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T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 9 , 2 0 0 5 Farmers Insurance Group Personal Insurance Agency Agreement Reviewed |
President’s Panel Announced | Big "I" Markets Launches Boat Insurance |
Why Contribute to the 2005 InVEST Silent Auction? | 2005 Scholarship and Award Winners Announced | Are You the Ultimate Producer? | Watch Your Mail for Big "I" Advantage Newsletter | June Issue Now Online | Industry News L E G A L A D V O C A C Y
Farmers Insurance Group Personal Insurance Agency Agreement Reviewed IIABA’s Office of the General Counsel completed its review of the Farmers Insurance Group Personal Insurance Agency Agreement. Some provisions of concern for agents are that: 1) The agreement limits the time to make a claim to 90 days, rather than allowing the applicable statute of limitations to apply; 2) The agent’s indemnification of the company is much broader than the company’s indemnification of the agent; 3) The agent’s authority is curtailed upon receipt of a notice of termination, rather than the actual termination date; 4) The agent is required to adopt and implement the company’s procedures to prevent unauthorized use and disclosure of proprietary information; and 5) The company can require a copy of the agent’s financial statement or tax return "upon request." Big "I" members can access the review by clicking here. For more information, contact Kathleen Graber at 800-221-7917; kathleen.graber@iiaba.net. Y O U N G A G E N T S
President’s Panel Announced A panel of insurance industry leaders will share with young agents their insights on critical issues affecting the future of the independent agency system during the 30th Annual Young Agents Sales & Leadership Conference. The conference, the industry’s premier young agents’ event, will be held Sept. 9 through 11 in conjunction with the Big "I" Convention at the Hilton New York in New York City. "This event brings together today’s and tomorrow’s industry leaders," says Big "I" President Thomas Grau, CPCU. "This is very important to the future of the independent agency system, and I appreciate the chance to meet with the industry’s best and brightest to discuss the critical issues facing young agents." Joining Grau on the President’s Panel are Ray Thomas, CEO, Zurich North America Small Business; Tom Van Berkel, president & CEO, The Main Street America Group; Marita Zuraitis, president, The Citizens and Hanover Insurance Companies; and Bill Purmort, president and chairman of the board, Central Insurance Companies. The Young Agents Breakfast and President’s Panel with Big "I" leadership is one of the highlights of the Sales & Leadership Conference. The conference promotes the importance of building leadership skills and establishing networking contacts for young agents who are the future of the independent agency system. Young agents from across the country will gather for three days of educational training designed to teach, listen to and encourage the agency system leaders of tomorrow. Click here to register for the Big "I" Young Agents Sales & Leadership Conference. For more information, contact Leslie Mularski at 800 221-7917; leslie.mularski@iiaba.net. B I G “ I ” M A R K E T S
Big "I" Markets Launches Boat Insurance Of 82 different products specifically referenced, personal lines marine risks were the fifth most requested in a 2004 survey of Big "I" Markets users to determine what producers needed most. Based on that result, Big "I" markets targeted marine insurance for development, and personal lines marine insurance is now available. The products are offered in partnership with Ski-Safe™/Sea-Safe™, an MGA that writes only personal lines marine insurance. Join the marine program and enjoy competitive commissions of an above-average 11% on new and renewal business (except Ancient Mariner™, where you receive 8.5% on new and renewal, and personal watercraft, where commissions range from 9% to 16%, depending on risk characteristics). Standard and non-standard risks are welcome. For more information, contact Gary Heiligman at 800 221-7917; gary.heiligman@iiaba.net. I N V E S T
Why Contribute to the 2005 InVEST Silent Auction? Proceeds from the 2005 InVEST Silent Auction support InVEST’s annual scholarships, awarded to graduates pursuing higher education with an emphasis on insurance. This year $44,000 in scholarships were presented from proceeds generated by the 2004 Silent Auction. InVEST, a 501(c)3 educational trust, relies solely on your tax-deductible contributions. The 2005 InVEST Silent Auction will be held this September during the Big "I" Convention in New York City. Due to space limitations , it will feature a total of 30 items from the following categories: Great Getaways, Gems & Jewelry or Gizmos & Gadgets. Additional donations are welcome and will be reserved for the next auction to be held in April 2006 at the Big "I" event in Washington, D.C. Our ability to help students, especially those in at-risk communities, develop the skills they need to pursue professional entry-level positions upon graduation depends upon your financial assistance. Donating an item to the InVEST Silent Auction is a great way to show your support and help raise scholarship dollars to help program graduates succeed. Click here to download a contribution form. For more information,, contact Sandra Skipper at 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net. 