GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT

A PUBLICATION OF VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION

January 2016

7th

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston VT 05495 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-876-7912 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Daniel LussierVice President Peter RichardsSecretaryTreasurer Erin OdellIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron Bixby

DirectorsChip AmsAlan KinneyPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

January 2016

4 Message from the PresidentFeatures

6 John Hollarrsquos Legislative Update9 VIAA Young Agents News Brief13 What would you do if you had a data breach17 Sales Success Set Yourself up for

Significant Sales Success in 2016EampO Corner

22 New Yearrsquos ResolutionsNews

24 Allstate25 Ohio Mutual26 Acuity

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it

Are you looking to hire

Place your ad in VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

7th

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston VT 05495 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-876-7912 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Daniel LussierVice President Peter RichardsSecretaryTreasurer Erin OdellIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron Bixby

DirectorsChip AmsAlan KinneyPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

January 2016

4 Message from the PresidentFeatures

6 John Hollarrsquos Legislative Update9 VIAA Young Agents News Brief13 What would you do if you had a data breach17 Sales Success Set Yourself up for

Significant Sales Success in 2016EampO Corner

22 New Yearrsquos ResolutionsNews

24 Allstate25 Ohio Mutual26 Acuity

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it

Are you looking to hire

Place your ad in VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston VT 05495 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-876-7912 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Daniel LussierVice President Peter RichardsSecretaryTreasurer Erin OdellIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron Bixby

DirectorsChip AmsAlan KinneyPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

January 2016

4 Message from the PresidentFeatures

6 John Hollarrsquos Legislative Update9 VIAA Young Agents News Brief13 What would you do if you had a data breach17 Sales Success Set Yourself up for

Significant Sales Success in 2016EampO Corner

22 New Yearrsquos ResolutionsNews

24 Allstate25 Ohio Mutual26 Acuity

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it

Are you looking to hire

Place your ad in VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

4

Message from the President

New Yearrsquos Resolutions for Your Agency

Wersquove probably made a few resolutions since the New Year began Irsquom sure Tom Bradyrsquos resolution is to win the Super Bowl Some of us have resolved to shed a few pounds or make more money But what resolutions have been made for your agency We can all come up with a few resolutions for our agency The list could be endless One of the best resolutions I think we can make is to protect your agency from Cyber Attacks This is a hot topic at all levels of government The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is tackling this issue to protect consumers A data breach can bring agency production to a halt Thatrsquos why VIAA is now offering Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program Yoursquoll find more information about the program inside this issue Irsquod like to thank Paul Kendall Vermontrsquos InsurPac Chair and our donors for helping us reach our fundraising goal in 2015 This helps strengthen the independent agency system and allows the Big ldquoIrdquo to rack up many legislative wins on our behalf The VIAA Education Center will open next month We will be offering our award winning education programs at this location and throughout the state during 2016 The education center will also be available for rental as well Stay tuned for more details

Dan Lussier VIAA President

6

John Hollarrsquos Legislative Update

After Initial Distractions Lawmakers Settle In

The legislative session opened in the midst of two separate spectacles that distracted lawmakers from the more mundane business of lawmaking The first was a Senate proceeding to suspend Sen Norm McAllister R-Franklin

based on charges of criminal sexual assault McAllisterrsquos defiant presence in the Senate for the first half of the week unsettled virtually everyone A bipartisan group of senators made impassioned arguments that due process should prevent his temporary ouster but the suspension resolution passed 20-10 with the majority of lawmakers motivated by the abhorrent nature of his alleged conduct Presidential candidate Donald Trumprsquos surprise appearance in Burlington on Thursday night also dominated Statehouse conversations and further distracted lawmakers from the business at hand News that Trumprsquos campaign had oversold the 1400-seat Flynn Theater by about 20000 tickets led to speculation about the potential for chaos in downtown Burlington but in the end the scene was rowdy but relatively civilAfter the initial activity including the usual bustle surrounding the Governorrsquos State of the State Address lawmakers settled down to business And settle they did It quickly became apparent that this is going to be anything but a workhorse session Lawmakers are showing no appetite to take on grand initiatives after nearly two decades of groundbreaking legislation in the areas of taxes renewable energy health care gay marriage and education

The reticence of lawmakers is likely due to concern about the statersquos economic climate but there has been little interest in tackling new pro-business initiatives such as tax or permit reform Gov Peter Shumlinrsquos final State of the State address gave further evidence that this would be a year of low expectations The governorrsquos speech was filled with applause lines and emotional tributes to accomplished Vermonters but it called for no major initiatives and only a handful of minor ones He railed against PhRMA for selling pain-killers and oddly blamed the Food and Drug Administration for the nationrsquos opiate crisis He called for the statersquos divestiture of coal and ExxonMobil stock And he asked the legislature to repeal the caps on education spending that were passed last May Like many lawmakers Shumlin has walked back from his full support for marijuana legalization and passage of a bill this year looks increasingly doubtful One of the few issues that has widespread support is reform of the statersquos independent contractor laws Efforts to modernize the definition of ldquoindependent contractorrdquo have proven to be perennially vexing despite the growing complaints lawmakers hear from business owners including insurance agents about how the current law is a trap for the unwary ensnaring legitimate businesses in a morass of regulatory and insurance obstaclesVirtually every member of the House Commerce amp Economic Development Committee has identified this issue as one of their top priorities Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan has submitted a proposal that would revise the Supreme Courtrsquos Chatham Woods decision The Court in Chatham Woods adopted a ldquonature-of-the-businessrdquo test holding that if a subcontractorrsquos work is in the ldquonaturerdquo of the

