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HPN digital content and learning solutions are designed to fit your organization’s unique needs. Our content solutions are scalable, customizable and designed to increase advisor productivity and retention. Digital Learning Solutions for Advisor Development Gain Trial Access and Experience Our Digital Content Today! Trial Access Sales Skills Prospecting Telephoning Factfinding Closing Sales Psychology Handling Objections Virtual Selling Generational Buying Differences Practice Management Goal Setting Time Management Activity Management Client Building Team Selling Staff Development Digital Practice Operational Best Practices Marketing Networking Social Media Marketing Target Marketing Cross-Selling Center of Influence Development Understanding Life Events Giving Presentations Product Knowledge Life Insurance Annuities Disability Insurance Understanding IRAs Qualified Retirement Plans Long Term Care Insurance Critical Illness Insurance Multiline Solutions Planning Concepts Saving & Investing Retirement Planning College Planning Business Planning Estate Planning Life Event Planning Overview of Social Security Understanding Medicare Motivation & Inspiration The Power of Purpose Mental Toughness Overcoming Rejection and Adversity Real Impact Stories Power of Risk Management Planning Check Out Just Some of the Topics Within Our Content Library Looking to get new advisors off to a fast start or reignite experienced advisors to get to the next level? Either way, our digital content and learning solutions are designed to fit your organization’s unique needs. Our content solutions are scalable, customizable and designed to increase advisor productivity and retention. Interested in a FREE “Test Drive” of Our Content? Test Drive eLearning Knowledge Checks and Action Items for Performance Improvement Ability to Easily Enroll Learners in Courses and Learning Paths Reporting and Analytics for Greater Accountability Around Learning On Demand Classroom Training Modules (virtual and in person) Coaching Resources Including Guides, Assessments and Tutorial Videos Skill Assessment to Identify Strengths and Areas of Development Additional Advisor Development Tools and Resources In addition to our digital content, we also provide turnkey training and coaching tools for managers including: How to Conduct an Annual Policy Review History and Numbers Behind Social Security Choices for Medicare Coverage Understanding Social Security and FICA Tax How to Find Networking Opportunities The Financial Services Education Network content library provides the Science through hundreds of micro-learning modules focused on education and knowledge. Eszylfie Taylor – Personal Observation Strategies for Better Prospecting Tom Hegna – Don’t Worry, Retire Happy: 7 Steps to Retirement Security Sabine Robinson – Understanding the Art & Science of High Activity David Resseguie – 3 Powerful Tips for Building Better Phoning Habits Ellen Rogen – Leveraging Presentation Skills to Move Clients to Action The HPN University content library provides the Art by focusing on the skills, best practices and execution methods of the top experts and practitioners in financial services. Check Out Some of Our Sample Videos! We’ve combined the two most powerful digital content libraries in the world, equipping you and your advisors with the Art and Science of learning and development. Digital Learning Solutions for Advisor Development

HPN is here to help with the HPN University! HPN University offers a solution to help you and your agency thrive in today’s dynamic market. Whether you’re looking to scale your agents’ skills, improve their productivity, or provide more value to your team, HPN University has the resources you need. Take Advantage of Special Discount Pricing $500 per month $300 per month or $3,000 if paid annually Click Here! Developing Your Multiline Agency in a Changing Business Model As a multiline agency manager, you’re being asked to juggle A LOT of priorities on a daily basis. You’re also being required to manage all this within a wildly evolving business model. How do you multiply and scale your agent development efforts in this challenging environment? Why Choose HPN University? In a rapidly changing business landscape, it's essential to stay ahead of the curve. HPN University equips you with the tools and knowledge you need to not only keep pace but lead the way in agent development and business growth. Flexible Learning: Access training when you need it—on your schedule. Expert Resources: Tap into years of experience from professionals who’ve been in your shoes. Comprehensive Support: From motivational content to practice management tips, HPN University has it all. Interested In Discount Pricing? $500 per month $300 per month or $3,000 if paid annually Click Here! The HPN University provides American National Agencies with the following benefits: On-Demand Access to Top Experts and Agents in Financial Services Gain direct access to expert insights from top agents and industry-leading professionals and agents who understand your agents’ unique challenges. Tools to Add Value to Your Agents in Sales Skills, Practice Management, Motivation, and More From mastering sales techniques to motivating your agents and improving their daily operations, our tools cover all aspects of running a successful business. Develop Your Agents’ Knowledge and Skills with the Click of a Button Offer your agents continuous learning opportunities with easy access to training modules, expert-led seminars, and much more—all from the convenience of your desktop or mobile device Turnkey Resources for Agency Meetings to Save You Time and Energy Simplify your meeting preparations with our ready-made resources that streamline your agency’s meetings, so you can focus on what matters most: building relationships and growing your business.

