Leaders Blog

The Department of Labor thinks it knows what's best for Americans preparing for retirement. NAIFA President Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, and his long-time client Chuck Ross think the DOL is wrong and bring their real-life experience to the argument.

With the addition of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and Life Happens, the NAIFA membership benefit portfolio has grown. We are excited to let you know that you can now take advantage of FSP member discounts and new member benefits from Life Happens are being created as more ways to say thank you for belonging! Join us for a special Member Benefits Webinar on December 13th at 2 pm eastern.

Register for the Webinar

The merger of NAIFA and the Society of FSP, along with the inclusion of Life Happens, creates a more dynamic association poised to serve more Americans. This is an important and beneficial move for our members, the insurance and financial service industry, and consumers who rely on financial professionals for products, services, and advice.

But with change always come questions. The national leadership of NAIFA and FSP set out to answer many of these questions in a virtual Town Hall Meeting for NAIFA and FSP chapter leaders. We discussed many aspects of the merger and took questions from attendees. A recording of this Town Hall is now available on demand. 

The Town Hall focused on how the NAIFA-FSP merger will impact our industry, our members, and our chapters. The short answer is: This merger will make us stronger and more influential as an association and provide our members with expanded benefits and opportunities. Several takeaways from the discussion are:

Space is limited but there is still time to register to attend NAIFA’s 2023 National Leadership Conference. This signature event brings our association’s leaders together face-to-face. It ensures we are working as One NAIFA to execute NAIFA’s overarching strategic plan at every level. It creates momentum for 2024 as we move in lockstep to grow membership, amplify NAIFA’s brand, and build a stronger membership experience. It also includes a strong advocacy element and will include meetings with lawmakers during a Day on Capitol Hill.

We are planning our NAIFA Live schedule for 2024 and want to quickly find out your opinion on when the monthly program should be held and on what day of the week. Let us know YOUR thoughts on what would work best for you and your practice! 

Take the Survey on NAIFA Live 2024

It's hard to believe, but we are less than a month from NAIFA's National Leadership Conference and Belong awards celebration. This is an important event for all NAIFA leaders to attend. Not only does it recognize you for your dedication and hard work, but it also provides an opportunity to interact and learn from other chapter leaders, NAIFA's national volunteers, and staff. NLC is where we share ideas and get up to speed on everything NAIFA. It's also a lot of fun. We renew our connections with old friends and make new ones who share our passion for NAIFA and the insurance and financial services profession.

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule that could radically change the financial services business and reduce client choices. NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux has stated that the rule is unnecessary and very likely to harm consumers it is intended to protect. 

The State of NAIFA is a quarterly update by NAIFA leaders for members, media, and other interested stakeholders. It provides information about NAIFA programs and events, progress toward meeting our strategic goals, and an advocacy update. If you missed the State of NAIFA or would like to share it with others, it is available in the on-demand archive.

NAIFA President Bryon Holz and CEO Kevin Mayeux discussed the latest on three iconic brands - NAIFA, Life Happens, and the Society of FSP - coming together to better serve our members, the industry, and consumers. NAIFA SVP of Government Relations Diane Boyle gave an update on the Department of Labor's latest fiduciary proposal and President-Elect Tom Cothron laid out NAIFA's plans for 2024.

We are planning our NAIFA Live schedule for 2024 and want to quickly find out your opinion on when the monthly program should be held and on what day of the week. Let us know YOUR thoughts on what would work best for you and your practice! 

November 12 | 3-5 eastern

NAIFA's Advocacy Team is producing a special Financial Security Academy this month. NAIFA and Society of FSP members who complete the academy receive their Financial Security Advocate badge they can use to differentiate themselves on social media and their online profile. All NAIFA and Society of FSP members are eligible to complete the Financial Security Advocate Academy course for free.