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Sammons Financial Refreshes Brand Identity as Company Enters New Decade

Sammons® Financial Group, Inc. is introducing a new marketing name and brand image to provide an updated look and feel to the company. The new oak leaf imagery unifies the distinct lines of business under a common theme. The updated brand strategy is designed to clarify Sammons Financial’s distribution model, connecting each of the individual companies to a single, overarching image.

Addressing the “Missing Milestone”

As Americans' longevity continues to improve, the need to re-examine traditional retirement-planning milestones is becoming essential. While people are living longer, they are not saving as they should for retirement.

Depending on a client's age, traditional retirement planning includes addressing milestones like catch-up contributions, penalty-free withdrawals, when to start Social Security Benefits, and what to do with Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Even still, the majority of this planning starts to trail off beginning at age 70½. In response to longevity trends and the fact that Americans aren't saving enough for their future, Sammons Retirement Solutions® has developed the LiveWell® Freedom Variable Annuity, issued by Midland National® Life Insurance Company, to address what they have identified as the "Missing Milestone" in retirement planning.

LiveWell Freedom Variable Annuity Awarded Wink's 2018 Excellence in Annuity Innovation Award

Wink recently honored Sammons Retirement Solutions LiveWell® Freedom Variable Annuity with its 2018 Excellence in Annuity Innovation Award. This first-of-its-kind variable annuity—issued by Midland National® Life Insurance Company—automatically includes a patent-pending feature called the Freedom DateSM, a date set when the annuity is issued. Once investors reach their Freedom Date, they have complete access to their accumulation value while continuing to receive lifetime income payments.

New Lifetime Withdrawal Rider Offers Creative Withdrawal Option

A variable annuity policyholder typically collects guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits from an insurer when the account value drains to zero, but a new annuity rider allows insurers to start those payments even if there’s money still left in the account.

This is an industry first, according to Sammons Retirement Solutions.

"Freedom" is the key to Sammons’ new variable annuity

"The unique feature is the Freedom Date," said Bill Lowe, CEO of Sammons Retirement Solutions. "If you buy this at age 60, at age 80 you have 100% access to the accumulation value without negatively affecting the lifetime payment account."

Insurers Need to Give Retirement Savers What They Want: Bill Lowe

He has an idea for how to improve annuity sales: add more appealing annuities.

Three Annuities to Watch

Sammons' new contract is a variable annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit feature.

Sammons Retirement Solutions® Launches LiveWell® Freedom Variable Annuity

WEST DES MOINES, IA—(Globe Newswire - July 18, 2018)—Sammons Retirement Solutions®, which creates simple, innovative and straightforward solutions to help individual investors live well in retirement, has launched the LiveWell® Freedom Variable Annuity (VA), which features a first-of-its-kind Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB) feature. The innovative VA is the first that provides investors with greater freedom in retirement on their "Freedom Date," a specific date determined at issue.

Sammons Retirement Solutions Announces Record Company Growth

WEST DES MOINES, IA—(Marketwired - April 11, 2016)—Sammons Retirement Solutions®, creator of the innovative LiveWell® Annuity Series and LiveWell® Mutual Fund IRA Series, announced record-breaking company growth in 2015.

Which Overlooked Milestones Matter Most to Clients

We are always looking for new ideas for connecting with current clients and reaching out to new prospects. Many advisors send a note or give a quick call for a birthday, but have you considered reaching out on half birthdays? It sounds strange, but in the financial world there are some important mid-year timetables you shouldn't miss.

Talk About Taxes Without Sounding Like A Math Teacher

Taxes and numbers are two things that people rarely like to hear about. So, financial professionals need to talk about taxes without sounding like a math teacher. But the question remains, how can you help your client plan for the future without it sounding like a lecture?

7 Steps To Ramp Up Your 2016 Prospecting Efforts

With the first quarter of 2016 in its final weeks, now is the time many of us start seriously thinking about how we are going to kick-up our prospecting efforts. Maybe you have tried a few things, but are looking for some new ideas.

Investment-Only Variable Annuities, Who Should Invest in Them and the Importance of Due Diligence

Generating enough retirement income continues to be a top concern among investors today, and while annuities can be a helpful solution to achieve that goal, there are a lot of options out there and making the right choice can be confusing. Financial professionals are always searching for ways to provide value to existing clients by introducing new investment options, and they are always in pursuit of ways to capture new assets. As the new year dawns, this could be the perfect time to look at your current book of business and reevaluate investments to make sure they are still a good fit.

A Dynamic Market: Retirement Income Innovation Explained

The retirement income market is in a dynamic state as a result of ongoing innovation products and features. These changes are the result of efforts tailoring products to meet specific consumer needs. When leveraged properly as part of a holistic retirement plan, these innovations create great opportunities.

How—and why—you should engage in multigenerational planning

You can have a fantastic relationship with a client. Retirement funds could be invested in the perfect product. Everything could be exactly on target to meet your client's goals. But without realizing it, you could be just one serious health issue or life-changing event away from all of those assets disappearing. Why? Because you're not involving the entire family.

Contact your financial professional for additional information.

If you are a financial professional, enter an access code to sign in or call the Sammons Retirement Solutions Sales Desk at 855-624-0201.

Variable annuities are designed for long-term investing, such as retirement investing and are subject to market risk including loss of principal.

Investing in mutual funds and variable annuities involves risk, including the potential loss of investment. You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the mutual fund or variable annuity and its underlying investment options carefully before investing. The prospectus and/or summary prospectus contain this and other information. You may contact your financial professional, visit srslivewell.com/prospectus, or call 866-747-3421 to obtain a current prospectus. Please read it carefully.

The term financial professional is not intended to imply engagement in an advisory business in which compensation is not related to sales. Financial professionals that are insurance licensed will be paid a commission on the sale of an insurance product.

Securities distributed by Sammons Financial Network®, LLC., member FINRA. Insurance products are issued by Midland National® Life Insurance Company (West Des Moines, IA). Sammons Institutional Group®, Inc. provides administrative services. Sammons Financial Network®, LLC., Midland National® Life Insurance Company, and Sammons Institutional Group®, Inc., are wholly owned subsidiaries of Sammons® Financial Group, Inc. Sammons Retirement Solutions® is a division of Sammons Institutional Group®, Inc.

Please view these important product-specific disclosures:

LiveWell® Mutual Fund IRA | LiveWell® Plus Mutual Fund IRA | LiveWell® Variable AnnuityLiveWell Dynamic Annuity® | LiveWell® Preferred Fixed Index Annuity | LiveWell® Guarantee Max

NOT FDIC/NCUA INSURED, MAY LOSE VALUE INCLUDING LOSS OF PRINCIPAL, NO BANK/CU GUARANTEE, NOT A DEPOSIT, NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

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