Recently, American Business surveyed accounting firms ranging in size from top-50 through top-300 to gauge CPAs’ understanding of the insurance industry and insurance issues, and the importance they place on basic insurance discussions with clients fitting into their role as trusted advisors.

The study revealed many notable findings. But one in particular stood out to us: Nearly two-thirds of the managing partners interviewed feel that accounting professionals have an obligation to ask risk management questions during client meetings as part of their role as a trusted advisor—and they feel that holds true for their partner colleagues and on down through the professional staff.

Knowing this, how often do you as a CPA and your colleagues think about life, disability and long-term care insurance matters as part of your role as advisors to your clients?

If the answer is not very often, you should reconsider your position, because CPAs around the country are increasingly directing clients toward valued insurance resources, and boosting their standing as most trusted advisors in the process.

At American Business, our professionals partner with CPA firms around the country to help them navigate the complex and evolving life, disability and long-term care insurance landscape, and by extension, help their high-net-worth clients protect their assets and their loved ones in ways they never imagined. Just because someone has a high net worth doesn’t mean they have adequate life, disability and/or long-term care insurance, or the right insurance solutions for their unique needs.

Your clients look to you as their trusted advisor for advice, insight and counsel on a range of financial matters. Our experience tells us time and time again that CPAs can and should be equipped to discuss insurance matters with their clients and help direct them to appropriate next steps. Having the ability to do so is crucial in strengthening the advisory role of CPAs on behalf of their clients.

The Insurance Conversation – If Not Today, Tomorrow

Chances are, the topic of life, disability and long-term care insurance has already come up in discussions with your clients or your colleagues’ at some point. If it hasn’t, it will someday. From your own perspective as a CPA, if and when the topic arises, ask yourself:

• Who initiates the conversation?
• How do you currently assess the life, disability and long-term care insurance needs of your clients?
• Do you feel enough of your professionals have the basic knowledge to direct clients toward appropriate next steps?
• What sort of information and resources do you think could help you direct clients toward appropriate next steps, or make sound referrals?
• Do you possess a deeper knowledge that could, for example, highlight certain tax implications of different life insurance options for your clients before making an appropriate referral?
• If you do happen to discuss insurance with your clients, are you currently making referrals to professional life insurance advisors who you know and trust?

American Business works closely with prominent accounting firms and their clients to address these and other questions every day. Since 1967, our firm has provided an array of independent and sophisticated life, long-term care and disability insurance protection, as well as estate planning solutions.

American Business can help you strengthen your role as a trusted advisor to your clients, deepen your value to them and enhance their trust in you.

How?

• Educating you and your colleagues on basic and advanced life insurance matters to help you ask clients the right questions, and better serve them in the long run.
• If or when an insurance need arises, designing and deploying the right insurance solutions to meet the specialized needs of your clients.
• Providing educational tax, financial and insurance information for your use as private-label thought leadership pieces with your clients.
• Serving as a valued resource for you, your firm and its clients at every step along their financial and retirement journey.

As a strategic ally, your CPA firm can count on American Business for an array of best-in-class insurance solutions and products:

• Comprehensive life insurance solutions geared toward high-net-worth individuals
• Educational resources, including timely and relevant articles
• Case studies that demonstrate our ability to solve unique/demanding life insurance challenges
• In-house education, including lunch-and-learns, seminars and retreat presentations
• Updates on important tax, regulatory and insurance-related news and events
• One-on-one consultations
• Complimentary reviews of estate planning documents in conjunction with our legal advisors (e.g., wills, trusts, powers of attorney, buy-sell agreements)

We offer you distinct advantages over other insurance partners:

• Independence
• National footprint
• In-house chief underwriter
• 90% case placement rate
• Educational resources to help you deepen your holistic value as trusted advisors to your clients
• Proven experience and know-how—most American Business insurance professionals have more than 20 years of high-level industry experience
• Longevity and stability—our firm was founded in 1967 and has grown steadily ever since