Hello, my name is Samantha Barnes, and I’m an annuity case manager in the operations department here at Impact. That means that when new applications are submitted, I oversee the entire application process and serve as the main point person for our financial advisors, making sure everything runs quickly and efficiently.
Before coming to Impact two years ago, I worked for a successful financial advisor’s practice. During my time there, my eyes were opened by the countless stories told by prospects coming in for consultations. Every person had a different retirement goal, but “peace of mind” was always at the top of the lists.
Client after client spoke about their fears of not saving enough, even though they worked hard their entire lives building up their savings for retirement. Sitting across from these clients at the conference table, I saw their concerns firsthand, which I keep in mind every time an application is submitted.
As a case manager, I have the opportunity to help add to that “peace of mind” for each client, to start and keep the ball rolling on a product that will keep their hard-earned money protected against market downside risk.
The smoother this process goes, the more trust an advisor builds with their client. And the more that a client trusts their advisor, the less worry they’ll have. That’s why I make it my personal goal to improve my knowledge of our carriers and the financial industry so that I am better equipped to answer any questions the advisor may have.
Trust and communication are key in my job. They’re essential when helping advisors build those important relationships with clients, as well as relationships between Impact and our advisors, and our partner carriers.
To keep our carrier relationships strong, my fellow case managers and I have scheduled monthly phone calls with them to discuss any important information that we would need to share with our financial advisors. Most importantly, we’re constantly given information on how we can improve our review process to better serve you.
The more information we can share with our financial advisors, the better they’re able to submit cleaner applications, which allows the policies to issue faster for the clients.
And so begins the process of clients finding added “peace of mind.”
