The Advanced Practice Center

The Society of Financial Service Professionals and NAIFA created a Center of Excellence that offers content, events, and direct access to experts to provide thought leadership in advanced markets topics and concepts. The Advanced Practice Center (APC) is supported by the two organizations and company sponsors to ensure that agents and advisors have the most up-to-date information and access to leading experts for complex cases

The APC Advisory Council and Content Council

The APC has an Advisory Council and Content Council that contribute to the functioning of the Center The Advisory Council: Kathleen Bilderback of Affinity Law Group, Andrew Rinn of Sammons Financial Group, Ernest Guerriero, Michele Collins of MassMutual, Doug Massey of Doug Massey Financial Services, Keith Gillies of United Wealth Advisors, and Tom Michel of Michel Financial Group. The Content Council: Andrew Rinn, Stacey McMahan of Pacific Life, Ronald Lee of Mutual of Omaha, John Snider of John Hancock, David Junker of OneAmerica, Brandon Buckingham of Prudential, Valerie Grombchevsky of AIG, Bill Crane of Global Atlantic, and Larry Reeves of Southern Farm Bureau

1,045 APC Event Participants

The 2022 APC Symposia Series

The series brought together top thought leaders in advanced planning and provides you with new approaches to common challenges. Whether advisors' practices focus on advanced markets or they were looking for new connections with whom to partner on complex cases, this half-day program offered insights, connections, and resources to help them grow your businesses

In 2022, APC Symposia were hosted in Phoenix in June and in Philadelphia in September

APC Webinars

"Is Behavioral Insurance the Future of Life Insurance?" featuring Matthew Gibson and John Snider II of John Hancock.

"Opportunities Abound! Planning for Business Owners Using Life Insurance," featuring Stacey McMahan of Pacific Life.

"Designing Insurance Solutions to Address Clients’ Macroeconomic Concerns," featuring John Snider II of John Hancock.

2022 APC Sponsors

The NAIFA Talent Development Center

NAIFA's Talent Development Center (TDC) is focused on packaging professional development programs and tools to ensure that NAIFA members are their best. We also house all materials within the Center that can be used to grow the next generation of financial professionals and ensure that our advisors reflect the diversity and inclusivity of MainStreet USA.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

DEI is an important component of the NAIFA 2025 strategic plan and promotes the goal of providing opportunities for financial security to all Americans NAIFA's DEI Council supports NAIFA's annual DEI Symposium that features top thought leaders on DEI in insurance and financial services.

Young Advisors Team

NAIFA's YAT program consists of advisors under the age of 40 or in their first five years in the business. The YAT program offers webinars, networking opportunities, and other resources for young advisors The YATs also assist with NAIFA's Future Leaders program designed to encourage students to consider careers in insurance and financial services.

682

TDC Webinar Participants

31

TDC Blog Posts

110

DEI Symposium Attendees

2022 TDC Sponsors

NAIFA's Apex Sales Summit: A Race to the Top

NAIFA's 2022 Apex event, held August 17-18 at the fabulous Arizona Biltmore, brought together top agents and advisors from around the country and those aspiring to join them. The pure-play professional-development meeting was a "race to the top," with leading professionals and thought leaders sharing production, sales, and marketing ideas.

2022 Apex Sponsors

414

Top-Performing Financial Professionals

Participated in Apex

2022 Apex Sponsors

NAIFA Builds Industry, Association, and Community Leaders

NAIFA's Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) is a six-month program for NAIFA members committed to intellectual and professional growth through deep introspection and discussion with peers. LILI's intense curriculum creates a unique learning environment that encourages participants to bring out the best in themselves and apply what is learned across every aspect of their lives.

LILI has been a NAIFA program for over a decade but is continuously evolving to meet the needs of NAIFA and its members. Graduates agree to a two-year NAIFA volunteer leadership commitment, and many continue in leadership positions long after their commitments end. LILI fills what would otherwise be a leadership void within the association, helps create leaders in the profession who move the industry forward, and promotes members' personal success.

LILI participants explore principles of leadership in a group setting guided by experienced moderators. Unlike other leadership courses, LILI is not an off-the-shelf commercially available program. It is created, reviewed, and continuously updated by NAIFA-member volunteers who have been through the LILI curriculum, understand the association and industry they are a part of, and are highly motivated and dedicated to LILI's and NAIFA's success.

LILI consists of six sessions:

The Impact of LILI

LILI has graduated more than 3,000 NAIFA members.

70% of LILI graduates report a measurable growth in their books of business during the year following graduation. Of eight current NAIFA members who ran for state legislatures or U.S. Congress during the 2022 election year, six are LILI graduates.

More than 95% of LILI graduates have completed or are completing their two-year association service pledge.

12 of NAIFA's past 15 National Presidents are LILI graduates.

Two NAIFA officers in line to be our 2024 and 2025 Presidents are both LILI graduates.

In recent years, more than 65% of NAIFA State Chapter Presidents have been LILI graduates.

