As April 15 approaches, heres a simple thought. For those agents who have learned where the gold is in life products, this will be academic. But for those not yet convinced to offer life products aggressively or to partner with a financial services organization it may come as a good idea: look at a 1040 form carefully or at a business tax filing and see how many areas for savings, for tax deduction, and for client-glue inhere in this form. Life insurance, pension plans, and so much more are available to you and your insureds now for next April 15. A rather brilliant life agent saved my family some serious money by moving to a small business planning model some time ago. We are ever grateful.

Fighting Fraud Knows No Borders

The case may not make it on the Sopranos, but its tenor sounds a positive, anti-fraud note for the new NYSID team. Ian Stuart-Smith, a Canadian, has been extradited to the U.S. to face trial on charges that he swindled $7 million from the victims of a fraudulent commercial insurance policy scheme. According to the NYSID, Stuart-Smith posed as a New York wholesale insurance broker authorized to sell insurance for various underwriters such as Lloyds of London. It is alleged that Stuart-Smith, who used several aliases, sold fraudulent policies to hard-to-insure bars and restaurants, including several on Long Island. The charges allege that Stuart-Smith operated purported brokerages named Surplus Lines, Inc., Heritage, Inc., and Rupertsland Insurance Intermediaries, Ltd., located in New York and Ontario, Canada.

Executive Appointment

Brain Thede of Larchmont, New York has been named CEO of Subrogation Partners, according to the companys founder Keith Minella. Subrogation Partners, founded in 1996 with offices in Westport, Conn.; Farmingville, L.I.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Bangalore, India, is probably Americas leading insurance subrogation facility. Thede joins Subrogation Partners after eight years with McKinsey & Company as an associate principal specializing in strategic counseling in the P/C insurance, leading and service operation areas. A recognized global expert in credit and service operations, he has been responsible for activities in 19 countries on five continents. Specific experience includes Thedes leadership in the reduction of the cost of bad debt across multiple industries and the creation of vendor management strategies for insurance subrogation cases.

Off to Santa Fe

Just heard from insurance marketing legend George Nordhaus, who tells us that he and his wife Sue are leaving Santa Monica and heading for Santa Fe, N.M., from where the tireless champion of the independent agent will continue his work as quarterback of IMMS. George was an innovator of many products for agents over the years and has been a mainstay on the speakers circuit and one of the first to adopt CD ROM applications in the business. George, at one point, served about 20 percent of the agency market with marketing services and products. The independent agency system owes a lot to George. Let us lead the lauds with the fervent hope that George will not fade any time soon.