At Hoopis Performance Network, we care about your privacy and security, and want you to know how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information and what choices you have regarding your data. Cookie Policy This Cookies Policy explains what Cookies are and how Hoopis Performance Network, LLC (“HPN”) uses them. Reading this policy will help you understand what type of cookies HPN uses, or the information we collect using Cookies, and how that information is used. Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from Cookies. For further information on how we use, store and keep your personal data secure, please see our Privacy Policy. HPN does not store sensitive personal information, such as mailing addresses, account passwords, etc., in the Cookies we use. Interpretation and Definitions Interpretation The words of which the initial letter is capitalized, or lower-case words referred to, have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural. Definitions For the purposes of this Cookies Policy, the following definitions shall apply: HPN (sometimes referred to as we us" or "our" in this Cookies Policy) refers to Hoopis Performance Network, LLC; 790 Frontage Road #300; Northfield, Illinois 60093; and its successors, assigns and wholly owned affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective divisions and groups, each of which are located within the U.S. Cookies means small files that are placed on your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing details of your browsing history on that website, among other information. Website refers to Hoopis.com hpnuniversity.com, hpnelevate.com or any other website operated by HPN and accessible from the aforementioned URLs You means the individual accessing or using the Website, or the company or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Website, as applicable. The use of the Cookies Type of Cookies we Use Cookies can be "Persistent" or "Session" Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on your personal computer or mobile device when you go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as you close your web browser. HPN uses both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below: Necessary / Essential Cookies Type: Session Cookies Administered by: Us Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that you have asked for cannot be provided; HPN only uses these Cookies to provide you with those services. Functionality Cookies Type: Persistent Cookies Administered by: Us Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when you use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid you having to re-enter your preferences every time you use the Website. Your Choices Regarding Cookies If you prefer to avoid the use of Cookies on the Website, first you must disable the use of Cookies in your browser and then delete the Cookies saved in your browser associated with this Website. You may use this option for preventing the use of Cookies at any time. If you do not accept our Cookies, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of the Website and some features may not function properly. If you'd like to delete Cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse Cookies, please visit the help pages of your web browser. For the Chrome web browser, please visit this page from Google: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050 For the Firefox web browser, please visit this page from Mozilla: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored For the Safari web browser, please visit this page from Apple: https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac For the Internet Explorer web browser, please visit this page from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835 Visit your web browser's official web pages to delete or refuse cookies Contact Us If you have any questions about this Cookies Policy, you can contact us: By email: info@hoopis.com By visiting this page on our website: https://hoopis.com/contact-us/ By phone number: (847) 716-1800 By mail: 790 Frontage Road #300; Northfield, Illinois 60093 This Policy is effective as of September 01, 2023. Last updated: October 09, 2023. Effective Date

Our content, designed for the home office and/or field, will help employees and staff understand the impact their roles have on the individuals, families and businesses they serve. HOST is innovative learning and development designed to educate and empower home office employees and field staff. What are the benefits to your organization? Attract, develop and retain top talent in the home office and field. Empower employees to understand the impact they have on the clients they serve. Create efficiency through a scalable training system across the enterprise. Enhance the value of your current propriety training resources for a fraction of the cost. What is HOST? 500+ virtual microlearning modules designed to engage today’s modern learner. Flexible options for customizing and integrating content within your learning management system. Advanced reporting functionality to identify trends and increase accountability. Available in multiple languages and closed captioned to align with ADA guidelines. Why Invest in Your Home Office Employees and Field Staff? We’ve developed digital learning and development resources to help educate the backbone of financial services organizations: employees and staff. Our content, designed for the home office and/or field, will help employees and staff understand the impact their roles have on the individuals, families and businesses they serve. This new knowledge will empower employees to grow professionally leading to greater retention and productivity which has become even more important in this new era of “The Great Resignation.” Understanding Clients & Their Needs Generational Buying Differences The Need for Life Insurance Life Changes Series What Happens When Someone Dies Overview of College Planning Understanding Special Needs Financial Considerations of Divorce Introduction to Insurance Products & Principles Role of Life Insurance Understanding the Life Insurance Policy Understanding Underwriting Disability and Long-Term Care Insurance Overview of Annuities Contract Beneficiary Designation Understanding Medicare Overview of the Principles of Investing Basics of Investing Investment Strategies Mutual Funds Investment Choices Investment Analysis Variable Annuities Overview of Managed Money Understanding Financial Factors & Programs The Life Insurance Industry Personal Financial Series Individual Taxation Series Overview of Social Security Focus on Social Security Overview of Business, Estate & Retirement Planning Working with Business Owners Different Business Structures Managing Business Risks Executive Benefit Plan Estate Tax Planning Planning Strategies for Retirement Planning Strategies at Retirement General Employee & Staff Education How to Give a Presentation Time Management Success Financial Literacy Active Listening Skills HOST Content Covers the Following Topics and More Advanced Sales Call Center Representatives Broker Dealer Employees And more! Home Office Employees Field Agency & Advisor Staff Policy Owner Services Underwriting Department Marketing Department Our Employee and Staff Education Content Is Designed To Be Used With the Following Types of Groups: Interested In How We Can Help with Your Employee and Staff Training Needs? Contact Us Today What Could a College Education Cost What is a Variable Annuity? What Factors are Evaluated During Life Underwriting Overview of the Small Business Marketplace Deciphering Your Paycheck Overview of the Insurance Industry Introduction to the Role of Life Insurance Financial Risks That May Impact a Retirement Plan Why Understanding Social Security Matters Time Management Concepts and Practices Just Some of Our Learning and Sample Development Content for Employees and Staff: eLearning Knowledge Checks and Action Items for Performance Improvement Ability to Easily Enroll Learners in Courses and Learning Paths Reporting and Analytics for Greater Accountability Around Learning On Demand Classroom Training Modules (virtual and in person) Coaching Resources Including Guides, Assessments and Tutorial Videos Skill Assessment to Identify Strengths and Areas of Development Additional Tools and Resources In addition to our digital content, we also provide turnkey training and coaching tools for managers including: HOST is innovative learning and development designed to educate and empower home office employees and field staff.

