When do we meet? When I was first starting, that question was music to my ears. It means the prospect was comfortable enough with me that we could sit down in person and I could potentially close the sale. But time marched on and technology changed, meaning it was no longer necessary to make a sale in front of everyone I spoke with. And as the generations changed, the desire, no, the need to meet clients to make the sale eye to eye has diminished.

Steve Bergee, LACP is a managing partner with E4 Insurance Services in Fargo, ND and a loyal member since 2009. Shortly after joining the industry 15 years ago, Bergee joined NAIFA at the encouragement of a friend and colleague. He has been an active member ever since. His participation in NAIFA provides both validation from his peers and an opportunity to benefit from the relationships he has with his fellow NAIFA members. “This is an organization of the best-of-the-best within the industry,” says Bergee. “To be able to include yourself in that group and to be able to tap their ideas and converse with them I think is really the value in the organization.”

NAIFA has teamed up with White Glove to present the webinar series: Hyper-Growth in a Hybrid Environment, September 13- 17th.  Each day will focus on a strategy to support advisors in prospecting and marketing. 

Since my last column, we have had some successes with the COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, and some additional difficulties with new variants such as the delta variant. The available vaccines do appear to be effective against the delta variant, but inoculated persons can still become infected. Usually, they do not require hospitalization. In this light, advisors should continue to be careful and use virtual means of communication with clients (Zoom, MS Teams, etc.) as needed.

How confident are you in your employee classifications and the process you use to categorize them? Do you really understand the differences between exempt vs. non-exempt classifications when it comes to your white-collar employees?

As an emergency medicine physician for 20 years, including the past 12 years working in a large, level 1 trauma center, Dr. Monica Williams has seen innumerable patients and families facing long-term care challenges. As the Medical Director for Advance Care Planning and End of Life Education for the third-largest community-owned hospital system in the United States, she has spent a portion of her career talking to doctors about how they can have effective advanced medical planning and end-of-life conversations with patients and families.

Adam Sachs, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, AIF, a Financial Advisor with Centinel Financial Group, LLC, was recently named NAIFA's Q2 Membership Hard Hat recipient. Adam is a loyal member since 1994 and is currently serving as Massachusetts Membership Chair. Working side by side with his membership team they mapped out an annual plan, complete with goals and expectations of the committee, and distributed it with much success.

Honoring its deep commitment to the communities it serves, our partner, OneAmerica®,, kicked off its eighth annual Week of Caring on August 30th. Associates will provide more than 1,800 hours of support to help nonprofits across the country address vital needs.

NAIFA is pleased to join our members and industry partners, including Life Happens, to commemorate September as Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM). Life insurance is a crucial part of a successful financial plan for many Americans. Unfortunately, many people are underinsured, leaving their families financially vulnerable.

Peer-to-peer lending (P2P for short), one of the newest and fastest-growing investment strategies, is a byproduct of the digital age.