Dean Jacobson ’ s Le Mars , Iowa , i ce cream cone company , BoDeans Ba k i ng Co ., produces  t he  f ounda- t i ons  f or many a swee t  desser t . Mary S t er k , r i gh t  pho t o , wor k s w i t h Jacobson and h i s w i f e , Bo ,  t o pro- duce  t he  f ounda t i on  f or a secure f u t ure  f or  t he i r  f am il y . S t er k , pres i - den t  o f  S i oux C i t y , Iowa-based S t er k F i nanc i a l Serv i ces , recom- mended var i ab l e annu i t i es  f rom The Har tf ord ’ s D i rec t ors and Leaders f am ili es  f or Dean Jacobson ’ s IRA , and The Har tf ord mu t ua l  f unds  f or Bo Jacobson ’ s i nves t men t  por tf o li o . She a l so recommended an es t a t e- p l ann i ng li f e i nsurance po li cy  f rom The Har tf ord .  “ L i f e i nsurance i s go i ng  t o be i n p l ace  f or  50  years , ” says S t er k .  “ I wan t t o wor k w i t h a company I k now i s go i ng  t o be around  f or a l ong  t i me . ” We’re the industry’s number-one supplier of  variable annuities, in part because of our product innovation. Most variable annuities benefit from a rising stock market. But The Hartford’s Principal First feature also helps investors protect their princi- pal even if the stock market goes down. The feature guarantees investors that they can get 100 percent  of their principal back, provided that withdrawals  in any year do not exceed 7 percent of the total  More than 70 percent of investors say they seek professional advice on financial matters . That’s why we have partnerships with over  2,000 financial-advisory firms across the industry. We design the innovative investment and insurance products these firms need to build long-term plans for their clients—especially for achievers who  want to maintain a high standard of living when  they retire.  Creating wealth with minimal risk is not something most people can do alone. In fact, more than 70  percent of investors say they seek professional advice on financial matters, according to our surveys. Life planning done by professionals 2003 Annual Report Seventeen