At Hoopis Performance Network, we care about your privacy and security, and want you to know how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information and what choices you have regarding your data. Acceptable Use Policy This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") is part of the Hoopis Performance Network, LLC Terms and Conditions ("Terms") and should therefore be read alongside our Terms or other agreement between you and HPN. This Policy applies to all users of our Services. If you do not agree with this Policy, please refrain from using our Services. Your continued use of our Services implies acceptance of this Policy. Please carefully review this Policy which applies to any and all: (a) uses of our Services (as defined in Terms) (b) videos, materials, and all other content available on the Services ("Content") Who We Are We are Hoopis Performance Network, LLC (referred to as either "HPN," "we," "us," or "our"), a company registered in Illinois, United States and located at 790 Frontage Rd #300; Northfield, Illinois 60093. We operate http://www.hoopis.com , hpnuniversity.com, hpnelevate.com, or other websites accessible from the aforementioned URL, and provide related products and services that may refer or link to this Policy (collectively, the "Services"). Use of the Services When you use HPN Services you warrant that you will comply with this Policy and with all applicable laws. You also acknowledge that you may not: Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Services to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory. 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YOU HEREBY WAIVE AND HOLD HARMLESS HPN, ALONG WITH HPN'S EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AFFILIATES, LICENSEES, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS RESULTING FROM, OR ARISING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY OUT OF, ANY ACTION TAKEN BY ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH INVESTIGATIONS BY EITHER HPN, THIRD PARTIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES. Modifications and Updates to this Policy HPN reserves the right to modify and update this Policy at any time in its sole discretion. Continued use of the Services after we post any changes to this Policy constitutes agreement to those changes. You agree to review this Policy periodically to ensure you are familiar with the most recent version. Except as otherwise provided by HPN, updates will be effective upon the date indicated at the top of this Policy. The updated version of the Policy will supersede all prior versions. 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Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List As business owners age without a plan for their business when they die, they risk years of hard work going down the drain because of their departure. Sometimes tragic accidents occur before a business owner can put a plan in place, but many times advanced planning gives business owners the opportunity to realize their business’s maximum value and develop a plan for those who succeed them. Advanced planning also helps avoid arguments, emotions, and feelings which can lead to family and business turmoil after the death of a loved one. This blog offers considerations for business owners who want to put an executable plan in place after they die, but those who have recently inherited a business from a loved one might also find some helpful guidance. Letting Your Vision Live On If you are in the process of succession planning for your business, it means you have created an organization successful enough that it is worth passing it on to a new owner after your death. Depending on the type of business, you have a vision, mission, and/or purpose for the product and the service you provide. When making choices about the succession of your business, you need to think about long-term goals for your business and the legacy which you want to leave. Specifically, think about how you would continue to expand, grow, and serve if you were to continue living well beyond your years. Let your desired legacy drive your decisions about who your successor will be and how you wish to transfer the business to them upon your death. Who Will You Choose as Your Successor(s)? When you create a succession plan for your business, and you don’t wish to liquidate upon your death, you have three main options for successors to keep the doors open. Family members. If you choose your family to succeed you, it’s important to think about the roles one or more family members might take in your organization. Specifically, you need to make a firm decision about who will own and manage the business. It’s also in your best interest to have this discussion with your family long before your death, especially if multiple family members are involved in the business or want to be upon your death. Managing expectations will curtail any hard feelings and emotions which sometimes accompany the mixture of family and business. If more than one family member will own the business, you also need to determine the split of ownership. What percentage of the business will each owner have? Co-owners. You might already have co-owners with whom you started and operated your company. A succession plan might include your estate selling your interest to non-family co-owners, who will carry on the vision you started together. In other cases, you might choose for a family member to take control of your interest and share the business with already existing owners. It’s crucial for you to discuss these plans with your current business partners to ensure they have no reservations about your succession plans. If disagreement and turmoil occurs as a result of your decisions, you risk damaging the longevity of your business. Third-party buyer. Selling to a third-party buyer upon your death is the riskiest move you can make if you want to see your business continue to thrive upon your departure. Yet, if you are the sole owner and you have no family to take over or monitor your interests, you might be forced to take the gamble and sell to a third-party buyer when you die. This doesn’t stop the buyer from eventually liquidating the business, but if you plan far enough ahead and find the right person, you have a good chance of finding someone who wants to carry on with your vision for the future. Transferring the Business After Death Once you decide on who will succeed you in your business after your death, you need to arrange how you wish to transfer the ownership of your business. Keep in mind that each option has different financial, legal and tax consequences for the new owner(s), your business, and your estate, so it’s imperative you discuss your plan with a trusted financial planner and attorney who has experience in this type of succession and estate planning. Leaving money and business to friends or non-family members in a “Will” is a risky endeavor, so you will need to make other arrangements. If your successor(s) are family members, you can leave your business to them via your “Will”, however, for many legal, financial and personal reasons a separate legal document can offer many advantages for transfers to family members as well. Regardless of the plans you make to transfer your business, you will need to ensure that the business and your estate has enough working capital to successfully go through the transition period and cover all of the interim expenses. Buy-Sell Arrangements A buy and sell agreement is a legally binding contract that stipulates how a business owner or partner’s share of a business may be sold or reassigned when they die. These arrangements are commonly used by sole proprietorships, partnerships, and closed corporations in an attempt to smooth the transition of the ownership when each partner dies, retires, or decides to exit the business. Typically, these agreements require that the business share be sold back to the company, to the remaining partners of the business, or to an key employee or competitor according to a predetermined formula. Unfortunately, for many small businesses, it is one of those things that is often pushed to the back burner, and never gets executed or funded. Buy and sell agreements are critically important not only the surviving business owner(s), but to the business’s employees and the deceased’s heirs. The transfer of an individual’s interest in a business can be either intentional or forced. Intentional transfers occur when an owner, partner, or stockholder decides that he or she no longer wants to be involved with the business or, for other reasons, decides that it is time to liquidate their business interest. These types of intentional transfers often occur when a business owner wants to retire or get out of the business to pursue other opportunities. Unfortunately, not all business liquidations are intentional. Unplanned or forced transfers can occur when a business owner, partner, or shareholder in a closely held corporation dies or becomes totally or permanently disabled. More often than not, death or disability forces a transfer under unfavorable conditions unless the owner or owners have planned ahead. The business owner who has not thought ahead to the day he or she will want to sell the business and retire may find it difficult to realize the full value of the business when the time for retirement finally comes. Even worse, business owners who have not planned to protect themselves, their families, and their business associates from the uncertain probabilities of disability and death, risk everything they have worked to build in the business, as well as the financial security of their loved ones. Planning for the orderly transfer of their business interests by exchanging the uncertainty that comes with a failure to plan with the certainty of a planned solution is one of the most critical action a business owner can take. These actions are referred to as planned intentional transfers. Because they are planned, the owner is in a position to make the most favorable arrangements possible in advance. Let’s consider a worst-case scenario: the death of one of the business owners. What will happen to their business if the key owner dies? Many small-business owners take out loans to help grow their businesses, and often have secured these loans with personal assets. If death occurs before the loans were paid off, one might think that the business owner’s family could just sell or liquidate the business in order to cover those debts and provide financial security to the survivors. In reality, this rarely happens. When the family is forced to sell the business quickly, it may have to be sold at a discount or during market conditions that make the business less attractive. In other cases, the business may be worth very little without the key proprietor or partner. Buy-Sell Agreements can protect the surviving family members by providing funds to cover those business debts, as well as ongoing living expenses, and funds for future plans. Ok, a reasonable question here is, if the new owners are not family members, where will the money come from to purchase the business interest? There is no one perfect answer but let me share a few of the common methods. Unfortunately, most businesspeople do not keep large sums of liquid assets which could be used to purchase the deceased owner’s business interest. Most of their available assets are normally reinvested into their business. It could may make sense to create a Sinking Fund to accumulate the needed cash. However, the premature death of an owner may not give the business time needed to accumulate enough funds to meet the financial obligation of the purchase price. They could always borrow the funds. Unfortunately, a bank may not be willing to lend money to a business that has recently lost an owner, and even if they were, the cost of loan including the interest may be excessive. The owner may agree to make Installment Payments to the deceased owner heirs. The heirs may not get the sum of money needed to meet their financial obligations in this manner, and there are no guarantee future payments will be received if the business fails. Finally, there is Life Insurance. There are many advantages life insurance offers that the other alternatives do not, such as: Life insurance annual premiums are often only a small fraction of the death benefit. The proceeds from the death benefits are available whenever needed, regardless of when the owner dies. And of course, properly established death benefits are generally federal income tax-free. Working with the business owner’s financial advisor and attorney well before the day comes to sell the business, whether intentional or not, you will be able save many dollars, headaches and maximize your legacy. Contact Hoopis Performance Network to Learn More About Buy Sell Arrangements HPN provides knowledge and skills training for management, producers, and staff in the financial services industry. We aim to help you succeed and grow your business by offering exceptional resources for you to share with your clients. Educating your clients increases their financial literacy and allows you to help them with life events they care about, such as planning for the future of their business after death. Contact us today for your training and education needs and to learn more about how you can guide your clients on the right actions to take to make sure their business stays open after they die. Keeping the Business Open After Owner’s Death

