NAIFA is pleased to announce that LPL Financial has accepted the use of the Life and Annuities Certified Professional (LACP) certification for use by agents and advisors who it works with. The LACP demonstrates a professional knowledge of life and annuity products and an ethical approach to sales.

LPL Financial’s decision will allow advisors to list the LACP certification behind their name and use the LACP mark in promotional materials to differentiate themselves in the financial services marketplace.

“This is a great opportunity for independent advisors working with LPL Financial to show their colleagues, clients, and consumers that they are knowledgeable and experienced in the life insurance and annuities space while maintaining high ethical standards,” said NAIFA President Tom Michel, LACP. “The LACP highlights the knowledge and skills that make us so valuable to our clients.”

The LACP certification is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and complies with the NCCA’s rigid Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. The LACP certification is officially listed in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) professional designations database, one of only eleven accredited certifications and designations of the hundreds listed with FINRA.

“The industry is recognizing that the LACP certification signifies professionalism, trustworthiness and expert knowledge – all characteristics consumers should look for in a financial professional,” said NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux. “The LACP is a benefit to those professionals who are able to achieve it and to the clients they serve. It enhances the personal brand of professionals providing annuities and other life insurance products to clients.”

In addition to LPL Financial, the LACP has received approval from other companies, including American National Insurance Company, Ameritas, Cambridge Investment Research, Country Financial, Guardian, Kansas City Life, Lincoln Financial, MassMutual, Nationwide, New York Life, OneAmerica, Principal Financial, Prudential, Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of NY, State Farm, The Advisor Group (which includes FSC Securities, Royal Alliance, SagePoint, Securities America, and Woodbury Financial), The Leaders Group, and Western & Southern.

The consumer-education nonprofit Alliance for Lifetime Income (ALI) recognizes the importance of the LACP and features holders of the certification in its public information campaigns. NAIFA works with ALI to educate the public and policymakers about the importance of financial products that provide lifetime incomes and the risk many Americans face of outliving their savings during retirement.