The Fortis Agency, headquartered in Holmdel, NJ, at the beautiful Bellworks Complex, recently hosted colleagues from outside the agency at a networking and discussion event focused on topics in advanced planning. Those in attendance included the agency's cofounders Christine Cox-West, Michael DeVizio, Michael Manginelli, and David West, proudly sporting their NAIFA membership pins. Guests included NAIFA Trustee Dennis Cuccinelli.

NAIFA is sad to learn that NAIFA-NC and NAIFA-Greensboro Past President Ernest “Ernie” Whichard, CLU, ChFC, passed away on April 12 in Marion, NC. 

Before retiring from Whichard Roach & Associates in 2016, Whichard served as President of the North Carolina and Greensboro chapters of NAIFA (then the National Association of Life Underwriters) and as a Board Trustee for NAIFA-National. He also served as President of the Kiwanis Club of Greensboro and the Greensboro Estate Planning Council.

When Bruce Palmieri, CLU^®, ChFC^®, CFP^®, applied for a life insurance policy in 1990, he didn’t expect to find a career—but that’s just what happened. His Northwestern Mutual advisor recruited him into the business and, over 30 years later, Palmieri is a stalwart of the insurance and financial services industry.

Serving Main Street USA

Palmieri primarily works with clients who are looking to retire soon and want to make sure they have their finances in order. He helps them plan for the future, delving into the details of their retirement accounts, employee benefits, life insurance, long-term care planning and more. By taking a holistic approach to each client’s unique circumstances, he’s able to help them build a strategy that works for them.

Join us on April 29, 2022, at 2 pm eastern for the special webinar "Compliance & Home Equity Conversion Mortgages."

NAIFA Trustee Jamie Hopkins Esq., LLM, CFP, ChFC, CLU, RICP, Managing Partner of Wealth Solutions at Carson Group, and Harlan Accola, CRMP, National Reverse Mortgage Director of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, will discuss how reverse mortgage loans are being used as a financial planning tool to maximize cash flow, reduce taxes, and minimize risks.

John Becker, MBA, CMFC, is a self-described people person and analytics nerd. It’s the perfect combination for a career that requires both empathy and financial acumen.

Getting Started

While studying for his MBA at the University of Florida, Becker knew he wanted a career in financial services. He considered becoming a financial analyst but decided against it. As an analyst, he would exclusively manage assets for high-net-worth individuals. He wanted to make an impact on Main Street Americans, so he decided to become a financial advisor instead.

Dr. Michelle Rozen is a game-changing, revenue-building, performance-boosting change expert and NAIFA is excited to bring her to the main stage for Apex 2022. Her extensive expertise on how change works in the human mind, captivating storytelling,  and actionable takeaways will leave a lasting impact. Michelle will kick off day 2 of NAIFA's Apex Sales Summit at the Arizona Biltmore on August 17-18.

If an agent working with people on Medicare is even somewhat successful at what they do, hundreds of people, if not thousands, will depend on them. The statistics are not merely numbers but hard facts that impact real people. For example, out of 100 clients, statistically, in the US, an estimated 40 out of 100 men and 39 out of 100 women will develop cancer during their lifetime. That means you are very likely to have the opportunity to help many of your clients deal with the financial impact of cancer. Knowing how Medicare will work for treatment and having a publication ready to share will show them that you are a qualified advisor. 

John (Jack) Hawk, LUTCF, FSS, LACP, learned the value of life insurance at an early age. When his mother was 3 months pregnant with him, his father was killed in a car accident. Hawk’s great-grandfather had passed three days earlier. As neither had life insurance, the family had to deal with financial uncertainty while grieving two devastating losses.

Hawk admits he got lucky—his mother remarried when he was a year old, and Jack and his siblings were raised in a middle-class household. “I was this close to that not happening,” he says. “We got this opportunity because of stepdad.”

When Bryan Nester created Nester Insurance in 2010, his mission was simple—to help people understand their insurance options and make the best choice for their unique situations. Nester Insurance started as a solo operation offering group health, life, and disability plans for businesses but expanded staff in 2016 to help shape the group benefits agency it is today.

I have been blessed to work with many personal development coaches over the years. I worked with John for the longest - about 5-6 years. John and I had bi-weekly coaching calls for 30 minutes. These calls are some of the most impactful calls I have each month. 

Early in our coaching relationship, I can vividly remember having one of those really negative days… you know those days where nothing seems to be going right?! One of those days where all you can see is the challenge… the adversity… the rejection… the negativity?!