Update News for September 2017

Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin:

• • Term4Sale – We Can Be Of Further Assistance

     

     

  • Term4Sale Zip Code Listing Changes for 2018

     

     

  • Bump Week Begins
    November 6, 2017 at 12:00pm EST 

     

  • Zip Code Requests Must Be By Email

     

     

  • Land Rush Begins
    January 8, 2018 at 12:00pm EST 

     

  • Zip Code Maximum Changes For 2018

     

     

  • Standard License Subscribers Can Get More

     

     

These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin.

Term4Sale – We Can Be Of Further AssistanceWe have added a new pop-up box (window) which overlays the quote results when they are first displayed at term4sale.com. The new box is titled:

We Can Be Of Further Assistanceand it says:

• • COMPULIFE provides life insurance comparison software to thousands of independent agents across the U.S. and Canada. These agents shop to get their customers the best deals on life insurance.

 

• • Many of those agents have agreed to be available to TERM4SALE visitors who have questions about buying life insurance. If you provide your name, phone and email, we will send that to 3 agents (and only 3) who we have listed for your area.

 

• Your personal information will not be given to anyone else or used for any other purpose.

The consumer has the option of closing the box, without providing their contact information, or they can provide their contact information which is emailed to the three agents. Either way, once the box is closed, the quote is available as before.

Our first objective was to see how many first time visitors to the site would be interested in obtaining agent assistance but were not using the “Select and Continue” buttons that are featured next to each product. So far it appears that about 15 to 20% of the agent contacts are now coming in using the new box. We also suspect that we may now be getting a few more agent request using the “Select and Continue” button, having already explained to the consumer that their name and contact information is ONLY going to three agents and no one else.

We’ll keep you posted on how we think this is going. If we determine this is not an improvement, we’ll drop it. If you have any thoughts or comments on this idea, please feel free to email them to us at service@compulife.com.

Term4Sale Zip Code Listing Changes for 2018As we begin to come out of the summer doldrums, when consumer use of term4sale.com tends to be relatively light (who wants to buy life insurance when you’re trying to enjoy the summer?), it’s time to talk about changes that we are planning to make to term4sale agent listings for 2018.

As background, our overriding objective in operating term4sale is to ensure that it benefits all of our subscribers (those who choose to participate) a moderate amount, and not just a few subscribers a lot. Having said that, a few subscribers continue to benefit a great deal and we need to slowly dial some of that back to give other subscribers a spot at the table. Demand for zip codes continues to exceed supply of zip codes, and while that beats the alternative, we need to make sure that no one is hogging all the good stuff.

With that in mind, here are the changes for 2018.

Bump Week Begins
November 6, 2017 at 12:00pm ESTWe have paid attention to the requests from our west coast customers, who found that our 9am EST start time is too early (6am their time; PST). Therefore, we are moving the start time to 12pm noon EST which will be 9am PST. Apart from not having west coast customers having to get up too early, this will also give everyone more time on that day to prepare and do their research before the official start time.

IMPORTANT:  Email requests for zip codes before 12:00pm EST will be rejected and treated as NOT having been received. Make sure that you do not attempt to jump the starting gun.

We will talk more about bumping closer to the date, but let’s summarize it by pointing out that each subscriber to the Windows PC version of Compulife gets to purchase 3 local zip codes (standard use subscribers can buy 6; twice as many) for the discounted price of $12 each per year. Normally zip code listings are $18 per year.

But local zip codes are more important than being cheaper. Within 20 miles of your physical location, local zip codes can be used to “bump” or push out paid listings in zip codes that are otherwise full. The purpose is to ensure that each Compulife subscriber has an opportunity to participate in some of the best zip codes in their local area and that, to the highest degree possible, we have local agents available to consumers.

If you want to bump, and you already have 3 local zip codes, then you would need to exchange one those existing zip codes for any new choice that you make. The good news is that at the moment you make the exchange, you will have the right to “rebuy” your old local zip code for $18 for 2018. In other words, if you have 3 “soft” zip codes which you can improve, you can exchange those for 3 better zip codes and rebuy the 3 that you previously had for $54 (3 X $18). If any of your local zip codes are already the best in your 20 mile radius you would be best to hold onto them as this protects them from others bumping you.

REMEMBER:  If you want more than 3 local zip codes you can upgrade from a personal use subscription ($180 per year) to a standard license subscription ($300 per year) and double your local zip codes from 3 ($36 per year) to 6 ($72 per year). Anyone electing to upgrade from personal use to standard will pay an upgrade fee of $10 per month to the subscription expiry date on their account.

The other way to earn local zip codes is by referring new customers to Compulife. Call us if you want to learn more about that.

Zip Code Requests Must Be By EmailNote:  The zip code list is frozen from November 15th to January 8th. No zip codes can be added or changed during that period.

