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Industry News

Legislative Conference & Convention
Network with New Faces and Old Friends

Get to know your Trusted Choice^® staff and company partners. Participate in the InVEST Silent Auction and a difference in the lives of young industry professionals. Find answers from Virtual University experts on 22 pertinent topics. Win valuable door prizes. Discover fresh ideas, products and services. All this and more will be available in the exhibit hall at the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention, April 30 – May 1 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Preview upcoming exhibitors under the “events” portion of www.independentagent.com. Register by Feb. 20 and save 10% on registration fees by using the code EARLY09 at checkout. Click here to register.


Legislative Conference & Convention
Congressman Pete Sessions to Address Big “I” Legislative Leadership Luncheon

The Big “I” has announced that Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) will address the annual Leadership Luncheon, just prior to the Big “I” National Legislative Conference & Convention. 

The event will be held at the Capitol Hill Club on April 28. Attendees will include Big “I” Executive and Government Affairs Committee members, agents and brokers from the Congressman’s home state of Texas and other industry leaders.

“Rep. Sessions is a true champion for small businesses and independent agents,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president and CEO. “We are honored that he will be meeting with the Big “I” leadership team.”

Rep. Sessions is chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and serves on the powerful House Rules Committee. Viewed as a rising star, his leadership skills have been hailed in Washington and by his party since he was first elected to Congress in 1996. Sessions is in his seventh term and represents the Dallas area.  

“The Big ‘I’ leaders are politically active and engaged on issues that matter to their businesses,” says Charles Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president for government affairs. “We know that they will appreciate Congressman Sessions’ perspective on issues before Congress that affect thousands of independent insurance agents and brokers across the country.”

The Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention is the insurance industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting. This year’s event will take place April 29 - May 1 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. 

Highlights of this year’s event include: in-depth issues briefing sessions, a panel discussion with top insurance carrier CEOs, a state of the association address by Big “I” Chairman Brett Nilsson, a speech by Freakonomics author Stephen Dubner, appearances by numerous high-profile industry speakers and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and their elected representatives. 

The legislative conference is an opportunity for agents and brokers to discuss important issues with their congressional representatives. Top issues this year include: the state of the national economy, economic challenges facing insurance carriers and the industry, the property-casualty insurance cycle, the TARP program, insurance regulatory reform, health insurance and other challenges and opportunities facing the independent agency system. 

For registration and hotel information, go to www.independentagent.com and select the “Events and Conferences” link.


Virtual University
Big “I” Virtual University to Offer Webinar on Certificates of Insurance

On March 19 and April 16 at 2 p.m. EST, the Big “I” Virtual University will present a two-part webinar entitled, “Certificates of Insurance…Or How I Got a Job in the Prison Laundry.”

Requests for certificates of insurance and related documentation have rapidly escalated out of control. Now the Big “I” finds owners and general contractors making demands that agents and insurers simply cannot comply with—legally or practically. Certificates of insurance typically generate no revenue but create significant costs and dramatically heighten E&O exposures.

The purpose of this webinar is to provide a comprehensive review of certificate of insurance issues. While the focus of this program is on certificates and evidences of insurance, it also addresses critical peripheral issues such as contractual risk transfer and additional insureds.

Course Overview
The program examines what a certificate of insurance is and isn’t and takes a look at the escalating number of E&O claims involving certificates, presenting several real-life claims case studies with settlements or judgments ranging from $100,000 to over $10 million.

The webinar also examines contractual insurance requirements and additional insureds. Included are numerous examples of indemnity agreements, construction contracts and commercial leases and loan agreements. Various policy processing forms and issues will also be reviewed, including the ACORD 24, 25, 27 and 28. 

Another major area to be discussed is the legal aspects of certificates. Included are statutes, regulations and insurance department directives from states across the country, along with eye-opening case law dealing with certificates. The program will close with conclusions and recommendations, and a charge for agents to educate their employees, carriers and vendors, along with customers and other parties in non-insurance industries.

For more information about the content of the program, click here. 

To register for this two-part webinar, click here.


Trusted Choice^® 
Trusted Choice^® Featured on Lifetime Television Show

Trusted Choice^® will be featured on the Lifetime Television show “The Balancing Act” on Feb. 16.

The segment, titled “Women and Insurance – Are You Covered? What You Need to Know About Your Insurance Needs,” features Trusted Choice^® independent insurance agents Sharon Emek, director of the CBS Insurance Coverage Group in New York and Alex Soto, president of InSource Insurance Agency in Miami. Emek is former chair of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York and Soto is a former Big “I” chairman and a founding member of Trusted Choice^®. 

“We are pleased ‘The Balancing Act’ chose Trusted Choice^® for our expertise on the insurance needs of women today,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “Sharon and Alex are respected leaders in the independent agency system, experts on insurance issues for consumers and exemplary stewards of the Trusted Choice^® Pledge of Performance.”

The interview is scheduled to air nationally on Feb. 16 at 7 a.m. Eastern/Pacific and 6 a.m. Central/Mountain (check local listings). It will replay on March 4 and March 16. Emek and Soto will discuss a variety of issues including divorce and in-home businesses.

“Sharon and Alex will reveal to the viewers of ‘The Balancing Act’ the kind of sound advice Trusted Choice^® agents provide every day for insurance consumers,” says Dave Evans, Trusted Choice^® executive director. “Trusted Choice^® agents provide personalized service designed to protect the needs of businesses and families.”

