Finseca CEO at Politico Economy Summit: Policy Uncertainty Highlights Need for Financial Planning Access

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At Politico's Economy Summit, Finseca CEO Marc Cadin delivered remarks demonstrating how the current policy uncertainty highlights the need for holistic financial planning access. 

"At the exact moment when the policy environment is getting more volatile, too many families are going through it without a map and without a guide," said Cadin in his speech. "My ask today is that we treat access to a holistic financial plan for all Americans as a core part of the policy conversation, not an afterthought!"

Click here to watch Cadin's remarks.

ABOUT POLITICO'S ECONOMY SUMMIT:

• Politico's Economy Summit was held on Wednesday, March 25, in Washington, D.C.
• The conversations with government and industry leaders centered on the policy decisions that will determine tomorrow's market risks and opportunities.
• Other notable speakers included: Peter Navarro, White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing; U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.); U.S. Representatives Mike Flood (R-Neb.); Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.); and Gary Cohn, Vice Chairman, IBM and Former Director of the National Economic Council.

REMARKS AS PREPARED:

CADIN COMPARES ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO PERFECT STORM

"It is an honor to be with you today. In his 1997 book Sebastian Junger popularized the term The Perfect Storm based on the once in a lifetime storm that was the result of a collision of three main systems:

1. A strong cold front coming off the East Coast.
2. A large high pressure system over eastern Canada/Greenland.
3. Hurricane Grace, a separate Atlantic hurricane who came from the south. 

Remember the line by actor Christopher McDonald who played meteorologist Todd Gross?

You could be a meteorologist all your life and never see something like this. It would be a disaster of epic proportions. It would be… the perfect storm.

These powerful but distinct weather systems collided at exactly the wrong time.

But what made that storm unforgettable wasn't just the meteorology, it was what happened to the boat and the crew of Andrea Gail that got lost at sea.

A crew of ordinary people, doing their jobs, caught in forces far bigger than any one of them could navigate alone.

That's the part of the story we shouldn't lose sight of. Because today, the American people are that boat.

They are facing a similar perfect storm in our political and economic environment.

1. We have record federal debt and structural deficits.
2. We have Social Security on a known path to insolvency which will trigger automatic benefit cuts in the first part of the next decade. 
3. We have rising anxiety in the workforce that will only grow as AI disrupts the labor market and many workers worry they'll be left behind. 

In isolation, each of those trends is a serious challenge particularly in a political environment that makes it increasingly difficult for policy makers of both parties to compromise and to get the basics done.

Taken together, they create an environment where pressure builds for big, visible policy responses—especially on how we help Americans save, protect their families, and retire with dignity."

WITH UNCERTAIN CONDITIONS, HOLISTIC FINANCIAL PLANS ARE ESSENTIAL

"If we're not careful, that pressure can lead to the adoption of bad policies and symbolic fights instead of durable solutions.

That's where Finseca, which is inspired by the notion of Financial Security for All, and the financial security profession we represent come in.

Finseca is the national association that represents the professionals who sit across the table from families and business owners, helping them put together holistic financial plans to make sure they are not navigating the perfect storm alone.

Our belief is simple, and it has been proved by independent research by EY: when you combine permanent life insurance, investments, and annuities into a single holistic plan — people get better outcomes and are less likely to outlive their savings.

But access to that kind of holistic planning is still far too limited. Today less than a third of Americans work with a financial professional, and we see enormous gaps in both life insurance coverage and retirement savings.

In other words, at the exact moment when the policy environment is getting more volatile, too many families are going through it without a map and without a guide.

My ask today is that we treat access to a holistic financial plan for all Americans as a core part of the policy conversation, not an afterthought!"

GO FUND ME SHOULDN'T BE A STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH UNEXPECTED EVENTS

"If policymakers, regulators, and industry can come together around the idea that every American deserves a holistic financial plan and trusted advice. If they come together around the notion that in the United States of America in 2026, we should not rely on GOFUNDME as a systematic strategy to deal with the unexpected events of life.

If we come together around these ideas, then policy makers of both parties will make tax and regulatory decisions to reinforce, rather than undermine, financial security for all Americans.

The perfect storm is real. It will present once in a lifetime policy challenges.

But with the right policy choices—and with a serious commitment to expanding access to holistic planning—to promoting the use of permanent life insurance, investments, and annuities for all Americans, we can help the next generation of Americans become the most financially secure in our country's 250 year history."

SOURCE Finseca