President, CEO, and Founder

InsMark, Inc.

Bob Ritter was in life insurance sales and sales management for over five decades. He started with Mass Mutual in northern New Jersey. At age 26, he was appointed General Agent by Mass Mutual in Oakland, California — the youngest General Agent ever appointed. Three years later, he took over a New York City agency for Mass Mutual. He twice received the National Manpower Award, the company’s most prestigious award for developing sales leaders.

In the early 1980s, Bob formed InsMark, a company dedicated to producing transferable marketing techniques for a wider group of producers. The success of InsMark has been phenomenal as 100+ companies have sponsored InsMark products utilized by over 30,000 producers. He guided his business career based on the following premise:

Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life,
it’s about what you inspire others to do.

He was a life member of MDRT and was a qualifier for Top of the Table and International Forum until the growth of InsMark required all of his time. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, he spoke at hundreds of industry seminars and conventions and was featured at several MDRT, Top of the Table, and International Forum meetings.

He was a member of the MDRT Foundation’s Board of Directors and a member of the Split Dollar Sub-Task Force of the Association of Advanced Life Underwriters (AALU) during the lead-up to the Final Split Dollar Regulations issued in 2003. He was also the Founder and Past President of the Diablo Advocates dedicated to youth opportunities.

He graduated from The Lawrenceville School and Williams College. While at Williams, he also played lead cornet in the first college jazz band ever to play in Carnegie Hall. Called the Spring Street Stompers, this Dixieland jazz group won the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout show on CBS (#1 in the ratings at the time), appeared on the Tonight Show on NBC, and frequently played at the top jazz clubs in Boston and New York.

InsMark Installation Utility

Click this link to download and launch the InsMark Installation Utility

How do I Export InsMark Workbooks?

The following are the steps to export an InsMark workbook. This is useful for sharing a Workbook with InsMark's Support Department, or perhaps another InsMark licensee.

STEP 1: Select "Client Workbook" from your System's menu bar at the top of the screen, then select "Export Workbook”.

STEP 2: On the Export Workbook window you will see a list of available workbooks on the left side and your selected workbooks will display on the right. Move the workbooks that you want to export to the right side. When done, click the "OK” button.

STEP 3: Save the workbook file to your Desktop or a folder of your choice so that you can locate it.  Next, if you plan to email it, attach this file to an email.  

What are the system requirements for the Illustration Systems?

The following are the system requirements that apply to all hard-disk based InsMark Illustration Systems:

• If you are running Windows, you should be able to run any of our software since the requirements to run Windows are more than adequate to run our products.
• Computer/Processor: Windows compatible PC.
• Internet Access: Ability to access and/or download files from our website during installation and thereafter to obtain updates.
• Operating System: Windows7, Windows 8, Windows 10; Supports both 32- and 64-bit Versions.
• Hard Disk: At least 700 MB of available hard disk space.
• Drive: CD-ROM drive if CD installation is used.
• Peripherals: Mouse.
• Printer: Windows-compatible printer.

NOTE:  If you are on an Apple/Mac environment, you will need to download a Windows environment for the Mac.  Please contact Apple Support for assistance with this.  You may also be able to use the Cloud versions of our products.

When Installing, what do I enter for the Licensed User's name?

The licensed user is the agent who is licensed to use the system.  This is also the name that appears on all of the reports printed from the system.  If you are running or installing the system for an agent, enter the agent's name, not yours.

My system indicates it is expired, what do I do?

If you are unable to run your InsMark System(s) and it indicates that your System(s) has expired, try this:

1. Click here to Download and Run the Installation Utility.
2. You will arrive at the screen below. At this point, the program has installed any updates to your system activation.
3. If any of the boxes on your screen have checkmarks, click the Install button and update those Systems.  
4. If you do not have any checkmarks, click Close to exit the program.  
5. Try running your system again. If it still shows that it has expired, please call our Support Team at 925-543-0507.

How Do I Import InsMark Workbooks?

