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December 08, 2015

Structured Settlement Broker Circulates Email Suggesting Future Quid Pro Quo With Incentive Trip

by Structured Settlement Watchdog®

A structured settlement broker who attended a recent life insurance company all expenses paid incentive trip to South Africa has unfortunately sent an email that was copied and circulated to many in the industry that suggests that the trip influences where he will place his/her business.  The life insurance company is blameless in this, in my opinion.  It is simply having a sales conference for its leading producers.  Moreover, the Structured settlement watchdog understands that producers would be issued IRS Form 1099 for the value of the trip.

But the production bar for the incentive trip in question is significant.  The thought that qualifying for  an incentive trip could possibly override doing what is best for a client would be both unethical and unconscionable and surely not the sort of business conduct that the company, its compliance department or insurance regulators intend.  Then to memorialize this in a widely circulated email is insane.

What is the wisdom of a broker who wittingly, or unwittingly, possibly taints the rest of the industry and invites needless scrutiny over a trip that a very small number of people qualified for.

Posted at 07:39 PM in Settlement Planning Ethics, Structured Settlement Brokers, Structured Settlement Ethics Questions, Structured Settlement Industry News, Structured Settlement Watchdog® |

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