2005 Scholarship and Award Winners Announced InVEST, the only education program that strengthens the insurance industry by developing a large pool of qualified recruits, recently awarded $44,000 in scholarships to a select group of 21 high school and community college graduates. InVEST also named its 2005 Teacher of the Year and Dach Award winners. Recipients of three $5,000 scholarships are: Eric Asuo-Mante of East Hartford (Conn.) High School; Winfield Carty of Jones High School, Orlando, Fla.; and Emily Orschiedt of Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y. Recipients of nine $2,500 scholarships are Paula Edge, Cecilia Mund and Lamont Route of Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.; Mark Bolich and Alex Lansky of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic High School; Denise Soto of Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando; Brian LaLonde of Dryden High School; William Sharp of East Hartford High School; and Cathy Gutierrez of Timber Creek High School, Orlando, Fla. Recipients of four $1,000 honorable-mention scholarships are Sarinya Ball of Spaulding High School, Rochester, N.H.; Laura Huntley of Grossmont College; Christina Lynne Rivera of East Hartford High School; and Jennifer Wilson of Jones High School. Recipients of five $500 honorable-mention scholarships are Breyon Collins of Edgewater High School, Orlando, Fla.; Dominique Harris of Murry Bergtraum High School, New York, N.Y.; Rachel Norse of Terry Parker High School, Jacksonville, Fla.; Lauren Powers of Trumansburg High School, Trumansburg, N.Y.; and D’andra Whyte of Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, Conn. The Teacher of the Year award is given to a teacher who has made substantial contributions to his or her InVEST students. This year’s winner is Renee Dubber from Jones High School in Orlando. The submissions provided by her students all confirm her dedication and winning combination of humor and discipline in the classroom. The Dach Award is given each year to an InVEST volunteer for involvement in fostering the growth and development of InVEST programs. The award is named in memory of the program’s founder, Stephen Dach. This year’s agent volunteer winner is Angelyn Treutel from Treutel Insurance Agency in Bay St. Louis, Miss. A true testament to her dedication, she has been instrumental in implementing an impressive eight InVEST programs in one year. Dave Kern from Calabasas Tri County Insurance in Calabasas, Calif., is first runner-up in the agent volunteer category. Kern has been active in the program for four years and dedicates his time to two local InVEST programs. This year’s company-volunteer winner is Neal Montgomery with St. Paul Travelers in Hartford, Conn. Montgomery has been active with InVEST for three years and has extended his efforts to include three programs in his area. Click here to learn more about InVEST. For more information about the scholarships, or the auction, contact Sandra Skipper at 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net. B I G “ I ” C O N V E N T I O N
Are You the Ultimate Producer? Have you discovered the best mix of personality, salesmanship and technical expertise to write just about any piece of business that you want? If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you could be chosen to compete in "The Ultimate Producer Challenge" at the 2005 Big "I" Convention in New York City on Sept. 12. The Challenge will include 20 producers along with insurance sales expert Roger Sitkins for a day of competition, networking, and fun to find out who really is the "The Ultimate Producer." The producers chosen to participate in the Challenge will go through a series of group and individual sales exercises and tests on Sept. 12, 2005 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the Challenge, producers will be eliminated from the competition based upon their performance, as determined by the Challenge judges. The Ultimate Producer selected from the Challenge will be announced during the Convention’s closing General Session on Sept. 12. Are you "The Ultimate Producer"? Click here to apply! For more information, contact Madelyn Flannagan at madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net. B I G " I " A D V A N T A G E
Watch Your Mail for Big "I" Advantage Newsletter The summer edition of Big "I" Advantage newsletter will be mailed to all Big "I" member agencies next week. This edition features articles about three key Big "I" Markets products: the Fireman’s Fund Prestige Portfolio, the Balboa renters insurance product and the newly launched marine insurance program. Also featured are updates from the Big "I" RLI Personal Umbrella program, Big "I" Retirement Services, the Big "I" Flood Program, Caliper, Trusted Choice®, Virtual University, Best Practices, InVEST and Young Agents. I A M A G A Z I N E
June Issue Now Online The June issue of Independent Agent magazine is now available online at IAmagazine.com. The issue contains a comprehensive wrap up of the 2005 National Legislative Conference, complete with photos of President George W. Bush and the other political leaders who spoke to Big "I" agents and brokers at the event. Also included in the issue: "Don’t Become Phish Food," "Stepping into Management Shoes," "Decipher Health Alphabet Soup" and "Get Some Group Think."
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