"Health to Wealth" All-Day Live Training - Friday, October 11th in Meridian, ID

ADD ANNUITIES TO YOUR SALES PROCESS

Our Story:

Bridging Needs in Retirement - The Annuity Fundamentals Journey

About Annuity Fundamentals

Annuity Fundamentals is not just a company; it's a legacy forged over four decades, a tale of resilience, learning, and a commitment to simplifying complex financial products for the benefit of agents and clients alike.

Meet Doug McDermott, a visionary who embarked on his journey in the insurance business in 1979. A relentless independent agent navigating the challenges of a "commission-only" world, Doug faced the struggles that many in the field encountered. However, it was through these trials that he discovered the transformative power of effective communication. Doug mastered the art of presenting intricate financial products in a simplistic manner, enabling clients to grasp the nuances easily. This revelation became the cornerstone of his success.

Learning from the school of hard knocks, Doug built his business, and the lessons learned paved the way for Annuity Fundamentals. Our curriculum is not theoretical; it's practical wisdom distilled from the real-world experiences of Doug and his team. Today, we stand as a testament to the evolution and adaptation required in the dynamic field of annuity contracts.

Annuity Fundamentals has been at the forefront of shaping the success stories of agents of insurance agents and financial advisors. With a curriculum honed over 40 years and interactions with over 100,000 professionals, our team has tirelessly worked to refine marketing strategies for today's agents.

Our specialty lies in empowering Medicare agents to double their income through expanded annuity offerings. We understand the intricate dance of retirement planning, where needs intersect with solutions like income, growth, safety, or principal. Annuity Fundamentals trains how to perform seamless transitions from health to wealth, offering a comprehensive system that has propelled other IMOs to unprecedented success – from 10 million in annuity premiums to an astounding 10 billion in just a decade.

What sets us apart is not just what we teach, but who teaches it. At the heart of Annuity Fundamentals is a team of instructors who are not mere trainers; they are active producers. We don't just talk the talk; we walk the walk. Our instructors are producers for producers, ensuring that the knowledge imparted is grounded in practical experience.

Doug McDermott, a partner of Annuity Fundamentals, previously established one of Sacramento's most successful IMOs, the Annuity Store. Several of its past employees now lead prosperous organizations across the nation. This track record is a testament to our commitment to nurturing industry leaders.

We extend an invitation to life and health agents, especially those in the Medicare space, to explore the simplicity and fundamentals that can transform your business. Annuity Fundamentals offers licensed agents a suite of sales tools, improved communication skills for retirement planning, informative videos for clients and agents, live and on-demand training, case-building support, and access to all the best carriers as well as products.

As we look ahead, Annuity Fundamentals is excited to be partnered with Aegis Financial in providing this support to agents. Together, we aim to enhance the support system for Medicare and all licensed agents, facilitating a smooth transition from health to wealth. Join us in this journey of empowerment and success, where understanding the fundamentals becomes the key to unlocking new horizons in the world of insurance and financial advising.

Our Team

Douglas L. McDermott ChFC, CLU, CLTC

Annuity Fundamentals Partner

Read Doug's Bio

Douglas L. McDermott is a financial service Veteran who started in the insurance and financial services industry in 1979 as an independent agent and a commission-only salesman, which he fondly states as being compensated for services rendered. He has experience running an independent agency, becoming a Brokerage General Agent for a P & C, Life, and Annuity Company, being hired as a Regional Vice President for a major insurance company, and founding and owning "The Annuity Store" (TAS) in Sacramento, California. One of Doug's most significant achievements has been as a personal producer for all forty-plus years as President and owner of McDermott Financial & Insurance Services, Inc. The financial service industry has changed and evolved over those four decades, but three basic needs remain: Fundamentals, education, and having a servant's heart.

Doug received his two professional designations as a Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter in l988 from American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. In 2008, Doug completed his Certification for Long Term Care and received a CLTC designation. When running The Annuity Store, Doug was honored as a member in the National Directory of Who’s Who in Executive and Professionals, 1996-1997 edition, and was selected as an honored member of Who’s Who Among Outstanding Corporate Executives in the l998 publication. He became a member of the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executive and Professionals 2005-2006 edition and was selected as an honored member of the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who 2005-2006 edition.

The Annuity Store was well known as a training organization for Fundamentals of Annuities. Part of this training was a basic understanding of having a servant's heart. Using this training system and mastering these essential fundamental skills was improved with each consulting and marketing opportunity to name but a few: Conseco: Eagle I, Sunlife: Multipoint 10, Transamerica: Mach 10, Senior Benefits: a Hybrid Captive Agency System that used Medicare Supplements as its business model. F&G Life: Presented an opportunity to grow its annuity distribution, train many distribution partners, mentor key F&G members, and work with its parent company, USF & G Property & Casualty partners. 

