Legislative Update
Senate Passes Historic Wall Street Reform Bill
Last week, the Senate passed H.R.4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act on a 60-39 vote.

The bill is the most comprehensive regulatory reform of the financial services industry since the Great Depression.  It includes provisions that would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct a six-month study of the standards of care used by brokers, dealers and investment advisors; establish a Consumer Finance Protection Agency; preempt implementation of SEC Rule 151a; and establish a Federal Office of Insurance.

The bill will now go to White House where President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law this week.

Appeals Court Vacates SEC Rule 151a
On Monday, July 12 the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated SEC Rule 151a in the case of American Equity v. SEC (No. 09-1021).

The three judge panel vacated Rule 151a in lieu of granting the petitioners’ request for a rehearing on the matter, citing the SEC’s failure to appropriately “consider the effect of the rule upon efficiency, competition, and capital formation.”

Rule 151a will not go into effect and jurisdiction to regulate fixed indexed annuities will continue to remain with the states.  There are no indications the SEC will pursue the matter further, though it has the option of either appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court or rewriting the rule from scratch.

The ruling by the Court can be viewed here.  

Please contact Mark Valentini at 703-383-3073 or mvalentini@nailba.org with questions about NAILBA's efforts on regulatory reform or other legislative initiatives.

Vote in LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program
NAILBA, in conjunction with the LIFE Foundation, invites our members and the general public to cast their vote to help determine which of three college-age students is most deserving of one of the top scholarships in the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program.  NAILBA, through our Charitable Foundation, supports this scholarship program with an annual grant, recognition of the scholarship recipient at our Annual Meeting and through our membership in the LIFE Foundation. The three scholarship applicants whose videos are included have already been awarded $2,500 each, through a competitive review of their scholarship entries.

Your vote will help determine which of these three worthy applicants will receive an additional $2,500.

Votes can be cast online at www.lifehappens.org/vote. The deadline to vote is Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5:00 pm Eastern.

To learn more about the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program, visit www.lifehappens.org/lifelessons   

Foundation Grant Application: Deadline August 6!
The deadline is rapidly approaching for applications to be received for the 2010 grant awards cycle for the NAILBA Charitable Foundation. Have you worked with your local charity to submit an application yet?

NAILBA member agencies and corporate supporters received the 2010 Foundation Grant Application in the mail recently, and it has also been posted to the NAILBA Web site. Full details regarding the Grant Application process are outlined in the Grant Application Brochure. Applications and attachments must be returned to NAILBA offices by August 6, 2010 to be considered for this year’s grants awards.

You can also support the ongoing work of the NAILBA Charitable Foundation by using the online form to become a Foundation donor (donations are tax deductible).

Questions? Contact Naomi Romanchok at nromanchok@nailba.org or 703-383-3072.

NAILBA 29: Make Your Hotel Reservation Now!
Hotel reservations are filling quickly and may sell out – make your reservation now! The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX is still accepting reservations for NAILBA 29 at the NAILBA Discounted Rates of $240/night S/D. To make your reservations online, use this link or CALL the hotel directly at 866-782-7897.  Be sure to reference the NAILBA Annual Meeting and group code A-ILB10 to receive the discounted rate. Additional details regarding travel discounts through American Airlines, ground transportation arrangements and more can be found on the Hotel and Travel page of the NAILBA 29 Web site.

Registration for NAILBA 29, November 18-20 in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas opened earlier this summer. Registration is available online on the registration page of the NAILBA 29 web site, or you may fax or mail your completed registration form to NAILBA headquarters. Agency principals were emailed “discount codes” to facilitate complimentary registrations (one per member agency). If you did not receive your member discount code, please contact Meredith Maslich at mmaslich@nailba.org or 703-383-3074.

Questions? Contact Michele Liston at mliston@nailba.org or 703-383-3069.

For more information about NAILBA 29, visit www.nailba.org/nailba29, or contact Michele Liston at 703-383-3069 or mliston@nailba.org.

Mooers Award: Call for Nominations
Individuals in the brokerage community are invited to submit a nomination for the 2010 Douglas H. Mooers Award of Excellence. As you know, this award is the highest honor presented to an individual in the brokerage community, and recognizes individuals whose achievements demonstrate outstanding commitment to independent life brokerage and the insurance world. The awardee will be recognized at NAILBA 29 at the Douglas H. Mooers Award Dinner.

The deadline for receipt of nominations and supporting material is August 27. The complete Call for Nominations can be found here, and was sent in June to individuals in the brokerage community.

Questions? Contact Jack Chiasson at jchiasson@nailba.org or 703-383-3066.

