Led by Attorney James G. Burns, JD, LL.M., TEP®, Life Insurance Review (LIR) is supported by a Leadership TEAM with over 150 years of collective life insurance expertise. Our senior product expert has been a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) since 1999 and licensed in life insurance since 1982 — bringing decades of technical depth and product analysis experience. Since 2011, LIR has conducted thousands of independent life insurance reviews for consumers, financial professionals, attorneys, and businesses seeking objective analysis and fiduciary guidance. We exist for one reason: to empower you and represent your best interests — not the insurance sales industry.
Your Advocate Leadership TEAM
James G. Burns, JD, LL.M, TEP®
TEAM Lead & Attorney
Ins. Lic. #0E00909 (since 2003)
SBC #208656
Mark Townsend, CLU®, ChFC®
Life Insurance Product Review
Ins. Lic. #0804586 (Since 1982)
Ron Kring, MBA
Business Case Planner & Advisor
Ins. Lic. #4255648 (since 2022)
Matthew Dike
Case Specialist & TEAM Mgr.
Ins. Lic. #4099337 (since 2021)
Noel M. Nguyen, MSA, MSL, CPA
Policy Performance Analyst
Ins. Lic. #0M13310 (since 2017)
John D. Nguyen, EA, CLU®, ChFC®
Chief Life Insurance Analyst
Ins. Lic. #0E72907 (since 2005)
Kamron Nahavandi
Lead Life, Annuity, & LTC Analyst
Ins. Lic. #0F66828 (since 2007)
John J. Oh, CPA
Policy Performance Analyst
Ins. Lic. #1542906 (since 2020)
Stephen Shloss, CFP®
Comprehensive Financial Planner
Ins. Lic. #0F78784 (since 2007)
Drew Knox
Policy Optimization Specialist
Ins. Lic. #0F60319 (since 2007)
John McLean, CFP®
ADVISORY BOARD Lead & Life Insurance Industry Expert
Ins. Lic. #0643873 (since 1986)
+ our TEAM of 14 Associates ready to serve you!
"We empower you to make informed decisions, not to be sold to!"
Our Story
Before we became life insurance review specialists, we were policyowners ourselves — and we experienced firsthand what it feels like to be sold policies that did not perform as illustrated or promised. At the time, there was no independent resource like LifeInsuranceReview.com (LIR): no trusted, unbiased firm dedicated solely to reviewing, analyzing, and verifying life insurance policies from the consumer’s perspective.
Since 2011, our comprehensive review process has revealed a concerning pattern. Approximately 9 out of 10 policies we analyze are mis-sold, overpriced, poorly designed, or misaligned with the client’s actual financial objectives. Of those, we are able to restructure, repair, or significantly improve roughly 80%. Unfortunately, about 20% are beyond repair due to structural flaws, excessive internal costs, or irreversible design decisions.
These statistics are exactly why LIR exists.
We stand on the side of consumers — raising awareness, providing transparency, and bringing fiduciary-level analysis to an industry that too often operates without true accountability.
