Stewart Ogilby
General Manager
Stewart grew up on Staten Island, NY until attending high school in Ohio, working and living on a family farm that his parents purchased. The nearest house was a quarter of a mile away. In the summers he returned to New York to live with cousins and work for the NYC Parks Department as a lifeguard on the city’s beaches.
He graduated at the head of his high-school class in Hudson, Ohio. Following U.S. Naval Air service he earned a B.S. degree from Ohio State University. After working sixteen years with corporations, although having moved into top sales and marketing management, he decided to work for himself and to be of benefit to others.
Following a favorable review in Life Insurance Selling Magazine of a trade book that he wrote, thousands of copies were bought by agents and agencies nationwide. It became instrumental in obliging the life-insurance industry to create a new series of cash-value “Universal Life” plans. Unsurprisingly, they are frequently accompanied by “projected illustrations” far in excess of finer-print guaranteed values.
He mastered programming the TI-59 calculator. Its attached thermal printer provided precise point-of-sale illustrations for clients. His own business, which expanded to three offices in Columbus, Ohio with thirty-four agents, became one of the nation’s largest in analyzing and replacing cash-value life insurance policies, marketing term life-insurance, flexible premium annuities, and single-premium annuities.
After reading his trade book, George Diachok of Denver’s Multi-financial Corporation (today, Multi Financial Securities Corporation) recruited him as Marketing Director. For the next five years Stewart taught hundreds of licensed agents how to use the TI-59, his software, and Section 1035 of the IRS Code, to benefit their clients. The families of their clients benefited as a result of far greater term life insurance protection. The hard-earned dollars saved from over-charges previously paid to life insurance companies were retained to set up personal IRA’s, often payroll-deducted, for thousands of working men and women.
Shortly after settling in Sarasota, Florida (a semi-tropical retirement community) he studied Henry Abts’ book, “The Living Trust” and contacted its author. He familiarized several local attorneys with software and documents from Henry’s company and he referred clients to them. Collecting financial, family, and other pertinent data, he assisted in the funding of their legally high-quality probate-avoiding living revocable trusts. His article on living revocable trusts is reproduced on this website.
Stewart has been a member of Manasota Mensa, on the faculty advisory committee of Manatee Technical Institute, a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee of WSLR Radio, and a member of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. He has been a member at HealthFit, Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s fitness center, since it opened and he was a founding member of SW Florida’s classical music radio station that can be listened to anywhere in the world at WSMR.org
For fourteen years Stewart worked from his office located in the Sarasota Executive Suites (now named Sarasota Business Suites). Having held the FINRA Series-65 designation as a fee-paid fiduciary, today he chooses to focus on safe, secure, and guaranteed retirement income strategies.
Investment goals during one’s working or younger years take place during what can be referred to as an ACCUMULATION PHASE. In the expectation of financial reward, RISKS are accepted with prudence in accordance with one’s own level of risk tolerance.
When one reaches a “retirement horizon” (usually between ages 60 to 70), one moves into a RETIREMENT PHASE. As one approaches retirement, RISKS (particularly longevity risk and market risk) can become disastrous. Lifespan is lengthening greatly.
Rather than merely accumulating, the aim must be to AVOID LOSING any assets accumulated for oneself and family. Only the exceptionally wealthy can afford financial RISKS when approaching retirement. They are secure, having untouchable sources of guaranteed lifetime income. That is precisely the position in which we place our clients, to the best of their ability, and ours.
Not connected with any brokerage firm, by choice, Stewart does not sell stocks and bonds. His focus includes matters involving secure lifetime retirement incomes, 401K and IRA roll-overs (with CPA oversight), anticipating potentially devastating costs of long-term care, tax-advantaged legacy planning, and appropriate life-insurance (when necessary).
Stewart has professional affiliates of his own choosing including a CPA and a Florida trust attorney. He fully discloses commissions earned when helping clients, together with accomplished professionals, to protect their assets, and those of their heirs, in today’s volatile political and economic environment.
Insurance licensed since 1975, Stewart has never been sued, censored, or been the subject of any regulatory investigation or disciplinary action. He is glad to communicate with clients’ attorneys and accountants and when requested, he refers clients to ones he knows and respects.
Sherry Urfer
Executive Administrator
Sherri Urfer has worked with Stewart Ogilby for a number of years. Before home values crashed in 2008, together they facilitated transferring millions of dollars of what Stewart called “phantom equity” into senior homeowners’ bank accounts. Substantial cash proceeds improved retirement finances for hundreds of seniors throughout Florida.
Mortgaged homes of many cash-strapped seniors were saved from foreclosure. Homeowners retained title to their properties and mortgage payments were permanently eliminated.
Although home prices had soared many eligible elderly persons hesitated to consider reverse mortgaging despite the fact that doing so would have been life-saving for them financially.
Originally from Michigan, Sherri has been a Sarasota area resident since 1975. She is a Florida licensed realtor and the mother of three grown children.