MAY 2016 | VOLUME 88 | NO. 9 A publication of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Dallas connections that count IN THIS ISSUE: 6 | 2016 NAIFA-Dallas Programs 7 | NAIFA IFAPAC 8 | Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM) 9 | NAIFA Quality Award 10 | 2016 LIAM Spokesperson, Danica Patrick 11 | Never Give Up 12 | “Invest in You” Campaign 13 | The Need for Insurance Industry Alignment 14 | 2015-2016 President’s Cabinet 15 | Thank You Sponsors and Exhibitors www.naifadallas.org NAIFA-DALLAS was founded in 1913 as the Dallas Association of Life Underwriters (DALU) S E C U R I N G A M E R I C A ’ S F I N A N C I A L F U T U R E 1 8 9 0 - 2 0 1 5 NAIFA-Dallas & TRIPLE CROWN SPONSORS present Registration: 9:00 am | CE: Interspersed from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Cash Bar, Dinner & Races : 5:00 pm until... see pages 4 & 5 NAIFA-Dallas Annual Event RACE FOR SUCCESS Friday, May 13, 2016 LONE STAR PARK Grand Prairie, Texas
Transcript
MAY 2016 | VOLUME 88 | NO. 9 A publication of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Dallas
connections that count
IN THIS ISSUE:
6 | 2016 NAIFA-Dallas Programs
7 | NAIFA IFAPAC
8 | Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM)
9 | NAIFA Quality Award
10 | 2016 LIAM Spokesperson, Danica Patrick
11 | Never Give Up
12 | “Invest in You” Campaign
13 | The Need for Insurance Industry Alignment
14 | 2015-2016 President’s Cabinet
15 | Thank You Sponsors and Exhibitors
www.naifadallas.org
NAIFA-DALLAS was founded in 1913 as the Dallas Association of Life Underwriters (DALU)
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NAIFA-Dallas & TRIPLE CROWN SPONSORSpresent
Registration: 9:00 am | CE: Interspersed from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Cash Bar, Dinner & Races : 5:00 pm until...
see pages 4 & 5
NAIFA-Dallas Annual Event RACE FOR SUCCESS
Friday, May 13, 2016LONE STAR PARKGrand Prairie, Texas
How can you help your clients make more informed decisions?
Tell them something they’ve never heard before.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS) 14990 Landmark Blvd. Suite 300 Dallas TX, 75254 214-346-0985. Securities products/services and advisory services are offered through PAS, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor. Financial Representative, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY (Guardian). PAS is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. This firm is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. |PAS is a member FINRA, SIPC|
The Living Balance Sheet® is a revolutionary financial model that helps you build a stronger relationship with your clients. As an exclusively authorized user of The Living Balance Sheet®, you’ll provide insight your clients have never
heard before. Give them a big-picture view of their finances. And help them make better decisions through every phase of their financial life.
To learn more, call Thomas Zanovich, CFS at 214-346-0985, or email [email protected].
Thomas Zanovich CFSManaging DirectorOpes One Advisors
DIRECTORSCONTENTS 3 | Officers, Directors and Staff
3 | Important Numbers
4 | Race for Success Schedule, 5/13/16
5 | Race for Success Registration and Sponsors, 5/13/16
6 | 2015-2016 NAIFA-Dallas Board
6 | 2016 NAIFA-Dallas Programs
7 | NAIFA IFAPAC
8 | Disability Insurance Awareness Month
9 | NAIFA Quality Award
10 | LIAM’s 2016 Spokesperson, Danica Patrick
11 | Never Give Up
12 | “Invest in You” Campaign
13 | The Need for Insurance Industry Alignment
14 | Karen’s Korner
14 | 2015-2016 President’s Cabinet
15 | Thank You Sponsors & Exhibitors
ADVERTISER INDEX 11 | DI Broker
8 | The DI Center
6 | The Fisher Agency
12 | Insurance Designers
7 | Insurmed Services
9 | Mutual of Omaha
11 | New York Life
2 | OpesOne Advisors/Guardian
7 | Rice & Rice, PC
12 | Southwest Bank
10 | State Farm
NAIFA–DALLAS Editorial and Advertising Office16990 Dallas Parkway, Suite 212 Dallas, TX 75248 972.991.2364 www.naifadallas.org | [email protected]
The Financial Advisor News is produced 10 times per year by NAIFA-Dallas. Annual subscription is $1.00 per year for members only. Subscription is included in the dues. Unless specifically stated, the publishing of an article or an advertisement does not imply endorsement by NAIFA-Dallas of either the views expressed or the products advertised.
