Good Neighbor Podcast: TN-WNC-SWVA

EP# 350: How A Local Firm Cuts Through Medicare Confusion And Puts Seniors First

• Skip Mauney & Danny Haire • Episode 350

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Medicare shouldn’t feel like a riddle with moving parts, yet so many seniors are stuck choosing between confusing options, conflicting advice, and high-pressure pitches. We sat down with Danny Haire—who’s spent 52 years in the insurance world leading Financial Services Inc. and Senior Benefit Inc.—to break through the noise with straight talk, practical frameworks, and a client-first mindset that prioritizes people over policies.

We walk through how Danny built a nationwide brokerage and why his team now leans on an in-house, highly trained group serving seniors directly. That structure isn’t about control; it’s about quality. Every call is recorded to ensure accuracy, compliance, and consistent explanations of the differences between Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D. You’ll hear why hearsay from neighbors or casual advice at the checkout line can become expensive mistakes, and how a trained advisor can check formularies, doctors, and travel needs to match coverage with real life. Expect actionable clarity on premiums versus out-of-pocket costs, network stability, and the trade-offs that actually matter during enrollment.

Along the way, Danny shares the human side of this work: shifting from door-to-door visits to phone-based service, staying grounded in ethics, and keeping the mission simple—find the best policy at the best price for each person. We talk about how local, ongoing support in Knoxville helps seniors adapt as plans change each year, and why the most valuable advice is sometimes “you’re already in the right place.” If Medicare choices have felt like a maze, this conversation offers a map you can trust.

If this helped you see your options more clearly, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s weighing Medicare choices, and leave a quick review so more neighbors can find trusted guidance.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together.

SPEAKER_02:

Here's your host, Skip Money. Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. So I am very excited today uh to have a very special guest for the first time in our studio. So we're excited to learn all about them and their business. And I'm sure you will be as well because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Mr. Danny Hare. Am I pronouncing that correctly, Danny?

SPEAKER_01:

That's correct, sir.

SPEAKER_02:

Danny Hare, who is with Financial Services Inc. Danny, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

We're glad, like I said, glad to have you and uh very interested to learn all about you and and Financial Services Inc. So if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your business?

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, thank you, Skip. Uh Financial Services was started from scratch uh in 1995, and uh it was basically a uh a recruiting brokers in the field, and uh we built it you know from there and then uh in 2012, 2013, we started another company that's solely owned by financial services. It's called Senior Benefit Inc. And that's where most of our efforts have been uh in these last few years because it is a direct to consumer, it's not a call center, but is a direct to consumer sales. And uh all the agents in it are in-house, uh, they're highly trained by by us. Uh we record all of their conversations, you know, all their every time they talk to anyone, that conversation is is recorded so that we we know for sure everything is being said correctly, and uh that has grown nicely. We do uh uh concentrate almost solely on uh the senior market, uh, since I am one of those people. We relate well to them. But uh, you know, that's uh that's where our efforts have been the last year. We still have our brokerage operation. Matter of fact, we've got 20,000 plus brokers across the United States. We've been very blessed, very lucky, uh, and things have really really gone well for us uh in the insurance profession.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's incredibly how many across the country?

SPEAKER_01:

It's over 20,000.

SPEAKER_02:

20,000. Wow. Well, congratulations on that. That's how that's incredible.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, there's some, you know, we've done some uh some product development for companies, and of course, for people or for agents to sell that product, they had to be contracted under us. So that helped grow that number. And uh, but like I said, we're really trying to focus on the the in-house agents because we have so much better control, uh, making sure that people are told exactly what's correct, and and making sure that they're you know, our uh with senior benefit, our our motto is we know Medicare, and we make sure that everyone that's on the phone representing us, they do know Medicare and the senior market.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good, very good. Well, Danny, how did uh how did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh just lucky, I guess. I you know uh uh matter of fact, I initially got into this business because of a uh insurance agent that uh I was home from college uh getting ready to graduate, and uh an agent that my mother and daddy had insurance with was in their house, and we got to talking and I went out on a few calls with them, and then when I uh graduated to college, I got my license. And uh, like all people, you know, I I got into it for a few years and uh got married and you know things changed, and uh we moved from Knoxville to another town, so I got out of the insurance business for about 18, 20 months, then got back into the business and been in and have been in it ever since. Uh and this is actually my 52nd year in the insurance business.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. Well, congratulations. That's nothing to sneeze at. Yeah, of course, of course you did. Well, um uh Danny, what are some myths or misconceptions in your in your industry?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh gosh, skip. I don't know where to start. You know, most uh I think we're about two steps above a used car salesman with a lot of people, uh and a lot of that's you know is our own fault, you know. Uh but you know, people, you know, nobody likes to talk about insurance. Nobody likes insurance until until they need it. Uh and unfortunately in our business, uh, if you need it, it's too late to get it. Uh, but it's just uh people don't, you know, especially in the Medicare market. Uh I think the federal government goes out of their way to make Medicare confusing. Uh and they're just there's just a lot of, and again, that's why we stress with our agents, you know, keeping them highly trained and very knowledgeable, because most of the people we talk to either have a misconception, they've been told incorrectly. Uh it's uh it's really amazing where some people will take their uh uh insurance information from. We talked to a lady uh and she had been told by the cashier at Walmart what she ought to do, and it was totally wrong. But you know, it's uh it's just they'll listen to uh their neighbors, their family, and not saying that they they shouldn't, but unless you're talking to someone that deals in this, because like I said, the government goes out of their way to make make it difficult and make it confusing. Talking to someone that deals in this day in and day out and really knows the ins and outs of it. Uh, and I just you know, that's the problem, you know, just people hear so many different things, and it just adds to the confusion.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Just talk to a professional. Yes, don't listen to a cashier at Walmart. No offense to them.

