Have You Renewed Your Membership?
Don’t miss out on any of the benefits and services your membership provides to you – renew now!

Annual membership dues must be paid by March 31, 2010; payments received after March 31 are subject to a $300 late fee and may incur a lapse in benefits or services.

View a list of the benefits and services you receive through your NAILBA membership.

Completed renewal forms with credit card payment may be faxed to 703-383-6942 or mailed to NAILBA, 11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 110, Fairfax, VA 22030. Download a renewal form here.

If you have any questions about your renewal, please contact Naomi Romanchok at 703-383-3072 or nromanchok@nailba.org.

Agency Management Institute – Register Now!
The NAILBA Agency Management Institute (AMI), May 13-14, at the Westin Lombard near Chicago, is your must attend mid-year educational opportunity!  Early Bird Registration Discounts end April 16 – register now!

The AMI Web page includes an updated full agenda, hotel reservation information and a list of participating sponsors. Visit http://www.nailba.org/content/agency-management-institute to download a printable agenda, to register or to make your hotel reservation. Full information about AMI will also be mailed to all member agency principals this week.

Registrants will learn:

•Best practices for making your agency more efficient
•How to deliver outstanding, consistent customer service
•Insights and the latest information on teleunderwriting
•The latest in product information from carriers and vendors
And more!

The Westin Lombard is offering a discounted rate of $159 Single/Double; make your reservation online or call 630-719-8000 and reference the NAILBA Agency Management Institute to secure the discounted rate. The group rate is available until April 19, 2010.

Questions? Contact Michele Liston at 703-383-3069 or mliston@nailba.org.

Agency Management Institute – Sponsorship Opportunities
Product Preview: Increase your company's exposure! Deadline EXTENDED!
Gain exposure and stay ahead of your competition by advertising in NAILBA’s Agency Management Institute (AMI) Product Preview, a special promotional supplement to the May/June issue of Perspectives magazine. Designed to help you promote your company’s best products to our circulation of over 1800 brokerage industry leaders, the Product Preview is a prime opportunity to maximize your sponsorship experience at the NAILBA Agency Management Institute.  The cost for a ½ page advertisement in the AMI Product Preview is at a one-time low of $500. 
Sales Close: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO March 19, 2010 

You must be a current Agency Management Institute sponsor* to be eligible for this opportunity.

Product Training University: $1,500
At the 2010 Agency Management Institute, NAILBA’s company partners will benefit from small group discussion time with attendees during the NAILBA Product Training University.

During the Product Training University, each company will have the opportunity to provide a 15-20 minute presentation to small groups of attendees to discuss that vendor’s products and services related to the product type.

This structured networking and learning opportunity will provide vendors with more meaningful interactions with NAILBA agency staff, and will help build important relationships and provide valuable new information to attendees. Company representatives are also entitled and strongly encouraged to attend all programming and events—increasing the opportunity to network with valuable clients throughout the conference.

Sponsorship Investment: $1,500 includes one complimentary registration for sponsoring company representative. No spaces will be held or confirmed without receipt of payment.  Please note that depending on the number of sponsors, two companies may be assigned alternating timeslots in the same meeting room.

Each Product Training University Sponsor Receives: 

• One meeting room with exposure to the most influential purchasers in the industry  (Meeting rooms may be shared if rooms sell out - each company will be given alternating time slots) 
• One complimentary registration for the hosting moderator 
• Free pre-show and post-show attendee mailing list—A valuable marketing tool! 
• Meeting room identification sign 
• Recognition in the program and on signage

View Additional AMI Sponsorship Opportunities on the AMI Web site. *To learn more about how to become an AMI sponsor please contact Susan Haning at shaning@nailba.org  or 703-383-3068.

Senator Dodd introduces Latest Draft of Regulatory Reform
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) unveiled the Senate’s revised draft of regulatory reform legislation at a 2 pm press conference yesterday afternoon.  The “Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010” will address systemic risk, “too-big-to-fail” corporations and other factors that contributed to the 2008 meltdown in the financial markets.

Important to NAILBA is a provision in the bill requiring the SEC to conduct a study of the roles of brokers, dealers and investment advisors in the administration of investment advice.  Findings from the study would be reported to Congress within 12 months.

The original draft of the legislation introduced last November called for the removal of the broker-dealer exemption from the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, thereby imposing a uniform fiduciary standard of care on all broker-dealers.  NAILBA worked with agent groups NAIFA and AALU to amend that provision to call for a study period, which would instead evaluate the effects of a uniform standard of care on all financial professionals involved in the sale of investment products before further regulation is considered.

NAILBA will continue to advocate on behalf of this provision to ensure it is included in any final regulatory reform package that makes its way to the President’s desk. Questions? Contact Mark Valentini at 703-383-3073 or mvalentini@nailba.org.

Thank you NAILBA PAC supporters!
NAILBA PAC ensures that the voice of independent distribution is heard on Capitol Hill.

Click here for the list of NAILBA members that have made NAILBA PAC a success!  Contact Mark Valentini at 703-383-3073 or mvalentini@nailba.org to learn more about NAILBA PAC and how you can be involved.

Find NAILBA on LinkedIn
Are you LinkedIn? If you have a LinkedIn account, and would enjoy discussing relevant issues with other NAILBA members and industry supporters, join the NAILBA Social Networking Group on LinkedIn. Search for NAILBA under Groups, and join the discussion! Posts are restricted to topics of interest and relevance to the independent brokerage community and may not contain commercial content. Recent discussion topics have included a timely government affairs update, management coaching material, information about upcoming events at NAILBA, and reviews of recent articles of interest to our members.

March/April Perspectives in mailboxes and available online!
The March/April issue of Perspectives arrived in mailboxes last week, and has been posted to the NAILBA Web site. This issue, Rally the Troops, focuses on small business management issues. Feature articles include:

• Federal Health Care Reform: How Will It Affect Small Business?
• Training Wheels: Developing a Well Trained Staff
• Three Surefire Ways to Motivate Your Employees in a Tough Economy

In addition, this issue includes a candid conversation between Jimmy Atkins and Dave Lenaburg of Legal and General America/Banner Life/William Penn that you won’t want to miss. As always, you'll find a Legislative Update and information from NAILBA Chair Mark Rosen in our regular departments.

Check your mailbox or read the March/April issue online now!

LIFE Foundation – realLIFEstories Client Service Award
Again this year, the LIFE Foundation and Newsweek magazine are partnering to sponsor the 15th annual realLIFEstories Client Service Award program, an initiative designed to educate Americans about the role of insurance in their financial plans.

Agents have until March 31, 2010 to submit a short essay describing how the benefits of insurance, along with their advice and assistance, made a big difference in a client’s life at a time of great financial need. An independent panel of judges will select four stories to be featured in a September 2010 special advertising section in Newsweek magazine, seen by nearly 13 million readers. In addition to the Newsweek special feature, each of the award recipients and their clients, along with a guest, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Seattle, Washington, September 11-14, 2010.  

Visit www.lifehappens.org/reallife for more information on how to submit your entry. Deadline to receive materials is March 31, 2010.

LIFE seeks stories involving life, disability, long-term care and health insurance. Additionally, LIFE is interested in stories involving individual insurance as well as coverage obtained through the workplace. NAILBA is proud member of LIFE, and is pleased to share information about their programs with our members.  For more information about LIFE, visit www.lifehappens.org.