NAILBA Welcomes New Members

NAILBA is pleased to welcome the following new members:

Independent Life Brokerage, Corp.
200 Connell Drive, Suite 1300
Berkeley Heights, NJ  07922
908-665-9400
Dan Pierson, President

Quantum Alliance, Inc.
5805 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 280
Miami, FL  33126
305-447-8404
Jose I. Gonzalez, CLU, President & CEO

If you know of an agency interested in joining NAILBA, please contact Naomi Romanchok at 703-383-3072 or nromanchok@nailba.org.

Agency Management Institute – Registration Now Open!
The NAILBA Agency Management Institute (AMI), May 13-14, at the Westin Lombard near Chicago, is your must attend mid-year educational opportunity!   Take advantage of this affordable opportunity to interact with other BGA principals and staff facing similar service challenges in an educational setting. NAILBA maximizes your training investment through a compact schedule in a convenient location.

 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!

For more information about AMI, including a full agenda, hotel reservation information and a list of participating sponsors, visit http://www.nailba.org/content/agency-management-institute.

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 March 5!
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: March 5, 2010 
Ad Copy Due: 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.

Membership Dues Renewal Deadline: March 31, 2010
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.

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

Advertising in Perspectives Deadline: March 5, 2010
Contracts for advertising space for the May/June* issue of Perspectives are due to NAILBA by March 5, 2010; artwork is due to NAILBA by March 19, 2010.  Contact Susan Haning at shaning@nailba.org or 703-383-3068 to discuss advertising opportunities or download the 2010 Media Kit.

*The May/June issue includes a bonus distribution at the Agency Management Institute, May 13-14, 2010 in Lombard, Illinois. 

Senate Banking Committee Set to Move Forward on Regulatory Reform
The Senate Banking Committee may move as soon as this week on regulatory reform legislation.  Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) is expected to introduce the bill sometime this week and hold hearings the week of March 8.

In November 2009, the Senate Banking Committee released a working draft of regulatory reform legislation which included a provision (Section 913) calling for the repeal of the broker-dealer exemption in the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, thereby imposing a uniform fiduciary standard of care on all broker-dealers.  However, the bill being introduced this week includes revised language to Section 913 by Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) calling for an SEC study and subsequent rulemaking regarding the roles of brokers, dealers and investment advisors in providing investment advice.  NAILBA strongly supports Section 913 as revised and plans to advocate aggressively for its inclusion in any final regulatory reform bill that goes before the Senate.

NAILBA has been intimately involved in the regulatory reform process and will continue to provide regular updates as they occur. Questions? Contact Mark Valentini at 703-383-3073 or mvalentini@nailba.org.

NAFA Fly-In March 17
The National Association for Fixed Annuities is coordinating a legislative fly-in effort on March 17, to rally support for HR 2733 and S 1389. NAILBA agencies and others involved in annuity business may consider attending this NAFA effort; please note, this is not a NAILBA-sponsored event. For more information, visit www.nafa.com or contact Kim O’Brien at NAFA, 414-332-9306 or kim@nafa.com.

Executive Forum Podcast Available for Download
Did you miss January’s Executive Forum in New Orleans, Louisiana? Wish you could re-visit The State of the Industry panel discussion?

NAILBA is pleased to share the podcast from the panel, available on the Executive Forum Recap page of our Web site. The State of the Industry panel presentation was facilitated by Gene Koster and featured Chuck Anderson, Prudential; J. Craig Collins, ING; Chris Greis, Leaders Partners; Carolyn Johnson, Protective/West Coast Life; and Michael Tessler, Brokerage Unlimited. The panel and audience engaged in a lively discussion of many issues being faced by BGAs and the outlook for carriers in 2010 and beyond. 

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

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.