Submitted by Margie Harner
NAIFA-Jacksonville National Committeeperson

Your NAIFA-Jacksonville Membership Committee is at work increasing members in our local association.  We would like to work with all of our local agency managersto outline the many benefits of membership for both you and your agents.  We would also like to identify a person in each agency to be a point of contact to remind agencies of upcoming meetings, speakers, continuing education opportunities and socials.  We want all members to know the countless benefits of membership!

NAIFA works to protect our customers, agents and our industry.  Unbelievably our membership numbers are down.  Those agents who are not members still receive the benefit of the work NAIFA does for the industry, therefore we would like to talk with agents to request their support of this vital group that helps keep us in business.

We have some great events and speakers lined up for the coming year.  We also have an amazing Young Advisors Team that is loaded with top talent and great folks willing to share ideas and work together to create a support system for young as well  as seasoned advisors.  I think we can all benefit from the camaraderie of this special group of people.

We ask you to attend our upcoming events, invite a friend and expose them to your Professional Organization!

(Friday - Monday) 

We will be accepting applications for NAIFA-Florida's 40 Under 40 very soon so stayed tuned!       

Don't forget to check out the September/October issue of the Advisor Blog to see the NAIFA National 4 Under 40 featured article on Deanna Brown!

For more information about NAIFA's Young Advisors Team, please visit www.naifa.org/benefits/yat. 

NAIFA 2014 - San Diego 

Submitted by Maureen Kirschhofer, CLU, ChFC 

Cheryl Canzenella and I attended the Conference in San Diego representing Jacksonville at the National Conference of NAIFA.  It was a special event, not only celebrating our 125th year of NAIFA as an organization protecting and supporting our industry but it was the first year that we have had the honor of having a female president, Juli Y. McNeely, LUTCF, CFP, CLU.  Not only were we honored to represent you there but we also had one of our own, Deanna Brown speaking at the YAT Forum Panel.  Deanna works at Ullmann Financial and was on of only four under forty selected for this honor.  See her story in Advisor Magazine.   

The conference is marked with Educational Speakers and Workshops, Panels of our representation in Washington DC to learn about our important advocacy briefing as well as Exhibitors showing their latest products and services available to help us become more productive and successful.   

As your National Committeeperson, Florida Caucuses and Legislative Forum were of utmost importance.  The Legislative update that I spoke about at the September meeting can be found by clicking HERE.

A special presentation of Life Happens Real Life Stories highlighted stories that show how life, health, disability income and long-term care insurance and the people who sell them positively impact the lives of so many.  For me this was really special as I had used the Life Happens website the previous day to send a copy of the Real Life Story of the King family who had not only one but two disabilities affect their lives.  After the presentation I had the opportunity to meet with them in the Exhibit Hall and it reaffirmed my commitment to make Disability Insurance the focus of my career.  It felt good to be thanked by them for what I do on a daily basis.   

Next year we are going to have our Trustee, Tom Cothran run to become secretary of the NAIFA and eventually become a National President.  The meeting is in New Orleans so it should not be that difficult to attend.  Please find the time to join us there in early October to attend this wonderful meeting but also to focus our energy on having a Floridian as our National President.  Thanks for letting me represent you. 

The College for Financial Planning (CFFP) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) have joined forces to create an enhanced, dynamic and interactive curriculum for the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation.

Students in the LUTCF designation program, which was established in 1984, will master the fundamentals of risk management and life insurance, insurance and investment products, and risk management applications. The program is designed for insurance professionals looking to expand their practice, insurance support staff, and financial advisors seeking a broader understanding of the insurance industry.

At the helm of the new program is David Mannaioni, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CFP, a CFFP associate professor with 30 years of experience working for large, national insurance companies and managing his own financial planning practice.

Mannaioni designed the curriculum for the new LUTCF program under the supervision of NAIFA's LUTCF advisory board, who oversee the program.

"We're very excited about this opportunity to continue the proud traditions of the NAIFA LUTCF program by delivering current, relevant content using traditional classroom settings and state-of-the-art technology to ensure that every LUTCF candidate is able to master the material in a way that best fits their preferred method of learning," said Mannaioni.

The program will be delivered via the MyChoice platform, CFFP's state-of-the-art virtual classroom. The MyChoice platform features live, smooth, interactive classes that encourage group discussions and breakouts. Students may also choose to attend a ground-based classroom version of the program hosted in their local area and moderated by adjunct professors.

The program is split into three courses:

• Introduction to Practice Management and Life Insurance (including classes on developing a business plan, ethics, and life insurance prospecting and selling skills)
• Insurance and Investment Products (including classes on life insurance and annuities; mutual funds, disability income, long-term care, and health insurance; and property and casualty insurance)
• Risk Management Applications (including retirement and estate planning, special family situations, and presenting basic plans to individuals and business owners)

Each course will run for 8 weeks followed by a week for study and review and an exam. There are also fieldwork components as well as in-class assignments required throughout the program.

"With more than 50,000 designations conferred, LUTCF is the proven designation," said NAIFA President Juli Y. McNeely, LUTCF, CFP, CLU. "Like so many NAIFA members, LUTCF was my first designation, and it's the reason I'm in this business today. The program puts advisors on the right path in the sales process, and helps build knowledge and confidence that leads to successful careers. I consider LUTCF to be one of the best things I could have ever done to move me forward for the future."

Registration for the new LUTCF program will begin Jan. 2, 2015, and classes are scheduled to begin in July of 2015. Prospective designees will be required to be NAIFA members at the time of conferment.

The program's 3 core courses are $920 each; however, NAIFA members will be eligible for a 15 percent discount.

Since the LUTCF credential was established 30 years ago, more than 50,000 designations have been conferred.

For complete details, please visit www.naifa.org/benefits/education/lutcf.cfm.

 

NAIFA strives to keep members and lawmakers informed about where we stand on important issues. By clicking HERE, you can find NAIFA's stances on the issues that matter most to the business of insurance and financial advising. Check regularly for updates and additional information.

Please consider a contribution to YOUR Political Action Committee!

 

The Insurance and Financial Advisors Political Action Committee (IFAPAC) is a term used to describe collectively the PAC sponsored by NAIFA at the federal level and the PACs sponsored by each state association. Each PAC is a fund that supports the campaigns of candidates for public office who understand issues important to insurance agents and financial advisors. IFAPAC's goal is to help the associations advance the legislative and regulatory interests of the members of NAIFA. While any U.S. citizen can contribute to IFAPAC, only members of local NAIFA associations may be solicited to do so. Contributions must be voluntary. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Of approximately 4,600 political action committees registered with the Federal Election Commission, IFAPAC ranks in the top tier. IFAPAC is the largest insurance PAC in the country. In the last election cycle, the national IFAPAC contributed approximately $1.1 million to federal candidates and committees.

For more information about IFAPAC and to contribute securely online, please click HERE.