In 2022 LILI won a Power of Associations Gold Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security

The NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security aims to grow the number of qualified and ethical insurance and financial advisors serving the U S public By increasing the pool of practicing advisors, the Foundation will advance financial literacy and promote financial security among all Americans with an emphasis on traditionally underserved populations.

The need for professional financial assistance is great at a time when the ranks of qualified, ethical financial professionals are shrinking. The NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security promotes and supports the recruitment of the next generation of advisors to serve diverse and under-served Main Street communities across the United States.

The Foundation awards Diversity Scholarships to current or recently graduated college students who are members of under-represented populations in the industry. A scholarship for honorably discharged U.S. military veterans is also in the works.

2022 NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security Diversity Scholarship Recipients

Gregory Jean Baptiste and Brooke Bastiaans-Brooks

The NAIFA Foundation is working to change some of the grim statistics about financial literacy.

66% of American adults cannot pass a basic financial literacy quiz.

More than 40% lack retirement accounts.

Fewer than 50% have emergency savings.

Fewer than 30% have financial plans in place.

Fewer than 20% use the continuing services of financial professionals.

Source: FINRA's National Financial Capability Study

NAIFA Members Stand Out in a Competitive Marketplace

MembershipinNAIFAshowsthataproduceriscommittedtohisorherprofessionalsuccess.The pledgetoabidebyNAIFA'sCodeofEthicsmeansthattheyworkintheirclients'bestinterests.

NAIFAmembersarepassionate aboutachievingpeakperformanceandservingtheinterestsoftheir clientsandcommunitiestothe bestoftheirabilities.NumerousNAIFAprogramshighlightthegreat workourmembersandtheircompaniesaredoing.

ConsumerAwareness

NAIFA’sconsumer-facingwebsite,financialsecurity.org,featuresaFind-an-Advisortoolthatallows NAIFAmemberstopresentthemselvestopotentialclientsdifferentiatedbytheirpractice specialtiesandgeographiclocations. NAIFA’sCodeofEthicsisasetofprinciplesthatresonates withconsumersandthatallNAIFAmembersagreetoabideby.Asakeypoint,itincludesthe requirementthatNAIFAmembersactintheirclients’bestinterests.

VolunteerandLeadershipOpportunities

NAIFAencouragesvolunteerismamongmembersandanoverwhelmingnumberofmembersserve asleadersintheindustry,theirassociation,otherorganizationsandcharities,andtheir communities.NAIFAoffersmanyopportunitiesformemberstodistinguishthemselvesby

Servinginnationalorchapterleadershiproles

AuthoringarticlesforNAIFApublications

AppearingonNAIFAwebinarsorpodcasts

SpeakingatNAIFAevents

SpeakingonbehalfofNAIFAinfrontofotherorganizations,legislators,orregulators

NAIFA Award Winners Are Among the Best of the Best

NAIFA's annual awards differentiate the best of the best among NAIFA members. They recognize and honor NAIFA members doing great work in the profession, within our association, and in their communities. Many NAIFA chapters offer awards to exemplary NAIFA members at the state and local levels. We celebrate NAIFA's national leaders and award recipients at the annual National Leadership Conference and Belong event.

NAIFA Awards

NAIFA Quality Awards, the hallmark for outstanding client care, recognize the top NAIFA producers in multiple practice specialties based on production, client service, and adherence to NAIFA’s high ethical standards.

The Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award honors a NAIFA member who shows exemplary service to their profession, colleagues, clients, and community through political advocacy and contributions to NAIFA’s IFAPAC.

The Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year is a NAIFA member under the age of 40 who has shown extraordinary commitment to serving NAIFA and the insurance and financial services industry in leadership positions.

The NAIFA Diversity Champion is a NAIFA member recognized for exceptional efforts to promote the full and equal participation of diverse people in the insurance and financial services industry and to work with underserved communities.

Advisor Today Magazine’s 4 Under 40 Awards, sponsored by NAIFA’s flagship publication, recognize advisors who have achieved professional excellence and shown outstanding commitment to serving their clients, colleagues, and communities.

2022 Advisor Today 4 Under 40 Award Winners

Presented by NAIFA's Advisor Today magazine, the 4 Under 40 Awards recognize highly motivated, well-rounded NAIFA members under the age of 40 who have achieved extraordinary professional success relatively early in their insurance and financial services careers.

The 2022 Advisor Today 4 Under 40 are: Scott Blake, MBA, of Blake Wealth Partners (Northwestern Mutual) in Columbus, OH, loyal member since 2018; Eric Bottolfsen, MBA, of GoldBook Financial (MassMutual) in Scottsdale, AZ, loyal member since 2017; Matthew Daley, MBA, FSCP, LACP, LUTCF, of the Daley Agency (American National) in Miller Place, NY, loyal member since 2018; and Brett Moore, CFP, of RBM Wealth Management Group (LPL Financial) in Newnan, GA, loyal member since 2015.

2022 YAT Leader of the Year Jeff Chernoff

The NAIFA Young Advisor Team (YAT) Leader of the Year Award recognizes a NAIFA member who early in their career has made extraordinary contributions to NAIFA's success.

