverage will not be affected if I switch between any Integrated Shield plans (IPs) offered by different insurance companies.
" Myth #5 - I am a renal dialysis patient who needs regular dialysis treatments. I have stopped working and I cannot afford my treatments.
" Myth #6 - I have an elderly bed-ridden mother who needs nursing care. There is no financial assistance available for her care.
" Myth #7 - I'm forced to buy an expensive private insurance plan because Medishield and Medisave are not enough to pay my hospital bills.
" Myth #8 - I do not have much money in my Medisave to pay for my treatment in the hospital or clinic.
" Myth #9 - Medisave and Medishield only cover hospitalisations. There is no help for my on-going outpatient care for my chronic illness.
" Myth #10 - As I'm still young and healthy and have employer benefits, there is no need for me to buy health insurance."

Partially copied from Ministry Of Health Website, for the full article: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/dam/moh_web/Publications/Educational%20Resources/2011/EN_MOHprintA4.pdf

What I wanted to say about this article is that the Singapore Government has ensured that there is some form of protection available for all Singaporeans. What more should we do as responsible, filial, and concerned people, to ensure that we do something for ourselves?

Be Protected Everyone!
Jessica

Money is used for...

Zouk Out 2011 was last night.

With line-ups like Armin Van Buuren, Lady Tron and Avicii, it's no wonder that tickets were going at $98 a pop.

To be honest, i didn't go. (*gasps* TRAVESTY!!!) but i feel i'm too old for these things. i've done my 'time' partying many years ago, plus at those prices, i'd rather curl up with a bottle of wine at home with a nice movie and a nice body to cuddle with :)

i know a lot of people that did go though (as they do every year), and definitely, they were NOT disappointed. there's really nothing like a night out with your best friends, nothing to worry about but how to get the best spot on the dance floor or whether that hot guy/girl in the corner is looking at me. the next day, unforgettable memories, forever etched in your mind.

ah, sweet youth!

but that really got me thinking. at $100 for a night of passionate dancing, drunken revelry and mind-blasting music, what else could we use that $100 for?

disclaimer:

i do not have anything against said
"passionate dancing, drunken revelry and mind-blasting music"
nor spending money on above-mentioned issue

Some popular answers:

1. Donate to a charity
2. Buy 20 Mac Value Meals / 50 Pilot Pens /
3. Buy a new Computer Game/Dress/Pair of Shoes
4. Have an expensive dinner with someone you love
5. Go on a holiday / Visit Universal Studios Singapore
6. (fill in own wants/desires...)

where money is concerned, people want to spend on something that has intrinsic value to themselves. in the case of zouk out - an event that's a once in a lifetime chance to experience world renowned DJs on Singapore *ahem* Sentosa's shores. and money can easily meant different things to different people. to anyone that has spent $100 easily on a night out partying, or a fancy dinner, or even on little trinkets, or shopping for the latest fashion, money buys something that could make you happy

The attached URL @ Yahoo! Answers has some really interesting replies.

Top Reply: "Why not buy something that can make you MORE money ? !!!"

And similarly, why not buy something that can guarantee peace of mind for yourself and your family?

that being said, no one thinks that buying insurance can make you happy because no one wants to think about the implications of protection, i.e. something bad has to happen before one receives anything. but the intrinsic value of buying insurance, does has something of much greater significance.

I've worked on some proposals in my short time in insurance, some clients have a $100 a month budget to start off their basic portfolio of protection. i won't go into specifics, but let's just say, that for this amount, it's highly possible to get a fair amount of cover for all the 5 aspects; even more so if you're ok with spending $100 a night.

it might not mean a lot to put aside some money for something that seems only a probability and even more so uncomprehensibly in the far future, but insurance could very well protect your lifestyle if anything should happen.

and ensure that peace of mind that we will have the means to party on another day.

Be protected everyone!
Jessica

No Post Today, Have a good Weekend!!

Stop and Smell the Roses

Each passerby had a quick choice to make, one familiar to commuters in any urban area where the occasional street performer is part of the cityscape: Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment?

