NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg and CEO Kevin Mayeux joined NAIFA-Greater Washington, D.C., members Brock Jolly (NAIFA Treasurer), Ryan Buck (chapter President), Paul Dougherty (NAIFA Past President), Randy Scritchfield (NAIFA Past Trustee), Brian Haney (NAIFA Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year) and others at this year’s NAIFA-GWDC Success Summit. Joining in from outside of NAIFA-GWDC were NAIFA Trustee Dennis Cuccinelli and past YAT Leader of the Year Carina Hatfield.

Mayeux spoke about how NAIFA is executing on its NAIFA 2025 strategic plan to grow membership, amplify the NAIFA brand, and enhance the membership experience. He also previewed the NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security focused on improving financial literacy in the United States by building a broader base of financial professionals by bringing more quality people into the profession. “We’re going to reach into diverse communities all across this country and bring more people who look like the broad tapestry of America into the profession,” he said.

Holzberg held a Q&A session with NAIFA members. He spoke of the advantages that NAIFA members have when it comes to surviving and thriving in the industry. NAIFA advocates on behalf of members and helps differentiate them from others in the industry, he said. The association also provides important connections that help NAIFA members enhance their careers and grow personally. “I’ve been honored to be in NAIFA for over 30 years,” Holzberg said. “If not for this association, I would not know as much as I have learned. Better yet, I wouldn’t have a network of people I can reach out to. In this area, Paul Dougherty, Keith Gillies in Louisiana, my good friend Tom Michel in California. I’ve developed a range of people and a network of friends who, one, are there for you because that’s what we do in our industry, and two, have helped educate me.”

Keynote speakers for the morning session were Dave Resseguie, the Founder and Chief Shepherd of The Resseguie Group and a contributing columnist for Advisor Today, and Megan Carpenter, CEO and Co-Founder of FiComm Partners, and Candice Carlton, the firm's Head of Advisor Education. 

Afternoon keynote speakers were Bill Acheson, a business and body language expert, and Morris Morrison. The presentation by Morrison elevated and inspired the crowd and provided a preview of his high-energy and motivational style that will be on display at NAIFA’s Apex sales summit at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, August 17-18.

Steve Cain is a self-described “LTC insurance nerd” dedicated to being a lifelong learner and advocating for Main Street USA.

Getting Started

A 25-year veteran of the insurance industry, Cain started his insurance career after playing two years of minor league baseball. When he returned home to Los Angeles, he took a temporary job providing support for a company specializing in long-term care (LTC) insurance. He learned about LTC from his job, but he learned its value from watching his mother handle LTC events for both of her parents. He saw the impact dealing with LTC without proper planning had on her and knew he needed to help families like his own.

Stephen Kagawa, FSS, LUTCF, founder and CEO of The Pacific Bridge Companies (TPBC), has a vision—to help families protect what they love through TPBC’s platform, Aloha Financial Advisors. As Kagawa explains, “Aloha Financial Advisors is all about doing good and having advisors who are rooted in their vision of a better world driven by their core values.”

Where It All Began

The story of Kagawa’s passion for reaching underserved communities goes back nearly a century. In 1933, his grandfather, Lawrence Takeo “L.T.” Kagawa, was disappointed to learn that life insurance companies either refused to write policies for people of color or demanded higher premiums than that of their Caucasian neighbors. He partnered with A.P. Giannini, founder of Bank of America and Transamerica, and helped bring affordable life insurance to all people of color.

John Raley, LACP, FSCP, CLTC, MBA, has served Main Street USA for over 40 years and looks forward to many more. 

Getting Started 

Fresh out of college, Raley knew he wanted to go into the insurance industry. There was just one problem—none of the insurance agencies were hiring new college grads. They wanted to hire established members of the community because that’s the way it had always been done. But Raley wasn’t deterred. When he interviewed with American Family Insurance, he said to the hiring manager, “If I was successful and I became a manager like you, basically you're telling me that you really don't have any control over who you hire, who you surround yourself with.” The hiring manager called Raley back the next day and offered him a job. Over 40 years later, Raley's still with the company that took a chance on him when no one else would. 

LIMRA and Life Happens have published the results of their 2022 Insurance Barometer Study. The new study surveyed 8,517 individuals and shows two key trends: life insurance is key to financial security and gender gaps extend to life insurance coverage.

Financial Security with Life Insurance

While financial insecurity affects all age groups, more life insurance owners (68%) report feeling financially secure than non-owners (47%). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic had increased awareness of the need for life insurance and 31% of those surveyed say they are more likely to buy life insurance this year.  

Many webinars and courses for financial advisors regularly talk about how to attract new clients. And while this is logical, it made me think: Instead of looking for new clients, why don't financial advisors create meaningful relationships with their HNW client's adult children? So, when their parents retire, they choose to keep them as advisors instead of finding someone new.

But you'll be surprised to know the statistics regarding advisors doing this. I've been polling advisors, and I hear 15-20% when I ask them how many of their HNW clients' adult children they have a meaningful relationship with.

Alex Parker is dedicated to serving everyday citizens and helping underprivileged youth in his community.

Parker started his financial services career with Northwestern Mutual in 2019, providing comprehensive financial planning for Americans in over a dozen states. He works primarily with young professionals, helping them navigate their finances and manage wealth. The best thing about his career, he says, is seeing the impact he has on his clients’ lives and helping them become financially secure.

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.