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THE LATEST NEWS FROM NAIFA-WEST VIRGINIA ~ SEPTEMBER 2016
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OFFICIAL FAMILY:
Click HERE for NAIFA-West Virginia's Officers and Board of Directors
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President's Message
Nick Ameli, Jr., CLU, ChFC, REBC
NAIFA-West Virginia President
How about the old expression, "Yesterday I couldn't spell President and now I are one." It is indeed an honor and pleasure to serve as your President for 2016-17. As I ponder what I can say that will be beneficial or motivate the organization, I would like to address that with a question, "What am I?" Am I an Insurance Agent or an Insurance Professional? When I joined New York Life in 1986, my Manager suggested I become a part of "Life Underwriters," which I did.
I was a little disappointed when it took me several months to find where and when my local met, and I had to ask to become a member. Is that happening in our locals today? Are we actively asking other established or new members to the profession to become part of NAIFA-WV? Later in my career, I spent several years in Management, and I practically demanded my new hires to become involved.
Again, I ask the question, "Are you just a member or do you participate in the work of the organization?" I was made aware that our legislators are always looking for ways to interfere in our business; if I wanted to continue in the profession I had chosen, NAIFA was there to help keep the wolves away from the herd. Today our Advocacy program is a key issue, and we need to be involved with things like "Day on the Hill" and keep informed on key issues that our legislators are continuously changing.
One of the most pressing issues facing us is Membership; therefore, we need each member's help to recruit new member and help retain our present membership. NAIFA's Young Advisors Team (YAT) was created to recruit, retain and assist young and new advisors, 40 years and under or within their first five years in the industry, receive the vital tools, resources, and networks necessary to succeed in the financial services industry.
Upcoming on Tuesday, December 13th, we will hold our Sales Congress at Edgewood Country Club, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Some of the confirmed speakers to date are: Robb Zbierski (Freedom Personal Development), Jeffrey Findling (VP NYL Investments LLC), and we are waiting to hear from Senator Joe Manchin and several others. Please put this important date on your calendar.
Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday, December 13th, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at Edgewood Country Club.
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Governer Earl Ray Tomblin Proclaims September 2016 as Life Insurance Awareness Month
 There's a growing crisis of underinsurance - too many Americans without adequate life insurance. According to LIMRA, 30% of U.S. households have no life insurance whatsoever. That's why each September Life Happens coordinates Life Insurance Awareness Month. This industry-wide campaign is aimed at encouraging all Americans to take stock of their life insurance needs. WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin recently signed the proclamation at the state capitol in Charleston that officially recognizes September 2016 as Life Insurance Awareness Month in the state of West Virginia. Click HERE to view full proclamation. For more information about Life Insurance Awareness Month, click HERE.
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Thank You to our Sponsors!
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For information on Sponsorship Opportunities with NAIFA-West Virginia, please contact Executive Director John E. Pauley, CLU, ChFC, CLTC at (304) 345-4343 or email
johnpauley@
ft.newyorklife.com.
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 You're invited to NAIFA-Charleston's First CE Opportunity and Membership Lunch Meeting of the 2016-2017 Association Year!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Edgewood Country Club,1600 Edgewood Drive, Charleston, WV 25302
 9:30 - 11:30 am: Two 1-Hour Morning CE Seminars: "Life Insurance Benefits for the Living" - 9:30 - 10:30 am
"Understanding Life Insurance" - 10:30 - 11:30 am
NO COST for NAIFA-WV Members and $40.00 for Non-Members. Includes lunch and CE filing fees. RSVP TODAY to John Pauley, CLU, ChFC, CLTC at (304) 345-4343 or e-mail johnpauley@ft.newyorklife.com.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Membership Lunch Meeting:
 "Neat Stuff & Nuggets" to Help You Make More Sales!! GUEST LUNCH MEETING SPEAKER:
Raymond Phillips, CLU, LTCP
President, The Brokers Source, Ltd.
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, the annual public awareness campaign from Life Happens. Our first Membership Lunch Meeting of the 2016-2017 Association year will feature Ray Phillips of The Brokers Source with sales tips to take advantage of the media campaign! Make plans to join us on September 13th and see why It Pays to Be a Member!
RSVP and more information:
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SPECIAL INVITATION FOR NAIFA-WV MEMBERS!
NAIFA-Columbus, Ohio presents the 5th Annual A Day With MDRT
Monday, October 17, 2016
7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center
100 Green Meadows Drive South, Lewis Center, OH 43035
Featured speakers include Tom Hegna; Van Mueller, LUTCF; Congressman Patrick J. Tiberi; Simon Reilly; Terry K. Headley; and Paul Dougherty, LUTCF, FSS, HIA.
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The 2016 NAIFA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas is now
Performance + Purpose!
NAIFA marks the 127th meeting of our association with a renewed focus on helping advisors succeed. The NAIFA Annual Conference is now NAIFA Performance + Purpose 2016, highlighting the focus on education, motivation, and participation in the community of advisors. Registration for NAIFA Performance + Purpose 2016 is now open!
