Military Officer - March 2008 - (Page 12) fromthepresident For Your Benefit MOAA’s affiliated products and services are carefully selected and monitored to provide maximum advantage to members, their families — and the association. F rom time to time, members ask me how MOAA develops the specific products and services we offer and how we select the partners who provide member benefits. These are good questions, as they directly affect the value of MOAA membership. We have a simple guideline at MOAA — the association won’t endorse a product or service that headquarters staff wouldn’t use. For instance, I use MOAA’s MEDIPLUS TRICARE supplement and have an MOAA life insurance product, and my wife, Judy, and I have MOAA long term care insurance and have received financial planning advice through the Garrett Financial Network, a partner service. MOAA staffers choose products and services that will benefit members — discounts, tailored and personal service, better financial rates, and the like. We’re very careful in choosing business partners, and we continually monitor their performance. Some companies pay royalties to MOAA, which helps the association conduct legislative affairs and other national operations. This revenue ultimately allows MOAA to continue to serve you. As you might expect, negotiations preceding an affinity partnership are delicate. A potential business partner must not only benefit MOAA and our members but also satisfy its own owners and stockholders. MOAA’s aim during these negotiations is to select a partner that benefits you — the member — as well as the association. 12 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2008 For example, MOAA’s new financial services partner, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed), offers excellent rates on credit cards, money market certificates, and saving accounts and also offers home mortgages and car loans with great rates. Judy and I just joined PenFed ourselves. More than that, MOAA’s affiliation with PenFed will benefit the association by helping us recruit new members among officers who join PenFed. As you might know, PenFed is open to Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel. Under MOAA’s new affiliation, however, all MOAA members (as well as their family members) may join PenFed. This means any Navy, Marine Corps, NOAA, or USPHS officer can join MOAA, and the officer and his or her family will be eligible for PenFed membership. These are important benefits for our members; we’re always on the lookout for useful products and services that will improve the lives of MOAA members and their families. Give me your ideas and feedback, please, and tell me how we’re doing, by e-mailing norbryan@moaa.org. — Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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