While Doug was running the Annuity Store, there came many opportunities and experiences that led Doug to develop what became a system for training, which he refers to as the Fundamentals of Annuities “Annuity 101.” To successfully train someone in Annuity 101, it is imperative to master the Fundamentals. These Fundamentals must be thoroughly understood, reviewed, improved, and rigorously applied as a pure system. This Fundamental System of training is 100% duplicatable and repeatable.

This Fundamental system required creating and having a back office that could understand the Fundamentals of annuities, explain products, similarly, know the products inside and out, and offer solutions that would fit the client's search.  Be able to run the Illustrations, know the entire process of Enrollments, know each Application, each Insurance Carrier, and Transfer System for each Company, and have sound knowledge of competition carriers. 

To successfully train someone in Annuity 101, it is imperative to master the Fundamentals. These Fundamentals must be thoroughly understood, reviewed, improved, and rigorously applied as a pure system. This Fundamental System of training is 100% duplicatable and repeatable.

Among his many business leadership achievements, Doug has been instrumental in creating effective marketing strategies used by Medicare Supplement, Final Expense, Long Term Care, Annuity and Life Insurance Producers, Property & Casualty Producers, Security Representatives, Associations, and Financial Institutions nationwide. He also coined the phrase “Own the Home.” Doug’s success comes from training on how to transition and to serve possible annuity or life needs through VALUE FINDING. This is a successful opportunity for those trained to use and who have taken ownership of Doug’s system and techniques. Annuity 101 and Annuity 102.

Since l993, he has addressed thousands of seminars as a nationally recognized speaker on annuities or other insurance services. His primary audiences are the senior market, which he calls the Social Security Recipients age 62 and above, and Pre-Social Security Recipients age 50 to 62. He also addresses those ages 50 and below, which he calls the "Preparer Market," those preparing for retirement. This also includes speaking to the Financial Service Industry Representatives who service these three areas. Doug's primary subject is "The Three Phases of Retirement" (Preservation...with some Growth, Income "Now, 1-10 years, 10 years plus" and Legacy). Doug has been a guest on many radio talk shows and has had several articles published about his field of expertise.

After selling TAS to Allianz in 2007, he served as the CFO for At Home Personal Care, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. AHPC provides personal care services to the seniors and the handicapped permitting them to “age in place” in the comfort of their own homes. This experience enhanced his ability as a Retirement Planner. He observed firsthand some health effects that Retirement individuals may experience. One of his biggest concerns was that these individuals worried about having enough monthly income to manage their home care or skilled care expenses. 

During this five-year non-compete, Doug also served three years as one of the coaches for American Military Benefits Group, LLC, which provides services for Veterans and their widows(ers). This organization assists Veterans and their Widow(ers) who may be entitled to Veterans Affairs benefits, particularly with a little-known “Improved Pension Benefit.” It informs them of the availability and qualifications of the VA Benefit, to assist however legally possible VA service officers in qualifying claimants. This experience enhanced his ability as a Retirement Planner to assist Veterans with their retirement needs at an entirely different level.

In 2014, Doug assisted American Senior Benefits, LLC in developing their Annuity Back-Room Division, a hybrid-captive agency system. (This endeavor expanded Annuity Fundamentals 101-102 to include Annuity Fundamentals 103-104.) This service assists American Senior Benefits clients, their Regional Managers, District Managers, and their Agents on a National basis with Education, Training, Case Design, Suitability, and overall business processing. He brought Greg Haney who had worked with him at The Annuity Store. 

Doug credits the billions of premiums from these endeavors to receiving and applying inspiration, having trainers with real-life experiences, and living a servant's heart.

Doug says his “WHY” is giving back to an industry that has blessed him, his family, and his Foundation, “The Gift of Gratitude” McDermott Foundation. The foundation aims to honor, support, and love those who Defend liberty both active-duty and Veterans, by expressing gratitude through art. The foundation honors men and women with artwork inspired by stories of faith, virtue, and courage. Fourteen works of art have been commissioned. Perhaps one of the most far-reaching works of art is the art of the story of Elijah, the Prophet from the Old Testament, and his struggle with suicide 1 Kings 19: 4-8. We present this work of art as a gift to assist our Chaplains with those who have suicidal ideation. www.giftofgratitudefoundation.com

Ryan Anderson

Annuity Fundamentals Partner

Read Ryan's Bio

Ryan spent most of his childhood growing up in Meridian Idaho and Eastern Washington. He served a full-time mission for his church in the Philippines and later earned degrees in accounting and communication. Ryan and his wife Rhonda have lived all over the country with there 5 children and

currently live in Canyon County Idaho. He has an extensive business career spanning over 30 years working as a vice president, general manager and financial consultant for multiple companies.