Performance + Purpose 2016 will take place September 17-19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pre-conference events and early check-in will take place on Friday, September 16.
The official Performance + Purpose 2016 hotel is the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. All main stage sessions, workshops, the Expo, and committee meetings will take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino at 3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103.
For complete details and registration, please click HERE.
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FROM THE NAIFA BLOG:
NAIFA Applauds Senior $Afe Act Of 2016
The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services is considering the Senior $afe Act of 2016 (H.R. 4538) in a markup session today. The bill would allow insurance and financial advisors to report suspected cases of financial fraud involving senior clients while limiting advisors' liability when they act in good faith to protect their clients from potential fraud.
 NAIFA President Jules Gaudreau made the following statement in a letter of support to the committee: The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) applauds your effort to strengthen financial protections for seniors. NAIFA supports the bipartisan, bicameral Senior$afe Act that would increase protections for senior Americans susceptible to financial and investment fraud. For well over a century, thousands of dedicated NAIFA members have helped individuals and families reach their financial goals, and occasionally spot suspicious activities. The Senior$afe Act will remove barriers that might otherwise discourage the reporting of such suspected exploitation to authorities. We look forward to working with you to put in place meaningful public policies to protect seniors from financial fraud and to incorporate protections for NAIFA members when reporting suspected financial abuse of a senior client. Thank you again for your leadership.
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 FROM THE ADVISOR TODAY BLOG:The Financial States of America
As life expectancies continue to climb, Americans are increasingly less confident that their savings will last through retirement. According to the latest findings from Northwestern Mutual's 2016 Planning & Progress Study, two thirds of Americans believe there is some chance that they will outlive their savings, with 1 in 3 (34%) saying the likelihood is 51% or better. Notably, 14% think that outliving their savings is a definite (100% likelihood). However, Americans are not proactively addressing the financial implications of living longer. Only a fraction (21%) say they have increased their savings, while more than 4 in 10 (44%) report having taken no steps at all. The lack of preparation is particularly concerning, given decreasing confidence about the future availability of Social Security: - Only a quarter of Americans (24%) say it's "extremely likely" that Social Security will be there when they retire
- 3 in 10 (28%) listed Social Security uncertainty among the greatest obstacles to achieving financial security in retirement
- Just one third of non-retired Americans (35%) expect that Social Security will be their sole or primary source of retirement income compared to nearly half of current retirees (49%)
"The prospect of an extended retirement in an environment of diminishing safety nets makes it even more essential that your financial plan is flexible enough to stretch as long as needed," said Rebekah Barsch, vice president of planning for Northwestern Mutual. Debt a pressure pointThe survey's findings further reveal that mounting debt is a serious source of financial pressure for Americans. When asked what one change would make the most significant impact on their financial situation, eliminating all debt (27%) narrowly outpaces earning significantly more income (26%), clearly indicating the magnitude of the debt issue. While mortgages emerged as the leading source of debt (29%), the impact of credit cards comes through strongly (23%), exceeding student loan debt, car loans, and home equity loans/lines of credit combined. For the second year in a row, health-care costs (45%) emerge as a top-cited obstacle to financial security in retirement, along with lack of savings (44%) - substantially ahead of lack of planning (30%), events in Washington, D.C. (23%) and volatile markets (22%). "Interestingly, though people recognize the impact of healthcare costs and insufficient savings on retirement security, they are not necessarily seeing the role of financial planning as the connection between the two," continued Barsch. "A solid financial strategy can ease both concerns." More bullish about themselves than the USDespite the financial challenges they're facing, Americans are generally positive about their broader financial prospects, with nearly half expecting improvement in their finances in 2016. This optimism, however, does not extend to the overall economy. The number of Americans who believe the U.S. economy will be better this year dipped to 31% from 37% last year. "While it's encouraging to see that financial worries aren't putting a damper on the big picture for Americans, optimism without action is like an engine without fuel - it won't get you far," concluded Barsch. This study was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Northwestern Mutual, and included 2,646 American adults aged 18 or older. Ayo MsekaEditor-in-Chief
www.AdvisorTodayBlog.com
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 Subscribe to Health Care Highlights!
Published by Thom Stevens, NAIFA-West Virginia Lobbyist
We are celebrating the 27th anniversary of our unique health care publication. Health Care Highlights is published weekly during the regular legislative session and monthly during the periods in between legislative sessions by the firm Government Relations Specialists, LLC.
Health Care Highlights provides a special focus on health topics of interest, legislative health deliberations, and a special section featuring the history and status of all health care bills introduced in the West Virginia state Senate and the House of Delegates.
For more information and to subscribe, please contact Thom Stevens, NAIFA-WV Lobbyist at 304-344-8466 or healthhighlights@aol.com.