Financial Advisor NewsFAN
Member InvolvementMary LyonsPersonal Economics Group214.624.5627 [email protected]
2016 Race for Success ScheduleFriday | May 13, 2016 | 9:00 am - 11:00 pm | Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie
In an increasingly litigious society (and with elevated estate tax exemptions) asset protection has become one of the most important aspects of financial planning. This course helps advisors attract and maintain wealthy clients by providing methods that make them bullet proof from liability, while allowing them to maintain complete control over all assets.
Adam M. Crum, JD is a fifth generation Texas attorney. He received his J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of Texas and licensed to practice law by the Texas Supreme Court. He conducts workshops for public and private audiences regarding estate planning and asset protection. He is a member of American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the Nancy Seaberry Frost Arts Endowment.
This CE covers mistakes made in beneficiary designations and how to avoid them. It details the consequences of improper beneficiary designations and covers recommended language to help protect the desires of the insured and their beneficiary.
Joseph Kane, CLU, ChFC, RFC, MBA is the President of the Personal Economics Group, an economics-based planning firm with offices in Austin, Waco, and Dallas. PEG’s focus is on helping clients through a process of financial education, which incorporates economics and financing fundamentals as applied to individuals and their personal economies. He is a believer in long-term relationships and an attitude of delivering service, value, and creative thinking to the firm’s clients.
This course will educate agents and brokers on several ways closely held business owners can either sell their interest to a co-owner, or transfer the business to a family member during life or at death. It is important for agents and brokers to understand various planning techniques, tax and funding implications, as the business may be the most valuable asset of their client. Case studies will be used to illustrate concepts.
Martin Gore, PhD, CLU, ChSNC, a native Scot, has worked in the financial services sector for over a decade and is currently Life Brokerage Manager with The Guardian Life Insurance Company for Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Martin specializes in Business and Estate Planning, Premium Financing, and Planning for Families with Special Needs. Before joining Guardian, Martin was Brokerage Director for MassMutual in North Texas.
The impending disappearance of strategies known as “file and suspend” and “restricting an application” could upend the financial plans of potentially millions of baby boomer couples. Joe Moklebust, an expert in the Social Security strategies and new rules, will help you navigate the changes and their impact on your clients’ Social Security plans.
Joe Moklebust, CRPC, joined Principal Financial Group in 1999 and has been active in the development of products and strategies to address the needs of Baby Boomers approaching retirement. Joe conducts training for Registered Representatives and presents client seminars throughout the United States. He received his Masters degree from the University of Iowa and has FINRA Security Licenses (Series 6, 7, 24, and 66).
Disabilities happen. And not just to those over 50. So with almost two-thirds of the U.S. population under 50, the opportunities to discuss income protection have literally never been better…if you know where to look. You’ll learn from where the generation “gaps” originate and how to attract younger clients that will stick with you for decades. And by helping them protect their paycheck, you’re protecting your relationship throughout their working careers.
Andra Grava, CLU, RHU is a General Agent and Branch Manager with Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. His agency is among the top five Ameritas agencies and has been #1 in DI production for the past 10 years. Andra is an active member in industry associations including NAIFA-Dallas, DAHU, GAMA, FPA, IDIS, and SFSP. He is a Past President of NAIFA-Dallas, DAHU, and TLRT. Andra speaks to industry and professional groups both locally and nationally on topics of Sales, Practice Management, and Disability Insurance.
