Former Utah general agent switches states and recruits 15 reps to help out. MassMutual has launched Sage Wealth Management, a new general insurance agency to meet what it calls "increasing demand" in and around Boise, Idaho. The affiliate is run by Lahn Simmons, formerly an agent in MassMutual's office in Salt Lake City.

"Our focus is to provide the people of Boise with knowledgeable, dedicated and compassionate financial professionals," says Simmons. "We have already built an extraordinary, high caliber team, and look forward to adding to it by tapping into Boise's vast talent pool."

Insurance, annuities

MassMutual's Sage Wealth Management -- which shouldn't be confused with several other mutually unrelated firms doing business under the "Sage Wealth Management" banner -- provides financial-planning services and sells insurance and annuities.

It may or may not also sell securities: Simmons wasn't available to answer questions and a MassMutual spokeswoman wasn't quite sure.

Simmons has 15 "financial-service representatives" working for him and expects to have 30 by the end of 2008.

Boston-based MassMutual and its subsidiaries have more than $450 billion in assets under management. -FWR

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