Social Security Explorer Version 2.1 Ready in June

Impact is pleased to announce the latest version (2.1) of Social Security Explorer.  This new release of Explorer adds the ability to illustrate Social Security benefits affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).  In addition, several new print features make the reports even easier to create.

The Social Security Explorer helps answer three important questions:

1.  What will we get?

2.  When should we start collecting?

3.  How do we know if we are getting as much as possible?

Click on this link for more details about the tool that has excited producers all over the country!  Take it for a test drive today.

Impact and LIMRA Launch Ready-2-Retire

Impact and LIMRA are excited to announce a new application, Ready-2-Retire, for the Retirement Income planning market.  LIMRA provided the research and content for Ready-2-Retire and Impact provided the creative user interface design, development and technical programming.

This interactive tool provides a new way to look at preparing for retirement.  LIMRA research studies show that pre-retirees do not give sufficient thought to decisions affecting their future.  Questions about when, where and how to retire, require serious consideration.  Pre-retirees often underestimate the challenges and risks that threaten their future quality of life.  The Ready-2-Retire application offers consumers a “Vehicle for Self-Discovery”.  It helps them visualize dreams about their next phase of life.

Ready-2-Retire will engage, educate and prepare the next generation of retirees to take action.  It is an excellent lead-generation platform for companies and advisors.

Ready-2-Retire works with web browsers and is iPad ready.

Impact and LIMRA are marketing Ready-2-Retire to both corporate clients and to individual producers. Producers can sign up for Ready-2-Retire by clicking on this link: Order now!

Corporate clients who would like to see how Ready-2-Retire can help your business prosper in the Retirement Income space, should contact Paul Henry.  Paul can be reached by phone at 1-860-285-7878 or by email at phenry@limra.com.

New Changes to Support the 2010 Tax Act

Impact is pleased to announce the release of the 2010 Tax Act calculation update to both its retail and corporate clients.  This update adds to the software, the new estate and gift tax calculations for years 2011 and 2012.  These changes include:

• A Basic Exclusion Amount of $5,000,000
• Portability of the Exclusion Amount from one spouse to the surviving spouse
• Unification of the Estate, Gift, and Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes

For death or gifts in 2013 or later, there will be no changes other than to reflect a death or gift in 2011 or 2012.  Similar to the current calculations, Impact tools will continue to reflect the reversion to 2001 provisions as the law now specifies.

The Impact release scheduled for the Spring of 2011 will add new comparison pages which demonstrate possible assumptions about estate taxes for 2013 and beyond plus presentation pages to help users further explain planning opportunities created by the new law.

Need Help with the 2010 Estate Tax Law – Try Impact’s New Calculator

Modeling the effect of the new estate tax law can be confusing and a little challenging.  While our comprehensive  calculations are being updated,  you can immediatly use Impact’s new online tax calculator.   This calculator offers a quick look at what the changes in the law might mean for your clients.   Just click here to launch the application.

Impact has been providing industry acclaimed estate tax modeling tools to advisors since 1981.  These tools are currently being used by thousands of estate planning professionals all over the country.  For more information on our Estate Tax Analysis program just click on this link to our online store.  http://www.impact-tech.com/products/estate-tax-analysis/

Estate Planning Continues to have Long-term Uncertainty

On Friday December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law a compromise tax bill that has major implications for producers and their clients. Congress will revisit this legislation within 24 months for possible modification or extension.  As a result, estate planning  continues to have long-term uncertainty.  The need for estate planning software tools has never been greater.  Furthermore, with these tax changes, state taxation at death becomes a critical consideration in estate planning and creates sales opportunities for advisors.

Impact software models a client’s financial future based on cash flow and taxes.  It is currently being updated to reflect these significant changes in the law.

Impact is committed to make the needed changes to the software and to release them to our users as soon as possible.