Membership Prospect Mailing
Working with the Membership Committee, NAILBA is conducting our annual outreach to prospective member agencies. Do you know of an agency – new or established – who would qualify for membership in NAILBA? Someone who would benefit from more networking, education and legislative representation?

Please contact Naomi Romanchok at 703-383-3072 or nromanchok@nailba.org with any recommendations.

Save the Date: 2011 Executive Forum
Save the Date: The third Executive Forum, NAILBA’s one-day conference designed to provide leadership-level training and networking for NAILBA Agency Principals, will be held May 19, 2011.

In keeping with NAILBA’s consistent objective to provide conference settings conducive to high-level networking in a convenient location, the Executive Forum will be held at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura, Florida. A pre-conference Opening Reception will be offered on the evening of May 18, and golf is available on-site for early arrivals or those individuals who wish to extend their stay.

 A preliminary agenda will be available soon, please visit the Executive Forum page for updates!

 Contact Michele Liston at 703-383-3069 or mliston@nailba.org with questions about the Executive Forum.

NAILBA 29 Exhibitors and Sponsor Corner
Just Announced: Product Training University for NAILBA 29
Building on the success of the Product Training University at the NAILBA Agency Management Institute in May, this uniquely-formatted educational opportunity will be offered for the first time at an Annual Meeting, at NAILBA 29!  Previous Product Training University sponsors were rewarded with new contracts and new clients – don’t miss this opportunity to interact with brokerage industry decision-makers!

Available ONLY to current NAILBA 29 exhibitors, these interactive, quickly-paced sessions are designed to facilitate maximum interaction and attendee choice. During each 30-minute window, three companies will be making brief presentations concurrently.  This unique format will allow you to capture attendees in a small group setting to provide more in-depth, focused and specific information than in a busy exhibit hall. 

See the Product Preview guide below for a great place to market your participation in the PTU.

Watch your email for additional details, or contact Susan Haning now to reserve your space!

Advertising Opportunities
Perspectives Print Advertising: Only one issue left for the remainder of 2010 – our November/December – Sales and Marketing – Bonus issue distributed during the NAILBA 29 annual meeting!

Ad sales close September 13, 2010: Ad Copy due September 27, 2010

Product Preview November/December issue of Perspectives
 (Perfect place to let attendees know you’re also a Product Training University participant!)
Do you have a product promotion planned for NAILBA 29? Looking to showcase your booth or sponsorship? Then you need to reserve space now in the NAILBA 29 Product Preview. This is a special opportunity for exhibitors and sponsors who want added exposure at the largest life brokerage event in the industry. This special edition Product Preview will be mailed as an outsert with the November/December issue of Perspectives (designed to hit mailboxes one week prior to the annual meeting) to approximately 1,300 principals, CEOs, exhibitors and sponsors. As a bonus, it is also distributed at NAILBA 29 to every attendee!

Cost for 1/2 page ad: $1,000.00 (Must be a sponsor or exhibitor to be eligible to purchase space.)

Don’t miss out on branding your product or company to our Industry leaders whose agencies collectively represent over 250,000 independent agents in the field.  Download the Media Kit, then complete and return the advertising contract to secure any of these print advertising opportunities!

"Free Advertising"
Would you like to see cost saving advertising opportunities or “FREE” ways to advertise your product? Opportunities are available to combine print and online ads for deeper discounts.

Exhibit Space Available
Exhibit Booths and sponsorship opportunities are still available for NAILBA 29. Currently, the NAILBA exhibit hall is 75% sold. Don’t wait until the last minute to decide you want an exhibit space - commit now! Click here for an updated floor plan.

Sponsorship Opportunities
NAILBA offers a range of outstanding sponsorship opportunities that will give you high‐impact name recognition and exposure to the highest profile audience in the independent brokerage community. Whether you select a food function, general session, breakout or promotional item, your sponsorship will create top of mind awareness with our member agencies and other potential clients. New this year:  added banner and signage exposure to all hotel attendees in highly visible areas. 

Some LARGE impact items still available are: Attendee registration bags, Cyber Café and Email Stations. 

Click here for a complete list of current available sponsorships and sponsorship benefits!

Exhibitor/Sponsor Newsletter
The exhibitor/sponsor newsletter is provided each month to the main exhibitor/sponsor contact for each confirmed NAILBA 29 exhibitor or sponsor. This information-packed email is sent at the beginning of each month, and contains deadline reminders, program announcements, and additional information designed to help exhibitors and sponsors maximize their time at NAILBA 29. To read the online version of the exhibitor newsletter, visit the Exhibitor Monthly Newsletters page of the NAILBA 29 web site.

Contact Susan Haning at shaning@nailba.org or 703-383-3068 to learn more about exhibiting, sponsoring or advertising opportunities!