Business

Jackson Financial Secretly Talks with Gefen International

Published

4 years ago

February 24, 2022

According to industry sources familiar with the matter, Jackson Financial Inc., a publicly traded (NYSE: JXN) Life Insurance Company based in the US, is secretly involved in high level discussions with Australia’s Insurtech company, Gefen International A.I. (ASX:GFN), an Australian publicly traded insurance tech corporation.

Although details of the talks have not been disclosed, sources close to the matter reveal that Jackson has been looking over the past year to adopting advanced insurance technology aka ‘insurtech’ as a crucial component of their long term growth strategy.

What Does Gefen’s Technology Offer Jackson?

Gefen’s online platform ‘Moments’, was designed to disrupt this traditional financial and insurance ecosystem. This includes improving customers, the agents/advisors, and the carriers (such as Jackson Financial) access to critical data. The platform does not aim to replace agents in the sales process, as it sees them as being essential component to improve the service process.

Gefen Technologies ‘Moments’ is a highly compliant platform that can be leveraged by Jackson’s agents and advisors, and includes tools like sales and marketing, and messaging that would otherwise not been available to them via traditional means.

The Moments platform basically connects consumers, carriers, and advisors within a network, and automates their interaction. The technology analyses customers’ digital journey as well as their data, and provides automated insights, based on previous purchases which are converted into potential buying preferences.

The technology analyses data such as how much time customers spend on specific website pages, and how they have reacted to various offers that have been made to them in the past. This data is invaluable and provides advisors with a lot of information about customers prior to seeing them in person.

As a result, should a deal be signed, industry insiders concur the platforms ability to allow Jackson’s advisors the option to offer more relevant products to their customer database and increase revenue while reducing overall operating costs.

Jackson Financial Business – $362 Billion in Assets

As of December 31, 2020, Jackson Financial reported $362 billion in assets under management and was managing more than three million policies. Jackson has headquarters in Lansing, Michigan, with additional regional offices in both Chicago, Illinois and Franklin, Tennessee. The subsidiaries of the insurance company are licensed to distribute insurance products in the District of Columbia and all 50 U.S. states.

Jackson Financial Inc. demerged from Prudential plc in 2021 to form two separately-listed companies. Since the demerger from Prudential, Jackson’s growth has been stymied and this is reflected in their stock price dropping steadily.

In Mar 2021, Fitch Ratings affirmed Jackson Life Insurance’s Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Ratings at ‘A’. Fitch however also affirmed a ‘BBB+’ Issuer Default Rating (IDR) assigned to Jackson Financial, Inc. The Outlook was revised from Negative to Stable for all ratings.

The revised Outlook from Negative to Stable mirrors Fitch’s stance that the pandemic’s economic impact on Jackson would be limited, especially as equity markets seem to have returned to normalized volatility. Although there is still the potential for modest credit impairments, Fitch forecasts that both capital and earnings will exceed, or stay in line with rating expectations. Longer-term worries still include the possibility for historically low interest rates that have persisted for several years.

Jackson’s financial performance, measured on both a statutory and GAAP accounting basis, is still strong although the earnings profile of the company is susceptible to pressures associated with a continued low interest rate environment and equity market performance.

According to various industry insiders and financial analysts, a potential Jackson Financial (NYSE: JXN) and Gefen International (ASX:GFN) collaboration is expected to be announced during Jackson’s fourth quarter results webcast conference scheduled on March 3, 2022.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

5 days ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.