Congressional Conference What You Need to Know April 28, 2015 NAIFA’s Advocacy Strength Diane R. Boyle, HIA Senior Vice President Government Relations Industry Protection Protecting the insurance industry is a multi-faceted advocacy approach involving agents, companies, and their associations. Together, the industry forms a strong alliance, with each entity bringing unique assets to advancing our missions. Successful Advocacy • • • • Public Policy People PAC Public Relations Public Policy Unified industry messages communicated consistently by all industry groups to each of the 535 U.S. Senators and Representatives. NAIFA’s Public Policy Strength • Members serve middle-income American families the population that all policymakers want to help. • Industry expertise puts policy into context, promoting mutual understanding and giving a voice to this important constituency. People • • • • • Constituents & Key Contacts Company CEOs Association Leadership Industry Experts Professional Lobbyists NAIFA’s People Strength • NAIFA member contact for every member of Congress. • Annual gathering of NAIFA members from every state on Capitol Hill. • NAIFA members regularly organize in-district meetings. • Long-term state level relationships with NAIFA members that carryover when state officials are elected to national office. Political Action Committees • • • • Help fund campaigns Establish industry credibility Enhance relationship development Strengthen existing relationships NAIFA’s PAC Strength Largest Insurance Industry and 12th Largest in U.S. Top PACs Insurance PACs 1. National Assn of Insurance & Financial Advisors 2. New York Life Insurance 3. AFLAC Inc 1. National Assn of Realtors 2. National Beer Wholesalers Assn 3. National Auto Dealers Assn 4. Honeywell International 4. Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers/America 5. Lockheed Martin 5. USAA 6. American Bankers Assn 6. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance 7. AT&T Inc 7. Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers 8. Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 8. Association for Advanced Life Underwriting 9. Metlife Inc 10. Liberty Mutual Insurance 9. Credit Union National Assn 10. Operating Engineers Union 11. Northrop Grumman 12. National Assn of Insurance & Financial Advisors Public Relations • • • • Advertising Media outreach Industry voice & influence Social media & community NAIFA’s PR Strength • • • • Represent middle-market American households Members in all major media markets Members’ range of financial services expertise Interviews sought by industry and business media Objectives & Preparation Jill E. Hoffman Vice President Government Relations Meeting Objectives 1. Establish that our products contribute to the common good. 2. Express concern that public policy could create barriers for personal financial security. 3. Establish yourself and NAIFA as resources. Preparation • Read the Issue Papers • Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule • Tax Reform/Revenue Challenges • Relate the Topics to Your Practice and Your Clients • Be prepared to share those examples • Review the State Fact Sheets Preparation Know Your Members of Congress • Republican/Democrat/Independent • Committee Assignments • Insurance Connections NAIFA’s Legislative Action Center at www.capwiz.com/naifa Insurance Industry Connections Member Tony Cardenas John Garamendi Mark Takano Juan Vargas Ken Buck John Larson Tom Carper Bill Nelson Austin Scott Mark Takai Mike Bost Randy Hultgren Adam Kinzinger Bill Cassidy Jamie Mayo Richie Neal Susan Collins Gary Peters Tom Emmer Claire McCaskill William Lacy Clay Emmanuel Cleaver Blaine Luetkemeyer Jason Smith Chamber House House House House House House Senate Senate House House House House House Senate House House Senate Senate House Senate House House House House Party D D D D R D D D R D R R R R D D R D R D D D R R State CA CA CA CA CO CT DE FL GA HI IL IL IL LA LA MA ME MI MN MO MO MO MO MO Industry Connection Life Insurance Salesman Former Insurance Commissioner Mother NAIFA member VP Safeco Ins & Liberty Mutual Group Wife Agent Agent Father Nationwide Agent