Commentators

Scott Drake, Host Annuity News Now

Scott Drake is the host and senior producer of Annuity News Now, a unique and independently produced daily broadcast related to the news of interest to financial professionals, annuity brokers, life insurance companies and others who either work in or wish to learn more about the annuity market and profession. A life time radio and TV professional as well as the featured host on The Legal Broadcast Network, Scott Drake will select the stories that professionals care about, but also bring on the decision makers and key figures in the financial world to explain the stories, forces and issues that impact the profession. You can find both his written and video commentary exclusively on Annuity News Now.

Ron Shurts, President Shurwest Financial

Ron Shurts is president of Shurwest Financial Group. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Shurwest markets an exclusive line of patented, award-winning annuity products to independent insurance agents and financial advisors in North America. With life and annuity sales exceeding $3 billion between 1998 and 2009, Shurwest is one of the most successful Insurance Marketing Organizations (IMOs) in the country.

Shurts has more than 25 years of direct sales and management experience in the insurance industry. Unlike other IMO leaders, he has actually been in the field. He got his start in the industry selling life insurance to farmers in western Nebraska. Through the lessons and frustrations of this experience, he vowed to develop a marketing organization that operated from the producer’s perspective. In the course of building Shurwest, he has trained thousands of insurance professionals and created and implemented game-changing marketing concepts.

In 2006, Shurts co-founded The Annexus Group with insurance marketing icon Don Dady with the goal of providing new, innovative annuity products to an industry not known for innovation. Shurwest is one of only 13 elite IMOs in the U.S. to distribute The Annexus Group’s proprietary, award-winning annuity products.

Joe Arsenault, Qualified Plan Expert Shurwest Financial

Joe Arsenault is a CPA and Qualified Plan Expert at Shurwest Financial Group. Shurwest markets an exclusive line of patented, award-winning annuity products to independent insurance agents and financial advisors in North America. Arsenault consults with Shurwest’s advisors on client-specific tax issues and offers them guidance on positioning Shurwest products to maximize a client’s tax benefits.

Arsenault not only consults with advisors, he is often called on by advisors to confer with a client’s personal CPA or estate attorney. Advisors state that his expertise helps them close cases.
Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Shurwest is thought to be the only Independent Marketing Organization (IMO) with a CPA qualified-plan expert on staff.

Chris Price, Director of Broker-Dealer Relations Shurwest Financial

Chris Price is Director of Broker-Dealer Relations for Shurwest Financial Group. Shurwest markets an exclusive line of patented, award-winning annuity products to independent insurance agents and financial advisors in North America. Price earned his MBA from the University of Denver’s Daniel School of Business and spent more than 18 years working for the four largest investment banks in the country.

He holds several securities licenses, including Series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65. In his role for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Shurwest, he works closely with securities-licensed advisors looking for new ways to satisfy the portion of clients’ portfolios targeting security with upside potential.