T H U R S D A Y ,   J U N E   1 8 ,   2 0 0 9

 Industry News

IIABA News
Big “I” Launches Grassroots Efforts to Oppose Kennedy Bill

As the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) considers the Kennedy health care reform bill, the Big “I” has launched a grassroots campaign to oppose it.

Agents are encourage to call their senators at 202-224-3121 and to send e-mails to their representatives in Congress, employees, friends, family and clients expressing their support for health care reform and opposition to the bill.

The following points are important to stress when calling Congressional representatives:

• The Kennedy bill includes a public plan that would create a fast track to a single payer health care system and that would limit consumer choice and increase the federal deficit.

• The bill includes an employer mandate that would shrink small business output and force small businesses to cut jobs.

• The bill, through the “Navigators” program, would cut experienced and educated insurance agents and brokers out of the process of boosting health insurance enrollment. Individuals seeking information on what health insurance plan best fits their needs should be able to count on sound advice from a licensed health insurance agent, broker or consultant.

Additionally, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released estimates this week indicating the bill would cost more than $1 trillion and still leave 37 million Americans uninsured.

The campaign is currently focusing on the members of the Senate HELP Committee which include: Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Michael B. Enzi (R-Wyo.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Johnny Isakson (D-Ga.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.).

The Big “I” is also co-hosting a special health care reform Capitol Hill fly-in with other major health insurance producer groups on July 14 and 15.

To register for the fly-in, please click here.

For more information about the grassroots campaign or the fly-in, contact Jennifer McPhillips, Big “I” director of grassroots programs and InsurPac, at 202-863-7000 or jennifer.dlugasch@iiaba.net.


Trusted Choice^®
State of the Online Auto Insurance Marketplace

Over the past several years, the Internet has fundamentally changed the relationship between customers and their auto insurance carriers. Prospects are increasingly turning to the Internet as a primary source for research and price comparison, while existing customers go online to pay bills and make updates to their policies. The comScore Online Auto Insurance Report presents a detailed overview of the online auto insurance market with insights into overall industry trends, the competitive landscape and key areas influencing the online consumer’s decision making process. Primary areas of focus include the weak economy’s effect on the industry, the volume of online quote requests and policy purchases, attitudinal insights into customer preferences about agent versus direct channel purchasing and channel preferences for policy management. 
 
In this recorded presentation, comScore’s Auto Insurance Practice Leader Susan Engleson reviews details from the report. Trusted Choice^® has negotiated a special member discount for this webinar, bringing the cost to $49 from the retail price of $299. Simply download the registration form here and follow the instructions to fax back to comScore. Shortly after receiving the registration form you will receive a link to the webinar. Please contact Kevin Brandt, Trusted Choice^® director of operations, at kevin.brandt@iiaba.net with any questions or for registration assistance.


Best Practices
Become the Best of the Best

Since 1993, the annual Best Practices Study has served as a tool to help agency owners and managers understand how their business operations perform and measure up to the top-performing firms across the country. It is a “must have” for those agencies that want to become the best they can be through soft markets, hard markets and an ever-changing industry. The Big “I” and Reagan Consulting congratulate the 2008 Best Practices Agencies for their continued success.

The 2008 Best Practices Study Update demonstrates that although positive revenue growth was difficult to achieve, Best Practices agencies continued to invest in new production talent. The majority of those agencies with revenues of more than $2.5 million hired at least 1.5 new producers during the last fiscal year, with the largest agencies hiring an average of 9.4 new producers. The average starting salary across all the revenue categories ranged from $52,000 to $95,000. The largest agencies with revenues of more than $25 million tended to hire more experienced producers, while those in the lower revenue categories tended to hire producers with less sales and/or insurance experience.

The study indicates that  Best Practices agencies are proactively taking steps to grow even in a very soft market, and during tough economic times. Click here to view Best Practices resources and obtain your copy of the study and click here for a list of the Best Practices Agencies.

Agency principals often ask how an agency is selected to participate in the annual study. Learn how the process works, how your agency can be prepared to participate and the benefits of being a Best Practices agency through a free webinar presented by Shirley Lukens of Reagan Consulting on July 14 at 2 p.m. EST. Click here to register.