10:00 - 11:00 am CLASS #1 in Alysheba Ballroom, Level 2 Adam M. Crum, JD and Anderson Estate Planning presentTDI# 104244 “Adding Asset Protection to Your Clients’ Estate Plans”
1:20 - 2:20 pm CLASS #3 in Alysheba Ballroom, Level 2 Joe Kane, RFC, CLU, ChFC and Personal Economics Group presentTDI# 104188 “Benefit to Beneficiaries”
2:40 - 3:40 pm CLASS #4 in Alysheba Ballroom, Level 2 Martin Gore, PhD, CLU, ChSNC and Guardian/National Life GroupTDI# 91564 present “Closely Held Business Transfer and Exit Strategies”
4:00 - 5:00 pm CLASS #5 in Alysheba Ballroom, Level 2 Joe Moklebust, CRPC and Principal Financial Group – North Texas presentTDI# 97114 “New Social Security Rules: Life After File and Suspend”
11:20 am - 12:20 pm CLASS #2 in Alysheba Ballroom, Level 2 A. Andra Grava, CLU, RHU and The DI Center presentTDI# 104327 “The New Disability Insurance Markets: Gens X, Y & Z”
9:00 am REGISTRATION OPENS | VISIT WITH EXHIBITORS
12:20 - 1:20 pm BOX LUNCH IN ALYSHEBA BALLROOM | VISIT WITH EXHIBITORS
5:00 pm TRIPLE CROWN SPONSOR DRAWINGS | NAIFA-DALLAS DOOR PRIZE DRAWINGS | CASH BAR OPENS6:00 pm BUFFET DINNER SERVED7:05 pm LONE STAR PARK RACING BEGINS
____ Tickets to CE Event @ $100.00 | I am staying for Dinner Yes No Block Tickets 10 tickets = $950.00Guest Ticket for Dinner & Races $60.00
Check (payable to NAIFA-Dallas) Charge (circle one) VISA MC AMEX Credit Card # ________________________________________________________ Expires on _____ / _____ Security Code __________MAIL TO: NAIFA-Dallas, 16990 Dallas Parkway, Suite 212, Dallas, Texas 75248 SCAN/EMAIL: [email protected] | ONLINE: www.naifadallas.org No refunds after May 11, 2016
NAIFA-Dallas Annual Event RACE FOR SUCCESS
Friday, May 13, 2016LONE STAR PARKGrand Prairie, Texas
REGISTRATION INCLUDES:
TOTAL PRICE = $100
+ Continuing Education (CE)+ Industry Trade Show with PRIZES+ Admission to Lone Star Park and free parking+ Refreshment Breaks, Lunch and Dinner for one + Evening at the Races
5/13 | NAIFA-Dallas Race for Success Lone Star Park (see pages 4-5)
6/23 | NAIFA-Dallas Luncheon & CE Celebration of Achievement Installation of 2016-17 Officers and Directors; Daniel Zugell, LUTCF, CLU, ChFC – ESOPs CE Sponsor: The DI Center
8/24 | President’s Cabinet Reception
8/25 | NAIFA-Dallas Luncheon & CE Paul Dougherty, 2016-2017 NAIFA National President
9/17- | NAIFA National Conference Las Vegas, NV
9/22 | NAIFA-Dallas Luncheon & CE
10/27 | NAIFA-Dallas Luncheon & CE
12/1 | NAIFA-Dallas Luncheon & CE
9/19
2015-16 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NAIFA-Dallas Mission StatementThe mission of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Dallas, Inc. (NAIFA–
Dallas) is to encourage and facilitate the professional growth of insurance and financial services providers, to promote their public image and foster the
highest ethical standards in all business relationships.
PREAMBLEThose engaged in offering insurance and other related financial services occupy the unique position of
liaison between the purchasers and the suppliers of insurance and closely related financial products. Inherent in this role is the combination of professional duty to the client and to the company as well.
Ethical balance is required to avoid any conflict between these two obligations.Therefore as a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors,
I believe it to be my responsibility:To hold my profession in high esteem and strive to enhance its prestige.
To fulfill the needs of my clients to the best of my ability.To maintain my clients’ confidences.
To render exemplary service to my clients and their beneficiaries.To adhere to professional standards of conduct in helping my clients
to protect insurable obligations and attain their financial security objectives.To present accurately and honestly all facts essential to my clients’ decisions.
To perfect my skills and increase my knowledge through continuing education.To conduct my business in such a way that my example might help raise
the professional standards of those in my profession.To keep informed with respect to applicable laws and regulations
and to observe them in the practice of my profession.To cooperate with others whose services are constructively related to meeting the needs of my clients.
Register securely online for all NAIFA events www.naifadallas.org
Attention: IFAPAC Contributors NAIFA is pleased to announce the launch of IFAPAC’s upgraded online contribution center.
CLICK HERE to contribute to IFAPAC
What is IFAPAC?The Insurance and Financial Advisors Political Action Committee (IFAPAC) describes collectively the PAC sponsored by NAIFA at the federal level and the PACs sponsored by each state association. Each PAC is a fund that supports the campaigns of candidates for public office who understand issues important to insurance agents and financial advisors.
