"The people at AEGON made my internship such a memorable experience. Those who worked in my department were very welcoming and friendly from day one. They made such a great impression that I ended up accepting a full-time offer upon completion of my internship."

Projects

• Preparing Separate and Consolidated State Returns
  A state return must be filed on behalf of every AEGON company that does business in a particular state. Each state has different adjustments that need to be made to determine the taxable income. I researched each state’s regulation to determine the necessary adjustments that were needed to arrive at taxable income. After researching the issues, I then prepared the returns using income tax software. This project allowed me to understand not only state regulations better, but to also see the work that is put into preparing state returns to make sure they are done accurately.
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• Researching Uncertain Tax Positions
  I assisted with research on uncertain tax positions according to the Internal Revenue Code. Based on this research, we determined the best solution that not only met the Internal Revenue Code requirements, but also benefited the company.

"The decision to complete an internship during my senior year at Iowa was one of the best choices I’ve made. It was an excellent opportunity to apply the concepts that I learned in the classroom while gaining valuable experience in the working world. The internship not only increased my knowledge of finance, insurance, investments and economics, but also strengthened my communication, teamwork, and time management skills. I highly recommend the AEGON Internship Program and can guarantee an educational, challenging, and exciting experience!"

Projects

• Monthly Client Reporting Packages
  Each month I compiled a wide variety of information for the different divisions and portfolios within AEGON. The information summarized the portfolio data and performance and also included an overview of the current economy. I gathered the data from a variety of reporting programs, compiled the information into spreadsheets, and organized everything into a slide presentation that was sent to each division. This project gave me an opportunity to understand the different concepts that are critical to portfolio management.
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• Economic Update
  I created a daily email that summarized the current economic events. I used an assortment of websites and resources to collect news articles that I believed were relevant economic information. The economic update was sent to the vast majority of the employees within AEGON USA Investment Management, LLC. This task gave me a chance to gain a solid understanding of the economy and the impact economic events can have on the investments and portfolios within AEGON.
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• Investment Research Project
  I completed two investment research projects that I presented to the portfolio management group. The goal of the project was to gain a confident understanding of the specific topics that would be critical in any finance career. I completed this assignment by researching the topics and collaborating with other employees to realize the impact they have within portfolio management. This was a valuable project, as it taught me fundamental financial knowledge and also improved my presentation skills.

"This internship was a great learning experience. It provided me with challenging projects in a real business environment. I learned a lot about the life insurance industry, developed programming models, and was exposed to various enterprise systems and modeling software tools. I was able to attend numerous educational and social events throughout the internship. These emphasize the companies' commitment to the personal development of employees. A supportive, collaborative, and fun-filled culture truly make the AEGON companies a great place to work."

Projects

• Shadow Account Modification
  I was responsible for developing functional models for the necessary multipart calculation. This adds shadow account modification to existing universal life insurance products. I created tables and functions, and then connected them with the mainframe systems. The program gathered data and delivered the calculated value back to the mainframe system. In addition to programming, I also created technical specifications and tested the entire model.
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• VEGAS Product Addition
  I added four new products to the existing VEGAS policy creation application. The project involved making changes to the data tables and models which added the respective plan codes for each product. It also modified the functions to adapt to the needs and requirements of the new products.

"The Internship program at the AEGON companies gave me the opportunity to complete challenging projects that had a significant impact on my department. The responsibilities given to me were no different than any full-time employee, and I was able to further develop my communication and leadership skills.

Throughout my internship experience I advanced my professional skills. I was also able to participate in employee appreciation activities, meet interns from different departments, and network with key company leaders.

The AEGON companies believe in the skills, capabilities, and talent of their interns. They provide you with the resources to succeed beyond your internship. I would highly recommend the AEGON Internship Program."

Projects

• Life Investors Financial Group Web site www.lifgonline.com
  I was responsible for leading the marketing effort to create a new Web site for Life Investors Financial Group, Inc. I conducted research on several Web sites in the related financial services industry. I then initiated discussions with three departments – Compliance, IT, and Graphics. I established a Web site team of employees who helped design and launch the Web site. The Web site is now used to market the products and services that Life Investors Financial Group, Inc. offers as well as to recruit new insurance agents. This experience taught me the process of planning and implementing a large project. It also taught me how to build relationships in a professional environment, and advanced my communication skills.
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• Agent Recognition Walls Renovation
  I worked with a vendor from Ohio to plan and execute a complete renovation of two agent recognition walls. I communicated with the vendor to design and plan the content of the recognition walls. I worked with the Sales and Marketing Incentive team to develop an easy-to-update design of the Wall of Honor. I also worked with the Financial Reporting department to gather over 200 names to be engraved on the Wealth Accumulation Pyramid. I presented the design ideas to senior leaders and was responsible for managing a $25,000 budget. This experience taught me the importance of succession planning for a large project, and I gained valuable experience managing a large budget.

"The experience I gained through the AEGON Internship Program was the perfect stepping stone from college to my career. I was given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that enabled me to expand my knowledge of the life insurance industry, and exposed me to some of the tools that actuaries use on a day-to-day basis. The atmosphere at the AEGON companies is professional, but I always felt comfortable asking questions."

Projects

• Foreign Travel Risk
  I designed a spreadsheet that tried to capture some of the risk inherent with insuring a person traveling to a foreign country. The spreadsheet was used to provide underwriting with objective data that helped to determine premium rates in states where foreign travel underwriting is permitted. This was my first project and it allowed me to learn many new aspects of Excel.
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• Market Value Liability (MVL) Workbook
  I updated and expanded a widely used MVL Workbook that is part of the Economic Framework project. The MVL Workbook is used extensively to create a market consistent price for our liabilities. This was my first real exposure to Visual Basic. This was a valuable project, as I was able to learn a great deal about programming, and it also introduced me to the Economic Framework project.
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• Market Value Liability (MVL) Batch Program
  I created the MVL Batch Program to allow for easier editing and running of multiple MVL Workbooks. In our division alone we had dozens of runs that had to be done frequently, one at a time. With the batch program, all of the workbooks could be edited and run with one click of a button. A modified version of the MVL Batch Program is being used by multiple divisions today.