SPEAKER_01:

I couldn't write a cash register either, so you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, there you go. Same here, same here. So, so uh Danny, uh it sounds like you're you're pretty busy all the time, but when uh when you're not outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh unfortunately, I've kind of got set in my ways. You know, I'm usually in my office seven days a week, but uh I do now have a uh I guess he's a nine-month-old grandson. So uh that's kind of changed perspective a little bit for an old man. But uh, you know, enjoying him. I just uh uh we got 10 acres of land, you know, in Knox County, believe it or not. And uh I enjoy, you know, uh we have a garden in the springtime. We have uh uh I mow about six acres of it myself, which is I tell everybody that's my mental therapy, uh, to get out on my tractor, you know, by myself. And uh nobody knows that I'm talking to myself then. So uh but you know, it's um I uh I'm 73 years old, so my life is you know kind of simple, but like I said, the uh the grandson has changed things uh a whole lot.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Time with family, always the best answer.

SPEAKER_01:

Always, yes.

SPEAKER_02:

So uh Danny, if uh if you could think of one thing um that uh you would like our listeners to remember about you and and your company, what would that be?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, uh about me, I mean, because like I said, you know, I I've been in the business for for 52 years. I've seen a you know uh a tremendous uh ups and downs of things. The business is you know the business today is totally different when I first got into it. Uh majority of the insurance is sold over the telephone, which being an old door knocker, that you just uh I hate that, but that's just the way it is today. But uh as far as myself, it's just uh anything that's come along, uh it's always been, you know, keep your head down, keep doing what you know is right, keep treating people correctly, the way you'd want to be treated, and and everything will work out, you know, in the long run. You know, you may suffer a little bit along the way, but it's gonna be okay. And and that's kind of you know, with our company, uh the person on the other end of the phone or the person we're sitting across from talking to, that is their needs, their want, those are the our main concern. You know, we uh we did uh a TD ad not long ago, and one of the the sayings that are that we had was that uh you know our our main our mission is to find the best policy at the best price for the person that we're dealing with. Uh we ask a lot of questions. We want to find out because we're gonna we want to take you know we want to make sure that you uh have a good retirement, you know, uh and things go well for you uh in your older age and making sure that things are taken care of that you don't have to worry about.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good thing to remember. The personal touch is important, yes, sir. Absolutely. So um uh for uh Danny, uh for those of our listeners and viewers that uh are intrigued, would like to do a consultation or meet with somebody, talk with you guys, how can they learn more?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh our phone number is 865-862-4298, and our street address is 243 North Peters Road, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37923. We're just right off of Cedar Bluff. And if anybody's familiar with Knoxville, um, and uh our we got our name in multiple places, you'll see. So uh, but we would love to have the opportunity to try to help people. And you know, I would be remiss and if I didn't, you know, if you call us and we and ask questions, uh our services are free, you know. Uh whether you buy a policy or not, we're here to try to help people, and that's our main, that's our main goal. You know, how can we help you? And that may be sending you somewhere else, that may be answering just your questions, just maybe reinforcing what you think is is right, and and we'll be sure to tell you that.

SPEAKER_02:

Check them out in Knoxville. Um, and you said you were at 243. I'm sorry, what north? What was that road?

SPEAKER_01:

North Peters Road, Peters P-E-T-E-R-S, Peters Road.

SPEAKER_02:

Peters, North Peters, North Peters Road. Very good. All right. Well, Danny, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to hang out with us and tell us all about your business and what you can do for the for the folks in Knoxville and uh East Tennessee. And uh moving forward, wish you, your family, grandchild, and and all your clients and your business all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you, Skip. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely, and maybe we can have you back sometime.

SPEAKER_01:

We'd love the opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

All right. Well, until then, we'll see you soon.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Tri-Dash Cities dot com. That's GNP Tri-Dash Cities dot com or call four two three seven one nine five eight seven seven three.