The policy comes after the objective.

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1. 01DiscoverUnderstand the client, responsibilities, business, cash flow, existing coverage, and intended outcome.A structured conversation about people, obligations, and income — who depends on this capital and for how long.Review of existing coverage: carrier, type, face amount, riders, in-force performance, and any gaps.Cash flow and funding capacity, so any design is affordable in a bad year, not just a good one.For business owners: ownership structure, agreements in place, key people, and lender requirements.
2. 02DiagnoseIdentify the actual protection, liquidity, accumulation, continuity, or transfer need.Translate the conversation into a defined objective and a number — what the capital must do, and when.Separate genuine need from product preference, and rank objectives when several compete for the same dollars.Identify constraints early: health history, travel, occupation, and financial justification for the amount.Name what insurance should not be asked to solve, and where another professional should be involved.
3. 03DesignCompare carriers, policy types, funding structures, riders, underwriting classes, and illustrated outcomes.Shortlist carriers by underwriting appetite for the specific profile, not by brand familiarity.Compare policy types and funding patterns side by side against the stated objective.Stress-test illustrations at guaranteed and reduced-rate assumptions, not only the ledger midpoint.Evaluate riders, access provisions, and conversion rights, and explain the tradeoff each one carries.
4. 04UnderwriteCoordinate the application and underwriting process while setting clear expectations around health and financial qualification.Set expectations up front on exams, records, timelines, and what typically moves a rating class.Position the file with the carrier: complete application, financial justification, and context for any flag.Shop offers where a second carrier may classify the same profile differently.Keep the client informed at each step and re-price honestly if the offer differs from the design.
5. 05ReviewExplain the issued policy, confirm that the final offer still supports the objective, and establish an ongoing review cadence.Walk through the issued policy line by line — what is guaranteed, what is not, and what can change.Confirm the final offer still supports the original objective before any policy is placed in force.Verify beneficiaries, ownership, and any business documentation that must match the policy.Establish a review cadence so the structure keeps pace with income, ownership, and family changes.

No strategy is final until the carrier has completed underwriting and the client has reviewed the actual policy and illustration. Coverage is subject to underwriting and carrier approval, and the final offer may differ from any design presented earlier.