Year-End Planning | Client Conversations That Matter | Looking Ahead

As we close out the year, December brings a powerful opportunity to reconnect with clients, reinforce your value, and tee up meaningful conversations for the year ahead. End-of-year reviews are about more than checking boxes, they’re about helping clients finish the year confident and prepared. 

We’re grateful for your partnership and the trust you place in KAFL. Your commitment to serving clients with integrity and care is what drives successful outcomes, and we’re proud to support your practice.

Now is the ideal time to connect with our team. Whether you’re reviewing active cases, preparing for January appointments, or exploring new growth opportunities, KAFL is here to help you finish the year strong and start the next one with momentum.

Be sure to scroll to our KAFL Spotlight Section to see what your team has been up to!

Year-End Planning:

Conversations Clients Are Ready For 

December is a prime opportunity to reconnect with clients, uncover planning gaps, and set the stage for new business in January. Year-end reviews often reveal immediate needs and follow-up opportunities around:

• Retirement income gaps exposed by rising costs and market volatility
• Asset protection strategies for clients nearing or in retirement
• Long-term care planning, positioned around preserving retirement assets
• Legacy and beneficiary reviews to ensure plans still align with client goals

Year-end conversations are also the right time to introduce LTC solutions, especially hybrid life and annuity options that provide flexibility for clients hesitant about traditional coverage. These discussions naturally lead to deeper retirement protection planning.

In addition, December reviews frequently uncover opportunities for annuity strategies, including:

• Repositioning underperforming assets
• Managing sequence-of-returns risk
• Evaluating income riders and protection features
• Strengthening guaranteed income plans for the year ahead

A simple check-in now can uncover opportunities that lead to deeper planning engagements in January. 

KAFL is here to help with case design, product positioning, and client-ready materials, so you can finish the year strong and start January with momentum.

Carrier Highlights & Upcoming Webinars

Here’s What Brokers Need to Know About Remaining Enrollment Windows

As Medicare’s annual enrollment period (AEP) has ended, it’s important to remember Medicare beneficiaries impacted by plan terminations have until 12/31 to enroll in a new plan for 2026. Those who don’t enroll before 12/31 won’t have a Medicare Advantage plan in place for 1/1/26, but they’ll still have an opportunity to select a new plan through 2/28/26.

Whether you’re a licensed Medicare broker, or a non-Medicare broker who has impacted clients, we’re here to help!

medicare@kafl.com

Stronger Prescreens for Higher Placement in 2026

As we head into 2026, let’s keep in mind one simple strategy that will have a significant impact on placement ratios next year: stronger prescreening.

Most of the delays we saw in 2025 came from missing details: medical history, medications, financial justification, or APS surprises. A complete prescreen lets us match your client with the right carrier and product before you submit, saving days or even weeks of back-and-forth.

For faster approvals in 2026, please include these with every prescreen:

• Basic medical history (diagnoses, dates, treatment)
• Current medications and dosages
• Height/weight and tobacco history
• Financial purpose and income/net worth (for larger cases)
• Details on recent exams, labs, or specialist visits
• Travel, avocations, or lifestyle factors
• Any documents already available (EHR, labs, business financials)

A strong prescreen helps us:

✓ Choose the right carrier on the first try

✓ Avoid unnecessary APSs or re-routing

✓ Reduce declines and postponements

✓ Speed up approvals and increase placement

If you would like your team at KAFL to assist you with prescreening, or if you need help gathering the right info, we’re here to support you!

Let’s start 2026 with cleaner submissions, faster decisions, and more placed business!

KAFL Spotlight

2025 KAFL Day of Caring at the Ronald McDonald House

We’re excited to recognize two team members who continue to raise the bar:

Katie Mercadel, Licensing Specialist – Congratulations on earning your AHIP certification! Your commitment to staying current on Medicare requirements ensures our advisors are supported with accuracy and expertise.

Dana DeLuca, Brokerage Manager – Congratulations on achieving your RICP® designation! This milestone reflects your dedication to deepening your retirement income planning knowledge and enhancing the guidance we deliver to our partners.

Please join us in applauding Katie and Dana for their hard work, professionalism, and drive to grow.

We’re proud to have you on the KAFL team!

We are incredibly proud to highlight a standout moment from NAILBA 44, and to celebrate the exceptional way Lorrie Gibbons represented KAFL throughout the conference.

Lorrie was recognized as a 2025 NAILBA ID20 Award recipient, an honor reserved for leaders who are driving meaningful progress in independent distribution. The ID20 Award shines a light on individuals who elevate the industry through innovation, service, and forward-thinking leadership—and Lorrie embodies each of these qualities.

Throughout NAILBA 44, Lorrie showcased the best of KAFL: strengthening relationships, engaging with carrier partners, and championing the future of our industry. Her dedication to empowering advisors and raising the bar for excellence continues to make a lasting impact not only on our organization, but across the entire brokerage community.

Congratulations, Lorrie! Thank you for representing KAFL with such leadership, vision, and pride.

 Need Support? We’re Here. 

 Whether it's product positioning, case design, or helping you close that one big case — we're your team behind the scenes. 

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