[LTPC-discussions] What this is really about!

S T Cuscovitch ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com
Thu, 26 Jun 2003 09:30:09 -0400


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http://www.msnbc.com/news/931419.asp?0dm=3DC14MB

"...THE DEPARTMENT'S ACTION puts corporate executives and pension plan =
administrators on notice: take your fiduciary duty to act in the best =
interests of your workers seriously or the Labor Department will hold =
you accountable," said Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House =
Education and Workforce Committee."

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: S T Cuscovitch=20
  To: ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com=20
  Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 12:12 PM
  Subject: Re: [LTPC-discussions] What this is really about!


  Good questions posed=20
  =20
  Now -- from an LTCP "newbie's" perspective (hired late Oct 2002).=20

  Though I have very little [financial] at stake, I can understand the =
anger of non-vested agents who spent months/years to build a book of =
business.
  =20
  Addressing question #7:

  <...7.  Agents hired after the summer never had a chance.  What were =
they working for if they could never have been able to get vested?...>
  =20
  ...[4] Issue of Minimum Production Requirements (contract Exhibit C): =
Did LTPC follow through on Terms & Conditions on Agent's commitment (of =
appointment, premium submission, other quotas) for underperforming =
agents? I'm guessing "no". If correct, why would underperforming (new or =
old) agents have been kept on the payroll to the detriment of LTPC and =
its successful agents? If I were an agent approaching vesting and knew =
the company hired agents and many of these were underperforming & not =
cut loose per (the same) performance standards (as my contract), I'd be =
asking a lot of questions about "fiduciary responsibilities".=20

  ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: ShampooRic@aol.com=20
    To: ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com=20
    Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 11:07 AM
    Subject: [LTPC-discussions] What this is really about!


    To all LTPC Alums:  Agents, Home Office Staff, Management, all of =
you.  Because this affects all of you.

    I have watched the postings on here and I decided to spell it out to =
all of you what we are really talking about.  So take a few moments and =
read this. =20

    There is one main issue here.  It is not the fact the a company =
wants to shut down and close its doors.  I owned businesses and sold =
them and closed them over the years.  If the company was losing money =
and needed to close its doors I can understand that.  If it needed to be =
sold off I can understand that too.

    The issue here that affects all our lives is;

    1.  Was this decision to close LTPC made recently like they want us =
to believe, or was this decided back in the summer last year? =20
    =20
    2.  Did we keep working toward a goal, a future with LTPC without =
the knowledge that it was going to close?

    =20
    3.  Were there agents, management, home office staff that knew that =
we were going to close almost a year ago, and because they had this =
knowledge were able to plan their future?  A lot of very good agents =
left after the summer or were aware and were able to plan.

    4.  At the conference last year agents gave speeches of how great =
the company was but after the summer they were gone.  Did they know or =
were some people privy to information of the closing of LTPC and were =
able to plan their future and leave that we did not have?

    5.  Why expand the company over the last two years and bring in =
hundreds of agents and then pull the plug after telling us what a great =
future we have ahead of us before we get vested?
    =20
    Comment: In defense of LTPC, perhaps a business decision or strategy =
gone bust.=20

    6.  Agents that were vested would you have stayed with the company =
if you knew it was going to close?  Would you have left early?

    7.  Agents hired after the summer never had a chance.  What were =
they working for if they could never have been able to get vested?

    8.  Agents were hired after January and were trained locally because =
they were terminating the training staff?  Those new hires had their =
time wasted and could have been working for another company?  Why were =
they hired?  Maybe to give the impression that everything was OK?

