Well, it’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?

It feels like the rug was pulled out from under us.

But hopefully there were still some positives to come out of 2020 for you.

One being that you realize the significance of what you do every day. Planning for the unexpected and the protection products you help put in front of clients has never been more important. YOU and the work you do has never been more important.

For us, continuing to provide helpful content was just a small part of the service we hope we delivered to you this year.

Although we are anxiously looking forward to 2021 and everything we have planned to help you make it your best year yet, we like to take time to reflect on how we did.

And look back at what content resonated most with you.

To that end, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Most-Read Posts of the Year. Did you miss any these? You can check them out below:

One of our producers mentioned that he’s been getting one question a lot more often than normal from clients.

“Is Social Security going to run out?”

That’s a valid question, one that might be on your clients’ minds as well. But there’s an even more important question regarding a potential Social Security shortfall. And you can help clients answer it with an insurance product feature you probably already have in your arsenal --

There are many reasons clients might delay claiming Social Security benefits. At our firm, once we’ve cleared up common misconceptions with our clients, they’re often more open minded about hearing possible reasons for a delayed strategy. Many had never thought of these reasons before. Have you?

When and how your clients claim Social Security benefits is one of the bigger decisions they’ll face as they transition from their working years into post-working years. For many folks, Social Security will be one of their largest retirement resources, and it’s often the most mismanaged.

Irrevocable decisions could potentially add or subtract tens of thousands of government-backed, inflation-adjusted, and tax-advantaged dollars from lifetime retirement resources.

Whether your clients file their taxes with the assistance of an online preparation service or by working with you or a tax professional, they may have been advised to contribute to a qualified plan like an IRA in order to minimize their previous year’s taxes. Where clients have allocated their resources may increase their taxes in retirement and contribute to determining their Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).

One of the most engaging topics that I cover in my Social Security education class is the impact of taxes. Most attendees at my workshops don't know that their Social Security benefits may be subject to tax. Of those few who do know, many are unsure as to how it is determined, and how much tax they are likely to pay.