Today was our first day at doing cold calls, and honestly, it is not something easy to do. 

you start the day with the utmost enthusiasm in your heart and in your voice, eager to speak to the masses of people that have yet to hear about the benefits of insurance..

"HUH!! INSURANCE??!!! NOT INTERESTED LA!!! STOP CALLING!!" *duu...... duu....... duu.....*

ah well.. next better prospective customer...

what i've realized is that not a lot of people take the time to stop and listen to the message behind insurance.

Many people have been bitten hard by the hard-sellers - "BUY SOMETHING FROM ME, please la, not expensive, at the least just 10 minutes only", and when a stranger (a.k.a. me) calls up, nobody is keen to pay attention to the underlying message.

not a lot and yet almost everything can be conveyed in the 30 seconds that i have when someone first picks up the line. will i be able to get this person to listen to me? will the person be receptive of my message? will this person give me a chance to be heard?

granted that not every single person will scold and slam the phone down, it's still difficult to keep up my smile and happy demeanor after one too many failures on the 'airwaves'

yes, there are people that are nice enough to listen to what i have to say; many have excuses, most of them legitimate, some of that just a ruse to get me to hang up first; some lonely souls are happy that someone is willing to listen to them and won't let you put down the phone.

i can very well sympathize with those that have had unwanted calls. before joining insurance, i was one of them: "sorry no time", "not interested", "err.. just call me in a years' time".

but being on the other side today, i realize that i appreciate one type of person the most. the ones that take the time to let me state my intention, provide a valid reason, and are kind and considerate when turning me down. rejection is never as bad when you're speaking to someone who seens interested yet sincerely apologetic for not being able to entertain me, i.e. "no la, you caught me at a bad time, i actually just spoke to my agent/i'm not in a good position to make commitments, so sorry".

most importantly, someone out there hasn't heard about what insurance can do or how it can protect them and their family, so i must persevere, keep up my cheery tone, and genuinely continue to search for these people..

Pensive,
Jessica

AIA Company Kick Off

Not going to post a lot today.

we had our kickoff at the Expo and many many announcements herald lots of things on the horizon for AIA this year!

most importantly we're going to be incorporated as a wholly-owned Singapore company -

AIA Singapore Pte Ltd!

You can find out more information in this pdf. (downloadable and viewable in any web browser) It basically outlines the changes impending and how it will affect all AIA's shareholders - policy holders, agents, shareholders alike.

besides that, iPad signing is coming soon! which means helluva lot less physical signing needed for clients, and helluva lot less paperwork for agents!

New products are also launching soon, and I'll update as they get announced by the agency.

Exciting changes Arrive!
Jessica

Safeguarding your Income

an article on channels news asia talked a little bit about how to "Increase real incomes for better lives"

From the government's perspective - "the only way to sustain real wage increases is to keep improving productivity, especially through upgrading the quality of workers and jobs."

Now, i'm not about to start a political debate, but i'm more concerned about the point at hand, which is that real wages are decreasing in singapore! i've been telling some of my clients recently that i'm so shocked about how the times have changed i.e costs of living and inflation

i've had friends who've been complaining ESPECIALLY about cigarettes. When there used to be small packs of 10 sticks selling at $2.50, and big packets of 20 sticks selling at $5. Now in the stores, there are no small packs, and big packs are going at nearing $13 now! 

depending on our parents for a $200 monthly allowance, we used to be able to save money for CD players which went for a few hundreds in the 1990s. In those days, we're get 50 cents to a dollar a day? 

it might be a little unfair to compare things this way, considering we were a lot more carefree when we were younger. we didn't have to worry about our responsibilities to our family's upkeep, to our children's education, to our household expenses, to any other commitments that require an assignation of a part of our income.

