This Just In... 46th Annual Conference Program Released! Exciting Member Benefits & Educational Webinars We challenge you to find a better estate planning program in the country during 2009! See 46th Annual Conference Information The list of member benefits changes daily... don't miss your opportunity to take advantage of the exciting benefits, programs & services available to you! See Member Benefits, Programs & Services Message from the President Kathleen J. Belmonte, CTFA, AEP Sabal Trust Company Tampa, FL The 45th Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona was a huge success, with 11 deserving individuals being inducted into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame when awarded the Distinguished Accredited Estate Planner designation. We hope that you will join us for the 46th Annual Conference at the Amelia Island Plantation in northeast Florida from November 11 – 13, 2009. We promise to have two days of excellent technical education, and wonderful weather as well. You can learn more about both conferences in the conference section below and on our website. Our Board of Directors has been hard at work with many initiatives, including National Estate Planning Awareness Week, scheduled for October 19-25, 2009, and more information can be found below and on our website. If you haven't received your Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation yet, what are you waiting for? Please read all about it on our website. We hope that your Council is part of the Every Council Campaign, but if not, please review the information on our website and let us know that your Council wishes to participate. Please read through this publication and contact us if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you in November in Amelia Island. Very truly yours,

In This Issue  FEB. 2009 Message from the President 46th Annual Conference Information Member Benefits, Programs & Services The NAEPC Foundation Report NAEPC Council Relations Committee Happenings NAEPC Administered Designation Information Subscription Options NAEPC National Website {ADDRESS_2}

46th Annual Conference Information

Please join us from November 11 – 13, 2009 on Amelia Island (near Jacksonville, Florida) for the NAEPC / The NAEPC Foundation 46th Annual Conference!

This event is not just for council leadership!  While the Wednesday, November 11, 2009 sessions are devoted to council leaders, the two full days of technical education that follow are appropriate for every member of your council.  The programming committee is hard at work finalizing the official schedule for the event and we're proud to note that the following speakers have agreed to present:

Steve R. Akers, JD, AEP (Distinguished);
Jonathan G. Blattmachr, JD, AEP (Distinguished);
Lawrence Brody, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished);
John G. Brown;
Constance J. Fontaine, JD, LL.M., CLU, ChFC, AEP (Distinguished);
Edward F. Koren, JD, AEP (Distinguished);
Stephan R. Leimberg, JD, AEP (Distinguished);
Michael J. Mullarney, CLU, ChFC;
Richard A. Oshins, JD, LL.M, MBA, AEP (Distinguished);
Sanford J. Schlesinger, JD, AEP (Distinguished); and
Richard M. Weber, MBA, CLU, AEP (Distinguished).

The conference is located at the Amelia Island Plantation. The hotel is a AAA-Four Diamond, 1350 acre property with four 18-hole championship golf courses & 23 clay tennis courts located just 30 miles North of Jacksonville. The Amelia Island Plantation also features a health and fitness center, award-winning youth programs, fine shops, a full service spa and excellent choices for dining. Amelia Island is one of America's few remaining unspoiled island paradises and is the southernmost of the chain of Atlantic coast barrier islands that stretch from North Carolina to Florida. Its rich history, 13 miles of uncrowded beaches, lush, natural setting, moss-covered oaks, unparalleled golf, boating, and fishing, stunning sunrises and sunsets, and friendly "locals" make it more than just a place to visit.

A complete sponsor kit is now available.

Additional information, including details on how to register will be available in upcoming issues of this publication and will be posted online soon.

Member Benefits, Programs & Services

Robert G. Alexander, JD, LL.M., AEP, EPLS Alexander Law Offices, S.C. Milwaukee, WI The Professional Development & Education Committee continues to work hard to offer high quality professional products, services and educational opportunities at value pricing for our entire membership. We diligently look for opportunities that will enhance the significance of your membership in NAEPC and make your individual practice more efficient.

NAEPC Journal of Estate & Tax Planning

The Fifth Edition of the NAEPC Journal of Estate & Tax Planning is now available online!  The issue has over 425 pages of tax and estate planning information, materials designed to aid your practice, in-depth articles and a list of major national estate and tax planning conferences.  Check it out today!

February – April 2009 NAEPC & InterActive Legal Systems Webinar Schedule

Visit InterActive LegalSuite™ to register for any of these exciting events (coupon code found after login in is required to receive NAEPC member rate).  A complete schedule of upcoming programs can be found online at Benefits for Members.

AICPA Conference on Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual

NAEPC has partnered with Sidney Kess, CPA, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished) and AICPA to provide a discounted registration fee to the AICPA Conference on Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual from May 7 – 8, 2009 in Las Vegas, NV.  See complete information about the event.

For a list of all member benefits, programs and services, including NAEPC's $99 subscription to Trusts & Estates magazine, please visit Benefits for Members.

