2026 Drive to Success
Half-Day Symposium

What is happening at our Nation’s Capitol?  Hear directly from NAIFA’s top lobbyist and Senior VP, Diane Boyle, as she outlines all the new stuff coming from the Capitol.

• The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed a new worker classification rule that uses an economic reality test. It is similar to the 2021 rule that the Biden Administration sought to change. It would apply to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. The new proposed rule builds heavily on the 2021 standard. It starts with a look at two main factors::  Control of the Work and Entrepreneurial Opportunity.

• Retirement Trump Accounts for Adults – and Trump Accounts - yet undefined new retirement savings program for those whose employers do not offer an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan.  It might open the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to those eligible for it, or tweak the existing MyIRA program.  What we know, and how to advise your clients.

• Will Tariffs replace Income Taxes – mentioned at the State of the Union, but not much more detail.  Status update?
  

What do you recommend when a client tells you that he is likely to die within the next 90 days?

Elite Financial Professionals Share Secrets to Acquiring Affluent Clients.

Most financial professionals work hard at pursuing affluent client prospects, but few are successful. It’s not for a lack of trying, so what’s the problem?   Elite financial professionals have cracked the code!

Through extensive research, Oechsli, a thought leader on affluent client acquisition, discovered the street-tested strategies elite financial professionals consistently use to win clients with assets of $1MM or above. Now, Oechsli is sharing these secrets with you.

Insurance and financial professionals are increasingly encountering settlements that trigger unintended tax consequences for claimants and advisors alike. 
This session provides a practical, fiduciary-focused framework for understanding Qualified Settlement Funds, Plaintiff Recovery Trusts, and related structures that preserve settlement value, avoid double taxation, and reduce professional liability.

You will learn:

• How double taxation arises in settlement scenarios and why it is often missed

• When Qualified Settlement Funds and Plaintiff Recovery Trusts are appropriate and compliant

• The role insurance and financial professionals play in early issue spotting and referrals

• How fiduciary-led planning reduces risk while improving client outcomes
  

What specific technology tools do financial agents use most effectively, and why? How does one build a client service model approved by your compliance officers? What are the realities of using artificial intelligence tools as it relates to compliance with your broker/dealer? Technology has an increasingly significant role to play in the world of finances?

Alison Susko is the vice president of Community and Partnerships at Asset-Map, a financial technology firm dedicated to creating engaging visual communication tools used throughout the customer and advisor journey.

Alison has been working in the financial technology industry for over 15 years specializing in Account Management, Training and Partnership Development/Growth.

Before joining Asset-Map in 2018, she worked at eMoney Advisor where she oversaw Account Development and Enterprise Relationships and Docupace Technologies where she created and ran their Training Department.

Torie Happe has 15 years experience in Customer Service, Relationship Management, Business Development, and Professional Services in the Wealth Management and FinTech space. She is known for delivering top notch service, building lasting professional relationships and leadership.

She is passionate about building strong relationships with clients and partners. Torie is a client advocate with a successful track record of developing and fostering industry leading relationships across custodian, advisor technology and advisor levels.

She is recognized as a top relationship manager and leader in the space being able to identify market trends, assess the competition and customer needs and create solutions that drive adoption. Torie lives in Dallas, TX with her husband Kyle, son Parker and English Labrador Finn.

Artificial intelligence has quickly gone from futuristic concept to everyday conversation. Tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are being hailed as game changers for productivity, client communication, and data analysis. But for many independent insurance agency owners, the excitement comes with a side of anxiety: Where do you even start?  It’s a fair question. AI is being marketed as capable of almost anything, which makes it hard to decide what’s actually worth doing first. The result is a lot of talk, a few experiments, and not much measurable progress. That’s analysis paralysis in action.

The good news is, there are practical strategies insurance agencies can use to cut through the noise and start seeing real results with AI.  Strategies to Help Agencies Move Past AI Analysis Paralysis

• Understand the Different Types of AI

• Identify Your Agency’s Pain Points

• Focus on Quick Wins, Not Total Transformation

• Leverage the AI Tools You Already Have

• Build an AI Policy Before You Build an AI Strategy

• Partner with Experts Who Understand Your Business

Bringing It All Together

AI isn’t a single solution. It’s a collection of tools that serve different purposes. Generative AI helps your people think faster. Automation helps your processes run smoother. Integration helps your systems work smarter. The real power comes from knowing which one to apply first.  Start small, stay focused on real business needs, and let results, not hype, guide your next step. The agencies that win with AI won’t be the ones who do everything. They’ll be the ones who start somewhere, learn quickly, and keep moving forward.

Jason Gobbel is a Partner and Chief Solutions Officer at ACT Supporting Partner, Kite Technology Group, where he helps independent insurance agencies leverage technology to drive efficiency, productivity, and growth. With deep expertise in both insurance operations and IT strategy, Jason is passionate about helping agencies navigate digital transformation with confidence.  Kite Technology helps independent insurance agencies adopt technology with purpose, making operations more efficient and client experiences stronger. They work with you to identify where AI can make the biggest impact and ensure it’s implemented safely and effectively.