That poses a number of different problems -

1. We find it difficult to commit large amounts of money on anything!
2. $1 now could not buy the same amount of goods that $1 10 years ago could have bought. Meaning that to buy big ticket items, we need to have increasingly more and more money the longer we delay buying it, regardless of the reason for delay.
3. how then do we safeguard our shrinking income? what can we do about it?

i was going to go into a long and needless discussion on banks versus investments. But to be honest, everybody has a different impression on how best to use their money; some ways are better than others. Some are more efficient, cost-efficient, less time-consuming, but most importantly not many ways are guaranteed.

there is no true "best way", as long as you are comfortable at the rate your money is growing, at the risk level that you've taken. the worst thing to do is over-commit to an investment and potentially lose money that will wind you up in a place worser off than where one starts at. 

it's important to consider a good mix of returns versus risk, and endowment policies and investment linked policies are a good way of diversifying your portfolio. Not only do you have a chance to earn on your investments, but policies have an advantage which is the cover on death and disability. there are few other methods which will guarantee an amount given to a family if something happens to any of the breadwinners.  

Depending on what methods you are the most comfortable with, discuss options with your financial advisor today! any one of these policies could very well help YOU safeguard your income in time to come :)

 Be Protected Everyone!
Jessica

It's the littlest gestures..

before today's post: viewership has reached...

*drumrolls*

Thank You Everyone!! ESPECIALLY repeat viewers. Really appreciate all of you and your time you've spent reading (although probably not much, given the length of my posts!)

Hope to hear from some of you from time to time. It might not seem like a big gesture, but to the person your saying it to (i.e me), it could mean the world! It feels good to be appreciated!!
i actually happen to be writing birthday and Christmas cards today, so it's purely coincidental that the topic "came to me", like a VISION up in lights. i'm just going to share a couple of stories i've heard over the years that follow a little to today's topic:

The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"

The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?  You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."

This second story has probably been told in so many ways that i don't even know if this is an original version or not, but you'll get the idea:

A Simple Gesture  

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden.

As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home.

They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life.”

-John W. Schlatter (true story)

Well, in my little way, through small cards for christmas or a little gesture or even to all 100 of you who've browsed or passed by or even followed this blog, all i want to say for that support is..

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!

Appreciate someone today everyone!
Jessica

Running Around Singapore

Today, we had our district kickoff and we were running all around Singapore on an "Amazing-Race" type game.

we had cars today, but i don't actually own a vehicle at the moment, and i just wanted to share a little bit about how we normally have to travel all over Singapore to meet up with potential clients

Singapore is actually a pretty small country - 581.5 km² (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km² (272 sq mi) today; it may grow by another 100 km² (40 sq mi) by 2030 and that's pretty much a little red dot on the world map. it takes about an hour and a half to drive from the western most part (Jurong) to the Eastern most part (Pasir Ris) by express way, and as much as that sounds quick, by the standards of those that live here, we'd much prefer not having to travel that much kthxbye.

on a daily basis, depending on where your appointments are, we have to travel to our clients' homes, offices, to shopping centres or coffee shops to market ourselves and our "wares" and a car really would be helpful. but surely there are other ways of being efficient.

i was thinking, if insurance agents are considered professionals and experts in our field of financial planning, we're similar to the lawyers, accountants, bankers and doctors! why should we be travelling around when people should be coming to us for advice?

(come'on.. who wouldn't like to sit at home/office, just lounging around waiting for people to come ask you for your opinion! i know i would!)

well....

what we sell in insurance, is protection and prevention. all the other professionals sell mitigation, i.e. the problem exists already, therefore people seek help. people tend to procrastinate thinking that "it will never happen to me" or "i can always wait til later". we need to go to people and actively inform them about why they should do something about protection NOW

we are being paid for the service we provide on a perpetual basis. for those that don't know how our commissions work, we are paid as long as premiums are paid, albeit in decreasing amounts over the years. for that alone, it is our duty and responsibility to remember when we need to approach our clients for reviews of their policies or to simply inform them about what new products are available.

i think back pretty often about the office idea actually. i sometimes plan in my mind what my office would look like, the upholstery i'd use, the finishing on my file cabinets etc etc etc, but at the end of the day, it's just NICE. Not that this is a sales tactic. but people appreciate effort when they see it. and if going to you makes things easier for you to start planning about your own and your family's protection, then what's a few minutes of travel, eh?

be protected everyone!
Jessica

No Post Today - Stay Dry and Protected Everyone!

