A New Name. A Larger Mission. The Council for Disability Income Awareness

Why “Income” Matters!

By Bob Herum, CDIA President

On May 15 this year, our organization added one word to its name: “Income.” After nearly two decades in the industry, our new name – The Council for Disability Income Awareness – signals that our services, mission, and membership are growing.

Over the past eight months, I have been excited to participate in this change by serving, first as Interim President, and now as President of the CDIA. Our prior President, Carol Harnett, passed last year after a relapse of cancer. Carol was well-known and her loss was widely felt by the CDA and throughout the industry. When asked to serve in her place, you might imagine how honored I felt.

The Importance of “Income”

The word “Income” was added to our name because many outside the insurance and disability world thought our mission was based on the ‘disabled’ American worker. In fact, for twenty years our focus has been to educate working Americans about the risks of disability and the catastrophic financial impact on his or her families.

We also recognize that the disability income resources for working Americans are changing rapidly. New legislation, regulations, and the economy have created evolving options and challenges for employees, companies, and insurance providers. In this new landscape, the “Council for Disability Income Awareness” clarifies our work while retaining our well-known name recognition from the past two decades.

The CDIA Today

With the introduction of our new name, I want to share what the CDIA is involved in and our plans for the near future.

For Agents, Brokers, and Consultants

After consumers, our largest audiences are insurance and financial professionals. To support their day-to-day, marketing and sales efforts, we are providing more educational tools and research data at no cost. Thousands of brokers rely on these materials which we update annually and make available 24/7.

CDIA Member Firms

Member firms are our most engaged participants. The CDIA continuously monitors new research and regulatory agency activities to help members respond to changing regulations and marketplace needs. Our CDIA staff researcher is a well-known expert who leads deep dives into emerging data and trends.

A Wider CDIA Member Audience

Historically our membership was exclusively made up of Group and Individual carriers. Today, we also recognize the growth and importance of firms that provide industry products and services. Our membership now covers claims adjudication, reinsurance, research firms, underwriters, rehabilitation providers, and IMO (Independent Marketing Carriers).

The Big Ask

I have a big ask. Are the carriers you work with members of the CDIA? Often non-member carriers will publish CDIA materials on their websites and other marketing materials. If you think like I do, that they should help fund our research and educational programs, please let them know!

I hope this article provides you with a better understanding of the CDIA, our role, and purpose, and that you also know that we are actively listening to you. Please feel free to reach out to me at bherum@disabilityhappens.com.

About Bob Herum

Bob Herum has written 12 posts in this blog.

Bob Herum, MSFS, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, DIA, DIF, LTCP CDA President. Bob has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and has demonstrated success as a producer, a wholesaler and as a manager. Bob has been published in such magazines as The American College’s Wealth Magazine, National Underwriter, Life Insurance Selling, Broker’s World, NAIFA’s Advisor Today and Health Insurance Underwriters (HIU). Additionally, he has spoken at national, regional and state forums on a variety of disability and worksite sales topics and is a recipient of the W. Harold Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Disability Income Society (IDIS). Bob retired as a Colonel from the Army Reserves. He is a past President of the Columbus, Ohio NAIFA chapter, a two-time past President with the International Disability Society, past-chair of the NAHU’s Disability Insurance Advisory Group, and past-President for the Cincinnati Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP). Bob is married to Teri and has one son, Nick.