Mellos FIRST Insurance Group can achieve significant anniversary

FUTURITY FIRST Insurance Group, a nationwide, independent career agency insurance organization launched in January 2008, has just reached the one-year mark, announced Edward Berube, President and CEO of FUTURITY FIRST.

FUTURITY FIRST is the first life insurance start-up in a decade to build a full-scale, national distribution organization funded exclusively with private equity capital. The organization, a fully independent distributor, is not owned, controlled or subsidized by any insurance company. It employs its own agents and managers who work exclusively for FUTURITY FIRST.

In announcing the achievement of this milestone, Berube emphasized, “What really sets FUTURITY FIRST apart from other distribution organizations in the industry is our independence. This independence allows us to offer our agents and customers a broad portfolio of high-quality competitive life, health and annuity products from some of the leading and strongest insurance companies in the industry. This has never been more important than it is today.”

The company’s product portfolio includes universal life, whole life and term insurance, fixed annuities, long-term care and disability insurance, and major medical, medicare supplement and critical illness insurance programs.

In addition, the company is very targeted in its market focus. “We target the insurance and retirement needs of middle income families and businesses,” explained Berube. To this end, FUTURITY FIRST has created proprietary sales process tools and a community-focused prospect development program designed to address the specific needs and interests of its target market.

“Our goal is to reinvent the insurance business by building a nationwide distribution organization of community-based, highly trained and professional career agents who leverage the company’s independence to provide middle income customers with some of the best products and services that the industry has to offer.”

Berube reported that the company has achieved significant growth since its launch a year ago. During its first 12 months of operations, FUTURITY FIRST established 28 branch offices across the country with 300 agents. FUTURITY FIRST plans to open an additional 30 branches in 2009 with a total agency force at year end exceeding 800 agents. The company’s five-year plan calls for 3,000+ agents, working in 150 or more branches located in communities across the 48 contiguous states. FUTURITY FIRST now represents more than a dozen carriers, including Genworth, Lincoln Financial Group, John Hancock, United Healthcare Group and Mutual of Omaha.