Strategic Entertainment

I was out "entertaining" people last night and started to ask myself why bother? Just starting out in the business, i don't exactly have a big capital to work on, as much as i would LIKE to entertain people, bring them out for drinks/shows/dinner, i just don't have the budget, not when the sale isn't guaranteed anyway.

i used to believe that if someone is really sincere about something, they will do their utmost to make that something come to pass, and why should i entertain to get to know someone when that's what business meetings are for - precisely to get ot know someone and do busines which mutually benefits each other?

i just wanted to find a bit of general opinion and chanced upon this article which is excerpted from the Dave Kahl website: http://www.davekahle.com/article/entertain.html

I'm just going to highlight the important bits below, but you can read the whole article at the link.

On Entertaining Your Customers

Copyright 2002, by Dave Kahle.

How much time should I spend entertaining my customers?

Good question. The world of the field salesperson is changing rapidly these days, and everything is in question. The practice of entertaining customers is one of those issues that needs to be rethought.

First, let's consider whether or not you should entertain your customers. In these days of e-commerce and Internet communication, is there a place for this age-old practice?

...

There is an important truth illustrated by these examples. People like to do business with people they know. The better they know you, the more likely it is that they'll do business with you. When they spend time with you out side of the business setting, they come to know you better. It really is that simple.

...

In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in his landmark book, Bowling Alone, quoted a study by an MIT researcher that concludes:

"Though some unimportant business relationships and casual social relationships will be established and maintained on a purely virtual basis, physical proximity will be needed to cement and reinforce the more important professional and social encounters."

Later, more directly to our point, the research concludes:

"widespread use of computer-mediated communication will actually require more frequent face-to-face encounters,' and extensive deep, robust, social infrastructure of relationships must exist so that those using the electronic media will truly understand what others are communicating to them."

In other words, even in this high-tech world characterized by voice mail, e-commerce and instant messaging, face-to-face relationships are necessary.

....

The article sounds very manipulative but i get where it's coming from - that sometimes we just need to take that extra effort to get to know someone outside of the business context. What i would add on to it is: to never to expect something in return.

Well, that's a real eye opener for me. it's difficult to separate the motive from what needs to be done. the best of both worlds in this case would be that I need to learn how to entertain effectively but affordably i guess. i just hope that whatever small things i put my money into that my customers will be able to see my sincerity shining through; not because i want them to buy something from me, but simply because i just want them to give me a chance to get to know them better and for me to get to know THEM better. Only in my getting to know my clients, can i really understand their needs and give them good advice.  

small gestures as they may be, i hope that if you do appreciate something i've done for you, please let me know. it's always good to know that it's being appreciated and will encourage me to continue doing kind things for others.

becoming a less complicated person,

Jessica

do you remember?

My lunch appointment today cancelled so i find myself sitting at home on a gloomy, rainy Friday morning with absolutely nothing to do until tea time.

/insert "what are you complaining about!"

actually, i can't afford to sit on my ass today. i need to pull myself a good start to the new year. I'm actually on a basic scheme with AIA and I need to bring in a certain amount of business every month in order to receive my basic lest get kicked out of the scheme; or in other words, i have targets to meet.

i missed last months target and i'm really not happy about that. it means another month of scrimping and trying my best ot live off what i have now. chok and giam he. (porridge and salted fish) everyday.

