Life on the iPad

Last weekend I purchased a new iPad, which I plan to use for work when traveling (provided I can remove it from the grasp of my 5-year-old) instead of lugging my laptop to conferences and events. While I have used a few iPads in the past couple of years, I now find myself continually amazed by what they can do through all kinds of downloadable apps — many of which are free (including all the ones mentioned below).

After loading it up with a couple dozen great general interest apps, such as Google Earth, The Daily, Bloomberg, The Weather Channel, and of course, Angry Birds in a nod to the kids, I became curious about apps out there relating to life insurance. There is no shortage of them, particularly from carriers. But here are a few that caught my attention, and I would love to hear about more apps from readers via the comment tool below. I would also be interested in hearing about how you are using your iPad in your sales efforts.

LIFE Foundation Needs Calculator HD

The very first life insurance-related app I came across was from the LIFE Foundation. The LIFE Foundation Needs Calculator HD app, which is free, helps consumers determine how much life insurance coverage they need based on answers they provide to a set of basic financial information questions. With the staggering number of uninsured and underinsured people out there, I wish every iPad owner would download and use this app.

Life Insurance Sales Application

LISA — short for Life Insurance Sales Application — is an iPad app that provides provide unique sales training and consumer presentations. It also allows licensed life insurance agents to take full insurance applications and obtain signatures in a quick and efficient manner. You can find out more about it in this YouTube video.

Athena Indexed Universal Life

This is a good example of a specific product app from a carrier. Last October, AXA Equitable released a new life insurance app that offers an engaging way to learn how the company's Athena Indexed Universal Life product can help address multiple needs, including death benefit coverage, cash value accumulation potential and down market risk management. AXA Equitable's Athena IUL iPad app uses personal storytelling to explain how the product can work for different people at different life stages. Users can also tap into a "You" feature to simulate their own personal situation by selecting individual priorities. Playful "think fast" pop-up quizzes throughout the app educate users about financial facts concerning life insurance. The app also has a needs analysis calculator, a hypothetical historical returns calculator and a premium calculator.

Aflac LaunchPad

In 2011, Aflac worked with Digitas to create a new iPad app called Aflac LaunchPad. It helps associates smoothly integrate video, animation and regulatory information in ways that are understandable and practical for the agent who is calling upon a potential account, pitching a customer or pursuing a recruit. The new app is helping Aflac agents deliver better service to customers, prospects and accounts. The company reported that it gave 150 New York-area agents iPads loaded with the app in January 2011, and it led to an 18% sales increase among the group by mid-February 2011.

Investopedia

While this one is not specific to life insurance, the Investopedia app caught my eye. This app allows easy access to Investopedia's vast financial dictionary of more than 11,000 financial terms and definitions, including a "Term of the Day" with a daily dose of financial wisdom. Anything that helps savings-challenged consumers become more educated about finance is a good thing.

Future Value of Your Money

The Future Value of Your Money app determines what your money can grow to, based on the amount of money you have today, the amount you plan to put away every month and the estimated annual interest rate you can expect to earn. This is helpful for calculating everything from CDs and 401(k)s to real estate appreciation and, yes, cash value life insurance. The app will also determine how much of your total money has been contributed by you and how much is a result of interest. An amortization table is provided to allow the user to see how the money grows from month to month and year to year.

(Editor's note: the following entry has been added since the original blog was posted)

LIMRA's Ready-2-Retire

LIMRA recently developed a program which was designed out of its research in the Pre-Retiree Marketplace. Ready-2-Retire is an app that helps clients to visualize the "What, Where, When and How" of their retirement. In the 15 minutes it takes to complete Ready-2-Retire (click here to see a full-demo link), individuals and couples become much better prepared to discuss their financial needs with an advisor, and motivated to consider the solutions an advisor can offer.

Again, I would love to hear about other helpful apps and how producers have integrated the iPad into sales processes.

For more from Brian Anderson, see:

PPACA: A Choice, Not a Mandate?

Glenn Neasham Case: What Will Be the Impact?

Hey Boomers: Better Get Better at Communicating with Younger Generations