The NAILBA Case Manager Certification Program helps train and develop new case managers on the life insurance case management process, while certifying existing case managers on the key skills, responsibilities, and best practices that are essential for their role. The program, which has been designed with a life insurance focus, is comprised of eight online learning modules with mastery quizzes for each module.   FIELD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Abby Milner Mann – Vice President, New Business The Milner Group Leah Mahoney, FLMI, PCS – Director of Operations Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Carolyn Sampson – Sr. Vice President of New Business The National Benefit Corp Kany MacLellan – AVP, Underwriting and New Business Brokers’ Service Marketing Group Haley Chaires – Life Relationship Manager Ash Brokerage Helena Roberts – Vice President Life Solutions, Underwriting, and New Business Lincoln Financial Group Heather Dowd – Sr. Training Consultant Life Solutions, Underwriting & New Business Lincoln Financial Group Amanda Singer, FLMI, ACS – Vice President Crump Life Insurance Services Tiffany Markarian – Managing Director and Founder Advantus Marketing, LLC Peri Lane – Owner Apis Productions   CONTRIBUTING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS Andrea Caruso – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer MIB Group, Inc. Melinda Meyer – President Aspen Strategies, LLC Joangel Concepcion – Director, Memebership and Digital Engagement NAILBA Jane Riley – Chief Compliance Officer The Leaders Group, Inc. Alaina Winson – Support and Services Manager / Operations Project Manager Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Dawn Goss – Licensing and New Account Specialist Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Lori-Anne Walker – Chief Underwriter Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Jann Varner, FLMI – Case Design Team Manager Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Brandon Johnsen – Senior Case Design Analyst Diversified Brokerage Services, Inc. Shannon Daly – Product Analyst, Individual Life Lincoln Financial Group Read more

Institutional life insurance has evolved from adapting retail policies to engineering highly customized PPVUL solutions designed around specific corporate objectives, liabilities, and investment strategies. This session will walk through that evolution in a disciplined way - highlighting what changed in product design, investment architecture, and servicing expectations - so you can better assess when institutional life is appropriate, how to explain it responsibly to decision-makers, and where the real operational demands lie.  By the end of this session learners will be able to: Participants will be able to describe the evolution of institutional life insurance and distinguish it from traditional retail policy structures.  Participants will be able to evaluate the key design features of PPVUL solutions, including customization, investment architecture, and servicing requirements.  Participants will be able to assess when institutional life insurance strategies may be appropriate based on client objectives, liabilities, and risk considerations.  Participants will be able to explain complex life insurance structures to clients and other decision-makers in a clear and responsible manner.    Read more

The one constant in Washington is change – and you can leverage that change to educate your clients and strengthen their savings approach. In this session, Becky Swansburg, CEO of Stonewood Financial and author of The Road Less Taxed, will help you analyze new tax policies, long-term spending, debt trends, and other government changes – and how they could impact your clients.  By the end of this session learners will be able to: The three provisions in OBBBA that matter most to your clients this year  The long-term tax outlook – and why your clients could see higher taxes in the years to come  What could be ahead for IRMAA, estate taxes, income taxes, and retirement savings accounts  Top tax messages for client communications    Read more

For advisors working with complex cases, underwriting is not an administrative step—it is a core competency. This session moves beyond general trends to examine how strong field underwriting influences placement ratios, client retention, and long-term revenue. Topics include medical and financial underwriting considerations, preparing clients for scrutiny, anticipating red flags, and structuring submissions to reduce surprises. Attendees will leave with a disciplined framework for managing underwriting proactively rather than reactively.  By the end of this session learners will be able to: Participants will be able to analyze key medical and financial underwriting factors and evaluate their impact on insurance eligibility and pricing.  Participants will be able to assess potential underwriting risks and identify red flags prior to formal submission.  Participants will be able to apply a structured approach to preparing clients and documentation for the underwriting process.  Participants will be able to evaluate how underwriting outcomes affect overall risk management and insurance planning strategies.    Read more

As AI tools become more powerful and accessible, firms in advanced markets face new compliance and supervisory challenges. This session unpacks the latest federal and state regulatory developments impacting the use of AI in client engagement, underwriting, and advice delivery. Hear from a regulatory expert who will clarify what’s permissible now, what’s on the horizon, and how firm leaders can responsibly innovate without crossing legal lines.  By the end of this session learners will be able to: Participants will be able to describe current federal and state regulatory considerations related to the use of AI in financial services.  Participants will be able to evaluate compliance and supervisory risks associated with AI applications in client engagement, underwriting, and advice delivery.  Participants will be able to analyze how fiduciary and regulatory standards apply to AI-supported planning and recommendations.  Participants will be able to identify best practices for implementing AI tools in a manner consistent with regulatory requirements and client protection principles   Read more

Discovery conversations help spot problems and organize steps into a financial design that earns credibility with sophisticated clients and their existing advisors. We'll cover the questions that surface problems clients didn't know they had, how to coordinate across partners without overstepping, and turn a first meeting into a multi-generational relationship. If you're leading with product, you're leaving the relationship on the table. This session shows you how to lead with planning and let everything else follow.  By the end of this session learners will be able to: Participants will be able to apply structured discovery techniques to identify client goals, risks, and planning gaps.  Participants will be able to organize client information into a comprehensive financial planning framework that prioritizes next steps.  Participants will be able to coordinate effectively with other professional advisors while maintaining appropriate scope and roles.  Participants will be able to demonstrate communication strategies that build trust and support long-term, multi-generational client relationships.    Read more