During a Crisis, You’re There for Your Clients, and NAIFA is Here for You

By Kevin Mayeux, CAE

Times of uncertainty and crisis shine a spotlight on the important roles insurance and financial services professionals play in protecting the financial security of 90 million American families. You provide the products, services and guidance that have helped many of these families through the COVID-19 outbreak.

Your work with clients ensures they have long-term plans, so their ultimate goals are not easily derailed, even by extreme volatility in the financial markets. You helped them establish emergency funds so they might endure a temporary loss of income or another financial setback. You provide health plans and limited and extended care options that have been crucial to so many Americans during this time. You have given them the ability to leave a legacy, so they can rest assured that their loved ones have a financially secure future, even when the present may be uncertain.

Above all else, you are providing your clients with the guidance and reassurance they need to navigate a very difficult time in their lives and help our country through a challenging time in history. As difficult as things have been, the situation would have been worse for millions of Americans if not for your efforts. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.

Naifa Is Here For You

The COVID-19 outbreak has also spotlighted the important work NAIFA does for the agent and advisor community. We approached this crisis with the determination to keep our members well informed and connected. We quickly established a resources toolkit with frequently updated information, including guidance from public health officials, tips for running a business and operating remotely during the pandemic, and updates on legislative and regulatory developments.

But NAIFA did not merely report on the actions of our government to address COVID-19’s impacts. Using our established advocacy influence and the prestige of our 130 years of success, we worked with lawmakers to help shape the response. We advocated for small business loans, relief from payroll taxes and greater flexibility for workers to access retirement plan funds, and all of these measures became part of the federal $2 trillion relief package. As always, we were working in your interest with state lawmakers and regulators, as well.

We also kept NAIFA members connected with each other and their professional association. Our online town hall meetings have provided an outlet for members to see each other and interact using Zoom teleconferencing technology. They have provided presentations from some of the leaders of our association and top producers in our industry who shared insights into how they and their practices are dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak while continuing to thrive professionally, recognizing opportunities, and serving the best interests of their clients and consumers.

We have adapted by making our NAIFA Live meetings and Big Ideas presentations completely virtual. Later this month, from May 19 to May 21, we will host NAIFA Nation Impact Week. Each day will feature virtual programs for agents and advisors, including a diversity and inclusion symposium, a legislative briefing, and messages from industry leaders and members of Congress.

Insurance and financial professionals make a real difference in their clients’ lives every day, bolstering their financial literacy, helping them mitigate life’s risks, preparing them for retirement and setting them up to leave legacies behind for future generations. During normal times, these efforts may almost escape our notice, only to become apparent in times of need.

The same may be said of your professional association. NAIFA is always here, working to protect your interests and those of consumers who rely on you, providing you access to top educational and professional development opportunities, and helping you network with the best in the business. But at a time of crisis, our work becomes even more apparent.

In good times and bad, I want to assure you that NAIFA has your back, and together, we can take on anything.