Largest legislative event in the insurance & financial services industry celebrates 130 years of its federal and state advocacy programs.

NAIFA members representing communities from all 50 states will gather in Washington, D.C., May 19-20, 2020, for NAIFA’s eighth annual Congressional Conference at the Marriott Renaissance DC Downtown, Washington, D.C.

Registration for the event is open as of 2 PM (EST) today.

NAIFA’s Congressional Conference is the premier advocacy event for insurance and financial professionals that includes the industry’s largest Washington, D.C., fly-in. More than 800 financial professionals attended last year’s Congressional Conference and participated in meetings with more than 90% of congressional offices.

The first day of the Congressional Conference will feature an issues briefing by NAIFA’s expert Government Relations team headed by Senior Vice President Diane Boyle and presentations by members of Congress Tom Souzzi (D-NY) and Tom Reed (R-NY). The Capitol Hill office visits on May 20 allow financial professionals to develop and maintain relationships with the elected officials and discuss issues important to producers, the industry, and consumers.

In meetings with members of Congress and staff, Congressional Conference attendees will also educate lawmakers on the crucial role financial professionals play in providing consumers with financial literacy, risk protection, retirement preparation, and legacy planning.

“Political advocacy is the key way that NAIFA members support their industry, promote their own career success, and serve the interests of their clients,” said NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux. “NAIFA members view advocacy as a critical professional responsibility. Because NAIFA is recruiting more than 100 first-time members each month, the Congressional Conference provides a welcoming atmosphere for those who are new to advocacy to learn from the industry’s best. It’s a great thrill to realize that we can all make a difference and that our elected officials truly value our expertise.”

NAIFA Is the Voice of the Insurance and Financial Services Industry

The Congressional Congress is the centerpiece of NAIFA’s focus as the leading state, interstate, and federal advocacy voice for insurance and financial professionals. NAIFA has formalized advocacy partnerships with the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), Asian American Insurance and Financial Professional Association (AAIFPA), Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA), National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA), National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA), Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP), and Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) to bring the industry together and allow us to speak with a unified voice on issues of common interest and in pursuit of a common advocacy mission. NAIFA’s advocacy partners are invited to participate in NAIFA’s Congressional Conference, which is open to all insurance and financial professionals.

NAIFA has been rejuvenated by its NAIFA 20/20 strategic plan and bylaws changes that have unified the association structure and allowed NAIFA to ramp up state and federal advocacy efforts. In addition to the Congressional Conference, NAIFA advocacy initiatives include:

• A new Advocacy in Action blog, which keeps financial professionals informed about state and federal issues important to them and their clients and informs the industry about NAIFA’s advocacy actions.
• A new Advocacy Action Center, available to NAIFA members and our advocacy partners, that covers state and federal issues, provides financial professionals information on how they can become politically involved, and provides specific actions they can take to promote advocacy success.
• A new partnership with ACLI to coordinate state advocacy efforts on important issues in the key states of California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. NAIFA and ACLI foresee expanding the partnership to cover additional states in coming years.

“Lawmakers and regulators are making policies that impact financial professionals’ careers and determine how and if they are able to serve the interests of consumers,” said Mayeux. “I view political involvement as an important part of every agent and advisor’s job. It’s part of protecting your industry and part of serving your clients. It is also part of being a good citizen. Our elected officials want to hear from professionals with expertise in complicated financial matters and understanding of how laws and regulations impact Main Street USA. For that, they have no better resource than a motivated, dedicated, politically involved NAIFA member.”