Leaders Blog

NAIFA's Life Happens Community will debut a new Real Life Story at 10 AM eastern on November 25. The production features NAIFA Secretary Chris Gandy, LACP, and his clients, the Saban family. Debuting during Long-Term Care Awareness Month, the educational story showcases how long-term care insurance gave a couple what they valued most: choice. Their planning safeguarded the assets they had worked a lifetime to build, ensuring their financial legacy could be passed down to their children and grandchildren.

November is National Long-Term Care Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the need for long-term care (LTC) planning and the financial, emotional, and physical impacts associated with it. The campaign is aimed at educating the public about the importance of preparing for the potential need for long-term care services, which include assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating, often needed due to aging, chronic illness, or disability.

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM), a national awareness campaign that NAIFA’s consumer division Life Happens created and coordinates each year. We encourage you to join along. This awareness campaign is critical because 4 in 10 people of working age are “extremely concerned” about being able to support themselves if an illness or injury were to keep them out of work, according to the 2023 Insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and LIMRA.

April is National Financial Literacy Month, an annual observation NAIFA wholeheartedly agrees with. But why is financial literacy important and what are we doing about it?

FINRA surveys consistently show that around two-thirds of Americans lack basic financial understanding, and their lack of knowledge is significant. Those who score higher on FINRA’s financial literacy quiz show a greater tendency to earn more than they spend, have an emergency fund of three-months’ salary or more, contribute to retirement accounts, and accurately estimate their retirement savings needs.

Life Happens, NAIFA's consumer education arm, is hosting a Facebook chat February 15, from 1 to 2 pm eastern and all NAIFA members are invited to participate. Join us to share your ideas about how companies and financial professionals can spread the message that purchasing life insurance is ultimately an act of love. The chat is part of Life Happens's Insure Your Love Month, celebrated each February.

Lawmakers in California, and particularly in the city of Los Angeles, know the importance of life insurance and understand the critical work financial professionals do. NAIFA-Los Angeles has been key to their education. For the past 20 consecutive years, NAIFA-Los Angeles members, including the chapter’s Past President Gilbert Mares, LUTCF, Grassroots Chair Jose Rodriguez, and President Alvin Parra, have worked with Los Angeles Mayors and members of the City Council to have September proclaimed Life Insurance Awareness Month. They have also been instrumental in getting similar proclamations issued by the state Senate and the County of Los Angeles.

Once again for February, NAIFA is fully supporting Life Happens's annual Insure Your Love Month campaign. Life Happens has joined with NAIFA to serve as our consumer outreach and education arm. This month's theme, "How to say I love you," explores the difficulties many people have expressing their love and encourages people to protect their loved ones by obtaining life insurance as an act of love.

Life insurance is a crucial part of any solid financial plan, but 41% of Americans say they don’t have sufficient life insurance coverage. That's why NAIFA partner Life Happens created Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) and why NAIFA strongly supports efforts to promote the benefits of life insurance during September and all year long. For agents and advisors, LIAM is the perfect time to meet with your clients to make sure their life insurance coverage meets their needs.