AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire -03/02/12)- Individuals, couples and business owners approaching retirement age may think they've planned for everything.

They're probably wrong.

That was Dr. Robert Pokorski's message to an elite group of life insurance professionals in Austin this week. Speaking at Lion Street's invitation-only Designers Expert Network forum, physician and underwriting expert Pokorski highlighted the non-financial risks facing today's retirees. Among his warnings:

Pokorski -- recently profiled in a Smart Money cover story(7) -- holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He earned his medical degree at Creighton University and has authored more than 130 scholarly articles for publications like Nature, Cancer, American Journal of Human Genetics and Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. As The Hartford's chief medical strategist since 2010, Pokorski works to bridge the medical-business divide.

"We bring in top experts like Dr. Pokorski because our sophisticated advisor-owners need the latest information on underwriting trends," said Lion Street CEO Bob Carter. "Our carrier relationships give them access to the industry's brightest minds. Everyone leaves D.E.N. and our other meetings armed with valuable new ideas for today's competitive market."

The audience instantly saw opportunity. "As professionals, our job is to help people manage their risks," said Anthony Giordano, principal of Union Square Financial Partners and a Lion Street advisor-owner. Giordano shifted his New York firm's business to Lion Street last year. "The resources I get from Lion Street lead directly to peace of mind for my clients. I've gained a big edge over my competitors."

Giordano is in the vanguard of an underwriting revolution. Lion Street's extensive value-added services make cost-effective coverage possible in complex situations. "Our advisor-owners like Anthony have to deliver the best terms on large, complex cases," observed Carter. "With our network of resources, they can deliver state of the art solutions for affluent clients that demand the highest level of expertise and execution."

"This kind of open intellectual exchange is a big advantage," Carter concluded. "Unlike other producer groups, the interests of our advisor-owners are aligned through our unique capital structure. We all value the concept of idea exchange to work toward shared success."

ABOUT LION STREET: Lion Street, Inc. provides elite independent life insurance professionals access to the financial products, intellectual capital, and proprietary resources they need to meet the sophisticated needs of their high-net-worth and corporate clients. Over thirty advisor-owner firms nationwide have become part of the Lion Street network through its unique ownership structure. Founded by industry veteran Bob Carter in 2010, Lion Street surpassed its first year firm growth and revenue goals. It continues to actively recruit select firms in key geographic markets.

Lion Street is a portfolio company of Austin Ventures, a venture capital and growth equity firm with $3.9 billion of assets under management. To learn more about Lion Street, visit http://www.lionstreet.com.

Excerpt from:
"Expect Retirement Plan Surprises," Physician Tells Life Insurance Advisors at Lion Street Forum