New Rule:  You can not request zip codes by phone from November 6th through January 15th.

On the morning of November 6th you can call to discuss your choices but you must make your requests by email so that we have a time/date stamp on each request. We have had multiple situations of customers asking for the same zip codes and so this year we want to have time/date stamped emails to demonstrate that we have not given unfair treatment to one subscriber over another.

Once again, you can call to ask about a choice that you are considering but until you submit an email with that request, we cannot lock that choice in for you. In the meantime, if someone else beats you to the punch, then you lose.

Land Rush Begins
January 8, 2018 at 12:00pm ESTEach year a certain number of our subscribers die, retire, leave the business or otherwise lapse their Compulife subscription. This means that zip codes that were previously taken become available. Because all additional zip code purchases are done on a calendar year basis, that means that those lapsed zip codes all come back into the market at the same time and each subscriber has an equal opportunity to buy those zip codes at the same time. That’s what creates a land rush each year, but it’s what keeps it fair for everyone.

As with bumping week, we have moved the old 9am EST start tie to:

January 8, 2018 at 12:00pm ESTIf you are interested in purchasing zip code listings I would write that date and time into your day timer. More important, if you are NOT that familiar with how to select available zip codes, using our:

Zip Code AnalyzerThen I would make a note in the same day timer to call us the week before.

You need to be prepared and ready to go at 12pm EST with your email list of zip codes. Most zip code purchases made that day, will be made in the first hour, and most of those in the first 30 minutes, and most of those in the first 15 minutes. You snooze you lose.

Why January 8th?

Zip code that were held by subscribers in 2017 will be invoiced for renewal on or about November 15, 2017. Bumping occurs the week before so that we don’t invoice a subscriber for a zip code they will no longer have because they lost it to a bump. For the zip codes we do invoice, subscribers will have until Friday, January 5, 2018 to pay those renewals. Giving subscribers to January 2018 means they have the option for paying the advertising expense in either 2017 or 2018.

On the weekend following January 5th, Jeremiah will then delete zip code listings that were not renewed (not paid) from the zip code list, and then very early on the morning of January 8, 2018 he will post the new zip code lists for 2018 to our site. Zip codes that were once full, with 3 listings, may come open at that time. The first subscribers to request those available zip codes (remember, they must be requested by email) on or after 12pm that day, will get them.

Once again, all requests must be made by email: service@compulife.com

Zip Code Maximum Changes For 2018There will be NO change to pricing for 2018. Additional zip codes remain $1.50 each per month ($18 per year).

The maximum number of additional zip codes for 2018 will be reduced. In 2017 the maximum number of additional zip codes was 90. The maximum is going down to 80 for 2018.

If you currently have 90 additional zip codes, then you will be asked to give up 10 of those zip codes for 2018. Some of those deletions may occur automatically during bump week, but the maximum additional zip codes for 2018 will be 80. You will have to thin your herd.

Standard License Subscribers Can Get MoreAs some standard license subscribers already know, there is the ability to obtain more than 80 additional zip codes. There are basically two ways that this can be accomplished.

1. A total of 320 additional zip codes can be added by paying $2 per month per zip code ($24 per year) for each zip code listing over 80, up to 320 (320 is also a new 2018 limit, down from 360).

2. A total of 400 additional zip codes can be added by buying multiple and additional standard licenses. A standard license normally sells for $300 per year but anyone adding an additional standard license can do so for 30% less, $210 per year. At first glance this approach may seem to be more expensive, but it is actually less money when buying blocks of 80 more additional zip codes. Here’s how the math works.

EXAMPLE:  Assume you want 160 additional zip codes.

In the case of option 1, you would pay $24 each for the second 80 zip codes, for a total cost of $1,920.

versus

In the case of option 2 you would pay the following:

 

Additional Standard License	$210
6 local zip codes	$72	(6 X $12)
74 additional zip codes	$1,332	(74 X $18)
Total Cost	$1,614

And using the second standard license, you could still add 6 more additional zip codes for $108 (80-74).

Option 2 is cheaper, assuming that you are buying a lot more than just a few over the 80. The break even point between the two different methods occurs at about 30 zip codes. If you need less than 30 more, then option 1 is your best approach. If you want more than 30, a second license is the better way to go.

Either way, you cannot buy more than 80 additional zip codes unless you have a standard license.

Further, in terms of absolute maximum number of zip codes, the total with 5 licenses would be the most that you can get. 5 licenses would give you access to 30 local zip codes at $12 each per year ($360) and 400 additional zip codes at $18 each per year ($5,400). The 5 licenses would cost $1,140.

One last note, local zip codes and annual license fees qualify for multi-year purchase discounts of 10% for 2 years, and 20% for 3 years. No such discounts are available for additional zip code purchases. Additional zip codes are available on a year by year basis only.