When Ryan Ballesteros¹ was studying Forensic Psychology at Walden University, he didn’t imagine a career helping protect families as a life insurance agent, much less becoming a Partner at New York Life. However, when his son’s mother was pregnant with their first child, Ballesteros saw the power of life insurance. His son’s grandfather passed away, leaving a death benefit to take care of his wife and six children. Ballesteros was able to pay off debt, start a savings account for his son and purchase life insurance for himself.

Steve Cain is a self-described “LTC insurance nerd” dedicated to being a lifelong learner and advocating for Main Street USA.

NAIFA-CA member Rahim Solehdin uses his passion and experience to train the next generation of agents and advisors at New York Life.

Making a Difference

When Solehdin joined New York Life as an agent in 2013, he found the balance he was looking for—the opportunity to help people provide for their families while making good money. He always knew he wanted to be in management, and New York Life provided that career path for him. Driven to succeed, he became a partner with New York Life in 2016. "I knew what I had to do to get there, and I did it,” he says. “[At New York Life], I knew that I could do the hard work and get what I wanted.”

Gilbert Mares, CEO of Gilbert A. Mares and Associates, is a loyal NAIFA member and past President of NAIFA's Los Angeles affiliate from 2003-2005.