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List One of the most important questions parents who have a child with special needs ask themselves is, “What’s going to happen to my child when I’m no longer here?” To a large degree, the answer to that question will depend on the steps you begin taking today to arrange for your child’s future well-being. Having a child with special needs requires considerable planning, both for the short term and the long term. Taking care of the legal formalities regarding your child’s long-term care will give you peace of mind. First Steps Planning for the future care of a child is important under any circumstances, and it’s especially critical to do so for a child with special needs. Here are initial steps you should begin taking today: Assess your child’s prognosis. Will your child ever be able to earn a living, manage assets, and live independently? Your evaluation of issues such as these will then guide you in the type of planning you need to complete to provide for your child. If you are unsure about your child’s future prognosis, be conservative in your assumptions. You can always change your plans in the future. Review your financial situation. What assets do you have available to provide for your child’s future financial needs? What can you do to accumulate additional assets for his or her care? Evaluate living arrangements. Where do you want your child to live after your death, or if you become physically unable to care for your child? Will your child need a guardian (or conservator)? Understand government benefits. Do you know what government benefits are available and what the requirements are to qualify for them? Government benefits and their requirements can play a major role in your child’s future well-being. Improper or careless planning could make your child ineligible for certain benefits. Government benefits fall into two groups: Entitlement programs. Eligibility for entitlement programs is based on meeting certain requirements, such as age, disability, or blindness. An individual who, for example, meets the required definition of “disability” is entitled to receive benefits, regardless of that individual’s financial situation. Needs-based programs. To receive benefits from a needs-based program, a disabled individual cannot have income or assets above stated amounts. Legal Planning Overview Once your initial assessment is complete, the care and well-being of a child who is either a minor or an adult who is mentally, physically, and/or developmentally disabled can be greatly enhanced by your efforts to complete legal, medical, financial, and educational planning. This white paper focuses on the area of legal planning. Please see our other white paper for tips on medical, financial, and educational planning for a child with special needs. In general, legal planning will establish how your estate will be distributed when you die. Who will care for your child with special needs when you’re no longer able to do so? How can your estate be arranged to provide for your child without disqualifying him or her from receiving government benefits? The 6 legal issues listed below are important in planning the future for a child with special needs. Will. The primary purpose of a will is to state how you want your assets distributed at your death. Guardian. If your child’s condition warrants it, give careful thought to naming a future guardian or conservator for your child, after both parents are gone. The child’s guardian may be different from the trustee of financial assets. Letter of intent. A letter of intent serves as a blueprint of what you want your child’s life to be like if there comes a time when you can no longer care for him or her. Special needs trust. This type of trust that can receive and manage assets for the benefit of your disabled child, without disqualifying him or her from receiving government benefits. Be careful here—boilerplate wording from an attorney who is not experienced in this field will not suffice. Special needs trusts should be specific and include exact wording, to prevent your child from being disqualified from receiving government support. As your child reaches adulthood, you might lose the authority to make decisions for him or her. The two documents described below enable you to continue assisting your adult child in making appropriate decisions throughout his or her lifetime. Both documents refer specifically to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This allows disclosure of medical and hospital records and information to the “agent” that is not subject to federal regulation of privacy rules. Don’t forget to identify “alternate agents” to carry on for you after you are no longer able to do so. Power of attorney. This legal instrument is used to delegate legal authority to another person, giving that person the authority to make property, financial and other legal decisions during the lifetime of the person who executes the power of attorney (the initiator). A power of attorney remains in effect only while the initiator is alive. Upon the initiator’s death, it is automatically canceled and of no effect. Medical directives. In addition to recording the treatments an individual wishes to have or not have, should he or she become unable to make those decisions, a medical directive also appoints a proxy—someone to make medical decisions for a person who cannot make medical decisions on his or her own. Now let’s examine each of these 6 important legal areas in more detail. Your Will A will is the legal document that states the actions you want taken after your death, with regard to the disposition of your property, the guardianship of any minor or disabled children, and the administration of your estate. If you die without a will, you are said to die “intestate,” and the state in which you reside will make these important decisions through its intestacy law. This means that the state will determine who receives your property, who becomes the guardian of your minor and/or disabled children, and how your estate will be administered. By preparing your will, you can avoid negative potential implications such as the following: The court-appointed guardian might not be someone your child even knows. Any inheritance received by your child in excess of $2,000 could disqualify him or her from receiving needs-based government benefits. A will is an important first step in your legal planning… it sets everything else in motion. Guardians In most states, once a child reaches age 18, he or she is presumed to have decision-making capacity, and the parents’ legal authority ends. Parents of children with special needs have various options, each with advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation, to establish a new legal authority to continue making important decisions for the child. If the child is incapable of making personal or financial decisions once he or she reaches the age of majority, a parent—or anyone else who is an adult, is not incapacitated, and does not have a significant conflict of interest—can petition the court to be appointed the adult child’s guardian or conservator (the terminology is different in different states). It’s important to give careful thought to who will have responsibility for your child with special needs after both parents are gone. A guardian or conservator is the individual who will care for your child and manage his or her affairs when you’re no longer available or able to do so. The laws regarding this person’s roles vary from one state to another. Among the various guardianship/conservatorship arrangements, there are 2 basic types, and you will need to select one of them. Your choice