Young Agents
YAC Awards Deadline Fast Approaching

Attention all Young Agents – the YAC awards submission deadline is July 15. Have you submitted your application yet? The Big “I” National Young Agents Committee (YAC) is seeking submissions for the 2009 YAC awards in the following categories: membership development, state committee project, communications and Young Agents meeting and political involvement. Outstanding Young Agents Committee of the Year and first runner-up honors will also be awarded. Participating in the National YAC awards program demonstrates the commitment state Young Agents committees have toperpetuate the independent agency system and solidifies their presence as the driving force behind its future. The 2009 YAC awards will be presented at the Young Agents Leadership Institute, Sept. 11-13, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans.

YAC award winners will also be featured during the Magnificent Seven event at the Young Agents Leadership Institute. This unique event is an interactive panel discussion where attendees will learn from other Young Agents Committees  which will offer insight into how they achieved award-winning results.

Entries must be postmarked by July 15. Visit www.independentagent.com and click on “Young Agents” under the “Member Resources” tab and then click on “Tools” to download the 2009 YAC awards criteria. Contact Katie Cosgrove with questions at 800-221-7917; katie.cosgrove@iiaba.net.


Big “I” Markets
Fishing for Big Accounts with Affluent and MMAC

Whether you fish for business in small pond or a big lake, don't be afraid to try and land the big one. For personal lines, that means going after the truly affluent household. Many agents access Big "I" Markets for homes in the $500,000 to $2 million range. But with access to the Chubb Masterpiece^® suite of products, as well as Fireman's Fund Prestige^® Portfolio, there is no reason not to go after the $5 to $10 million and even higher value properties. The more you play in the higher-end space, the less competition you will see from direct writers. And don't limit yourself to marketing only to people you may know in that demographic. Targeting high net-worth households pays dividends with higher premiums and lots of account rounding opportunities to insure boats, high-end autos, umbrella coverage, etc.

How can you  target these customers? Use the new Member Marketing Activity Center (MMAC) on Big “I” Markets to develop lists that pinpoint these prospects. For example, you can identify homes with values of more than $2 million and households with incomes of more than $250,000 by zip code, county, state, etc. You can choose from a number of variables to specify your target. Then, once you have the list, you can follow the cross-sell model and access several post card mailers to send to those households.

For a refresher on the product distinctions between Chubb and Fireman's Fund, click here.

To learn more about how the MMAC can help you market to affluent homeowners, visit www.bigimarkets.com and click the MMAC banner ad.


Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention
Tentative 2010 Schedule Available

The 2010 Big "I" Legislative Conference & Convention (LC&C) will take place March 3-5 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. To better meet the needs of attendees, adjustments have been made to the schedule. To view the tentative schedule, please visit www.independentagent.com/events or click here.

The Big “I” also congratulates the 2009 LC&C post-event survey winner, R. Jeffrey Coup of the Coup Agency in Milton, Pa. Coup’s name was selected randomly from 199 responses and he will receive an iPod Touch. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey.


Big I Advantage^SM
Eagle Agency Offers Access to Travelers Commercial Lines

Many Big "I” members have heard about Eagle Agency, the Big “I” general agency created to provide market access to members new to the industry and in need of markets. But not everyone has heard about the expansion of Eagle to include Travelers commercial lines, which may interest more established agencies. Click here to access a state availability chart to see what is available to you, and visit www.independentagent.com/Eagle for information on the expansion of the member benefit program. For questions, e-mail eagleagency@iiaba.net.


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

On July 8 from 2-3 p.m. EST, Swiss Re and the Big “I” will hold a webinar for Swiss Re policyholders on the Agency Shield Program^TM (ASP^TM).  ASP^TM is an agency procedural self-audit program that not only saves agencies money but also improves their business practices. This program is exclusively available as a value-added service to Swiss Re (Westport) policyholders. The webinar will teach attendees how to purchase, use and make the most of the Agency Shield Program™.  

Can’t make this webinar but want to learn more about the Agency Shield Program™? Visit www.iiaba.net/EO.
  
Click here to register for the webinar. There is no cost to attend. For more Big “I” agency risk management resources, visit www.iiaba.net/EOHappens.