He has a series 65 securities license and is a fiduciary. As a financial advisor he works primarily with those approaching and in retirement. He earned his first degree in accounting from Olympic College in Bremerton Washington. Later he earned his second degree in Communications from Old Dominion

University in Norfolk Virginia. Over the course of his insurance and financial services career Ryan has earned numerous awards and accolades. He set multiple individual company sales records as well as multiple team production records. He developed and implemented an annuity sales program that took one office he managed early in his career from $720,000 to over $7,000,000 in production in one calendar year.

Over Ryan's career he has trained thousands of individuals. He uses a very hands-on customized approach tailored to each persons individual learning style. He specializes in helping Medicare and life producing agents add annuity sales to their skill set. Focusing on making small incremental changes in their existing processes to expand their sales ability and significantly increase their income.

Scott Groskreutz

Annuity Fundamentals Partner

Read Scott's Bio

Scott Groskreutz is a dynamic figure in the world of financial advising and for his expertise in sales and training development. As the founder and head of SG Financial in Henderson, Nevada, Scott has cultivated a thriving practice dedicated to ensuring his clients' financial success.

Scott's journey in the sales arena commenced in the telecom industry, where he served as a front-line salesperson offering wireless products to both businesses and families. Over the next decade, he honed his skills working with major carriers such as T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T. During his tenure with AT&T, Scott achieved remarkable success by launching a dealer called Spring Mobile in the Southeast. Under his leadership, the authorized AT&T dealer flourished with more than 350 employees and over 70 locations, generating an impressive annual revenue exceeding $6 million. Scott was responsible for training and development for the sales force, hiring, P&L reporting, labor and expense management, and recruiting. 

Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to assist individuals employees in their retirement journey, Scott transitioned into financial planning. Drawing from personal experiences of seeing friends and family struggle with the shift from working years to retirement, Scott founded SG Financial. Together with his mentor, Doug McDermott, Scott has transformed the firm into one of the most successful financial planning entities in the country.

Scott is not only a successful financial advisor but also a respected author. His book, "Expedition Retirement," has earned Amazon bestseller status, showcasing his dedication to providing practical retirement planning advice. Additionally, he successfully produced "Scotty G's Retirement Radio" on KNXT radio, offering practical retirement planning advice to a wide audience.

In addition to his professional achievements, Scott is actively involved in the Gift of Gratitude Foundation, alongside Doug McDermott, honoring members of the armed services and military. His support extends to training and development in Annuity Fundamentals, where he aids agents in delivering risk mitigation strategies to clients, ensuring their financial well-being.

As Scott Groskreutz continues to make strides in the financial industry, his unwavering commitment to training development, client success, and philanthropy, remains the cornerstone of his impactful career. The future holds great promise, and Annuity Fundamentals eagerly anticipates supporting you on your path to success.

Originally from Newport Beach, California, Scott currently resides in Henderson with his wife and three sons. Beyond his professional pursuits, he finds joy in playing ice hockey and exploring new destinations with his family, all while passionately cheering for his local favorite, the Golden Knights.

Kylee Mollotte

Annuity Fundamentals Partner

Read Kylee's Bio

Kylee grew up on a farm in Othello, Eastern Washington, home to her and 5 siblings. Sports shaped her discipline growing up, pointing her in the direction of leadership; winning state championships and creating lifelong bonds with her teammates. Kylee went on to graduate from Boise State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing. She moved back to Eastern Washington and went into Project Management for A&K Construction in the Tri Cities for the next 5 years.

Kylee planted roots in Coeur d’ Alene, ID where she began her career in insurance, quickly working her way to the top of her company. Kylee successfully managed a team of insurance agents specializing in Medicare and financial services for the next 3 years. When the opportunity presented its self she broke off and started her own company with partners, Ryan Anderson and Angelique Madson.

Angelique Madsen

Annuity Fundamentals Partner

Read Angelique's Bio

Angelique was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and loves to spend time outdoors with her husband and their 8 children. Her favorite activities include fishing, skiing, traveling and camping. She earned her college degree from BYU Idaho and has worked in business and insurance over the last 20 years.

As an award-winning insurance professional, she works primarily with those in and approaching retirement. She believes this focus gives her the depth of knowledge needed to most effectively serve Idaho, Washington and Oregon’s Social Security recipients in the areas of Medicare, long-term care, life insurance, final expense and protection of financial assets. 

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