will largely depend on your evaluation of your child’s developmental disabilities: Limited guardianship or conservatorship. The powers of the guardian or conservator are limited to reflect the needs of the disabled individual. A limited guardian or conservator is appropriate if your specialneeds child is capable of performing some, but not all, the tasks of daily living and/or managing his or her financial resources. General guardianship or conservatorship. The guardian or conservator has full decision-making powers for a disabled individual with respect to finances, living arrangements, medical care, etc. Letter of Intent A letter of intent is a blueprint of your child’s situation and your wishes for your child when you are no longer there to carry them out. Although it is not legally binding, the letter provides direction for the person or persons who will be caring for your child. Write a letter of intent as soon as possible and update it as your child grows. Include the following types of information: The child’s vital information (full name, nickname, place and date of birth, Social Security number), plus the name and contact information of anyone involved in your child’s life, such as a caseworker, school or work contact, financial advisor, executor of your will, and/or the child’s guardian. Medical information about your child, including diagnosis, care, and support he or she currently receives, medications, emergency instructions, physicians, therapies, etc. It’s a good idea to either include a set of the child’s medical records or to state where those records are located. A “snapshot” of your child’s capabilities with regard to activities of daily living (eating, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, transferring, and continence). Any special equipment your child needs, such as wheelchairs, shower chairs, modified computers, voice-recognition software, utensils or plates, etc. Also include whom to contact to maintain this equipment or where to go to repair or replace it. Education your child has received, as well as future education you’d like him or her to receive. Living arrangements…where would you (and your child) like for the child to live if something should happen to you? What happens if you become physically unable to care for him or her anymore? Indicate whether you feel your child can live independently or would be better in a group environment. This decision might need a long lead time (years, even) to put into place for independent living, depending on where you live. Employment opportunities that you feel might be open to your child when he or she becomes an adult. Social/behavioral information, such as activities and the types of toys your child enjoys, who your child likes to play with, plus any behavior-management issues, including how you discipline your child. Dietary information, including food likes and dislikes, diet restrictions or allergies, problems swallowing, etc. Religious information, as appropriate. Financial guidance, including information about medical insurance, financial resources available to the child, and whom to contact for assistance and additional information. Special Needs Trust The purpose of a special needs trust is to provide financial assets for your child’s future care and well-being, while maintaining his or her eligibility for government benefits, such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, or Medicaid. Under current federal law, an individual with more than $2,000 in assets will be disqualified from most needs-based government benefits. State assistance programs might also be based on need. The only exception to this law is an ABLE account, also known as a 529 ABLE or 529A account. It is a state-run savings program for eligible people with disabilities in the United States. Rules governing ABLE accounts are codified in Internal Revenue Code section 529A, which was enacted by the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act in 2014. If your child were to receive an inheritance from you directly, it’s highly probable that the inheritance would disqualify him or her from receiving needed benefits. Do not leave assets directly to your child. With a special needs trust, you leave assets to the trust. The trust is managed by a trustee, who can use trust assets on your child’s behalf. Special needs trust requirements are stringent, so it’s important that you consult with an experienced attorney to set one up. In a properly structured special needs trust, the trust holds title to the property for the benefit of the disabled child or adult. The assets in the special needs trust can be used to provide for the needs of the disabled individual and to supplement benefits received from government assistance programs. For example, trust assets could be used to provide your child with the following: Transportation, including the purchase of a vehicle Training, rehabilitation, or education programs Equipment Payment of medical, dental, and eyesight needs Payment of insurance premiums Companion/home health aides Entertainment Items to enhance quality of life/self-esteem A special needs trust can hold cash, as well as title to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and personal property. In addition, it can own and/or be the beneficiary of life insurance policies. Another use for a special needs trust is to receive any proceeds from personal-injury settlements without jeopardizing the disabled individual’s eligibility for government benefits. Special needs trusts are designed to supplement, not replace, the kind of basic support provided by government programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Special needs trusts pay for comforts and luxuries – “special needs”—that could not be paid for by public-assistance funds. This means that if money from the trust is used for food or shelter costs on a regular basis or distributed directly to your disabled child, those payments will count as income to him or her. This can affect eligibility for government benefits. One of the trustee’s most important jobs is to use discretion in making distributions from the trust, so as not to jeopardize the beneficiary’s eligibility for these government benefits. If the beneficiary receives SSI, here are some basic expenses that should not be paid through a special needs trust without consultation with a special-needs attorney: Cash given directly to the beneficiary for any purpose Food or groceries Restaurant meals (except if given as an occasional gift) Rent or mortgage payments Property taxes Homeowners or condo association dues Homeowners insurance if the insurance is a mortgage requirement Utilities such as electricity, gas, and water Utilities hookup or connection charges However, many of these payments will only cause a 1/3 reduction in SSI benefits. The trustee may determine that the benefit of the trust making these payments far outweighs the loss of income. Still, to ensure that your child can retain eligibility for government benefits, it’s important that wellintentioned family members, such as