Members Blog

The difference between the financial advice you’re likely to receive from mainstream financial “gurus” and the customized, math-based advice your retirement plan requires is what NAIFA member, David McKnight calls “the guru gap.” This is a gap into which hundreds of thousands of good investors unwittingly fall by embracing the flawed, math-be-darned retirement planning advice dispensed by America’s mainstream financial personalities.

 Join best-selling author, and industry thought leader David McKnight for one of his upcoming three webinars as he previews his upcoming book The Guru Gap: How America’s Financial Gurus Are Leading You Astray and How to Get Back on Track. 

Named one of the top 10 business speakers in North America in December 2023 by New York Tech, Marques Ogden provides NAIFA members an exclusive opportunity to connect with him each month. Join him for Wake Up Wednesdays on the first Wednesday of each month at 9 am eastern (next session is next week November 6th). Marques's sessions focus on being performance-driven, emotionally resilient, and leveraging discipline to accomplish more. He refers to this as the "pursuit of the unbreakable mindset." Through these sessions, Marques is committed to equipping participants with the knowledge they need to thrive.

We are #NAIFAproud to announce that we have presented 1,223 NAIFA Quality Awards for 2024. The NAIFA Quality Awards (NQA) have stood as the hallmark for outstanding client care in our industry since 1945. We especially thank our company supporters, Southern Farm Bureau, Modern Woodmen, and COUNTRY Financial. Check out the list of the 2024 Recipients now available online.

As part of November's Long-Term Care Awareness Month, NAIFA is kicking off the Peak 65 Series and starting with a virtual Impact Day to explore topics within lifetime healthcare. Join industry thought leaders and subject matter experts for a free, virtual TED-talk-style event that showcases our expanded Center that now covers topics such as: 

• longevity
• caregiving
• Medicare
• vitality
• extended care 

The expanded Center is also now looking for brand ambassadors! Are you a financial service professional who practices in an area that touches topics in lifetime health? If so, please let us know so that we can talk about how to get you more involved and part of the brain trust!

We are always looking for ways to help amplify the NAIFA brand, promote our members, and encourage more financial professionals to join our association. The number one thing you can do is to refer a new member to NAIFA. The easiest way to do this is to use the referral form to send names to the Membership department. We also have a new "Why I Belong" pdf that we can personalize with your photo and the top 5 reasons you choose to belong to your professional association. (Thanks to Joanna Dellosa and Paul Szkotak for volunteering to be first! Download their PDFs to see why they chose NAIFA.)

The 2024 election is only a handful of days away! Think you can predict the outcome? Try your luck with IFAPAC’s Election Game – whether you’re a professional prognosticator or taking a shot in the dark, with the polls being as close as they are, anything is possible!   

During the Membership Session of the National Leadership Conference, NAIFA Trustee and Membership Vice Chair Carina Hatfield announced the winning chapters from the Summer Membership Challenge. 

The NAIFA 2030 Strategic Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in September and is now available here.

The plan initially was drafted by a cross-section of NAIFA members, staff, and industry professionals who served on the strategic planning committee, then reviewed by a stakeholder review team, and enhanced by further feedback from NAIFA leaders, as well as NAIFA past presidents, general membership, and an internal staff team. 

If you attended the National Leadership Conference last month in Arizona, you were able to get a glimpse of some of the great things happening across NAIFA Nation. Even if you were not able to attend, don't worry! NAIFA membership is hosting a special a special session to review some of the latest and greatest programs and initiatives NAIFA has to offer. Join us on Monday, October 14th at 2 pm eastern. This session will provide tips, tools, and insights to close 2024 strong and set you up for success in 2025.

This October, we’re bringing back some of our Apex speakers for the Advisor Ambassador Accelerator Academy to enhance your professional skills. And get ready for a truly unforgettable experience as we welcome Hall of Fame speaker Walter Bond! Walter will empower you to elevate your career like never before. Don't miss this chance to learn from one of the best in the business!