NAIFA is pleased to recognize two Diversity Champions for 2025: Danny O’Connell, LACP, of Dallas, Texas, and Christopher Potts, Sr., of Rock Hill, South Carolina. O’Connell and Potts will be honored along with other NAIFA award recipients at the 2025 Belong awards dinner on October 14 in Arlington, Virginia.

NAIFA’s Advisor Today is pleased to announce the winners of its annual 4 Under 40 awards: Nicholas Limongelli, CLU, of NAIFA-New York; S. Grayson Owen, CLU, REBC, of NAIFA-Georgia; Carson Porter, CFF, FSS, RICP, LUTCF, CHLU, of NAIFA-Nevada; and Rachel Sayyad of NAIFA-Maryland.

The Financial Times is inviting NAIFA members to attend (in person or virtually) its full-day conference, Guiding Generations: The Future of Estate Planning, presented by FT Live and Financial Advisor IQ in partnership with Trust & Will, taking place October 23, 2025, in New York and online. The event is free to all financial professionals. NAIFA is a supporting partner. 

Uncertainty is not new, but for clients nearing or in retirement, financial volatility can create unique challenges. In his recent Journal of Financial Service Professionals article, John N. Migliaccio, PhD, RFG, FGSA, MEd, draws on lessons from past disruptions including the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how advisors can help clients reframe risk and focus on what truly drives financial decision making.

New findings from the Alliance for Lifetime Income’s 2025 Protected Retirement Income and Planning Study show that financial strain is leading many Americans to sacrifice their own retirement savings and economic well-being in order to support loved ones.

According to the study (now in its seventh year), nearly half of all consumers surveyed said they have made financial sacrifices for family members: 17% of consumers surveyed said they support adult children 26 and older; 10% support grandchildren and 7% support parents or in-laws. More than half say that their financial support affects their retirement savings.

Despite this, only 28 percent reported speaking with a financial professional about the impact on their long-term financial plans.

The Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), signed into law by President Biden in January 2025, eliminated two long-standing rules—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These rules had reduced Social Security benefits for over 3 million public employees, like teachers, police officers, and other government workers, who also received pensions from jobs that didn’t pay into Social Security. WEP reduced their personal benefits, while GPO reduced spousal or survivor benefits. The repeal applies retroactively to benefits starting in January 2024. David G. Freitag, CLU, ChFC, CRPC, and Bruce A. Tannahill, JD, CPA, AEP, discuss the implications for financial professionals and their clients in the current issue of the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.

NAIFA is proud to announce that Shane Westhoelter, AEP, CLU, LUTCF, LACP, the Founder and CEO of Gateway Financial Advisors, LLC., Gateway Insurance Group, Inc, and Gateway Insurance & Financial Services, LLC in Albuquerque, N.M., is the 2025 recipient of NAIFA’s Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award.

Cognitive decline is one of the greatest challenges individuals and families may face, with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia bringing lasting impacts on health, finances, and caregiving. For financial professionals, understanding the role of lifetime long-term care coverage is essential to guiding clients through this difficult journey.

Small business owners often make critical decisions based on instinct or short-term needs, while larger companies lean on dedicated data analysis teams. Yet, as Kevin Tacchino, MSTFP, points out in his recent Journal of Financial Service Professionals article, even the smallest businesses are quietly collecting valuable data through their websites, sales systems, inventory tools, and customer relationships. The challenge is not in gathering the data, it’s in using it wisely.

The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is thrilled to announce that Richard “Rick” Demko, CLU, ChFC, RICP, AEP, LUTCF, LACP, has been named the 2025 Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. This award celebrates outstanding leadership, dedication, and impact within the financial advisory industry, recognizing individuals who exemplify the highest standards of excellence.