Advocacy in action blog

Just two days after NAIFA members were on the Hill, House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX), Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) wrote to Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie SU inquiring about the impact of the DOL proposal on small businesses. 

Proposed changes to the North American Securities Administrators Association's (NASAA's) Model Rule on Dishonest and Unethical Business Practices of Broker-Dealers and Agents would conflict with existing, effective consumer-protection regulations and cause unintended harm to investors. NAIFA urges NASAA to reconsider the proposed revisions. 

More than 250 NAIFA members took to Capitol Hill today to meet with over 200 Congressional offices to advance the need to protect the worker classification of financial service professionals as independent contractors and to provide consumers a variety of choices in financial service professionals. The Day on the Hill was coupled with NAIFA’s National Leadership Conference which serves to train the leaders of state and local chapters in grassroots advocacy.

The Department of Labor has proposed a fiduciary-only rule that would limit the choices consumers have when seeking investment and retirement-planning advice and could make it difficult for low- and middle-income investors to receive services and advice. 

NAIFA has strong advocacy relationships with interstate organizations like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), and North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA). We attend their meetings, provide input through comments and testimony, and work with them on resolutions and model regulations that impact consumers and the insurance and financial services industry. 

NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, issued the following statement on the proposed Department of Labor fiduciary rule expected to be made public later today:

NAIFA congratulates the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and looks forward to working with him on legislative matters that impact the financial security of Americans and the ability of insurance and financial professionals to serve their clients’ best interests.

NAIFA is a strong proponent of the Congressional Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus and has urged members of Congress to join during the Congressional Conference and In-District Meetings earlier this year. The bipartisan caucus raises issues important to NAIFA members and consumers they serve in the consciousness of lawmakers. Its members are legislators "committed to empowering Americans with the tools needed to build wealth and achieve financial stability."

NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, told the Biden Administration in a meeting that the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) current efforts to revive a fiduciary-only regulation for financial professionals is unnecessary and likely to harm low- and middle-income consumers.