2010 TRUSTED CHOICE CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF
The IIARI Communications Committee kicked off the start of the 2010 Trusted Choice campaign last week with a review of the highlights from last year and plans for the coming year. RI will again feature recognizable landmarks in the locally produced advertisements. The campaign will include radio spots in the summer months as well.
To see the presentation or to complete a commitment form for the 2010 campaign, please use the links provided below.
In related news…
This year IIARI will make use of an airplane banner that will be flown from Westerly to Bonnet Shores and Newport during the summer months. The banner will prominently display the Trusted Choice logo, web address and 1-800-We-Insure. IIARI members can subscribe to the 1-800-We-Insure program. It is on a first come, first served basis as the number of agencies supplied will be limited to four. The cost is only $10 per month, per zip code you subscribe. Click here for more information on the 1-800-We-Insure program.
If you utilize the Trusted Choice® logo on your office stationary, business cards and the like, you can seek reimbursement up to $250 from Trusted Choice. The Marketing Reimbursement Program also allows another $250 reimbursement for inclusion of the Trusted Choice logo or incorporation of the Pledge of Performance on your website. Click here for details on the Marketing Reimbursement Program.
BACK TO TOP
DBR ACTIVITY
CONSUMER ALERTS
The Department of Business Regulation Insurance Division recently issued two consumer alerts. The alerts are designed for consumers to raise awareness for two specific types of insurance: Event and Flood. Click below to see the DBR Consumer Alerts.
PROPOSED REGULATION
The DBR has also issued their public notice for proposed rule-making for Insurance Regulation 114 - Service of Process for Insurance Companies. Click here to view the proposed regulation.
BACK TO TOP
AGENT REMINDER
The Department of Business Regulation wants to remind agents that auto warranties are not insurance contracts. Agents should use extreme caution when working with auto warranty companies. While there are many reputable firms in the market, again extreme caution should be used if aligning with any auto warranty company.
BACK TO TOP
AGENCY VISITS
IIARI President Tony Pires is making plans on doing agency visits with members in the coming weeks. If you would like to meet with the Tony, contact Mark Male at 732-2400 to schedule a visit.
BACK TO TOP
IIARI WINTER WEATHER POLICY
As a reminder for those enrolled to take a class or attend a seminar sponsored by IIARI, in the event of inclement weather, you may call the IIARI at 732-2400 to find out if your class/seminar has been cancelled. Messages will be posted by 7:00 a.m. on the day of the class. If there is no specific message addressing the weather – the class/seminar will be held starting at the originally posted time.
BACK TO TOP
ACT INTRODUCES WEBINAR TO ASSIST AGENCIES WITH THEIR SOCIAL WEB POLICIES
We encourage you to take advantage of ACT's newest free webinar, "Formulating a Social Web Strategy & Policy for Your Agency, which will be held on February 11, 2010, 2:30-3:30 PM eastern time. The webinar will discuss the management process two agents, Angelyn Treutel and Cindy Adams, and one carrier executive, Katie Herbst, went through in deciding on an appropriate social web strategy for their organizations, securing employee buy in and creating an appropriate social web policy for their firms. The webinar will reference ACT's new agency resource, "Creating a Social Web Policy for your Independent Agency" available at www.iiaba.net/act. The session will also feature Rick Morgan, Chair of ACT's Social Web Work Group and Jeff Yates, ACT's Executive Director.
Please register now for the February 11 webinar (2:30-3:30 PM eastern time) by going to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/135297105
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
After you logon to the Internet session, you will be able to listen to the audio through your computer headset or speakers. If you would prefer, you will also be provided with a toll number you can call to listen to the audio.
BACK TO TOP
NEWLY REVISED FREE ACT WEBINAR:
PROTECTING INDEPENDENT AGENT CLIENTS WITH SECURE EMAIL USING TLS (TRANSPORT LAYER SECURITY)
ACT recommends independent agents and carriers implement TLS email encryption as a means of achieving secure email wherever possible to protect the sensitive client information being emailed between agents and carriers, such as commercial lines applications. Many carriers are already enabled with TLS and the only cost for TLS, if it is available on your inhouse or hosted system, is for the certificate. Unsecured email and attachments are like sending an open postcard through the mail. State privacy, security, and data breach laws are increasingly requiring that email transmissions including sensitive consumer information be encrypted.
ACT is hosting a newly revised, free webinar on February 25, 1:30-2:30 PM eastern time on the importance of secure email and the opportunity for independent agents to use TLS email encryption to achieve it. Jim Rogers, Director of Distribution Technology, The Hartford and Tim Woodcock, President, Courtesy Computers will present this Webinar, assisted by Jeff Yates, ACT's Executive Director. The first 40 minutes of this Webinar is designed for agency business leaders and the second 20 minutes will demo TLS configuration on a 2007 exchange server.
Once implemented, TLS is transparent to the user and provides a better agent workflow than proprietary email solutions imposed by the carrier. TLS is available on most up-to-date inhouse email servers (such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes) and through many providers who host email systems for agents. It is not currently available on hosted email through hotmail and yahoo but has recently been made available on corporate versions of gmail.
Please register for the Thursday, February 25 session of the Webinar (1:30-2:30 PM eastern time) by registering at this link now:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/893967424
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. After you logon to the Internet session, you will be able to listen to the audio through your computer headset or speakers. If you would prefer, you will also be provided with a toll number you can call to listen to the audio.
