Leaders Blog

Mark your calendar for May 18–19, 2026, when NAIFA members will gather in Washington, D.C. for the premier grassroots advocacy event for financial professionals: the Congressional Conference. This signature event is central to NAIFA’s mission, uniting members from across the country to advocate for their businesses, clients, and the insurance and financial services industry.

Cognitive decline is one of the greatest challenges individuals and families may face, with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia bringing lasting impacts on health, finances, and caregiving. For financial professionals, understanding the role of lifetime long-term care coverage is essential to guiding clients through this difficult journey.

Significant changes to charitable giving rules are on the horizon, and now is the time for your clients to prepare. The OBBBA introduces new rules taking effect on January 1, 2026, with several opportunities set to expire on December 31. Acting now can help clients maximize available benefits and avoid missed opportunities.

NAIFA is pleased to announce that five legendary leaders will join the NAIFA Hall of Fame as the 2025 induction class. They are:

• Peter C. Browne, LUTCF*, (NAIFA-New York) - Past Trustee and National Treasurer 
• Ben Feldman* (NAIFA-Ohio) - legendary and record-setting life insurance producer
• Terry K. Headley, LUTCF, FSS, LIC* (NAIFA-Nebraska) - Past President and member of the Life Happens Board of Directors 
• Robert M. Nelson, CLU, LUTCF, FSS (NAIFA-Nebraska) - Past President
• Lester A. Rosen* (NAIFA-Tennessee) - Past President

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.