E-Journal
(December 2019)
In This Issue:

  • Sales Idea
  • The Latest From Washington
  • January’s Legislative Day on the Hill to Feature YAT Social
  • Thin Blue Line By Tom Ashley, NAIFA-Florida CEO
  • NAIFA's Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) Class Being Formed for 2020
  • Send Us Your Ideas – NAIFA-Florida

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Congress Busy This Week With SECURE Act, MedEx, Flood, and Avoiding Government Shutdown
 
by Danea Kehoe, Counsel to NAIFA

As this is being written, Congressional personnel are negotiating furiously to fill in the details of the “agreement in principle” on legislation to fund the government in fiscal year (FY) 2020. Many of those details matter to NAIFA folks. Here’s a synopsis of where we stand right now.

Retirement Savings: The SECURE Act, H.R.1994, is in the mix. Right now, information coming out of the negotiating sessions indicates that SECURE will be included in the final legislation. But it’s not a done deal. And, even if and when negotiators agree on including the SECURE Act, they caution that nothing is final until everything is final. So, it’s fingernail-biting time for SECURE supporters. We’ll let you know as soon as we find out whether SECURE will finally be enacted into law later this month. Read More
NAIFA-Florida's
Legislative Day on the Hill

 Tallahassee, Florida - January 28, 2020

January’s Legislative Day on the Hill to Feature YAT Social

Visits to your House and Senate members on January 28 are vital to supporting our advocacy efforts! Your presence provides valuable support to Tim and his year-round work of meeting with members of the legislature to protecting our industry and our pocketbooks.

Please click here to view a message from
State Representive Richard Stark.


Scholarships are Avaiable from the NAIFA-Florida Education Foundation (NFEF)
Thin Blue Line
By Tom Ashley, NAIFA-Florida CEO 
 
     
Several years ago, a TV documentary was produced depicting the story of Randall Dale Adams who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a Dallas police officer - a crime which he did not commit. Following a 12-year review of the case Adams was eventually released from prison, one year after the documentary was released. 
 
During the trial's closing arguments, Dallas prosecutor Doug Mulder used the phrase "thin blue line" to describe law enforcement's role in separating society from anarchy. Today, the simple-looking emblem of a thin blue line has many meanings, all rising from the same concept - police officers stand as a thin line which protects society from evil and chaos.
 
As members of NAIFA, the concept of a thin blue line should not be foreign to us. For could you not say that NAIFA acts as a thin line between federal/state legislators & regulators, and the livelihood of our members? Is it not the same concept in that NAIFA provides protection to all of us from harmful legislation and misguided regulation?
 
NAIFA's advocacy efforts, both at the state level (NAIFA-Florida) and the national level (NAIFA) shield our members so that they may continue providing the valuable and much-needed advice and products to our clients and prospects. 
 
My role as NAIFA-Florida CEO affords me a close-up view of the legislative process and the responsibilities our state and national lobbyists have in protecting NAIFA members. Believe me when I tell you that the line is indeed thin. Your lobbyists are working hard on your behalf every day - to protect you and your careers. But the number of individuals who have that responsibility is amazingly low. And, right now, it is these same lobbyists who need your help.
 
As we approach the end of 2019, our political action committee (IFAPAC) funds are running low. It is these funds which provide our lobbyists access to state and federal legislators by contributing to their election and re-election campaigns. If funds are not available, it severely inhibits our lobbyists' ability to effectively represent you, our NAIFA members.
 
I ask you to please consider making a contribution to IFAPAC before the year is out. If you're an ongoing contributor, please consider an additional one-time contribution. If you're not a contributor to IFAPAC, please make a contribution now. 
 
All members can go to naifa.org, click "Advocacy" at the top, then click "IFAPAC". Or use the attached form. (Friday, Dec. 20 is the last day to mail check and credit card contributions to IFAPAC, 2901 Telestar Court, 6th Floor, Falls Church, VA 22042 to ensure they are processed for 2019.)
 
Remember, your thin line of protection - those who are responsible for NAIFA's Advocacy efforts -- needs your help!
Tom Ashley
CEO-NAIFA-Florida
Contributions to IFAPAC are voluntary and contributed to candidates for elective office. Your contributions will be divided between your state association IFAPAC and IFAPAC National, if you have directed NAIFA to do so. The amount contributed will not benefit or disadvantage you in any way. You have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Corporate contributions to IFAPAC’s political fund are prohibited. Contributions to IFAPAC are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
NAIFA-Florida is forming at least one LILI class in 2020 – to begin in February -- according to NAIFA-Florida LILI Chair Michele Wilkinson.
 
Developed by NAIFA, LILI is provided at the state level to benefit individual members. The institute was designed specifically to develop high-caliber leaders through personal growth and is built upon the conviction that leadership of others begins with leadership of oneself. LILI creates a culture - a unique learning environment - which encourages participants to bring out the best in themselves, and then apply what is learned across every aspect of their lives. The coursework is presented in six one-day sessions over a six-month period. Class size is limited to 12 students. 
 
Wilkinson announced that the 2020 class will be moderated by Jeff Chernoff, from Tampa and who serves on the NAIFA-Florida Board of Directors.
 
"For years I put off applying for LILI because I wasn't sure what benefit I would receive by attending yet another " leadership" class! I was totally wrong in my skepticism and have been pleasantly surprised by the wealth of wisdom & opportunities afforded me after graduation! This class isn't just for growing your business. The skills you'll learn will help you in your everyday life, especially with challenging family dynamics that so many of us are facing." ......... Toni Stanaland, NAIFA-Tampa
 
(For more information, go to the NAIFA-Florida website at naifa-florida.org. Or contact LILI Chair Michele Wilkinson at [email protected] or at 813-724-3107. Or contact class Moderator Jeff Chernoff at [email protected] or at 813-933-7333.)

Complete your application now!  Click here for the 2020 LILI student application .

NAIFA-Florida Incoming President Joe Chalom invites all members to share their thoughts and ideas regarding their NAIFA experience, including ways to do things better to meet the needs of our members – with a new, dedicated e-mail address. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas by e-mailing them to:   [email protected] . As we move into the 2020 administrative year, your NAIFA-Florida leaders want to give all of our members an opportunity let us know what’s on your mind as well as the sharing of any ideas to improve programming, services, advocacy, or the mission of NAIFA-Florida. We look forward to your ideas!!