IFAPAC’s goal is to help the associations advance the legislative and regulatory interests of the members of NAIFA. While any U.S. citizen can contribute to IFAPAC, only members of NAIFA may be solicited to do so. Contributions must be voluntary. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Of approximately 4,600 political action committees registered with the Federal Election Commission, IFAPAC ranks in the top tier. IFAPAC is the largest insurance PAC in the country. In the last election cycle, the national IFAPAC contributed approximately $1.8 million to federal candidates and committees.
Why IFAPAC?The IFAPAC network is needed even in years when there aren’t federal elections. The candidate evaluation and support processes go on all the time. PACs that have the resources to make contributions when candidates need them most are highly visible in the political arena. IFAPAC occasionally makes debt-retirement contributions following elections and some states hold elections in odd-numbered years.
On the national level, a panel of NAIFA members, appointed by the Executive Committee of NAIFA, determines which candidates for federal office will receive PAC contributions. This group is called the Candidate Selection Group. Input from state and local association officers and current contributors is vital to the ability of the group to make informed decisions regarding which candidates to support. IFAPAC encourages contributors to provide factual information on candidates.
Disability insurance is the most overlooked of the major types of insurance.
That’s likely because many people think a disabling illness or injury will never happen to them. But according to a Life Happens survey, a person has a 3 in 10 chance of suffering a disabling illness or injury that would keep them out of work for three months or more during their career.
That’s why each May Life Happens coordinates Disability Insurance Awareness Month. This campaign offers you the perfect opportunity to talk to people in your community about their disability insurance needs – at a time when it may already be on their minds. Life Happens offers you a wide range of tools and resources to make that job easier. Explore the different sections to find which materials are right for you.
Help support Life Lessons Scholarships
Donations to the Life Lessons Scholarship Program assist young people seeking a college education who are struggling financially because their parent died, leaving little or no life insurance.
The NAIFA Quality Award provides advisors at any career stage the opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to exceptional:
• Professionalism through education and earned designations
• Production measured by performance metrics customized for each practice specialty
• Adherence to the NAIFA code of ethics, and
• Service to your industry association.
Advisors specializing in Life & Annuities, Financial Advising & Investments, Health & Employee Benefits, Multiline Sales or any combination of these specialties have the opportunity to demonstrate the quality that is the mark of a true professional.
Deadline is May 31, 2016
CLICK HERE for the 2016 Quality Award Application (PDF)
CLICK ON Application Links Per Practice Specialty:
Life Insurance
Health and Employee Benefits
Financial Advising
MultiLine
Corporate Partners
Financial Advising and Investments NQA Letter (pdf )
CLICK HERE for 2015 NAIFA Quality Award Recipients
One award, the NAIFA Quality Award, reflects all the varied practice specialties of NAIFA members with a singular mark recognized by all. The NAIFA Quality Award is the mark of distinction to be recognized by not just your colleagues, but by your clients and companies. Be recognized for your commitment to excellence in service to your clients and your industry, in your pursuit of education and training and in your adherence to NAIFA’s Code of Ethics. It is time for all NAIFA members to display proudly the mark of NAIFA Quality.
If your practice spans more than one specialty area, the unique bonus mul tiplier credits allow you to build credit toward your production qualifications by combining production across specialties. A demonstrated commitment to professional education and association leadership also earns you qualification credit.
The NAIFA Quality Award is a continuation of the former NAIFA Industry Awards. Previous recipients of the NAIFA Industry Awards will carry over their years of achievement to the NAIFA Quality Award. Previous recipients of NAIFA’s National Quality Award and National Sales Achievement Award will find the NAIFA Quality Award Life Insurance and Annuities Qualification is comparable. Previous recipients of NAIFA’s National Multiline Sales Award will find the NAIFA Quality Award Multiline Qualification is comparable.
Membership RequirementsIn order to apply for the award an advisor must be a current NAIFA member by the closing of the application period, May 31, 2016. If your company will provide NAIFA a list of potential qualifiers, NAIFA will confirm the membership requirement. There is an application fee of $30 per application. NAIFA will coordinate with any company wishing to cover the application cost for your representatives.
Danica Patrick is the 2016 spokesperson for September’s Life Insurance Awareness Month
The aim at Life Happens is to remain on the cutting edge in this industry – to do the things you wish you could, but can’t (or compliance won’t allow). That’s why this year professional race car driver Danica Patrick was chosen as the spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM).
