The latest Aflac WorkForces Report claimed 51 percent of brokers“are only slightly, or not at all confident about the future oftheir firm and their industry.” For those who haven't diversifiedtheir product lines, moved more into services, increased feeincome, or moved into voluntary in a big way, they should beconcerned.

Many point to Obamacare and its potential impact on medicalcommissions as the culprit. And while it's true most brokers haveonly recently heeded the well-publicized changes, the larger trendshave been visible since the turn of the century.

One picture of benefits, taken late last year, showed thattraditional employer-paid benefits represented a minority ofcurrent offerings, with most employers having already moved tovoluntary/contributory designs. In this sample, employer-paid plansrepresent no more than 36 percent of any benefit. Only theostriches didn't see this coming.