Sam J. Friedman

About the Author

Sam J. Friedman

Sam J. Friedman is the Research Team Leader at Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services. He may be reached at samfriedman@deloitte.com.

• Lack of Consumer Trust Leaves Retirement Advisors at a Disadvantage

  By Sam J. Friedman, Val Srinivas  |  May 6, 2013

  A fundamental lack of trust is one major reason why a large segment of consumers may be reluctant to allow financial services providers to help them with their retirement planning, a survey by Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services has revealed.

• Ignorance Is Not Bliss When it Comes to Retirement Products

  By Sam J. Friedman, Val Srinivas  |  April 16, 2013

  Many consumers don’t know much about the most common insurance products marketed to help address their retirement savings and income needs, a survey by Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services revealed.

• Insurers Suffer from a Failure to Communicate About Retirement Planning

  By Sam J. Friedman, Val Srinivas  |  April 4, 2013

  Insurance companies and their intermediaries are often failing to connect with those who may need retirement planning advice and solutions, particularly via the workplace and among the less affluent, a Deloitte survey says.

• Conflicting Priorities Prevent Consumers from Addressing Retirement Needs

  By Sam J. Friedman, Val Srinivas  |  March 25, 2013

  While retirement savings is a leading concern for a majority of Americans, more immediate financial priorities is one barrier preventing insurance carriers and their intermediaries from reaching prospects with retirement-related advice, products and services, according to a survey by Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services.

• Agents Look To Leap Hurdles Hindering Retirement Planning

  By Sam J. Friedman, Val Srinivas  |  March 5, 2013

  The fact that so many Americans are not adequately preparing for retirement has been widely documented. However, in considering potential solutions to meet this challenge, the role of insurance companies and other financial institutions, along with their intermediaries, is often overlooked.

• Readers Respond: Is It Time for Opt-Out Flood Insurance?

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  February 21, 2013

  PC360 readers appear to like the idea of automatically adding federal flood insurance, with an opt-out provision, to standard homeowner- and commercial property policies, but cited potential pitfalls.

• P&C Insurers Well-Positioned For Growth Spurt, But Challenges Remain

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  February 13, 2013

  Even though the economic recovery is slow and sporadic, property and casualty insurers are poised for growth this year if they take proactive steps to turn challenges into opportunities.

• Is It Time for Opt-Out Flood Insurance?

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  January 30, 2013

  With so many homes and businesses left exposed after Superstorm Sandy because their owners didn’t buy flood insurance, perhaps it’s time to automatically include federal flood coverage in standard policies for certain properties, while giving buyers the right (and responsibility) to opt-out.

• Insurers Need to Keep Reinventing Themselves for Sustained Growth

  By Rebecca Amoroso, Sam J. Friedman  |  January 18, 2013

  The P&C industry should benefit in the short term from a recovering economy in 2013, but the longer-term outlook depends on how individual carriers respond to a series of more fundamental challenges.

• Improving Agent-Carrier Relations Isn’t Rocket Science

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  December 21, 2012

  Independent agency carriers and their producers can only make a formidable team and stave off disintermediation if they work together to retain the loyalty of those who keep them both in business—their clients.

• Small-Business Consumers Open to Buying Direct

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  November 12, 2012

  Direct sales to consumers of personal-lines products has been a major Auto and Homeowners’ insurance distribution platform for years, keeping the heat on independent agents and brokers to prove their added value if they want to retain market share. However, a day of reckoning on small-commercial business could be looming...

• Readers Weigh In on the Need for Insurance Policy ‘Legalese’

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  October 29, 2012

  A recent blog about the need for greater simplicity and clarity in small-business insurance policies prompted a number of intriguing reader responses, ranging from those who were completely sympathetic to others who were totally dismissive.

• Small-Business Consumers Need to See the Light About Claims Process

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  October 8, 2012

  If processing a claim is indeed the moment of truth in an insurer’s relationship with customers, why are small-business consumers apparently being kept in the dark when it comes to how a loss will be handled?

• Could Policies Written in Greek End Up Being Trojan Horses?

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  September 29, 2012

  Insurance policies may never be beach-reading material, but many small-business buyers are frustrated by their inability to easily comprehend their coverage terms and conditions, two recent Deloitte Research focus groups revealed.

• WC Insurers Cautiously Bullish About Economic Growth

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  September 13, 2012

  Workers’ Comp insurers are benefitting from the continued growth in private-sector hiring and payroll over the past few years, but there is concern about a few dark clouds of economic uncertainty looming on the horizon.

• Enlist Employees in the Workers’ Comp Cost-Control Crusade

  By Sam J. Friedman  |  August 30, 2012

  Don’t keep employees in the dark about how the Workers’ Comp system functions for fear of encouraging more fraudulent claims. Instead, proactively enlist your people in the cost-control crusade.