UGH.

i need to really go out there and pull in some heavy sales.

ok, besides the point, i wanted to talk about my memory, because instead of sitting on my ass, ADMINISTRATION is what i'm going to do. administration in this sense is doing a review of meet-ups and looking at what we did and what we can do.

most agents actually make use of a software system to help them track their hundreds and hundreds of clients that they've "accumulated" over the years. me? just 2 months in the business, i had to come up with a sort of system in order to keep track of who i've met, who would i like to meet again, what we discussed the last time around, when can i actually call this person up again to do another review, etc etc etc. because definitely the amount of money i'd spend on this software isn't yet justified by the volume of my clients.

nowadays with Facebook, Outlook and all these social media websites, it makes it quite easy to manage your address book, birthdays, appointments and what not. in insurance, you still have to retain a large chunk of the process to do manually. you can't leave these details to some computer program to handle. you HAVE to be on top of your appointment lists, upcoming appointments and what you're going to do.

let me just quickly explain. Many people rely heavily on their ipads, iphones, smartphones, reminders, PDAs, etc, but if it were really something important, you would still remember it no matter whether you wrote it down or not. when it comes to your clients details, that's as important a matter as you can possible get.

Of course technology makes it easier, but it's still as manual as it gets - find info, input, REFER.

i never realised how difficult it was! ALL of it.

well, i guess that's what i need to learn i guess. responsibility to myself to make sure i have all this under control. nobody likes to be forgotten, especially on special days; i can't even describe how elated i am that i have friends remembering my happy birthday (even if it was a reminder sent by facebook). it's just nice to know that people are thinking about you.

by doing something so simple as remembering something about them: their birthday, their childs' name, what we talked about the last time that was of interest, what they like to drink or eat.. who can you make happy today?

i want to make sure that my clients know i'm thinking of them because as much as i'm around to help them, it takes no effort to make them smile too.

thinking of you! (yes you!)
Jessica

making time

this morning, we had a kick-off session at the DBS auditorium as a sort-of pre-launch pep talk for the new year.

one of our speakers was a man who had made the million dollar round table in his 2nd year of business as an agent. he had given up a $100k per annum paying job to join insurance. he basically talked about what he went through and how he came to decide that insurance was the business for him. he went through quite a fair bit, lost one of his parents, had to work night jobs while in school, basically trying his best to get to where he is today - a straight-a student accepted into a prestigious graduate programme with a big-named MNC in singapore. he got married to his wife whom he met in school, and they have 2 beautiful children. all before the age of 30.

for most singaporeans, that's the dream. do your time in school, get into a good company work your way up to a 6 figure salary, get married, have kids, earn more than enough to spend,  so for him to give up all of that at the height of whatever life is perceived to be about, is REALLY SOMETHING.

all that being said, the amount of effort this guy puts in at work is astounding too. he said he was used to 3 or 4 appointments a day, had to put off seeing his kids and wife for a good chunk of his first year in business and basically work his ass off in order to get to where he is today.

i would LIKE to be as successful, but to be very honest, i'm hardly THAT ambitious.

in life there are 3 things that everyone strives to achieve. Love, Career and Finances.

in that order.

it's very easy to argue that the 3 are so intrinsically linked that it's hard to separate one from another, and in fact, absence of one leads to problems in the other. 3 items at 100% is obviously the optimum configuration, but more often than not, that's highly unlikely.

for me, i strongly believe that i need to help the people that i come across, but i don't believe in sacrificing LOVE (or family) for CAREER, or FINANCES. i believe in work-life balance. not solely for my benefit where i would get to come back home after 7 everyday and see my family, but also for my clients and their families. nobody wants to talk business after "work", or so i like to convince myself. 

that's where i started thinking. my "work" never ends, precisely because it isn't work. it's about telling people the importance of protection. i believe in the benefits of insurance on every person and not everybody can take a day off to do a impromptu meeting about insurance for sure. sometimes dinner and weekend appointments are the most important (and lucrative) times in a salespersons' week.

As much as possible, i try to minimize disruption to a family's normal routine. but insurance should be part and parcel of the routine. and in saying this, people need to see that because they love their families, they need to make time to do something about it.

for me, it's a good wake up call. especially after yesterday's post about how i'm working towards something - if i'm not working hard enough to get it, then i jolly well don't deserve it. in my line, i'm not the only person that benefits from my effort, so i shouldn't be so selfish as to limit myself.

on fire,
Jessica