In the past, celebrities have told their stories of loss. This year is something different – and very exciting – to reinforce the message that living without life insurance is a risk you don’t have to take. Danica takes risks as part of her job, but has had life insurance since the beginning of her career.
It’s great to hear what a passionate advocate she is, and she said: “I’m excited to inspire people to stop taking unnecessary risks and get the life insurance coverage they need.”
The Life Happens website offers a full suite of LIAM resources including a wide range featuring Danica and her message, in print, video and for social media.
NASCAR is now the biggest spectator sport in the country. To have Danica as a spokesperson for LIAM is great honor and a “win” for you as you ramp up your LIAM plans.
Life at 200 Miles an Hour withDanica Patrick
NAIFA Members are:
» Insurance Agents
» Financial Advisors
» Multiline Agents
» Health Insurance and Employee Benefits Specialists
» Both Captive and Independent Advisors
» New to the Business, Industry Leaders and Everyone in Between
NAIFA is the only organization serving and representing insurance and financial advisors regardless of the products they sell or the focus of their practice. NAIFA is your professional association, and its focus is to protect your business, help you grow your business and promote ethical business conduct.
NAIFA: IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER
“NAIFA is the chance to interact with some of the most successful people in the industry. NAIFA is the opportunity to engage with those people. We learn from each other and understand we share some of the same challenges, but also that we can share in the same successes.”
Paul R. Dougherty, LUTCF, FSSHyattsville, MDNAIFA MEMBER SINCE 1999
877-866-2432 • WWW.NAIFA.ORG
NAIFA HELPS YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS ...................2With more than 50 professional programs and products designed to enhance skills and provide value-added business services, NAIFA provides the resources you need to succeed – at every stage of your career!
NAIFA PROTECTS YOUR BUSINESS.............................16Your products and your business are at risk now more than ever. NAIFA membership is the best insurance you can buy to protect your business.
NAIFA PROMOTES THE ETHICAL CONDUCT OF OUR MEMBERS ....21Consumers know working with a NAIFA member means working with professionals who adhere to the highest standards in the industry.
NAIFA: IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER» NAIFA Helps You Grow Your Business
» NAIFA Protects Your Business
» NAIFA Promotes the Ethical Conduct of Our Members
Studies show that producers who regularly offer Disability Insurance to their clients also sell more life insurance than those who don’t. Almost 50% more according to a survey conducted by a large mutual company; surprisingly, less than 10% of producers claim to regularly offer DI. Just saying…
Disability and Long Term Care Products & Services
Howard S. Hanger, RHU, LTCP 5001 Spring Valley Rd. #400E
The Frisco office is growing, and New York Life was voted the #2 best place to work in the Dallas area among mid-sized companies by Dallas Business Journal.
Same Industry – Different ImageContact Will Pearce to inquire about potential opportunities
A solid base for success is perseverance. Dismissed from a major newspaper with the advice to try something else because he had no talent, a young man considered giving up – but he didn’t. His name... Walt Disney.
Another young man who loved flying, crash-landed the first two times he soloed and, the third time, he flew head-on into another aircraft. Give up? Not Admiral Richard Byrd!
Author Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame, wrote and tried to market 40 stories before he sold one.
The Golden Arches are a universal sign recognized throughout the world. Ronald McDonald is a household name. The result of talent? Perhaps. But more than that, it is the result of the motto adopted by McDonald executives: “Press on!”
Yes, a solid base for success is perseverance.
The great triumphs of your sales career will be the rewards of your persistence. Never depend on your genius to carry you. If you have talent, improve it. If you have none, develop it, but do not depend on it. The rewards of selling are the results of persistence.
Perseverance, not genius, separates winners from the losers in selling. Sixty percent or more of your selling time is spent in a negative environment. Three of every five prospects you call on will likely deflate your ego. It’s perseverance that serves you in such a climate.
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!” – Cyrus Hall
MAY 2016 | FAN | 12
Leverage NAIFA’s ‘Advisors You Can Trust’ Consumer Campaign for Membership Marketing
“Invest in You (Because We Do)” Targets NAIFA Members, Prospects
The consumer campaign under way in 2016 will be utilized for membership marketing with messages to members and prospects that the campaign is NAIFA’s investment in who they are and what they do.
NAIFA Members are Trusted Advisors.
