One of the most important benefits NAIFA provides is political, legislative and regulatory advocacy. There is absolutely no other professional trade association or corporation standing up for our clients and our members the way NAIFA does by representing our interests one hundred percent of the time. The only way NAIFA and our state associations can continue to successfully advocate on our behalf is to maintain favorable accessibility to legislators on a continuous basis.
IFAPAC is the key that opens doors of accessibility for us. This is why NAIFA asks for your financial contribution to IFAPAC. We realize that there are numerous worthwhile causes for your money. However, IFAPAC is so vital to our profession that you must consider it one of your primary and priority investments every year. A contribution to IFAPAC is an investment in your future and your livelihood. A contribution to IFAPAC allows NAIFA members to pool their financial resources and improve a candidate’s opportunity to get elected to public office. Therefore, NAIFA has no reservations or hesitation in asking you to support this cause and IFAPAC’s mission. If you think that giving to a political action committee is not a good idea, please take a moment to review the facts before making a financial decision.
First, IFAPAC is a bipartisan PAC and, as such, supports candidates from both parties because of their positions on insurance and financial issues relevant to our members. Second, you are encouraged to provide input into the candidate selection process by submitting a candidate questionnaire. IFAPAC welcomes contributor information about candidates and their respective positions on issues significant to NAIFA members and their clients.
Rather than “giving” money to political candidates, you are investing in your business and making a commitment to preserving the future of our industry.
If insurance is your business; shouldn’t you have insurance for your business? Bad legislation passed by Congress or the state legislatures could be just as catastrophic financially as the loss of any of your possessions by fire, theft or storm.
IFAPAC helps elect officials at the national and state levels who understand and support the importance of insurance products and financial planning in order to secure America’s financial future.
I don’t buy it. Even the Century Club level ($100 a year) is only about the equivalent of the cost of ¼ of a can of soda a day. The cost of gasoline to drive back and forth to clients and prospects every month is about the same. Somehow, we find a way to pay for the gas, don’t we? I am firmly convinced that there is a reasonable contribution amount that would be comfortable for you and compatible with your bottom line and budget.
No, it’s not – and it would be illegal to do so. A reasonable part of your state and national dues is spent on lobbying and legislative efforts. However, absolutely no financial contributions to candidates can be made from dues money – this is federal law.
It won’t. IFAPAC funds have never paid for any of NAIFA’s federal lobbying activities.
It’s highly likely that IFAPAC is also supporting these same candidates. But for insurance agents and financial advisors to really have an impact, a campaign contribution from IFAPAC – which represents the entire membership of tens of thousands of individuals – sends an issues message to the candidate that we’re all behind his/her campaign, and they know who we are, what we represent and what our positions are on the issues. An individual contribution directly to a candidate does not carry an attached issues message to the candidate.
IFAPAC is nonpartisan in its selection of candidates. IFAPAC is for the Insurance Party. We base our support on who helps support our industry.
IFAPAC selects candidates who share our philosophy and who will listen to the Insurance Agent viewpoint.
The IFAPAC Selection Candidate Group is made up of NAIFA members who take into account reports from NAIFA’s grassroots advocates and state leaders about their relationships with their members of congress.
Congress has the ability to change the Internal Revenue Code any time it chooses. Didn’t you hear about the close call we had when the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee both attempted – twice in one year! – to tax the inside build-up of Life Insurance and Annuities as a means to fund the Federal Estate Tax Repeal? Dwindling budget surpluses and decreasing revenues due to a sluggish economy mean that “revenue raisers” – new taxes – will be part of the legislative discussions when future tax bills are considered. A tax on the inside buildup would seriously dampen the motivation of consumers to purchase this product. In addition, IFAPAC contributions are split between your State and the National IFAPACs if you have directed NAIFA to do so, which means you, are making state level contributions when you give.
Even though you know your own Member of Congress and one or both of your Senators very well, you don’t know the other 434 House Members and 98 U.S. Senators. (The same goes for your state representatives and state senators.) It’s critical that all 435 U.S. Representatives and all 100 U.S. Senators know where NAIFA stands on issues affecting our membership. It almost always takes more than one vote to make or break a piece of legislation.
Like it or not, there is no “off season” in politics anymore. Educating candidates and building relationships is an on-going process. Showing up with a campaign contribution in the fourth quarter of the game is hardly the way IFAPAC should be conducting its business. Candidates need to know that IFAPAC is with them from the beginning to the end. Besides, IFAPAC often makes “campaign debt retirement” contributions after the November elections and there are special elections throughout the year. In addition many states have elections in odd-numbered years. Remember, the first rule of politics is to get elected. The second rule is never to forget the first rule.
Yes, it will! In fact, it matters a great deal that you and all of your fellow members participate. IFAPAC is an opportunity to pool our resources, have a voice and present our positions on insurance and financial issues to elected representatives.
Let’s be frank about this. Company legislative agendas are sometimes more aligned to achieving corporate goals and furthering company objectives in favor of corporate growth, profitability, gains from operations, assets under management, removing barriers to entry and distribution channels, etc. And, they have every right to do so.
Furthermore, NAIFA has a 50-state network which allows us to look out for legislative interests in all of the state capitals. Therefore, your contribution will have an impact not only in Washington, DC, but also in your state capital. Not all associations have this obviously necessary network.
Lastly, keep in mind that most companies and associations do not have NAIFA’s Grassroots program, a constituent lobbying capability that NAIFA and state associations have carefully constructed over the years. IFAPAC support to the campaigns of candidates who are favorably inclined toward our issues is one matter, but combining IFAPAC contributions with our strong constituent group/key contact program is the potent combination that effectively influences legislative outcomes.
As political consultant Mike Dunn would say: IFAPAC doesn’t get involved in social issues. It exists solely for one reason and that is to protect the interests you share with your colleagues in your association. The reality is that we aren’t all Democrats or Republicans. The only thing we all are is members of the same association. We may agree to disagree on those other issues. But on matters that will determine the common future that we all share, we should not only agree, but work together to help share that common future and that means financially supporting IFAPAC.
