LIC Final Expense Workshop Agenda
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Welcoming Remarks
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Attendee Introductions and Company Reports
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Networking Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Sales Trends in Final Expense: Highlights from the LIC Final Expense Survey
Speaker: Todd Adrian, Senior Marketing Manager, Product Development, Americo
Be one of the first to hear the highlights of LIC’s annual Final Expense Survey Report with the added benefit of discussing implications of the results with your peers.
The report will be available in early June. Participants receive the full report for free, and others can purchase it at www.loma.org/LICSurveys.
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Networking Luncheon
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Final Expense Market Update: Defining Potential
Discussion Leader: John Clinton, Director of Business Development, Everest Funeral Package
The LIC Final Expense Study is all about past performance. During this session we will analyze sales data and other market drivers for a forward-looking view of the final expense marketplace. How does past performance indicate future potential? What are the factors influencing market growth or possible barriers to growth? At its conclusion we hope you gain useful go-to-market insights including product design, distribution and other elements to success.
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Optimizing Life Insurance Outcomes in the Senior Market: A Data-Driven Approach
Speakers:
Michel Hebert, FSA, FCIA, Senior Vice President Actuarial and R&D, Optimum Life Reinsurance
Guillaume Ducharme, Vice President R&D, Optimum Life Reinsurance
This presentation explores several core aspects impacting life insurance performance and sustainability in the senior market.
- Persistency: Analysis of policy persistency using lapse data, commissions, and chargebacks and how compensation structures influence retention.
- Claims Experience: How rescission and reformation of claims during the contestable period—especially in smoker misrepresentation cases—can shape future loss ratios and reveal deeper portfolio risks.
- Misrepresentation: Misrepresentation is large factor in mortality review and directly correlated to agent behavior. We will give an overview of agent monitoring tactics, digital application tracking, and pattern recognition methods.
- Policy Design: Our session also examines the pricing adequacy of Graded and Return of Premium (ROP) products, comparing them against standard issue products while noting limitations on disclosing mortality specifics.
- Cause of Death Analysis: Lastly, we touch on the leading causes of death in the senior demographic, and how recent and future medical advancements can affect this line of business.
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Networking Break
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Hot Topics in Final Expense – Facilitated Discussion
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Innovative Approach To Agent Monitoring
Speakers:
Bill Mehilos, FSA, MAAA, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman
Al Klein, FSA, MAAA, Principal and Consulting Actuary, Milliman
At last year's Final Expense Workshop, an attendee's question about agent monitoring led to much discussion and exchange of ideas. Milliman has developed a unique approach to determining which agents are bringing your company better (or worse) business, allowing you to identify agents who need additional training and/or corrective action. We plan to explain the approach, how it can help you, and additional beneficial ways it can be applied.
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Special Guest Speaker: Gary Fencik, Former Chicago Bears Safety
Gary Fencik, who played 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1976 to 1987, remains the franchise's all-time leader with 38 interceptions. Gary grew up in Barrington, Illinois, played receiver at Yale University, and was the leading tackler on the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl XX championship team, one of the most iconic teams in professional sports history. He will share some of his insights and experiences and also introduce this year's LIC Final Expense Workshop community engagement partner: Bears Care.
5:00 p.m. - Sessions Adjourn for the Day
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Hosted Networking Dinner
Join us in the Nagle Ballroom at The Drake for dinner catered by COA Restaurant.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Final Expense Distribution Strategies
Speakers:
Scott Grandmont, CLU, FALU, FLMI, FLHC, AIRC, ARA, ACS, Vice President, Strategic Underwriting Initiatives, RGA
David Decker, CLU, ChRC, CLTC, Senior Vice President, National Sales Manager – Life Division, Liberty Bankers Insurance Group
Denis Clifford, Chief Growth Officer, Afficiency
Panelists will share experiences, insights, and relevant information on current final expense insurance distribution, including challenges, opportunities, strategies, and innovation successes.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Reinsurer Partnership and Insights in Working with Direct Carriers To Develop Final Expense Products
Speakers:
Nathan Hill, FSA, MAAA, VP and Actuary, RGA
Mark James, FALU, FLMI, ACS, Director, Underwriting Innovation, RGA
Becky Riehm, FLMI, ACS, Executive Director, Underwriting Innovation, RGA
Case study looking at product development from the point of view where pricing and underwriting considerations intersect, and what we can learn from this experience for final expense product development.