投资者律师博客更新：保险公司是否使用骗局艺术家向老年人出售不合适的年金？
According to the Government Accounting Office (GAO) Americans over 65 hold more than $15 trillion in assets and, with “Baby Boomers” soon reaching retirement age, that figure will likely balloon. As financial firms, including insurance companies, design products aimed at this pot of gold, scam artists lick their chops for a piece of the action. Unfortunately, their paths cross.
As we very recently reported, a federal judge in Hawaii dismissed a class action suit against Midland National Insurance saying that, because different sales pitches were used by different salespersons, the claims by elderly Hawaiians can not go forward. Meanwhile, regulators warn that scam artists are selling insurance products to the elderly. Thus, it appears that insurance companies can simply look the other way while con artists victimize the elderly using their annuities. [OUR FIRM PURSUES CLAIMS ONE AT A TIME TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM.]
纽约时报今天的一篇文章报道说，马萨诸塞州保险代理商成为“认证的高级顾问”，然后向退休人员做广告。但是，他没有提到自己的头衔很容易：他为信函课程支付了1,095美元，然后参加了愚蠢的问题进行多项选择考试。自1997年以来，代理商和其他18,700名其他申请人通过了该课程。
该文章进一步指出，渴望销售代表的保险公司接受了这一代理商，因为他们拥有成千上万的其他凭证顾问。随着他的退休人员业务蓬勃发展，保险公司在第二年向代理商委员会支付了超过72万美元的佣金。
然后，马萨诸塞州监管机构介入，提起诉讼，声称该特工不当将年金和其他产品出售给老年人。虽然代理商否认任何不当行为，但他的一位客户 - 一个73岁的寡妇照顾儿子患有唐氏综合症的儿子，他欺骗了她购买了复杂的保险合同，这使她无法支付牙科和家庭修复账单。她说：“他的办公室里到处都是说他经过认证来帮助老年人。”
According to the Times article, this salesman is one of tens of thousands of financial advisers who work hand-in-hand with insurance companies to reach “older Americans using impressive-sounding credentials like ‘certified elder planning specialist,’ ‘registered financial gerontologist,’ ‘certified retirement financial adviser’ and ‘certified senior adviser’.”
In only a few days, titles are obtained sounding similar to “certified financial planner” (CFP), and other credentials that require years of study, difficult tests and extensive background checks. “The degree isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” said another Massachusetts financial adviser, who took the certified senior adviser exam but does not use the credential. “It’s a scam – a way to put a title on a business card that impresses gullible seniors,” he said.
Advocates of the elderly complain that scam artists, many using such credentials, often give financial advice they are not qualified to offer. Yet, an overwhelming number are being paid by country’s largest insurance companies – including Allianz Life, Old Mutual Financial Network and American Equity Investment Life Insurance – to sell elderly clients complicated investments that economists say most retirees should never own.
监管机构说，与保险公司相关的一些计划已教代理商使用虐待销售技术。安联，古老的互惠和美国公平被列为“百万美元学院”这样的名字的研讨会的赞助商，建议成千上万的销售代表说：“我是您和潜在的灾难性损失。透明其他研讨会指示代理商在退休人员及其既定顾问之间“驾驶楔子”。
明尼苏达州的总检察长说：“保险公司很乐意对推销员视而不见。”
安联，古老的互惠和美国股票，去年的收入总计1630亿美元，他说，他们调查了所有代理商的背景，将所有销售额筛选给消费者，以确保他们合适，并使用不当销售方法终止了代表。这些公司表示，他们不知道在他们认可的任何研讨会上教授的虐待方法，否则才与此类策略保持距离。
The North American Securities Administrators Association, an association of state regulators, reports that over one-third of all cases of financial exploitation of the elderly involve annuities. Hundreds of class actions have been filed against insurers over annuity sales to the elderly, including one in Minnesota against Allianz for nearly 400,000 plaintiffs. Yet, the latest ruling in Hawaii may change that.
Sales agents accused of wrongdoing say they followed the guidance of insurance companies. “I did what I was told,” says the agent charged by Massachusetts regulators …”If it was so wrong, why did everyone let me do it for so many years?”
同时，保险公司对年金支付佣金，这些年金通常是支付的共同基金支付的两倍，三到10倍，而共同基金的成本披露更严格。保险信息研究所称，如此高的和难以确定的佣金无疑是为什么年金销售额达到1828亿美元的一个因素。
Shepherd Smith and Edwardsis a securities litigation firm dedicated to helping those who are victims of investment fraud to recover their losses. We have filed hundreds of claims involving improper sales of annuities to retirees and others.联系我们今天安排免费咨询。
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