grandparents, understand that their wills should bequeath assets to the special needs trust, not directly to the disabled individual. Power of Attorney A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving one person the power to act for another person. Conventional POAs lapse when the creator becomes incapacitated, but a “durable POA” remains in force to enable the agent to manage the creator’s affairs, and a “springing POA” comes into effect only if and when the creator of the POA becomes incapacitated. A medical or healthcare POA enables an agent to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated person. A person who is appointed as power of attorney is not necessarily an attorney. The person could just be a trusted family member, friend, or acquaintance. Medical Directives Medical directives, also known as advance directives, guide choices for doctors and caregivers if a person is terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia, or near the end of life. Advance directives need to be in writing. Each state has different forms and requirements for creating legal documents. Depending on where you live, a form may need to be signed by a witness or notarized. You can ask a lawyer to help you with the process, but it is generally not necessary. You can change your directives at any time. If you want to make changes, you must create a new form, distribute new copies, and destroy all old copies. Specific requirements for changing directives can vary by state. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when doing the legal planning needed to ensure that your disabled child will get the best care possible. But advance legal planning is critical to ensuring that all potential scenarios are covered. Being proactive in this area can prevent costly, stressful, and time-consuming problems from occurring down the road. Legal Planning for a Child with Special Needs

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Corporate training managers are constantly searching for new methods that will be more effective — and cost-effective — to ensure as high a return as possible on training. They like e-learning, or online training, because it is quite affordable when compared with classroom-based training. With e-learning, you can avoid expenses associated with travel, trainers, facilities and course materials. Plus, you’ll never have to update, correct or reprint course materials because the online versions are always upto- date. And e-learning is far more convenient for trainees who work in different offices throughout the country, and it’s easily accessible for quick refreshers and reminders. Classroom training has some benefits, too. It encourages face-to-face interaction, which is a skill in itself. And it’s ideal for teaching material that requires students to perform instead of just soaking up knowledge. One article stated, as an example, that you won’t find swimming classes online. Countless blog posts and articles debate the “Which is better?” question. The real question is “Which is better for my organization?” It’s possible that a combination of the two is your best option. If you currently offer only classroom-based training, it’s worth investigating the benefits of e-learning. Many organizations will have a new-associate orientation, training class or school. Unfortunately, too often these can have the same effectiveness of drinking from a fire hose, especially if there is not a follow-up resource available for class members to go back to and obtain the same or similar education and training. Many colleges and universities now offer to stream and record lectures, providing students a quick but effective way to review or clarify particularly unclear subject matter. Low-cost web-based training has been getting a lot of attention. And some organizations now consider webbased training a part of blended learning, which uses more than one method of message delivery. We must remember that repetition is the mother of all learning, so even when elements of coursework or subject matter overlap, it can be another reason to use both methods of delivery. To increase the effectiveness of any training, it’s important to set up the training platform that works best for your participants and ensures effective alignment with your organization’s goals and objectives. Specific Benefits of E-Learning Depending on the material, e-learning can be highly successful, especially with younger people who are accustomed to learning material online. Here are some points to consider: Every dollar invested in online training results in a $30 increase in productivity. Companies that use e-learning technology achieve an average 18 percent boost in employee engagement. Forty percent of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year. E-learning boosts retention rates by 25 to 60 percent, compared to retention rates of 8 to 10 percent with traditional training. It typically takes employees 40 to 60 percent less time to study material via e-learning than in a traditional classroom setting. IBM found that participants learned nearly five times more material without increasing time spent in training. The corporation saved approximately $200 million after switching to e-learning. A 2017 report revealed that 42 percent of companies say that eLearning has led to an increase in revenue. Organizations that use e-learning are also likely to enjoy such benefits as convenience, standardized delivery and the ability for students to progress according to their pace of learning and availability. Now let’s look at how to implement e-learning in your company or firm. Implementing E-Learning To achieve their goals and objectives, an organization’s leaders must plan effectively. It can seem overwhelming to change your entire training program, especially if you have invested a lot in it and have been using it for a long time. Here are some ways to ease into the e-learning process. Define your goals. Knowing what you want the training to accomplish will help determine what type of training you need. For example, your goal might be to teach new sales leaders how to manage a budget or to teach mid-level advisors how to break performance plateaus. Set a budget. It’s easy to get enamored with a new training platform that sounds too good to be true. Setting a budget in advance should keep you from overspending. Ask around. At industry meetings, in study groups and through social media sites like LinkedIn, find out which training programs have worked well for companies or firms that are structured similar to yours. Word-of-mouth referrals are always superior to trial and error. Start small. You don’t want to replace your entire training program with something new and unproven. Try out an online course with either a group of your sales leaders or advisors, or have the whole team try it. Experiment. Once you find something most people seem to like, consider expanding your offerings on that platform. Promote the training and follow up. To maximize the benefit and results of any e-learning curriculum, it cannot be a “set it and