Leaders Blog

As NAIFA President for the 2011-2012 association year, 2025 John Newton Russell Memorial Award recipient  Robert Miller was an early advocate of modernizing NAIFA’s structure and governance. His ideas foreshadowed the highly successful NAIFA 20/20 strategic plan implemented in 2015. He pushed for a more streamlined NAIFA governance structure, a consistent membership model, and uniform branding and messaging across NAIFA’s chapters. He convened a Presidential Blue Ribbon Task Force to explore these issues, and many of the Task Force’s findings contributed to the formulation of the NAIFA 20/20 plan.

NAIFA 2026 Chapter Presidents, Presidents-Elect, Membership Chairs, Advocacy Chairs, IFAPAC Chairs, Grassroots Chairs, and Chapter Executives should plan on attending the 2025 National Leadership Conference on October 14, in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

Social Security remains one of the most important and often misunderstood components of retirement income planning. For financial professionals, helping clients navigate the complex claiming rules and optimize their benefits can make a meaningful difference in their long-term financial security.

Join us on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm Eastern for a webinar with Martha Shedden, RSSA, CRPC, President and Co-founder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts. This webinar is free for both members and non-members, thanks to co-sponsorship by RSSA.

NAIFA members are invited to the Q3 State of NAIFA webinar at 12 pm Eastern, June 26, 2025. Hear updates on NAIFA's advocacy efforts, professional development programs and other membership activities designed to enhance your professional growth. Every NAIFA leader should tune in.

Nominate a Standout NAIFA Member by June 30

Non-cash assets such as real estate, closely held business interests, and collectibles represent a massive and largely untapped opportunity in charitable giving. While these assets are estimated to total between $40 and $60 trillion in value, they make up less than 2% of all charitable donations. For financial professionals working with affluent clients, understanding how to leverage these assets is essential to providing effective tax and philanthropic planning strategies.

We look forward to seeing all NAIFA leaders at the Congressional Conference next week in Washington. (And for those unable to make it, we will miss you.) Your attendance at the Congressional Conference is a great opportunity to advocate for your business and clients and build your brand by letting people know about it.

If you have not yet signed up for the Q2 State of NAIFA webinar, taking place tomorrow at 12 pm Eastern, it's not too late. The State of NAIFA provides and overview of what's going on at NAIFA and where we are headed as an association. It provides important information every NAIFA leader should have. The State of NAIFA is open to all interested parties, and we strongly encourage NAIFA members to register as well.

NAIFA’s grassroots advocacy has taken on a renewed urgency with Congress determining what will and will not be in an upcoming multi-trillion-dollar tax bill. Small businesses – including those owned by NAIFA members and their clients – could be at risk. Members of Congress need to hear how proposals would impact NAIFA members’ businesses, clients, and communities. Register for the Congressional Conference.