The NAEPC Foundation Report

Help us "spread the word" by encouraging the board of your affiliated local council to begin planning a public estate planning day program in your community.  NAEPC has prepared an "Estate Planning Day in a Box" organizational guide for council use in beginning the planning process and has a 200+ page PowerPoint presentation of technical materials available for adaptation by the local council.

The NAEPC Foundation has recently appointed its Advisory Board and would like to thank the following participants:

Steve R.  Akers, JD, AEP (Distinguished) of Bessemer Trust;
P. Thomas Austin, CPA, CLU, ChFC, AEP (Distinguished) of Ziegler, Metzger & Miller LLP;
Frank S. Berall, Attorney, AEP, LL.M. of Copp & Berall LLP;
Jonathan G. Blattmachr, JD, AEP (Distinguished) of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy;
Lawrence Brody, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished) of Bryan Cave LLP;
Vincent M. D'Addona, CLU, ChFC, AEP of Strategies for Wealth Creation & Protection;
Jo Ann Engelhardt, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished) of Bessemer Trust Company, N.A.;
Thomas M. Forrest, TO, CPA, AEP (Distinguished) of Charles Schwab;
Lawrence P. Katzenstein, Atty, AEP (Distinguished) of Thompson Coburn LLP;
Robert S. Keebler, CPA, MST, AEP (Distinguished) of Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP;
Sidney Kess, CPA, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished);
Al W. King, III, JD, LL.M., AEP (Distinguished) of South Dakota Trust Company, LLC;
Stephan R. Leimberg, JD, AEP (Distinguished) of Leimberg & Associates;
Richard A. Oshins, JD, LL.M, MBA, AEP (Distinguished) of Oshins & Associates, LLC;
Jeffrey N. Pennell, JD of Emory University School of Law;
John W. Porter, B.B.A., JD, AEP (Distinguished) of Baker Botts LLP;
Susan Porter, JD, LL.M., CTFA, AEP (Distinguished) of US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management; and Richard M. Weber, MBA, CLU, AEP (Distinguished) of The Ethical Edge, Inc.

Council Relations Committee Happenings

Joanna Averett, MBA, CFP(r), CIF(r), AEP First American Trust San Bernardino, CA The Council Relations Committee has been very busy contacting affiliated local councils, meeting and talking with unaffiliated councils, and reconnecting with councils who have formerly been members of NAEPC, but had not renewed membership in the last few years. Our committee is pleased to have many new member benefits and initiatives to discuss with all of these folks!  I encourage you to review the information found within the member benefits section regularly!

As a local leader and volunteer, choosing the right website for your council can be a daunting experience.  It can be difficult to know which company is the most reliable and if the pricing is competitive.  Since 2000, the NAEPC has been offering websites to its affiliated councils that are easy to use, economical and continuously enhanced.  By  subscribing to a NAEPC website, your council will be able to; create a "custom" home page, provide links to sponsor and member web sites, send meeting announcements, receive RSVPs, post a calendar of events, list current officers and maintain a membership directory with photos.  NAEPC is extending a special 50% discount on the first year of service for any new or upgraded website request received by June 30, 2009!  Don't miss this fantastic opportunity for your council!

NAEPC Administered Designation Information

Professional estate planners can now achieve an accreditation that acknowledges their experience and specialization in estate planning. The Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation is available to attorneys, Chartered Life Underwriters, Certified Public Accountants, Certified Trust and Financial Advisors, Chartered Financial Consultants, and Certified Financial Planners® and is awarded to professionals who meet stringent experience and education qualifications including two graduate level courses administered by The American College.

The Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) designation is available to attorneys by the Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc., an attorney-run subsidiary of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. Attorneys who become Board-certified under this program demonstrate a high level of professionalism and commitment to the concept of specialization. We believe that as attorney specialization increases, it will benefit not only lawyers but the public. This program is currently the only program, other than certain state bar association programs which are only for residents of their particular states, accredited by the American Bar Association to Board-certify attorneys as Estate Planning Law Specialists.

See more information about both of these designations.

Your affiliated local estate planning council is able to honor its most highly respected and distinguished members by nominating them as a Council Nominated Candidate for the AEP designation. Your estate planning council has been authorized by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils to recommend individuals from each of the following five disciplines for this designation: Attorney, CPA, CLU, ChFC/CFP®, and CTFA. If your council has a membership of 100 or less, you can designate one individual from each of the five disciplines per calendar year. If your council has a membership of more than 100, you can designate two individuals from each of the disciplines per calendar year. The individuals nominated through a council board resolution to receive the AEP designation must have a minimum of 15 years experience in estate planning and estate planning activities and will be subject to current AEP qualifications and requirements, except the requirements for professional references. The application fee for these candidates will be $125, which is 50% of the usual fee. Contact Susan Austin Carney at (866) 226-2224 if you have any questions about this program.

Volunteer! The NAEPC is looking for volunteers to participate on our Accredited Estate Planner Designation and Council Relations Committees. If you have an interest in joining our group, please send an e-mail to eleanor@naepc.org. Thank you!

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