Former Insurance Commissioner Agent/NAIFA Member Agent Licensed Agent Agent Brother Northwestern Mutual Father New York Life Agent Agent/Operations Manager MassMutual Agent Former Insurance Commissioner Financial Advisor Insurance Attorney Father Prudential Agent Father Life Insurance Co Manager Mother MetLife Agent Agent Previously Licensed Agent Insurance Industry Connections Member Chamber Party State Industry Connection Thom Tillis Senate R NC Provident Insurance Staff Walter Jones House R NC Agent Adrian Smith House R NE Father State Farm Agent & NAIFA Member Frank Guinta House R NH Agent Donald Norcross House D NJ Brother owns an insurance agency Donald Payne House D NJ Father Prudential Employee Tom MacArthur House R NJ Chairman & CEO York Risk Services Carolyn Maloney House D NY Father Agent Sean Patrick Maloney House D NY Father and Brother Agents Jim Inhofe Senate R OK Insurance Executive Mike Doyle House D PA Agent Scott Perry House R PA Agent Tim Scott Senate R SC Agent/NAIFA Member Mike Rounds Senate R SD Insurance Agency Owner Kristi Noem House R SD Staffer married to an agent Jim Cooper House D TN Son Northwestern Mutual Kay Granger House R TX Agent Gerry Connolly House D VA Father MetLife Executive Randy Forbes House R VA Father "debit" agent for VA Ins Co Rob Whitman House R VA Brother-in-law agent Logistics Magenta M.R. Ishak Vice President Political Affairs 36 Hours of Motion! • • • • • Tuesday Event Locations Hotels Galore! Bring Your Walking Shoes! Breakfast on Wednesday Getting to Congressional Appointments on Wednesday Capitol Hill Meetings, Reserve Officers Association Crystal City Hilton, Hampton Inn (Arlington), Radisson at National Airport Residence Inn Marriott, Hampton Inn at National Harbor Shuttle Bus Schedule for Tuesday, May 19th Shuttle Bus Round Trip Between: Residence Inn National Harbor & Hilton Crystal City in Arlington Shuttles will run continuously during the hours of: 10:30 am – 2:15 pm (Last pick-up at the Residence Inn is at 2:15 pm) & 6:30 pm – 9:15 pm (Last pick-up at the Hilton Crystal City is at 8:30 pm) Please note: The shuttle will not run between 2:15 pm and 6:30 pm Agenda Tuesday, May 19, 2015 12:00 pm-7:00 pm 1:30 pm-4:00 pm 4:15 pm-5:00 pm 5:30 pm-6:30 pm Registration/Congressional Appointments Desk (Hilton Crystal City Hotel) Advocacy Briefing (Hilton Crystal City Hotel) State Caucuses (Hilton Crystal City Hotel & Crystal City Sports Pub) * Welcome Reception (Crystal City Sports Pub) Wednesday, May 20, 2015 7:00 am-10:00 am Registration/Congressional Appointments Desk 7:00 am-8:30 am Breakfast at Your Own Hotel 8:00 am-5:00 pm Congressional Appointments Desk/Luggage Storage/Refreshments/ Debriefings (Reserve Officers Association) 9:00 am-4:00 pm Congressional Appointments on Capitol Hill * Location assignments will be available at NAIFA registration State Caucuses • • • • Review Congressional Meeting Protocol Study Talking Points & State Facts Select the Personal Stories to Tell Decide Who is Doing What: – – – – Opening the Meeting Discussing Each Issue Asking the Lawmaker to Join the new Caucus Closing the Meeting Luggage Storage, Refreshments, Debriefing Guest Speakers Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) Member, House Financial Services Committee Dirk Kempthorne President & CEO, American Council of Life Insurers Advocacy Preparation Maggie Fogg Political Involvement Program Manager Advocacy Preparation • Participate in Webinar & Onsite Preparation • Attend Your State’s Caucus For a state fact sheet sneak peak visit: www.securefamily.org Advocacy Preparation • Understand the Leave-Behinds – NAIFA Issue Papers – State Fact Sheet – NAIFA Business Card Jacket – Your Business Card • Only Congressional Appointment Organizers (CAO) Should Be Making/Organizing the Congressional Appointments A list of CAOs can be found at www.naifa.org/caphill GR Mobile Use GR Mobile for easy access to: • Talking Points • Up-to-date Appointment Schedule • Meeting Debriefing form • Much more! Pocket-Sized Talking Points+ • • • • • Agenda Talking Points GR Mobile Metro Map Map of Congressional Office Buildings Congressional Appointments Remember: • Meeting