WALNUT CREEK, CA, Feb 27, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
The San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency, general agency of
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), today
announced that Amy Liu was awarded the prestigious “Freshman Five”
first-year award for outstanding performance as a financial services
agent. The highly competitive award is given to the five
best-performing agents out of the approximately 1500 first year
associates in MassMutual’s 85 national offices who completed their
first year as an agent in 2011. Ms. Liu is the SF Bay Area Insurance
Agency’s sixth Freshman Five qualifier in the past eight years.

Ms. Liu started her career in financial services in May 2010 after
earning an MBA and spending over ten years in high technology
corporate and product marketing. “I always had a passion for the
financial services industry and always wanted to help people and
decided I wanted to make this my career,” she explained. “I
researched many of the large financial services firms, doing my due
diligence, and was most impressed with MassMutual and approached the
SF Bay Area Insurance Agency about opportunities.”

To develop her business and build her client base, Ms. Liu says she
spent the first month at the Agency simply observing the senior
financial professionals to learn as much as possible, and then
started talking to her friends and family about their financial
problems and concerns. “I never pressured people to buy anything but
instead discussed how to address their concerns and then helped them
solve those problems. And once I had worked through my market of
friends and family I have enjoyed receiving many referrals. Beyond
that, I have been working very hard to participate in social and
professional networking events to meet even more people and continue
to expand my relationships,” she says.

“Amy is doing exceptional work in her first year, which is the only
way she could achieve this high honor,” said Robert Fakhimi, CEO and
Managing Partner, San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency. “She is
very conscientious, smart, understands how to connect with people and
is working very hard to manage her clients’ financial needs. We are
thrilled to have another Freshman Five honoree this year.”

Ms. Liu’s designation as a Freshman Five award winner continues the
successful tradition of the Agency. Other recent Agency honors
include the qualification of financial professional Tony Delumen for
the MassMutual Chairman’s Club for 2012, an award given to only 10 of
the 5300-plus agents at MassMutual, and the awarding of the First in
Class honor to General Agent Robert Fakhimi.

As a MassMutual general agency, the San Francisco Bay Area Insurance
Agency leverages the resources of a 161-year-old, Fortune 500 company
(March 11th, 2011) with local expertise on helping clients achieve
their financial goals. The agency offers a broad range of products
and services, including life insurance, annuities, disability income
insurance, long-term care insurance, and retirement planning products
and services. The Agency is headquartered in Walnut Creek and has
field offices in Milpitas, Fremont, Palo Alto and San Francisco.

About the San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency Inc.
With roots
going back to 1891, the San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency Inc.
is a significant contributor to the local economy, as shown by the
following figures about the San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency
and its detached offices (as of December 31, 2010):

        --  More than 36,000 policyholders and clients(1)
        --  Managing over $863 million in assets (including assets and certain
            external investment funds managed by MassMutual and its subsidiaries)
        --  More than $4.7 billion in life insurance face amount in force(2)
        --  Will return more than $8.3 million in dividends to its participating
            policyholders in 2010(3)

Robert Fakhimi is CEO and Managing Partner of the San Francisco Bay
Area Insurance Agency Inc. Recently named as one of the Bay Area’s
Best Places to Work, the agency is headquartered in Walnut Creek with
branch offices in San Francisco, Fremont and Milpitas. Mr. Fakhimi
can be reached at 888-803-3631, ext. 320 or by e-mailing him at
rfakhimi@financialguide.com. Securities and investment advisory
services offered through qualified registered representatives of MML
Investors Services LLC, member SIPC, Inc. 2121 N. California Blvd.
Suite 395, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, (925) 979-2300.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance
company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating
policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength
and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed,
MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders
every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its
foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial
needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income
insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services,
and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network
of financial professionals helps clients make good financial
decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts
Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated
companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in
Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson
Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone
Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company;
MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC., member
FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust
Company, FSB.

For more information, visit massmutual.com.

(1) An insured, owner, or payer of a MassMutual policy or contract.

(2) Amount of individual life insurance in force at the end of the
period related to products issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Company
and MML Baystate Life Insurance Company.
(3) The amount of
dividends to whole life policyholders in 2010.

        Contact:
        Erica Zeidenberg
        925-631-0553

SOURCE: San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/san-francisco-bay-area-insurance-agency-financial-professional-awarded-top-massmutual-freshman-year-honor-2012-02-27

High achieving students of African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic descent who reside in or attend a college in Northern California may apply for one of three $5,000 college scholarships. Applicants must meet certain academic criteria and must express an interest in pursuing a career in the insurance and financial services industry. Students of all majors will be considered. Scholarship winners will have the opportunity to network with professionals in the industry and may be eligible for internships.

Nationally, MassMutual is making $135,000 in scholarships available in nine metropolitan areas as part of the program.

“We’ve always been committed to attracting talented professionals to the field of financial services, and in particular to supporting people of diverse backgrounds, both as agents and as clients,” said Robert Fakhimi, General Agent, San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency. “These scholarships will, ultimately, help us better serve Northern California’s increasingly diverse community.”

This marks the third consecutive year that the SF Bay Area Insurance Agency has participated in the scholarship program with MassMutual. 

“Our scholarship program is a very important part of our commitment to diversity and education, and because of it and our other efforts, we’re already making a big difference in the lives of the communities we serve,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, assistant vice president of Community Responsibility for MassMutual.

The scholarship program’s application deadline is May 2^nd, 2011, and winners will be notified in late summer.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be of African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic decent.
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551 (not expired).
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Have plans to attend FULL-TIME, a degree-seeking program at a U.S. accredited institution in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands or Guam during the 2011-2012 academic year.
• Be entering their sophomore, junior, senior or 5th year senior year at a four-year university or be a community college student.
• Reside or plan to attend an institution in one of the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Central New Jersey; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; or San Antonio, TX.
• Students of all majors will be considered.
• Preference will be given to students whose essays express their interest in pursuing a career in the insurance and financial services industry as well as demonstrate leadership and participation in extracurricular activities.
• Must apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For more information on how to apply or to obtain an application, visit www.hsf.net/massmutual.aspx.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

Article source: http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=635025&Itemid=28