    9.  Was LTPC really trying to find a buyer?  Did they hire a firm to =
evaluate the company and to seek buyers?

    10.  Why couldn't they just change our contracts and turn everyone =
into 1099 employees, eliminate training staff, eliminate managers and =
become a brokerage like LTCR or LTCA, keep the affinity groups and pay =
us a higher commission?  Was this ever an option?
    =20
    These are some of the issues that are important.  This is not about =
a company closing.  Was there a decision to close the company last =
summer and at the same time hire new agents, and have us believe that =
things were normal and everything was fine? =20

    Think!  Did you have any conversations with agents or support staff =
about LTPC closing?  Did you hear rumors about LTPC closing?  Do you =
think you were mislead by LTPC?  Write down this information.  Make =
notes of who you spoke with and when. =20

    I repeat this is not an issue about a company closing.  This is =
about if there was a decision to close down last summer and mislead us.  =
To close down before this large group of agents became vested. =20

    Would like to hear your thoughts on this.

    I wrote this because I see that some have lost site of the issues =
and that is not good.  I have moved on, do not spend more that ten, =
fifteen minutes a day on this at the most.  I have work to do and =
appointments to keep, but I am starting over and learned now that =
anything I write is vested on day one.

    Richard Moore=20

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<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.msnbc.com/news/931419.asp?0dm=3DC14MB">http://www.msnb=
c.com/news/931419.asp?0dm=3DC14MB</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"...THE DEPARTMENT&#8217;S ACTION puts =
corporate=20
executives and pension plan administrators on notice: take your =
fiduciary duty=20
to act in the best interests of your workers seriously or the Labor =
Department=20
will hold you accountable,&#8221; said Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, =
chairman of the=20
House Education and Workforce Committee."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A href=3D"mailto:scuscovitch@sagetele.org" =
title=3Dscuscovitch@sagetele.org>S T=20
  Cuscovitch</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  href=3D"mailto:ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com"=20
  title=3Dltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com>ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 19, 2003 =
12:12=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [LTPC-discussions] =
What this=20
  is really about!</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good questions posed </FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now -- f<FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>rom an LTCP=20
  "newbie's" perspective (hired late Oct 2002). </FONT></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Though I have very little [financial] =
at=20
  stake,&nbsp;I can understand the anger of&nbsp;non-vested agents who =
spent=20
  months/years to build a book of business.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>Addressing question #7:</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&lt;...7.&nbsp; Agents hired after =
the summer=20
  never had a chance.&nbsp; What were they working for if they could =
never have=20
  been able to get vested?...&gt;</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>...[4] Issue of Minimum Production Requirements (contract Exhibit =
C): Did=20
  LTPC&nbsp;follow through on Terms &amp; Conditions on Agent's =
commitment (of=20
  appointment, premium submission, other quotas) for underperforming =
agents? I'm=20
  guessing "no". If correct, why would underperforming (new or old) =
agents have=20
  been kept on the payroll to the detriment of LTPC and its successful =
agents?=20
  If I were an agent approaching vesting and knew the company hired =
agents and=20
  many of these were underperforming &amp; not cut loose per (the same)=20
  performance standards (as my contract), I'd be asking&nbsp;a lot of =
questions=20
  about&nbsp;"fiduciary responsibilities". </DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT>
  <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV></DIV>
  <BLOCKQUOTE=20
  style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
    <DIV=20
    style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
    <A href=3D"mailto:ShampooRic@aol.com"=20
    title=3DShampooRic@aol.com>ShampooRic@aol.com</A> </DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
    href=3D"mailto:ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com"=20
    title=3Dltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com>ltpc-disc@ltpcalums.com</A> </DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 19, 2003 =
11:07=20
    AM</DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [LTPC-discussions] =
What this=20
    is really about!</DIV>
    <DIV><BR></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><B>To all LTPC Alums:&nbsp; Agents, Home Office =
Staff,=20
    Management, all of you.&nbsp; Because this affects all of =
you.<BR><BR>I have=20
    watched the postings on here and I decided to spell it out to all of =
you=20
    what we are really talking about.&nbsp; So take a few moments and =
read=20
    this.&nbsp; <BR><BR>There is one main issue here.&nbsp; It is not =
the fact=20
    the a company wants to shut down and close its doors.&nbsp; I owned=20
    businesses and sold them and closed them over the years.&nbsp; If =
the=20
    company was losing money and needed to close its doors I can =
understand=20
    that.&nbsp; If it needed to be sold off I can understand that=20
    too.<BR><BR>The issue here that affects all our lives =
is;<BR><BR>1.&nbsp;=20
    Was this decision to close LTPC made recently like they want us to =
believe,=20
    or was this decided back in the summer last year?&nbsp;=20
    </B></FONT></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><B></B></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial =
lang=3D0 size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">2.&nbsp; Did we keep working toward a goal, a =
future with=20
    LTPC without the knowledge that it was going to=20
    close?<BR></FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><STRONG>3.&nbsp; Were there agents, management, =
home=20
    office staff that knew that we were going to close almost a year =
ago, and=20
    because they had this knowledge were able to plan their =
future?&nbsp; A lot=20
    of very good agents left after the summer or were aware and were =
able to=20
    plan.<BR></DIV></STRONG></FONT></FONT>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><STRONG>4.&nbsp; At the conference last year =
agents gave=20
    speeches of how great the company was but after the summer they were =