“The Balancing Act” is a daily TV talk show which addresses relevant issues facing today’s busy woman. Each 30-minute episode airs daily at 7 a.m. Eastern/Pacific and 6 a.m. Central/Mountain (check local listings) on Lifetime Television to a potential reach of 96 million households, and explores everything from balancing the home life to making healthy decisions. Additional information and each segment can be accessed on the show’s Web site, www.TheBalancingAct.com. Each episode is also available on www.video.AOL.com, www.Yahoovideo.com, www.Google.com/video, www.YouTube.com and as a podcast on www.iTunes.com.

Trusted Choice^® is promoted through a combination of national, state-level and local-agency advertising, promotional and marketing activities; insurance company branding; public relations campaigns; and Internet communications. For more information, visit www.TrustedChoice.com. 

Big “I” Professional Liability
Agency Shield Program^TM Webinar Scheduled for Swiss Re Policyholders

Swiss Re Commercial Insurance, working with Big “I” staff, has scheduled a free webinar on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. EST for policyholders to learn more about the Agency Shield Program^TM (ASP^TM). ASP^TM is an insurance agency E&O claims prevention consulting program available exclusively to Swiss Re policyholders. Distributed through your local Big "I" association, it is designed to be an affordable and easy-to-implement tool to reduce E&O exposure, improve client service and build sustainable, profitable processes. Policyholders who complete the Agency Shield Program^TM will receive a 10% E&O premium credit good for three years on their next renewal. The goal of ASP^TM is to help agencies establish a standardized process that makes procedures focused and efficient throughout, ultimately leading to better productivity, increased profits and reduced E&O exposure.

Click here to view and download the invitation. Swiss Re has also created a flier promoting the webinar that can be included in newsletters. Click here to download the flier. Contact David Hulcher at david.hulcher@iiaba.net with questions.

Big “I” Markets
Members Make Eagle Agency Fly

Big “I” members across the nation are participating in Eagle Agency, which has written more than $8 million in personal lines premium. Eagle Agency is a general agency created exclusively for Big “I” members featuring: 

• Easy access to top-rated carriers (MetLife Auto & Home and Travelers personal and commercial lines).
• Low volume commitments.
• No fees.
• Opportunity to receive direct contracts with the partner carriers.
• Competitive commissions (66% of the commissions the Big “I” receives). 
• Gross commissions vary, depending on the line of coverage and the state.  
• Eagle agents retain ownership of all the business placed through the Eagle Agency.

To view a state availability chart, click here. To learn more about whether Eagle Agency is right for you or to get started with the appointment process, visit www.independentagent.com/Eagle.


Big “I” Flood Program
Flood Marketing Tips

Linda Mackey, Big “I” Flood Program manager, is often asked technical and marketing questions about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Here’s her advice to agents:

1. Get Flood Smart! Complete your state licensing requirement for FIRA 2004 C.E. by taking a flood class offered by your state association or online through the Virtual University, NFIP’s online or classroom courses to gain product and program knowledge. Have a copy of the NFIP flood manual in your office or on your computer.

2. Get even smarter about flood marketing by participating in the “Oh, By the Way Flood Sale” weekly webinar. A webinar description is given below in our webinar section.

3. Offer flood insurance to all your property accounts, both existing and prospects. Include building and contents. If you are rejected, get a signed client waiver for your permanent client file using the newly revised Acord 60 or the one available from Virtual University.

4. Advertise flood insurance as a coverage your agency offers for personal and commercial accounts everywhere you promote your agency.

5. Visit the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Web site, www.FloodSmart.gov, for consumer/agent information on flood risk, a premium directory, flood facts and media resources. 

6. Register for NFIP’s agent-secure site, www.Agents.FloodSmart.gov, for information on education/training, selling a policy, claims/services, marketing/advertising, map modernization and news/publications.

7. Work with a NFIP write-your-own (WYO) carrier that you can depend on for education, marketing and underwriting support with a competitive commission such as the Big “I” endorsed carrier, Selective Insurance. Call Mackey or Selective’s assigned territory manager for marketing assistance. To find out more visit: www.iiaba.net/flood, www.bigimarkets.com or www.selective.com.

8. Offer excess flood. NFIP has maximum limits available for residential and commercial properties. For coverage above the NFIP limits or outside of the NFIP program, check out Wells Fargo Special Risks’ product offering on Big “I” Markets at www.bigimarkets.com for excess over any NFIP primary flood, non-participating communities or Coastal Barrier Resource Act designated properties. 

9. Be sure you have completed the annual three hours of flood CE to qualify for the agent programs – this could differ from your state license requirement for flood CE.

To contact Mackey for more marketing ideas for your agency, e-mail her at linda.mackey@iiaba.net.


Big “I” Markets
Special Events Market Available

You can and should be coaching your clients on the need to protect themselves from liability associated with events including weddings, banquets, school concerts and sports events. That’s why we suggest you familiarize yourself with the event liability coverage available on Big “I” Markets. Coverages include host liquor liability, $1 million CGL limits, facility named as additional insured, hired and non-owned auto and inland marine coverage with an A+ rated admitted carrier. Click here to log in to Big “I” Markets for more information. 


IIABA News
Becoming the Best

A great quote by an unknown author reads, “Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.” IIABA Best Practices agencies are living proof of this statement.
 
A common thread running through these top-performing agencies is the commitment to surrounding themselves with the best people and matching their talents to their roles. This is one of the most difficult yet most important things management can do.
 
To learn more about these Best Practices agencies, click here to read an article by Herb Greenberg, CEO of Caliper.
 
To learn more about the exclusive Big "I" member discount on Caliper's full suite of human resource solutions, including personality testing from $245, click here.