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T H U R S D A Y , M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 0 7
Industry News
IIABA NEWS
A New Look for IN&V
Last week, Insurance News & Views debuted its new-and-improved design. We welcome reader feedback on the new look. IN&V publishes each Thursday with the intention of providing members with the latest industry trends and information, but there’s always room for improvement. Please direct comments, suggestions or story ideas to Michelle Payne at michelle.payne@iiaba.net.
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE & CONVENTION
Call for Attendee Surveys
Attendees of the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention should have received an e-mail survey last week. Please take a moment to complete the survey. The Big “I” values attendees’ opinions and looks forward to using the results to enhance future Big “I” events. Attendees who did not receive the e-mail can contact Susan Bonner at susan.bonner@iiaba.net for a copy.
Companies Honored with Best Practices Awards
Three national insurance companies and an insurance technology company recently received the prestigious Best Practices Award of Excellence at the 2007 Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention. The awards were presented at the Young Agents Breakfast and Leadership Panel April 27.
Honorees included Travelers; Applied Systems, Inc.; Central Insurance Companies and EMC Insurance Companies. The awards recognize companies that have made imaginative, outstanding and unique contributions in advocating Best Practices philosophies that enhance the independent agency system. The Big “I” Best Practices Program provides performance benchmarks and business strategies that serve as a guide to improving agency performance.
Travelers received its sixth consecutive Best Practices Award for its educational outreach activities. More than 2,000 insurance professionals have been exposed to the Best Practices program as a result of Travelers efforts.
Although not an insurance company, Applied Systems participates on the Council for Best Practices. The company’s staunch support of the Best Practices philosophies has earned it an Award of Excellence.
Central Insurance Companies utilized the Best Practices studies by developing a plan with consultations from Reagan Consulting, Inc. The program, called “Vibrant Personal Lines,” is designed to help agents grow their most valuable asset – their agency. Central also conducts Best Practices seminars and gives scholarships to agents to attend the Elite Force Sales Training program.
EMC Insurance Company purchased a complete library set of Best Practices for all of their branch offices, and offers training to representatives so that they understand the benefits of each tool. EMC Insurance Company also sponsors agents to participate in state Best Practices Management Institutes.
States Receive 2007 L.P. McCord Awards
The Big “I” presented the 2007 L.P. McCord National Education Awards during the National Board of State Directors Meeting, held in conjunction with at the 2007 Legislative Conference & Convention. The education awards recognize Big “I” state associations for their outstanding efforts in education. The awards are presented based on the number of members in the state’s association. The honorees include:
• Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland is the recipient of the “1-250 Membership” category
• Alabama Independent Insurance Agents, Inc. is the recipient of “251-460 Membership” category
• Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia, Inc. is the recipient of the “461-1000 Membership” category
• Insurance Agents & Brokers of Pennsylvania is the recipient of the “1,000 + Membership” category
The National Education Awards, three individual category awards, will be presented at the 31st Annual Education Convocation Sept. 28 through 30 in San Diego.
To participate in the 2008 Education Award competition, all entries and supporting documentation must be received by Jan. 31, 2008. Entry forms will be available to download October 2007 from the Education Directors Private Lounge area on the Virtual University. For more information, contact Lisa Johnson-Briggs at lisa.johnson-briggs@iiaba.net.
BIG “I” MARKETSSM
RLI Group Receives A+ Rating
On May 3, RLI group’s A+ (Superior) rating by the A.M. Best Company was reaffirmed with a rating outlook of stable. IIABA and nearly all IIABA state associations endorse RLI as the stand-alone personal umbrella provider and all Big “I” members have access. Go to www.independentagent.com/RLI for the list of IIABA/RLI administrators in each state. RLI-PUP information is also on Big “I” Markets underwriting and coverage pages. States, including Arkansas, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia, can also send in their application via the Big “I” Markets platform electronically. RLI-PUP helpful hints and a product summary are also available in every state via Big “I” Markets.
One of the top reasons insurance agents are sued is failure to provide coverage. Make sure personal lines CSRs are all asking for that PUP sale when the opportunity arises. RLI is the perfect compliment to standard offerings with their broader appetite, ability to write over disparate underlying carriers and easy application process.
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