    gone.&nbsp; Did they know or were some people privy to information =
of the=20
    closing of LTPC and were able to plan their future and leave that we =
did not=20
    have?<BR></STRONG></FONT></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
    lang=3D0 size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><BR><STRONG>5.&nbsp; Why =
expand the company=20
    over the last two years and bring in hundreds of agents and then =
pull the=20
    plug after telling us what a great future we have ahead of us before =
we get=20
    vested?</STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><B></B></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><B>Comment: In defense of LTPC, perhaps a =
business=20
    decision or strategy gone bust. </B></FONT></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><B><BR>6.&nbsp; Agents that were vested would =
you have=20
    stayed with the company if you knew it was going to close?&nbsp; =
Would you=20
    have left early?<BR><BR>7.&nbsp; Agents hired after the summer never =
had a=20
    chance.&nbsp; What were they working for if they could never have =
been able=20
    to get vested?<BR><BR>8.&nbsp; Agents were hired after January and =
were=20
    trained locally because they were terminating the training =
staff?&nbsp;=20
    Those new hires had their time wasted and could have been working =
for=20
    another company?&nbsp; Why were they hired?&nbsp; Maybe to give the=20
    impression that everything was OK?<BR><BR>9.&nbsp; Was LTPC really =
trying to=20
    find a buyer?&nbsp; Did they hire a firm to evaluate the company and =
to seek=20
    buyers?<BR><BR>10.&nbsp; Why couldn't they just change our contracts =
and=20
    turn everyone into 1099 employees, eliminate training staff, =
eliminate=20
    managers and become a brokerage like LTCR or LTCA, keep the affinity =
groups=20
    and pay us a higher commission?&nbsp; Was this ever an=20
    option?</B></FONT></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT face=3DArial lang=3D0 =
size=3D2=20
    FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"><STRONG>These are some of the issues that are=20
    important.&nbsp; This is not about a company closing.&nbsp; Was =
there a=20
    decision to close the company last summer and at the same time hire =
new=20
    agents, and have us believe that things were normal and everything =
was=20
    fine?&nbsp; <BR><BR>Think!&nbsp; Did you have any conversations with =
agents=20
    or support staff about LTPC closing?&nbsp; Did you hear rumors about =
LTPC=20
    closing?&nbsp; Do you think you were mislead by LTPC?&nbsp; Write =
down this=20
    information.&nbsp; Make notes of who you spoke with and when.&nbsp;=20
    <BR><BR>I repeat this is not an issue about a company closing.&nbsp; =
This is=20
    about if there was a decision to close down last summer and mislead=20
    us.&nbsp; To close down before this large group of agents became=20
    vested.&nbsp; <BR><BR>Would like to hear your thoughts on =
this.<BR><BR>I=20
    wrote this because I see that some have lost site of the issues and =
that is=20
    not good.&nbsp; I have moved on, do not spend more that ten, fifteen =
minutes=20
    a day on this at the most.&nbsp; I have work to do and appointments =
to keep,=20
    but I am starting over and learned now that anything I write is =
vested on=20
    day one.<BR><BR>Richard Moore</STRONG></FONT>=20
</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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