John Hollar

6

John Hollarrsquos Legislative Update

After Initial Distractions Lawmakers Settle In

The legislative session opened in the midst of two separate spectacles that distracted lawmakers from the more mundane business of lawmaking The first was a Senate proceeding to suspend Sen Norm McAllister R-Franklin

based on charges of criminal sexual assault McAllisterrsquos defiant presence in the Senate for the first half of the week unsettled virtually everyone A bipartisan group of senators made impassioned arguments that due process should prevent his temporary ouster but the suspension resolution passed 20-10 with the majority of lawmakers motivated by the abhorrent nature of his alleged conduct Presidential candidate Donald Trumprsquos surprise appearance in Burlington on Thursday night also dominated Statehouse conversations and further distracted lawmakers from the business at hand News that Trumprsquos campaign had oversold the 1400-seat Flynn Theater by about 20000 tickets led to speculation about the potential for chaos in downtown Burlington but in the end the scene was rowdy but relatively civilAfter the initial activity including the usual bustle surrounding the Governorrsquos State of the State Address lawmakers settled down to business And settle they did It quickly became apparent that this is going to be anything but a workhorse session Lawmakers are showing no appetite to take on grand initiatives after nearly two decades of groundbreaking legislation in the areas of taxes renewable energy health care gay marriage and education

The reticence of lawmakers is likely due to concern about the statersquos economic climate but there has been little interest in tackling new pro-business initiatives such as tax or permit reform Gov Peter Shumlinrsquos final State of the State address gave further evidence that this would be a year of low expectations The governorrsquos speech was filled with applause lines and emotional tributes to accomplished Vermonters but it called for no major initiatives and only a handful of minor ones He railed against PhRMA for selling pain-killers and oddly blamed the Food and Drug Administration for the nationrsquos opiate crisis He called for the statersquos divestiture of coal and ExxonMobil stock And he asked the legislature to repeal the caps on education spending that were passed last May Like many lawmakers Shumlin has walked back from his full support for marijuana legalization and passage of a bill this year looks increasingly doubtful One of the few issues that has widespread support is reform of the statersquos independent contractor laws Efforts to modernize the definition of ldquoindependent contractorrdquo have proven to be perennially vexing despite the growing complaints lawmakers hear from business owners including insurance agents about how the current law is a trap for the unwary ensnaring legitimate businesses in a morass of regulatory and insurance obstaclesVirtually every member of the House Commerce amp Economic Development Committee has identified this issue as one of their top priorities Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan has submitted a proposal that would revise the Supreme Courtrsquos Chatham Woods decision The Court in Chatham Woods adopted a ldquonature-of-the-businessrdquo test holding that if a subcontractorrsquos work is in the ldquonaturerdquo of the

John Hollar

general contractorrsquos business the subcontractor is an employee and not an independent contractor The decision has resulted in a wide range of independent businesses being considered as employees of general contractorsUnder Noonanrsquos proposal a subcontractorrsquos work need not be distinct and separate from that of the general contractor so long as the ldquoindividual or hellip partner owners operate a separate and distinct business from that of the person with whom they contracthelliprdquo The

proposal would preclude an employer from hiring multiple sole proprietors to perform the same work on a project or jobsiteNoonanrsquos proposal is only a starting point for a discussion that is likely take up a large part of the session in the House Commerce and Senate Economic Development Committees If lawmakers solve this challenge it could make up for what could otherwise be a lackluster year

Alison Jones (978) 933-4187 | alisonjonesmeadowbrookcom | wwwmeadowbrookcom

Real Solutions To Meet Your Challenges

Our WC Product Rises Above the Restbull Fully Insured Markets Broad Range Classes

Deviations and Dividends Highly Rated Company Partners Superior Service

bull Personal Lines Private Client Portfolio of Products

bull Claims Management Services

bull Risk Control Services

bull Self Insured Group Management

COULD YOUR CUSTOMERS USE A PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY

Rated A+ by AMBest RLICORPCOM

CONSIDER THISExisting homeowners and auto insurance may not be enough to cover a lawsuit or judgment A personal umbrella policy will substantially increase your customerrsquos overall liability coverage beyond the basic coverage provided under homeowners and auto insurance policies

A SMART WAY TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Yoursquoll find an RLI personal umbrella policy is a good idea

bull $1 million in additional insurancebull Backed by a financially secure A+ rated companybull Customers keep their current homeownerauto insurerbull Excess UMUIM availablebull New drivers accepted mdash no age limit on driversbull Up to one DWIDUI per household allowedbull Auto limits as low as 10030050 in certain cases

