Advocacy in action blog

NAIFA submitted comments July 31 to Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) in response to a request by the lawmakers for information on potential legislation to develop a public health insurance option. NAIFA shares the goal of expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare to all Americans. NAIFA firmly believes in the integrity of the employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) system and ability of employers to select coverage options that fit the unique needs of their employees. 

For well over a century, NAIFA members have helped individuals, families, and businesses:

The following statement and press release was published today on ACLI's site. NAIFA is proud to be part of the coalition of trade associations and works within the coalition to as the association representing agents and advisors.

A coalition of trade associations told Congressional leaders today that the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act “would cause significant disruption” that would affect consumers’ access to insurance, investment and retirement security solutions. Collectively, the coalition represent more than 100,000 individual small business owners, broker-dealers and insurance companies providing financial services to more than 112 million American families.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a request for comments as part of its efforts to support dialogue for greater diversity and inclusion within the financial industry. NAIFA submitted comments to Regulatory Notice 21-17 that highlighted our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as part of the NAIFA 2025 strategic plan, the mission of our DEI Council, and the importance of cooperation among the industry to drive change.

As the leading advocacy association for insurance and financial services professionals, NAIFA continues to work with policymakers at the federal and state levels on efforts to bolster American businesses. Most recently, NAIFA is one of only three insurance-related associations (along with the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents) to sign onto a letter sent to key members of the Senate and House of Representatives urging Congress to maintain the 20% deduction for qualified business income under Section 199A of the federal tax code.

A new report by the Congressional Budget Office provides a guide to understanding federal estate and gift taxes. These taxes affect only a small number of taxpayers (of 2.7 million Americans who died in 2016 only 5,500 left taxable estates, and in 2018 only 2,000 people paid gift taxes), but they may consider in planning for financial professionals working with affluent families or business owners. In 2021, estate values above an $11.7 million exemption are taxed at a 40% rate. “The same threshold and tax rate apply to gift taxes,” the report says.

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) have developed a proposal that they say would update and expand unemployment insurance so that the program is ready to respond to the next recession and meet the needs of the modern workforce.

NAIFA joined industry partners in a letter to Senate Finance Committee leadership to express strong concerns with a provision in the committee’s current discussion draft of the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act.

NAIFA, along with NAIFA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Diane Boyle, has signed on to the Diversity in Government Relations (DGR) Coalition, a group of professionals and organizations in the government relations field working to actively champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in local, state, and federal policymaking.

NAIFA joined with industry partners in a letter to House sponsors of the SECURE Remote Online Notarization Act urging support for the importance of the legislation. Bipartisan legislation (S. 5355, H.R. 6364) was introduced by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mark Warner (D-VA), and Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA). 

NAIFA’s Virtual Congressional Conference, May 25-26, was an overwhelming success, with more than 1,300 registered participants. These insurance and financial advisors received advocacy training, benefited from policy briefings, and heard words of encouragement from Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), as well as NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux and American Council of Life Insurers President and CEO Susan Neely.