In viewing the New Year already one month old, we as members of NAIFA have a number of areas of ethical focus as we begin to engage 2022. I thought a good beginning in reviewing these would be to take a brief review of the obligations of our NAIFA Code of Ethics for the new year, and how we have engaged these obligations. We’ll begin at the beginning with the first obligation.  

1) To help maintain my clients’ confidence and protect their right to privacy. 

At first reading, this may seem to be a small obligation, until we realize this means not to discuss our clients’ private financial matters, even among associates, unless done so in confidence. Like several other obligations, this seems to be a small matter, but it really isn’t.

Joanna Dellosa, LUTCF, FSS, RICP, CLU, LACP, a loyal NAIFA member since 2012, has fond memories of her father heading out to his office each day with his briefcase in hand. She recalls thinking at a very young age, “I want one of those, too. I’d look so professional with a briefcase.”

Her father was an insurance agent, and Dellosa’s early impressions of him created an image that influenced her career decisions later in life. “I had that idea in my head,” she said, “I am open to the idea of becoming an agent.”

NAIFA Trustee Christopher Gandy, LACP, was featured presenter at the NAIFA-NC chapter’s February virtual meeting. After presiding over the installation of NAIFA-NC’s 2022 Board of Directors, Gandy gave his presentation, “Your Best Year Ever.”

Drawing on his experiences as a professional basketball player and a highly successful financial professional, Gandy challenged agents and advisors to reach their highest levels of achievement. “You cannot do ordinary things and expect extraordinary results,” he said. “You have to do ‘the extra.’”

Cal Anderson, CLU, CFP, always knew he wanted to own his own business but wasn’t sure what field was right for him. After graduating from Valdosta State University, he joined MassMutual and learned everything he could about the insurance industry while working towards his CFP designation. After five years, he was ready to grow and joined an independent advisory firm, Financial Network Associates, which offered comprehensive financial planning services. In 2016, the firm’s owner, Bill Youngblood, retired and Anderson took over the business, officially becoming his own boss.

Whether you're a long-term care veteran or interested in expanding your practice, this webinar is for you!

Jamie Hopkins, ESQ., MBA, CFP, LLM, CLU, ChFC, RICP, Managing Partner of Wealth Solutions with the Carson Group in Villanova, PA, is a first-year member NAIFA's Board of Trustees, as the Carson Group touted in a recent press release.

Chadd Watson, LUTCF, RICP, is an unabashed people person with a passion for helping others achieve their goals.

Watson was born and raised in Utah. He spent his early career as a high school football coach and photography and multimedia teacher. After he started a family, however, he began looking for other opportunities and found one through a close friend who was a claims manager with State Farm. Watson wasn’t sure if insurance was a good fit for him at first. However, after he started talking to agents, he was impressed to find them genuine and caring, so he decided to give it a try. He became a State Farm agent in 2007. After five years, State Farm asked him to lead a team of agents in Northern Nevada, where he and his family have stayed since.

Throughout the month of February, NAIFA will be showing our appreciation for our members with articles on the Advisor Today platform and in social media posts. Our first print 2022 issue of Advisor Today magazine will mail exclusively to NAIFA members this month, with articles highlighting NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP, NAIFA award recipients, attendees of NAIFA’s National Leadership Conference and Belong event, and much more.

Please take the opportunity this month to share your love for NAIFA with fellow members, colleagues, clients, and consumers. Share our social media and blog posts or create your own! Tell everyone how NAIFA has strengthened our industry or helped your career.

I Love NAIFA Month is also our opportunity to express our love and appreciation for our members and the crucial work you do, providing financial security and opportunity for Americans in every community across the country. It’s our way of saying “thank you” for your membership and for doing your part to make NAIFA the leading association of insurance and financial professionals in the United States.

NAIFA-CT's Richard Terhune, a loyal NAIFA member since 2008, will present a special webinar on Thursday, February 3, 2022. The event will feature two real-life stories of the power of life insurance on the lives of families across the country.

Terhune and his client, Sara Mathews Dixon, were selected as recipients of the Life Happens' Real Life Stories program. When Sara's husband died unexpectedly, his life insurance policy protected her and their three children from financial hardship.

Don't miss this impactful and inspiring webinar on February 3, 2022, at 2 pm eastern.

Statistics show 96% of people over the age of 65, many of whom are your clients, are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. For decades, post-retirement medical expenses have been increasing faster than income growth. Therefore, when forecasting retirement expenses, it is important to keep up with the annual changes in Medicare costs and premiums.

Every November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) release the medical costs for Medicare Parts A and B for the upcoming year. This includes the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) for Parts B and D, as well as premiums, copays, and coinsurance associated with the Medicare program.