United Wealth Advisors Group (UWAG) was founded in 2013 by NAIFA National Past President Keith M. Gillies, CFP^®, CLU, ChFC^®; Kim Allen, LUTCF; and Mark A. Cecil, CFP^®. Each ran his own independent firm within Ameritas, and the trio decided to integrate their practices to improve continuity and efficiency. Over the years, more firms have joined the fold. Now, UWAG has over 40 advisors in seven offices across six states. 

While each firm has its own specialty, they share a common focus on risk-based, comprehensive financial planning. UWAG President Brian Steiner sums up the company culture, saying, “Our whole mantra is ‘Better Together’. Our organization is built on collaboration and ‘do no harm'. We're a group that works collectively to serve the greater good.”

Loyal NAIFA-CA member Louis H. Brownstone, CLTC, proposes a new solution for long-term care insurance planning in a recent Broker World article. Brownstone is the owner of California Long Term Care Insurance. A NAIFA member since 2007, he is the Government Relations/APIC IFAPAC Chair for NAIFA-San Francisco Peninsula and a NAIFA Financial Security Advocate.

Congratulations, Louis. We're #NAIFAproud of your commitment and dedication to our industry.

Dale Handley is a financial planner with a mission: to provide peace of mind to clients through building comprehensive financial plans. 

Getting Started

Handley has been in the financial services industry since 2011. Growing up in small-town Iowa, he always had a head for numbers. When he got a college internship in investing, he knew he had found the right place. “I was really drawn to financial services because I felt like there is an incredible amount of noise in our industry,” he begins. “I wanted to help simplify that for people because I feel like it can be extremely confusing." He watched his parents trying to find answers to their questions about their finances, but not getting the help they needed.

Join us on March 17, 2022, at 2 pm eastern for the special webinar "Designing Insurance Solutions to Address Clients’ Macroeconomic Concerns."

The discussion will feature John C. Snider II, JD, AVP and Associate Counsel with the Advanced Markets Group at John Hancock. Snider will discuss inflation, rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, and other economic factors that affect Main Street Americans.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to help your clients find the right life insurance for their unique situation and how to plan for their long-term care needs. 

In 2022, Joe Simon, LUTCF, will celebrate 27 years in the insurance and financial services industry. He’s learned a lot in that time and is eager to share his knowledge and expertise with his community.

A Changing Industry

When Simon began working as a group health representative, the world of employee benefits was in a time of transition with the advent of managed care. Despite the changing landscape, Simon learned as he went and quickly rose through the ranks. He became a regional sales representative and worked with top brokerage firms before transitioning to being a broker himself. As a broker, Simon took a two-pronged approach, continuing to sharpen his skills with group benefits while simultaneously learning the ins and outs of executive benefits.

NAIFA is proud to welcome Underwriters Marketing Service, our newest NAIFA 100% agency!

Getting Started

When Mary Ann Lacey-Gray, CLTC, began working in 1965, there weren’t many career options for women. She joined the insurance and financial services industry as a secretary at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company (FFIC) and quickly rose through the ranks. Driven to succeed, she seized every opportunity she could to learn and grow. She took on more and more responsibility and soon became an area sales manager.

Jacqueline (Jacquie) Proffit is a financial advisor and marketing expert dedicated to making a difference in her community.

Getting Started

Proffit built her early career in marketing but decided after a decade that it was time for a change. That’s when she found her calling in financial services. She knew she needed to get her finances in order, so she attended a financial literacy seminar that taught financial skills from budgeting to planning for retirement. The experience made her realize the need for more financial education. “If more people only knew how to do money, the world would be such a different place,” she says.

Medicare has several enrollment periods that allow you to enroll in or change your Medicare benefits. For individuals transitioning into Medicare, it is important to understand which enrollment period will apply to their situation and the window that it creates. Failing to apply during the appropriate enrollment period can lead to lapses in coverage and lifetime financial penalties.

Let's look at the six enrollment periods in the Medicare program.

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

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.