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.
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New CBO Report Offers Insights on Estate and Gift Taxes
Topics: Retirement Planning Federal Advocacy Advocacy Resources Tax Reform
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NAIFA Submits Comments to Senate Finance Committee Leadership on Unemployment Insurance
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.
Topics: Group & Employee Benefits Federal Advocacy Congress
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NAIFA SVP Boyle Signs Diversity in Government Relations Pledge
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.
Topics: Federal Advocacy
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NAIFA Signs on to Support Letter for SECURE Remote Online Notarization
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).
Topics: Federal Advocacy Congress Insurance & Financial Advisor Regulation Supported Legislation Remote Notarization Producer Sales & Marketing
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Members of Congress Praise NAIFA Advocates at Virtual Congressional Conference
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.
Topics: Federal Advocacy Grassroots Congressional Conference
NAIFA President Michel: It's Not Too Late to Register for Congressional Conference
NAIFA President Tom Michel, LACP, is a political advocacy rock star! He's met with more than 100 legislators in his career and had an impact on policy decisions vital to his business, the insurance and financial services industry, and the consumers who depend on financial professionals. He understands the power of the Congressional Conference, his favorite NAIFA event of the year, and extends his personal invitation for all insurance and financial advisors to attend this year's virtual event.
Topics: Federal Advocacy Grassroots Congressional Conference
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NAIFA Supports Cardin, Portman Efforts to Move Retirement Reform Legislation
NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux has thanked Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) for introducing the Retirement Security and Savings Act of 2021. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 is working its way through the House and three Senators earlier this week introduced the Improving Access to Retirement Savings Act.
Topics: Retirement Planning Federal Advocacy Congress Supported Legislation
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NAIFA Thanks Senators for Introducing Bipartisan Retirement Legislation
NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, has sent a letter to three members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), thanking them for introducing the Improving Access to Retirement Savings Act of 2021, which contains some provisions found in a bill that has passed the House and is commonly known as the SECURE Act 2.0.
Topics: Retirement Planning Federal Advocacy Congress Supported Legislation SECURE 2.0
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NAIFA's Holzberg: Congress Needs to Hear From Financial Professionals About the PRO Act
NAIFA's Virtual Congressional Conference, May 25-26, is a great opportunity for NAIFA members to tell their Senators how being reclassified as "employees" rather than "independent contractors" by the PRO Act would hurt their businesses and ability to serve the best interests of their clients. NAIFA President Elect Lawrence Holzberg gives his take on why it's important to attend.
Topics: Federal Advocacy PRO Act DOL Insurance & Financial Advisor Regulation Producer Employment
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NAIFA Supports Federal Legislation on Remote Online Notarization
NAIFA joined with coalition partners to submit a letter to U.S. Senate co-sponsors of the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act (SECURE Notarization Act), signaling support for the legislative initiative moving forward. The Act increases access to remote transactions for consumers.