You can import a workbook by double-clicking the previously exported file in Windows Explorer. Or, from in the System, you can follow these steps:

• STEP 1: Select "Client Workbook" from your System's menu bar at the top of the screen, then select "Import Workbook”.
• STEP 2: You will be at the "Import Workbook File" window.  Locate the file you wish to import and click on the Import File button.
• STEP 3: Select the workbook(s) you wish to import.  A list of all client workbooks in the file will default to selected and displayed in the "Selected workbooks" list.  If you do not wish to import all of the workbooks, click on the workbooks you do not wish to import and click the <Remove button to move them to the "Available workbooks" list.  Click OK.
• STEP 4: You will be prompted for a workbook description. Click OK.

Can I run your software on an Apple Mac?

We currently have hundreds of users who use InsMark on a Mac. 

While our software is not programmed to be a native Mac application, InsMark software will run with the help of a third-party app that simulates a Windows environment.  We recommend using Parallel Desktop.  Additionally, we are currently working on a web-based version of our software.  Once completed, you will be able to access InsMark through Safari.  

I can't print to PDF. What should I do?

Step 1: Uninstall InsMark PDF Creator

For Windows 10 

1. Select the Windows Start button, then select Settings  > Apps.

2. Select "InsMark PDF Creator", and then select Uninstall.

3. Follow prompts to complete uninstall.

For Windows 7 

1. Select the Windows Start button, then select Control Panel in the right pane.

2. In Control Panel, select "Uninstall a Program" under Programs.

3. Select "InsMark PDF Creator", and then select Uninstall.

4. Follow prompts to complete uninstall.

Step 2: Restart/Reboot your computer

After the InsMark PDF Creator has been removed, close out all programs (making sure to save anything being worked on) and restart the computer.

Step 3: Download and run InsMark PDF Creator Installer

After the computer restarts, click on the following link to download and install the InsMark PDF Creator.

InsMark PDF Creator

InsMark Installation Utility

Click this link to download and launch the InsMark Installation Utility

Good Logic vs. Bad Logic

Click here if you would like to review an interview with InsMark’s President, Bob Ritter, regarding Good Logic vs. Bad Logic which discusses this Case Study in more detail.

Simon and Ann Scott, age 55 and 50, plan to retire in 10 years.

They have the following liquid assets:

Assume Simon and Ann want $300,000 a year in after tax retirement cash flow -- compounding annually by 3.00% as an inflation offset. Imagine that it is the first day of their retirement. They need to withdraw $25,000 from their assets ($300,000/12). From which account should they take it -- and does it make any difference? It makes a huge difference!

Scenario 1 – Bad Logic: Let’s first have them access their liquid assets for the cash flow in the order listed above. Their assets can support this level of cash flow, but see the graphic on the bottom of the Analysis of After Tax Cash Flow Requirements report (page 3) for what happens to their long-range hypothetical net worth (for obvious reasons, we call this result Bad Logic).

Scenario 2 – Good Logic: The order in which liquid assets are accessed for cash flow should be prioritized in order to produce the highest possible long-range Net Worth. This is generally the most overlooked aspect of wealth planning – even by the most sophisticated Monte Carlo simulations -- due to the complex coding required. See the graphic on the bottom of the Analysis of After Tax Cash Flow Requirements report (page 3) for what happens to their long-range hypothetical net worth when the feature, Maximize Net Worth, is used.

Note: This is not the time for a Monte Carlo simulation for those who like to use that tool. Once an overall plan is designed, then an asset-by-asset Monte Carlo analysis may make sense.

Comparison 1 – Bad Logic vs. Good Logic: To see the two graphs superimposed on one another, see the Comparative Graph on page 1 of this Comparison.

Scenario 3 – Good Logic + Tax Planning: With over $12.5 million more in Net Worth, some interesting tax planning becomes available. This Scenario shows the Scotts converting both their IRAs to Roth IRAs with the income tax on the conversion withdrawn from their assets -- plus the addition of a W.R.T. that is funded with $2 million of survivor life insurance covering both Simon and Ann.

Comparison 2 – Compares best to worst: To quickly see just how important this plan is to the Scotts, view the Comparative Analysis Graph on page 3.

Comparison 3 – Compares all three plans: Here is a quick look at the long-range results of all three plans: Bad Logic vs. Good Logic vs. Good Logic + Roth IRAs + W.R.T. Again, review the Comparative Analysis Graph on page 3 -- there is likely no more dramatic graphic anywhere in the world of wealth planning.