2011 TPN Member Survey

Mission Statement: The Mission of TPN is to maintain a professionally recognized network of successful financial services professionals that will allow us to negotiate superior contractual relationships and provide professional growth through high quality educational programs as well as opportunities to network with other successful advisors.

Since TPN was founded in 1999, the TPN Board of Directors has conducted several surveys to get feedback from the TPN Members. In 2002, the survey focused on issues related to the divisions of TPN – the RIA, Insurance Services, and Meetings and Conferences – as well as general priorities for the group to provide benefits to TPN Members. In 2008 and 2010, the goal of the surveys was to provide the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors a better understanding of how the Shareholder Members and Members view TPN and to address any issues or concerns that were mentioned. The survey questions were outlined around our committee structure – Conference & Sponsor Relations, Training & Education, Insurance, RIA, Membership, and Strategic Plan.

At the 2011 Winter Educational Conference, during the TPN Member Only sessions, some issues were brought up relating to our relationship with NPC as well as to the operations of our divisions – RIA, Insurance, and Meetings and Conferences. This year, the Board of Directors would like to survey all Members again with a particular interest in seeing how we are doing toward meeting our Mission Statement (see above) and whether or not there are issues with NPC that the Board should address.

We are in our 11th year with NPC and much has changed since we first joined NPC. At that time, NPC had only been in business one year, and recruiting a production group with $25 million in GDC was significant for them. In the years since, we have successfully worked with four NPC Presidents (Clifford Jack, Shawn Dreffein, Scott Romine, and now Lynn Neidermeier) and the broker dealer today has approximately 1,500 reps. For your information, the total number of TPN Members has not significantly changed over the years, however, as a production group, TPN’s GDC in 2010 was $56.2 million. Our working relationship with NPC has been strong and effective. Over the years, we have been able to solve many misunderstandings and issues as a result of that positive working relationship. NPC provides many financial and service benefits to our group which has helped us achieve our group’s goals.

Thank you, in advance, for taking a few minutes to answer these questions. The Board of Directors appreciates your input.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The original concept of TPN was built on the premise that having all aspects of our practices (securities, insurance, advisory, practice management, etc.) provided for in the operations of TPN was essential and that it would enhance our ability to grow our own practices and assist others in broadening the scope of their practices.

  1. In your opinion, is the TPN Mission Statement an accurate statement for our production group? ___Yes ___No

If “No” how would you change it?

RIA:

1. Do you currently have an RIA aspect incorporated into your practice?

___Yes ___ No

  1. Are you considering incorporating an RIA aspect into your practice in the next 3-5 years? ___Yes ___ No
  1. If you already are acting as an investment advisor, how are you conducting that business?

___ TPN RIA affiliate

___ Your own outside RIA

___ NPC RIA affiliate

4.  If you are not a TPN RIA affiliate, what is it that deters you from joining it?

___ Desire to retain independent RIA status;

___ Change is not worth the cost savings;

___ My business model is well suited to the advisory platforms available through NPC;

___ I cannot move my fee income out of NPC because I used it as a basis for my NPC loan;

___Other reasons:

5.  TPN should continue to promote the RIA platform. ___Yes ___No

6.  Are you aware that TPN has initiated a program for new advisory practices to benefit from a fee schedule that starts low and grows with the practice? ___Yes ___No

7.  Would you like TPN to provide advisory training and education, to include compliance, practice management, technology tools, product analysis, etc.?

___ Yes ___ No

INSURANCE:

For your information, TPN Insurance Services has generated $915,000 in net income to TPN in the last 10 years.

  1. Do you or reps in your office do any fixed insurance? ___ Yes ___No

If “Yes”, approximately how many fixed insurance policies do you and/or your office do annually? _____

  1. Do you do your fixed insurance business through TPN’s agency contracts?

___Yes ___No

If “No”, why not?

If “Yes” which companies have you used?

_____Westland Financial _____Ash Brokerage _____Crump

_____ CPS Insurance Services _____ING ___JNL

  1. Are you aware that TPN Insurance Services would like to phase out Ash Brokerage and Crump and focus on Westland Financial, CPS Insurance Services, ING, and JNL? ___Yes ___No
  1. Would you like TPN to provide more insurance sales training like the Learning Institute for Financial Executives (LIFE School)? ___Yes ___No

MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES:

  1. I like the schedule of TPN meetings – January, Winter Educational Conference, and July, Summer Family Conference. ___Yes ___No

If “No” what would be better times?

  1. I would attend the Winter Educational Conference if it were in early February.

___Yes ___No

If “No” why?

  1. I like attending the NPC National Conference each year? ___Yes ___No

If “Yes” the most important thing I EXPECT to get out of the NPC National Conference is (rank the following with “1” being the most important):

___Time with other TPN members
___ Practical training/education
___ CE credits
___ Time with sponsors
___ Time out of the office
___ Other:

  1. The most important thing I EXPECT to get out of the Winter Educational Conference is (rank the following with “1” being the most important):

___Time with other TPN members
___ Practical training/education
___ CE credits
___ Time with sponsors
___ Time out of the office
___ Other:

  1. The most important thing I EXPECT to get out of the Summer Family Conference is (rank the following with “1” being the most important):

___Time with other TPN members
___ Practical training/education
___ CE credits
___ Time with sponsors
___ Time out of the office
___ Other:

RELATIONSHIP WITH NPC:

For your information, NPC currently provides TPN with a preferred payout grid, quarterly financial payments for TPN administrative expenses, a conference reimbursement equal to two additional days at the NPC National Conference to be used for a TPN conference, as well as concessions with TPN’s outside RIA.

  1. I believe that TPN is a powerful entity as a production group with NPC.

___Yes ___No

  1. Should TPN as a production group be looking to make any changes in our broker dealer relationship at this time? ___Yes ___No
  1. Are there any specific issues with NPC that you would like TPN to try to change? ___Yes ___No

If so, what are they?

  1. Do you believe that TPN does a good job of working out differences with NPC? ___Yes ___No
  1. What additional benefits, if any, should the Board work to obtain?
  1. The greatest benefit I have gotten out of my ownership/membership in TPN is:
  1. The biggest disappointment from my ownership/membership in TPN is:
  1. With the Amendment to the original Letter of Understanding dated February 2005, NPC allowed TPN to recruit new Shareholders/Members. Should TPN continue to bring in additional Shareholder/Members to TPN and NPC? ___Yes ___No

If “Yes” do you agree with the Board that new Members should have the choice to become a TPN Shareholder or not?

___Yes ___No

We want to be sure that we have as close to 100% participation in this survey, so please give us your name.

NAME: ______

Please Check One: ___ TPN Shareholder Member ___ TPN Member

___ TPN Member interested in becoming a TPN Shareholder Member

Please return your survey to Kären Locklin:

·  By fax: (951) 695-0511

·  By email:

·  By US Mail: 42145 Lyndie Lane, Suite 116, Temecula, CA 92591

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March 22, 2011