forget it” strategy. The organization’s leadership must not only promote this resource but must follow up and assign early usage to instill top-of-mind remembrance of this tool and its benefit. Measure your results. Have participants fill out a survey after each training program to gauge their reaction to it. Find out to what extent they were engaged, how valuable they thought it was, how much they will actually use the material in their work and how likely they would be to recommend it to someone else or want to take that type of training again. Also measure your ROI. After six months or a year, evaluate how much your organization benefited from it, compared with how much you spent on it. An Easy Way to Try E-Learning With today’s demand for work/life balance, you want your training to be available 24/7 so you can sharpen sales leaders’ and advisors’ skills on demand. A highly efficient and effective way to dip your toes into the e-learning water is through Hoopis performance Network. Your sales leaders and advisors can access training and information on their smartphones and tablets when they have some spare time. Sometimes they get to an appointment 10 minutes early to beat traffic, and they want to brush up on their skills rather than waste that time. In those 10 minutes, they can watch one of hundreds of training sessions that can help them keep their saws sharp as they prepare for a joint sales call or recruit another top performer to the firm. They get to learn new skills during what used to be down time. HPN brings you winning training for sales associates, and sales leaders. All participants get to learn at their own pace. Also, they can customize their curriculum to what interests them the most, or the company or firm can decide on the order of their learning. Why E-Learning Is Effective

The EDGE comprehensive digital content library teaches essential skills for building a thriving business, creating a high-performance culture, and everything in between. The Leader’s Journey Foundational Principles of Leadership Vision, Mission and Value Proposition Building a Great Company Culture Delegation: The Key to Growth Office Systems and Processes Time Management Recruiting Recruiting Best Practices Building a Recruiting Culture Developing Your Ideal Candidate Profile Campus Recruiting Attracting Top Performers Selection Traits of Top Performers Conducting Initial Interviews The Science of Utilizing Selection Profiles In-Depth Behavioral Interviewing The Candidate Experience Onboarding & Development Onboarding New Advisors Joint Field Work Best Practices Training Best Practices Ongoing Training & Development Mentoring Series Expectations & Accountability Goal Setting and Creating High Expectations Activity Monitoring Becoming an Effective Performance Coach Creating a Culture of Accountability Holding Your Leadership Team Accountable Leadership & Organizational Development Leadership Insights, Philosophies and Beliefs Situational Leadership Developing High Performing Leadership Teams Leading through Change Management Diversity & Inclusion Just Some of the Topics within Our Leadership Development Content Library: Download the Content Catalog Leadership Development Joey Davenport – The Importance of Developing a Recruiting Culture Sabine Robinson – Keys to Building a High Expectations Culture Harry Hoopis – Field-Tested: The Importance of Expecting More from People Kathryn Christie – The Science of Selection & Potential to Performance Why Independent Associates May Not Be Hitting Their Goals The Importance of Follow-up When You Miss a Recruit Sources for Gathering Names of Potential Candidates Early Warning Signs Someone is Not a Culture Fit Here are a few short samples of our leadership videos focusing on the skills, best practices and execution methods of the top experts and leaders in financial services. Interested In How We Can Help with Your Leadership Development Needs? Contact Us Today! "Field Leadership is vital to the distribution success in the financial services industry. As an organization, we wanted to invest in a program that would develop our leaders to become the best possible versions of themselves. Our Partnership with Hoopis Performance Network focused on Culture, Excellence, and Leadership Integrity. The results of this program have led to great success for our leadership team. We have witnessed their success both at Farm Bureau as well as in their personal lives. Hoopis has delivered a program that has become the foundation of our current leadership development as well as our future leader development program." Ryan Harklau CFP® ChFC - Vice President Agencies & Development EMERGING – advisors interested in exploring and “test driving” the leadership career. DEVELOPING – leaders needing to build a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills to grow their team. GROWING – leaders seeking strategies and best practices to advance their team and organization. EXCELLING – leaders wanting scale and systems to reach the pinnacle of success. EDGE helps leaders succeed at every stage of the leadership journey . This comprehensive digital content library teaches essential skills for building a thriving business, creating a high-performance culture , and everything in between. Whether you want to strengthen your own leadership skills or build your leadership team , and whether you are new to leadership or have years of experience, EDGE has a solution for you. The Leader’s Journey

Successful Organizations Understand One of the Most Important Investments You Can Make Is in Your Leaders and Managers. We provide the tools and resources needed to help your leaders throughout their entire leadership journey! Tools and Resources for Leaders at Every Stage of Their Career! Successful Organizations Understand One of the Most Important Investments You Can Make Is in Your Leaders and Managers. This begins by identifying which financial advisors have a propensity to lead and providing them with an opportunity to easily “test drive” a career in leadership. Once they officially take a leadership role within in the organization, there are a variety of skills and systems they will need to develop throughout their career to become successful. We provide the tools and resources needed to help your leaders throughout their entire leadership journey! This is a leadership development experienced designed for Agency Managers and their leadership teams. This program provides the systems, tools and best practices for building a successful, thriving organization. The curriculum can be customized based on an organizations needs. Learn More We offer an array of solutions to help organizations field their ideal candidates, attract them to the firm and select the top performers using both the art and science. Resources such as Coaching & Consulting, Contact Recruiting, Live Workshops and Selection Tools. Learn More Schedule a Complimentary Consultation Today! Schedule Now! Let Us Identify How We Can Help with Your Leadership Development Needs Tools and Resources for Leaders at Every Stage of Their Career!