PERSPECTIVES A Mark of Professionalism

From the President

By Thomas O. Michel, LACP

We educate advisors on advocacy, and we teach them how to advocate for their business. What makes NAIFA’s advocacy unique is that we understand it’s not just a once-a-year effort, but like any business relationship, is ongoing. NAIFA’s advocacy is truly grassroots. Policymakers know their NAIFA contacts’ advice ensures their decisions are based on qualified input. This trust results from our unique-to-theindustry grassroots advocacy training. It’s part of our integrated advocacy program, which also ensures NAIFA members are briefed on important issues through our GovTalk newsletter and receive updated materials and talking points on federal and state issues. Our well-trained and informed advocates meet policymakers on Capitol Hill, in statehouses and in-district, enhancing our relationships.

From the

President-Elect

By Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP

We’re not just improving — we’re overhauling. Between the vote to restructure NAIFA and COVID-19, we’ve reworked every program, product and service. Performance+Purpose is no exception. We’ve recreated the conference to exclusively offer professional development. All membership activities — from voting to business meetings to awards — are bundled into a new National Leadership Conference that will occur in-person in Washington, D.C., in December. This year’s P+P, while virtual, offers practical sessions led by experts to help advisors improve their practices, build their books of business and better serve clients. A new P+P platform provides an interactive experience, allowing us to do what we do best — get together and learn from one another.

Top companies see the value of NAIFA’s LACP certification.

By NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE

Membership in NAIFA shows colleagues and clients that you are committed to being the best you can be in your business. It shows a dedication to professional development and success.

NAIFA’s Life and Annuity Certified Professional (LACP) certification recognizes the need for NAIFA members to further differentiate themselves. The LACP is a fully accredited certification that shows consumers and colleagues an agent or advisor has solid experience and understanding of life insurance and annuity products.

It’s a mark of professionalism held by many leading insurance and financial advisors, including NAIFA President Tom Michel, LACP, (loyal member since 1986), President Elect Lawrence Holzberg, LACP, LUTCF, (loyal member since 1990), and eight other members of the NAIFA Board of Trustees.

Every LACP recipient adheres to NAIFA’s Code of Ethics, including the requirement to put their clients’ interests first. The LACP is one of only nine accredited certifications recognized by FINRA.

An impressive group of companies and broker dealers has specifically approved the LACP for use by producers they work with. These include: American National Insurance Company, Ameritas, Cambridge Investment Research, Cetera Financial Group, Country Financial, Guardian, Kansas City Life, Lincoln Financial, LPL Financial, MassMutual, Nationwide, New York Life, OneAmerica, Principal Financial, Prudential, Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of NY, State Farm, The Advisor Group (including FSC Securities, Royal Alliance, SagePoint, Securities America, and Woodbury Financial), The Leaders Group, and Western & Southern.

The LACP has gained the recognition of the leading professionals and companies in the business as well as consumers. See page 14 to learn more.