Additional messages:
• NAIFA’s branding efforts in the consumer market uniquely benefit members who are up-to-date on their membership status and profile. Membership means consumers are able to find them in the Agent Locator tool, a key part of the consumer campaign.
• Members will benefit from NAIFA’s consumer campaign because it raises awareness of the importance and impact of financial advice amidst a retirement crisis in America.
• The consumer campaign provides NAIFA members with tools, messages and strategies to help market their services to clients and prospects.
Raising awareness among members and prospects of these strengths provides an opportunity to build greater support and positively impact membership growth.
With 20 years of underwriting experience we could be the difference in placing the case or not. We are here for you!
Locate a NAIFA advisor today at www.ADVISORSYOUCANTRUST.org
* According to Employee Benefits research institute, 2015, 84% of Americans say saving enough for a “traditional retirement” is unrealistic.
TRUST YOUR FUTURE W I T H A NAIFA ADVISOR
Most Americans believe they’ll never be able to save enough for a comfortable retirement.*
Members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) are committed, licensed professionals who adhere to a code of ethics that’s about honesty and integrity.
On a lot of matters [insurance companies] tend to have very different messages right now... they still should be speaking with one voice. – Senior Staff, Senate Committee (R)
The Need for Insurance Industry Alignment
National Journal Research on Leading Organizations in Washington: National Journal Research included NAIFA in a study of 100 prominent organizations engaged in Washington advocacy, including 47 associations. National Journal Research collected over 10,000 survey responses and 300 interviews during 2015.
NAIFA Plays a Unique Role:A Convener of Authentic Industry VoicesIt’s a slam dunk for any independent or small advisor... Speaking with one voice, coalition building, the political connection. It’ s a combination that makes an association such as NAIFA more effective. – Deputy Staff Director, House Committee (D)
NAIFA brings individual prominent businesspeople to build those relationships with Members of Congress. They are able to personalize arcane and abstract issues with the Member. – Senior Staff, Insurance Company (NA)
They are greater as a whole than the sum of their parts. I can speak to events where NAIFA were the only ones to have a [representative} from that state. NAIFA is a big gun... very good reputation.– Senior Executive, Insurance Company (R)
A Relied Upon ResourceThey were really helpful in projecting outcomes and relevant data and analyses. Their grassroots advocacy is strong. Their engagement is professional, informative, substantive. It certainly informed my opinion. – Senior Advisor, Senate (D)
They took a balanced approach... NAIFA very much stands out in that regard.– Senior Policy Advisor, Senate (D)
A Leading VoiceNAIFA is effectively managing the gaps. They are doing a good job of branding and leading the message; that would speak to them as an industry standard in that sector. – Chief of Staff (R)
They‘re generally more sophisticated than the other independent agent groups. – Senior Leader, Executive Branch (D)
The Grassroots FactorNAIFA demonstrated strong Grassroots compared to peers, outperforming financial services associations, its corporate partners, and corporations included in the study.
National Journal Research defines Grassroots as the extent to which an organization is actively supported by individual stakeholders (employees, members, and/or the public) who directly contact policy leaders to advance the organization’s priorities.
NAIFA has the highest Unified Voice score among its comparison group: financial services associations.
MAY 2016 | FAN | 14
KAREN’S KORNERKaren H. True | Executive Vice President
This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, “It’s okay honey, Mommy’s here.”
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end
soothing crying babies who can’t be comforted.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON’T.
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.
And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when her kids asked, “Did you see me, Mom?” they could say, “Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner.
And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn’t find the words.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.
For all the mothers who read “Goodnight, Moon” twice a night for a year. And then read it again. “Just one more time.”
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home – or even away at college.
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they’d be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them.
This is for all the stepmothers who raised another woman’s child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... Sometimes totally unappreciated!
For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.
For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of theirs TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.
What makes a good mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?
Or is it her heart?
Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?
The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 am to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?
The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 am when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?
Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?
The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...
And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there.
In the end, we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.
– Anonymous
This Is For the Mothers
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH:
“Inside every older lady is a younger lady – wondering what the hell happened.”
Studies show that producers who regularly offer Disability Insurance to their clients also sell more life insurance than those who don’t. Almost 50% more according to a survey conducted by a large mutual company; surprisingly, less than 10% of producers claim to regularly offer DI. Just saying…
Disability and Long Term Care Products & Services
Howard S. Hanger, RHU, LTCP 5001 Spring Valley Rd. #400E