with Staff is Important! • Tell Them that You Are Representing NAIFA & Your Clients • You May Only Have 10 Minutes, So Get Down to Business ASAP • Not to Discuss $!! • Stay on Message • Wear Business Attire & Your NAIFA Name Badge • Debrief NAIFA After Your Meetings Talking Points/Messages to Be Delivered on Capitol Hill Judi A. Carsrud Director Government Relations Talking Points Thank you for meeting with us – we’d like to make you aware of three important issues that impact our ability to serve the families and businesses in our communities. Three Topics • Department of Labor Expansion of Fiduciary • Tax Reform Proposals • Retirement Readiness and Industry Products Education DOL Background • The DOL rule is very lengthy and complex – generally, it defines all advisors who receive compensation of any type as “investment advisor fiduciaries,” including advisors to employer plan sponsors, participants and IRA owners. • DOL rules do not allow advisors to have a conflict of interest under fiduciary rules, and therefore commissions, mutual fund fees and other 3rd party compensation are “prohibited compensation.” DOL Exemption • However, the DOL included with the release of the rule an “exemption” so that some prohibited compensation would be permitted if certain very detailed conditions are met. • Generally, if the retirement saver, the advisor and the advisor’s financial institution (e.g., broker dealer) sign a contract stating the advice will be in the client’s best interests, that conflicts will be mitigated and disclosed and other numerous requirements, including a public website with copious amounts of data, then conflicted advisor is permitted to work with the saver. DOL Talking Points • The DOL requirements are costly and complex and we fear that affordable advice and access to advisors will shrink as a result of the burdensome conditions of the new rule. • The rule does not provide an exemption for prohibited compensation when advising savers at the time of distribution from plans, or at time of a rollover from a plan to an IRA, or at a rollover from one IRA to another. This will leave millions without advice when they are most vulnerable to making a wrong decision with their retirement assets. DOL Talking Points • The DOL rule also limits advice on the purchase of an annuity to certain types, and excludes the ability to recommend or sell a variable annuity without violating the “conflicted compensation” prohibition. • We appreciate the DOL’s improvements over a prior proposal and ask Congress to work with the DOL and stakeholders to create a workable best interest standard. Tax Reform Talking Points • Tax reform proposals from the last Congress included reductions in retirement savings plan contributions, limits on the amount that can be saved in retirement plans and elimination of some business uses of life insurance, and new taxes on insurance companies. • Life insurance, annuities, long term care products and disability income protection are all critical elements of overall retirement planning. Industry Talking Points • Helping 75 million American families manage financial risks of death, longevity, and illness is what only life insurance products do. • Congress should not make it more difficult for companies, agents, and advisors to provide reliable and affordable risk protection options for families and businesses. • Public policy should encourage this private sector partnering with strained government programs for the financial security and assure that no new taxes undermine this partnership. Caucus Talking Points • Education is the key! The Financial Protection and Life Insurance Caucus has been created to focus on the importance of education and understanding of industry issues. • The bi-partisan, bi-cameral coalition is co-chaired by Sen. Murphy (D-CT), and Reps. Tiberi (R-OH) and Neal (D-MA). Congressional Ask • Work with stakeholders and the DOL to create a workable best interest standard. • Preserve current tax laws that encourage individuals and businesses to manage risks affordably, to save, and to plan for the future in a self-reliant manner. • And… Join the Caucus Questions?