BACK TO TOP
BUILD A WEB PRESENCE WORTHY OF 2010
Think of your agency’s Web site as another door to your office. Clients and prospects “stop in” to find out more about business, meet your staff and decide whether they want to talk more. By taking a few steps to encourage them to “come on in,” you can attract new business. Click here to read this interesting article presented by the Agents Council for Technology (aka ACT).
BACK TO TOP
LATEST VUPoint NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE (250th Issue!)
LATE BREAKING NEWS!
ACORD Releases New Certificate and Evidence of Insurance Forms Editions
At press time, we learned that ACORD has just released new editions of the ACORD 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, and 28 dated December 2009. This follows the release of major revisions to the ACORD 24 and 25 dated September 2009. In the next issue of the VUpoint (Feb. 12), we'll outline the major changes in all of these forms.
In addition, mark your calendars for March 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. EASTERN time when we will be presenting a 75-minute national webinar that will detail the ACORD 24/25 changes, explain the major change in the ACORD 20, 21, 22, and 23, and include a brief discussion of lender issues surrounding the ACORD 27 and 28 changes of 2006 and 2009. Registration information will be included in the next newsletter on February 12.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about these changes, please use our "Ask an Expert" service to insure a complete and timely response: http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Experts/ExpertsMain.htm
BACK TO TOP
VUPoint Articles
PERSONAL LINES ARTICLE
"Flood Insurance Myth Debunked: The Two Acres - Two Properties Rule", by David Thompson (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Ins/PL/Flood/Thompson2Acres.htm)
COMMERCIAL LINES ARTICLE
"Does the BAP Cover a Detached Snow Plow?", by The VU Faculty (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Ins/CL/AutoGarage/FacultySnowPlow2.htm)
AGENCY MANAGEMENT ARTICLE
"A Guide to Selling an Agency", by Al Diamond (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Bus/AM/Valuation/DiamondGuide.htm)
SALES & MARKETING ARTICLE
"Improving Commercial Lines Account Marketing", by Kel Plasket (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Bus/BS/SalesManagement/PlasketMarketing.htm)
CUSTOMER SERVICE ARTICLE
"What's All This Talk About Value?", by JoAnna Brandi (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Bus/BS/CustomerService/BrandiValue3.htm)
TECHNOLOGY ARTICLE
"The Breakthrough in Agency Automation", by Jeff Yates (http://www.iiaba.net/VU/Lib/Tec/GT/Miscellaneous/YatesBreakthrough.htm)
BACK TO TOP
SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TO ADDRESS IIABA LARGE AGENT DINNER
IIABA recently announced that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, will address the association’s Large Agent/Broker and CEO dinner on March 5 during the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention.
The Big “I” Large Agent and Broker Roundtable, a group which advises the Big “I” Board of Directors on topics important to large agents and brokers, hosts the annual dinner. The group has recently been working on issues such as agent licensing reform, technology and workflow efficiency, and industry workforce recruitment. Large agents and brokers from around the country, as well as regional and national carrier CEOs, will be in attendance.
“The Big ‘I’ Large Agent and Broker Roundtable is honored that Sen. Dodd will be addressing our annual event,” says John Murray, chairman of the Big “I” Large Agent and Broker Roundtable, and CEO, president, and director of Rose & Kiernan, Inc. headquartered in East Greenbush, N.Y. “Sen. Dodd understands the challenges our industry is facing and we look forward to hearing his perspective.”
Sen. Dodd is chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs. He is currently serving a fifth term in the United States Senate and recently announced he will not run for re-election. In 2002, the IIABA was honored to present Sen. Dodd with the association’s Gerald Solomon Legislator of the Year Award.
“The Big ‘I’ has a long history of working closely with Sen. Dodd (D-Conn.) on key issues that impact independent insurance agents and brokers, small businesses and insurance consumers,” says Robert A. Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “Sen. Dodd has distinguished himself as a dynamic and effective legislative leader for 30 years. He is a resilient and outspoken champion for independent insurance agents and brokers in Connecticut and throughout our country on a wide range of insurance and small business issues vital to their livelihoods.”
The Big “I” National Legislative Conference is the insurance industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting. This year’s event will take place March 3-5 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.
“Sen. Dodd is a true expert and has long been a leader on business and insurance issues that directly impact independent insurance agents and brokers and companies,” says Charles E. Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president for government affairs. “He truly understands the important role our members play in communities across the country. In 2010 we look forward to continuing to work with him on the pending financial services legislation and many other critical issues that impact our members, small businesses and all insurance consumers.”
Other highlights of the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention will include in-depth issues briefing sessions; appearances by numerous high-profile speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers as well as agents and brokers; a CEO panel comprised of top carrier presidents & CEOs (CNA, The Hartford, Fireman’s Fund and Safeco to participate) and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and their elected representatives in the Congress.
For registration and hotel information, go to www.independentagent.com and select the “Events and Conferences” link. Journalists interested in attending, please contact Margarita Tapia, director of public affairs, at (800) 221-7917 or margarita.tapia@iiaba.net for media registration.
BACK TO TOP
UPCOMING MEETINGS, EVENTS & EDUCATION