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Take Advantage of NAIFA's Nationwide Consumer Campaign!
Addressing the Retirement Crisis
by Kevin M. Mayeux, CAE
NAIFA CEO
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times highlights the severity of the retirement crisis facing many Americans today and underscores the urgency of the Consumer Retirement Crisis Campaign launched recently by NAIFA. As American workers become increasingly insecure about their ability to save for a traditional retirement, NAIFA earlier this year launched a "Trust a NAIFA Advisor" ad campaign, designed to tell consumers that as they look for ways to address their retirement shortfall, affordable and informed financial advice is well within their reach. The multimedia campaign includes video, print and web placements to urge consumers to plan for retirement by contacting a NAIFA member.
The Los Angeles Times article by Michael Hiltzik selected six charts from the collection of economist Monique Morrisey with the Economic Policy Institute. The charts point out the following:
- Savings have plateaued. Mean, or average, retirement accounts for all households have stagnated since the recession, Hiltzik writes.Many families do not have any retirement cushion. In truth, Hiltzik points out, nearly half of all families have no retirement account savings.
- Defined-contribution plans like 401(k)s are heavily skewed toward the wealthy. Sixty-eight percent of the richest fifth of households participate in a plan, compared with only 4 percent among the lowest-income fifth, Hiltzik notes.
- The imbalance in 401(k) participation is making income inequality worse. "The top 20 percent of working-age families receive 63 percent of income and hold 74 percent of retirement-account balances," Morrisey notes.
- The disaster of the Great Recession is not a memory for the average family. "Declines in the net worth of older families since 2010 are especially worrisome since they have less opportunity to make up losses before retirement," according to Morrissey.
- Social Security remains the bulwark of retirement for low- and middle-income seniors. The program remains the largest single source of income for seniors with household income of at least $30,000, Hiltzik writes.
These are some of the troubling issues that prompted NAIFA to launch the campaign. Video and print ads direct readers to a web page that includes a link to NAIFA's "Find an Agent" tool, where users may search for a NAIFA member by name, state or zip code. A second search filter allows users to find members by products and practice specialty. The campaign also incorporates digital ads for use on social media platforms, and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) via a Google ad word/phrase buy of more than 200 keywords related to insurance and financial advice.
Click the link below to download elements from the NAIFA Ad Campaign:
DOWNLOAD ALL CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS.
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New NAIFA YouTube video to share with your clients:
"Hope Is Not a Strategy"
NAIFA members are skilled financial professionals who work passionately to secure the financial freedom of individuals, families and businesses. It takes in-depth knowledge, a lot of hard work and a track record of success to convince clients and prospects to entrust them with their financial security.
This 30-second video can be used to supplement conversations with consumers about their long-term financial goals. The takeaway: Hope is not a strategy to achieve financial security. Call a professionally trained insurance agent and financial advisor to put you on the right path.
NAIFA members: Share this segment by emailing the link, or by posting it on your web site and other social media platforms.
YouTube link:
Download link:
Ask a non-member to join NAIFA today!
NAIFA is the largest financial services membership association in the United States, comprised of more than 700 state and local associations representing the interests of 200,000 members and their associates nationwide. NAIFA's goal is to protect your livelihood and your clients' financial security. To join or renew securely online, please visit www.naifa.org.
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NAIFA MEMBER BENEFIT OF THE MONTH
Free NAIFA Members-Only Webinar
Leading Retirement Researcher Makes "New" Case for Low-Cost Reverse Mortgage
Tuesday September 6, 2016 / 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Leading retirement researchers have concluded that today's low-cost reverse mortgage can improve a client's retirement income efficiency, retirement sustainability and their legacy. Learn how you can truly improve the probability your clients can meet their goals for decades.
Join retirement income expert, Dr. Wade Pfau, as he shares his academic research on how the strategic use of today's lower-cost FHA-insured reverse mortgages ("HECMs") can improve the sustainability of a client's retirement plan and create a larger legacy.
Click HERE for complete details and webinar registration.
Ask a non-member to join NAIFA today!
NAIFA is the largest financial services membership association in the United States, comprised of more than 700 state and local associations representing the interests of 200,000 members and their associates nationwide. NAIFA's goal is to protect your livelihood and your clients' financial security. To join or renew securely online, please visit www.naifa.org.
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Please Consider a Contribution to IFAPAC
NAIFA cannot contribute to political candidates. IFAPAC can, and that's what we do! In fact, IFAPAC consistently ranks in the top tier of more than 4,600 federal PACs in its political receipts and contributions to candidates.
For Three Easy Ways to Contribute to IFAPAC, please click HERE.
For more information about IFAPAC and to contribute securely online, please visit:
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It Pays to Be a Member!
Check our website for the latest news and updates: For more information, please contact NAIFA-West Virginia Executive Director John Pauley, CLU, ChFC, CLTC at (304) 345-4343 or email johnpauley@ft.newyorklife.com.
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