The 5-Minute Advisor – October 30, 2026
Send it Securely…
Sending sensitive client information shouldn’t require a scavenger hunt through your inbox, and that’s why you’ll find Secure File Upload in your Thompson Agency portal.
You can securely send documents and files to our team directly through the portal, giving you a simpler way to share the information we need to keep your business moving.
Secure File Upload makes it easier to:
- Share sensitive client documents securely
- Get information to the Thompson team quickly
- Keep files connected to your Thompson experience
- Reduce unnecessary back-and-forth
It’s another small way we’re taking friction out of the process. Because when you’re working with sensitive information, easy should also mean secure. Login or register and try it on your next case at thompsonagency.net.
👉 Check it outThe New defend-id for Business
This week, the story behind the new defend-id, for every owner running a small firm without a security team.
Ten years ago, someone stole my identity. The fraud was bad, but not knowing what to do or who to call was worse. That experience is why defend-id exists.
Today, small businesses face the same problem on a bigger scale. In the Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2025 Business Impact Report, 81% of small businesses (500 employees or fewer) reported a security breach, a data breach, or both in the past year. Yet a 2025 Guardz survey found only 34% of small business owners have a formal incident response plan built with a cybersecurity professional. When something goes wrong, most of them are right where I was: no plan and no place to turn.
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Most small firms face what I did, but in their business…
No plan and no place to turn.
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Inside, we cover:
- The identity theft that started defend-id, and the question that made it worse
- Why identity protection providers overlooked small businesses, and what we changed
- The question business owners kept asking us for years
- What one login and one bill now cover for a business and every employee
- The promise we have kept since day one, and how it now covers the whole company
Why this matters for your firm: if you run a tax practice, an independent insurance agency, or a mortgage office, someone will ask how you protect their data. It might be a carrier questionnaire, a client’s vendor review, a cyber insurance renewal, or a lender’s audit. The question isn’t whether it comes. It’s whether anyone at your firm owns the answer when it does.
Security is not your job. Your business depends on it anyway.
Read MoreNew, Intelligent Quick Quotes
NEW, Intelligent Quick Quote Experience
Effective November 9, 2026, Pacific Life is proud to introduce its proprietary, Intelligent Quick Quote process, which combines advanced technology with underwriting expertise to deliver the seamless experience today’s clients expect.
Financial advisors and their teams rely on Quick Quotes every day to guide their client conversations—and our new solution makes that easier. Many requests can now be evaluated and returned in minutes, giving you reliable guidance when it matters most.
You’ll also see a refreshed Quick Quote response format. The look has changed, but our commitment hasn’t: helping you handle underwriting discussions with confidence.
See a sample of the new Quick Quote response – QQ Format Example.
Nothing changes in how you submit. Keep sending requests to your existing Quick Quote email addresses.
This enhancement reflects Pacific Life’s commitment to leading with innovation, harnessing the power of advanced technology, and delivering the experience our partners value.
Exclusive Webinar
High-net-worth clients often have needs that require more than traditional estate planning. Join Brett Berg, Vice President of Advanced Planning, as he explores five distinct client profiles and the strategies that can help you uncover new opportunities and navigate sophisticated planning conversations.
In this session, you’ll:
- Explore advanced strategies including GRATs, IDGTs, intra-family loans, charitable lead trusts, and zero estate tax planning.
- Learn how to apply advanced planning concepts across a range of high-net-worth client scenarios.
- Gain practical insights for integrating life insurance into wealth transfer, business succession, and philanthropic planning conversations.
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your approach with high-net-worth clients.
Thursday, November 12, 2 pm ET
Reserve your spot!Annuities Snapshot
Thompson Agency — Rates Effective 10/27/26 — For Agent Use Only
| Highest Rate in Year 1 — Guarantee & Surrender Years Match | ||||
| Term | AM Best | Carrier | Product (Min. Premium) | Rate |
| 3-year | A+ | Athene | MaxRate 3 ($100K+) | 5.75% |
| 4-year | A | Corebridge Financial | AP Vision MYG 4 ($100K+) | 5.40% |
| 5-year | A+ | Protective Life | Secure Saver 5 ($75K+) | 6.00% |
| 6-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 6 ($100K–$249,999) | 9.75% |
| 7-year | A+ | Athene | MaxRate 7 ($100K+) | 6.15%* |
| 8-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 8 ($100K–$249,999) | 5.15% |
| 9-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 9 ($100K–$249,999) | 5.15% |
| 10-year | A | Lincoln Financial | MYGuarantee Plus 10 ($100K+) | 6.00% |
| Highest Average Yield — Equal Surrender & Guarantee Period | ||||
| Term | AM Best | Carrier | Product (Min. Premium) | Rate |
| 3-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 3 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.50% |
| A+ | Athene | MaxRate 3 ($100K+) | 5.75% | |
| 4-year | A | Corebridge Financial | AP VisionMYG 4 ($100K+) | 5.40% |
| 5-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 5 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.45% |
| A | Symetra | Select Max 5 ($10K–$99,999) | 5.80% | |
| A+ | Protective Life | Secure Saver 5 ($75K+) | 6.00% | |
| A+ | Athene | MaxRate 5 ($100K+) | 6.05%* | |
| 6-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 6 ($5K–$99,999) | 9.65/4.65 · Avg 5.47% |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 6 ($100K–$249,999) | 9.75/4.75 · Avg 5.57% | |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 6 ($250K+) | 9.90/4.90 · Avg 5.72% | |
| 7-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 7 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.55% |
| A | Symetra | Select Max 7 ($10K–$99,999) | 5.90% | |
| A | Symetra | Select Max 7 ($100K+) | 6.10% | |
| A+ | Athene | MaxRate 7 ($100K+) | 6.15%* | |
| 8-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 8 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.05% |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 8 ($100K–$249,999) | 5.15% | |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 8 ($250K+) | 5.30% | |
| 9-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 9 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.05% |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 9 ($100K–$249,999) | 5.15% | |
| A | American National | Palladium MYG 9 ($250K+) | 5.30% | |
| 10-year | A | American National | Palladium MYG 10 ($5K–$99,999) | 5.20% |
| A | Lincoln Financial | MYGuarantee Plus 10 ($100K+) | 6.00% | |
Add’l details see Fixed Annuities Comparison Spreadsheet. Rates effective 10/27/26 and subject to change without notice. For Agent Use Only; Not to be Shared with Public.
*Athene MaxRate — see product rate sheet as some states differ in rate %.
American National (ANICO) offers higher interest rate for the Palladium MYG MAX (No Liquidity, except RMD’s). Be sure to check ANICO current rate sheet.