Jeff Chernoff, M.S., LUTCF, LACP, Vice President of Insurance and Trust in Tampa, FL, and loyal member since 2011, is the 2022 NAIFA YAT Leader of the Year. He is the 2023 President of NAIFA-FL and Past President of NAIFA-Tampa Bay. As NAIFA-FL's IFAPAC Chair, he helped grow the chapter’s political action committee in both dollars raised and number of contributors.

2022 NAIFA Diversity Champion Christopher Gandy

NAIFA created the Diversity Champion Award to recognize exceptional efforts to promote the full and equal participation of diverse people within the insurance and financial services profession.

The 2022 NAIFA Diversity Champion is Christopher Gandy, LACP, Founder of Midwest Legacy Group (OneAmerica) in Lisle, IL, loyal member since 2003. A renowned thought leader in the industry, he has been a featured speaker at events including the Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance Conference and the NAIC Insurance Summit.

2022 Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Robert Miller

The Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award recognizes a current NAIFA member who shows exemplary service to their profession, colleagues, and clients through their political advocacy and contributions to IFAPAC. It is named for past NAIFA President Terry Headley, LUTCF, LIC, FSS, who has exhibited a long, distinguished record of service to NAIFA and IFAPAC.

Robert A. Miller, M.S., M.A., Partner at MillerPomerantz Insurance and Financial Services in New York City, loyal member since 1983, is the recipient of the 2022 Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award. A NAIFA Past President, he is recognized, along with award namesake Terry Headley, as an IFAPAC Co-Commander-in-Chief based on his lifetime contributions to NAIFA’s political action committee.

2022 John Newton Russell Memorial Award Recipient Harry Hoopis

The John Newton Russell Memorial Award is the highest honor accorded by the insurance industry to a living individual who has rendered outstanding services to the institution of life insurance. The selection committee consists of representatives of the nine leading organizations in the life insurance and financial services industry. NAIFA serves as the award's custodian and the NAIFA President and the Selection Committee Chair present the award at NAIFA's annual Belong awards celebration.

The 2022 recipient of the 81st annual John Newton Russell Memorial Award is Harry P. Hoopis, CLU, ChFC, Chief Executive Officer of the Hoopis Performance Network and a renowned entrepreneur, leader, and speaker, a loyal member since 1978. Over his 40-year career, Hoopis built one of the largest and most successful financial services firms in the world in Chicago. He has been honored with Northwestern Mutual’s prestigious Dennis Tamcsin Career Achievement Award, was awarded the Master Agency Award every year since its inception, received the Robert Templin Award for his many contributions to management development, and is the recipient of NAIFA-Chicago’s Leadership in Life Award.

NAIFA's National Leadership Conference & Belong Gala Celebration

NAIFA's annual National Leadership Conference and Belong Awards Gala celebration highlights the best of the best among NAIFA members: Our volunteer leaders and awards recipients. The 2022 event at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., featured the election and swearing in of NAIFA's 2023 national leaders and awards presentations.

More than 500 NAIFA Leaders and Members

Attended the 2022 NLC & Belong Gala

Advisor Today: NAIFA's Media Platform

Advisor Today is NAIFA's flagship publication, the Lifestyle Magazine for Today's Modern Advisor. The magazine publishes a print issue three times annually mailed exclusively to NAIFA members with additional blog articles posted on the Advisor Today online platform. In 2022, the Advisor Today brand expanded to include podcasts and webinars. Advisor Today brings financial professionals exciting content, where they want it, when they want it, and in the format they choose.

Advisor Today Webinars featured presentations by top thought leaders in the insurance and financial services business, including Dave Resseguie of the Resseguie Group, Coach and Author Simon Reilly, and Luke Acree of ReminderMedia.

6 AT Webinars in 2022

783 Registered Participants

Advisor Today blog posts feature profiles of successful NAIFA members, NAIFA and industry updates, and regular columns by industry veterans.

252 AT Blog Posts in 2022

77,852 Weekly email subscribers

Advisor Today Podcasts are hosted by NAIFA Trustee and top OneAmerica Producer Chris Gandy and NAIFA VP of Marketing & Communications Suzanne Carawan. Interviews highlight and provide insights from some of the top professionals in the business.

15 AT Podcasts in 2022

61,598 Downloads

NAIFA's Social Media Presence in 2022

10,740 followers | 10,714 page views | 5,294 unique viewers | 516 custom button clicks | 778 comments |

1,719 reposts | 12,563 reactions

1,119 subscribers | 182 videos published | 190,200 views | 5,300 hours of watch time

13,800+ followers | 443 Tweets | 671,3000+ Tweet impressions | 690 mentions

1,115 followers | 791 posts

6,700+ followers | 989 posts

NAIFA in Earned Media

NAIFA is a trusted source and subject of interest for influential media outlets. The association appeared in more than 225 stories in more than 88 media outlets in 2022, including Barron's, Broker World, Financial Advisor, Forbes, InsuranceNewsNet, InvestmentNews, and Politico

47 Press Releases Issued

26 Press Releases Distributed Through PRWeb