From the 1980s through the early 2000s, many advisors and brokers dreamed of having more help with critical yet time-consuming tasks like proof of insurance and minor claims processing. We mused, “If only I had help with those tasks, I could spend more time focusing on high-touch customer service and sales.”

Today, digital innovations are streamlining much of the way carriers and their representatives conduct and generate business. These innovations are precisely the help we wished for.

So why do many in our industry resist digital advances like customer self-service and apps?

Meet Marti Mongiello, a professional chef whose career started with a “no.” Mongiello wanted to join the U.S. Air Force, and despite scoring on the top 95 percentile on the ASVAB, was denied due to an incident in his history. Mongiello ended up signing on with the U.S. Navy as a chef and his career took off from there. Now Mongiello is a successful chef, with career highlights that include military service, and being a chef for the President at the White House, entrepreneur, and business coach. He not only built success through his cooking but also developed other skills, such as learning six languages. Throughout his career, Mongiello developed multiple strategies for success, built through his successes and experiences.

Patricia (Trish) May is a third-generation NAIFA member and the Young Advisor Team (YAT) Chair for NAIFA-PA. May and her sister, Carina Hatfield, followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather and now run Weigner Insurance.

As a child, May thought the world of insurance was boring. With her father in the office and her mother raising the children at home, on Take Your Child to Work Day, May chose to stay home and help her mother clean rather than spend time at her father’s office. However, May’s opinion changed in adulthood, as she realized the importance of insurance and financial planning. 

Congratulations to NAIFA member Andy Dalka for being hired by Union Bank & Trust as vice president – business development officer in its Retirement Plan Services department. This NAIFA-Nebraska board member’s success is due to his plethora of successful experience in the financial services industry, and his experience with leadership roles, such as being the regional vice president of Nationwide and Ameritas.

If you missed this year’s Advanced Practice Center Impact Week, don’t worry! We have everything you need to know on-demand. Check out our 10, one-hour sessions with industry experts, including: 

• Kathleen W. Bilderback on the effect of low-interest rates on acquisitions, third-party sales, management buy-outs, and family business succession 
• Stacey McMahan on comprehensive succession and exit planning 
• Scott McHenry and Andrew Rinn on the role of life insurance in a qualified retirement plan 
• Diane Boyle on NAIFA advocacy and topics of interest to NAIFA members 
• Howard Sharfman on ideas to grow your business at each stage of your career 
• Robert B. Wellendorf on life insurance in the business marketplace 
• Frank W. Seneco and R. Wesley Sierk on PPLIs and CICs 
• Steven J. Beatty on why business owners need life insurance 
• Daniel M. Zugell on trends and opportunities for the modern ESOP 
• Joel Solomon on the importance of consistency in your practice 

What’s the next big frontier in financial planning? 

EveryIncome founder and CEO Ted Mekonnen answers this question and many others on The 401k Study Group podcast. Mekonnen and host Chuck Hammond discuss the role EveryIncome can play in any financial strategy.   

Joseph Chalom, CLU, RICP, LUTCF, LACP, President of Retirement Council, Inc., based in Coral Springs, FL, fondly recalls relationships forged with clients over decades of service.

“Sometimes in this business, you just need a friendly voice and clients are often that friendly voice,” Chalom said. “Many longstanding clients always take my calls, and I would always take their calls. Every advisor needs that client who is receptive and open to them when they need a lift themselves.”

Congratulations to NAIFA member Maureen Kirschhofer who won the W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award for this year at the International DI Society Conference.

For Net Worth Asset Management in Lansdale, PA, becoming a NAIFA 100% Agency was not a hard decision. “You put up or shut up,” said Managing Partner Drew Shumski, LUTCF, RFC, MDRT, a loyal member since 1998. And being a NAIFA member is how advisors show their professionalism and dedication to their business and clients.

NAIFA is pleased to announce that Retirement Council, Inc., in Coral Springs, FL, has become a NAIFA 100% Agency. Under the membership program, Retirement Council, Inc., has enrolled all of its advisors as NAIFA members and enrolled them in NAIFA’s grassroots advocacy programs.