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN Thatrsquos why people have insurance However if your customers arenrsquot protected by a personal umbrella policy they could be putting their house or financial assets at risk This low-cost policy is designed to protect families against a catastrophic lawsuit or judgment

CALL TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE QUOTE The RLI PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY is available through selected agents and program administrators in all 50 states

CONTACT

April Shrewsbury8002217917 x5360AprilShrewsburyiiabanet

VIAA Young Agents News Brief

Next YAC MeetingFebruary 18 2016 Noon Vermont Mutual 89 State Street Montpelier Lunch sponsored by Vermont Mutual Insurance Group RSVP Kerri OrsquoConnor koconnornwjinsurancecom

COULD YOUR CUSTOMERS USE A PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY

Rated A+ by AMBest RLICORPCOM

CONSIDER THISExisting homeowners and auto insurance may not be enough to cover a lawsuit or judgment A personal umbrella policy will substantially increase your customerrsquos overall liability coverage beyond the basic coverage provided under homeowners and auto insurance policies

A SMART WAY TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Yoursquoll find an RLI personal umbrella policy is a good idea

bull $1 million in additional insurancebull Backed by a financially secure A+ rated companybull Customers keep their current homeownerauto insurerbull Excess UMUIM availablebull New drivers accepted mdash no age limit on driversbull Up to one DWIDUI per household allowedbull Auto limits as low as 10030050 in certain cases

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN Thatrsquos why people have insurance However if your customers arenrsquot protected by a personal umbrella policy they could be putting their house or financial assets at risk This low-cost policy is designed to protect families against a catastrophic lawsuit or judgment

CALL TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE QUOTE The RLI PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY is available through selected agents and program administrators in all 50 states

CONTACT

April Shrewsbury8002217917 x5360AprilShrewsburyiiabanet

VIAA Young Agents News Brief

Next YAC MeetingFebruary 18 2016 Noon Vermont Mutual 89 State Street Montpelier Lunch sponsored by Vermont Mutual Insurance Group RSVP Kerri OrsquoConnor koconnornwjinsurancecom

VIAA Young Agents News Brief

Next YAC MeetingFebruary 18 2016 Noon Vermont Mutual 89 State Street Montpelier Lunch sponsored by Vermont Mutual Insurance Group RSVP Kerri OrsquoConnor koconnornwjinsurancecom

10

5

We are now located at 600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston Vermont 05495

Our phone number remains the same 802bull229bull5884

Our fax number has changed 802bull876bull7912

Mailing amp Office Address 600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston Vermont 05495Phone 8022295884|Fax 8028767912

AmTrust has a bouquet of coverage

for small businesses

Complementary workersrsquo comp and BOP coverage By offering a competitive businessowners policy (BOP) as an individual product or as an accompaniment to our workersrsquo compensation insurance or commercial auto products AmTrust has a selection that serves small businesses well

Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products

For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom

Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money

Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app

Your Success is Our Policyreg

AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo

(Excellent) FSC X

The products you need

247 claims

Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

John Immordino CIC CRM RPLU CIPPUSAccording to recent Symantec research 60 of small businesses will close within six months of a cyber-attack Are you prepared to handle a breachOne of the first questions that I ask clients is ldquoWhat would you do if you had a breachrdquo The response is usually along the lines of a glazed over look followed by eyes rolling into the backs of heads I usually know at this point that I will need to educate my client I start by informing them that 60 of businesses fail to recover from a breach Why Because those businesses are not familiar with state data breach notification laws the costs associated with a breach and the reputational harm that the business will incurThe majority of business owners consider reputation one of their most important assets Small business owners work in the same communities that they live shop go to church and where their kids go to school When clients provide their private information they expect the business to keep it safe If the client suffers a breach of this information the client and by extension the local community lose faith in the business As a matter of fact 38 of clients will leave after a breach and 46 of them will advise friends and family to be careful sharing information with that local business This is why the number one concern is to help my clients protect sensitive information and prevent a breach from happening Many insurance carriers will offer risk management web portals as part of their insurance policy These are excellent resources for companies that need assistance in identifying and protecting the private information they have These portals also provide useful tools in training the business employees on the importance of privacy Some of these same carriers will provide the insured with a public relations firm to help them announce the breach in a way that will mitigate their reputational harm

When it comes to discussing privacy laws the best approach is to keep it simple There are numerous state and federal privacy laws that business must comply with but I usually focus on one state notification laws There are currently 47 different state notification laws In a general sense these laws state that if a business collects private information on state residents they are required to protect that information If the business fails to protect the information and there is a breach they must notify the affected individuals within a certain time frame If the residents are not notified within that time period the business can be assessed civil money penalties The challenge is determining when the business has to notify the affected individual and when the clock starts ticking Most states specify that they must notify ldquowithout unreasonable delayrdquo Some states will actually provide a number of days that can range from five to 45 days The new national legislation being proposed will be 30 days So to keep from getting fined up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars the business must notify the residents as soon as possible The notification will consist of three steps forensics legal and mailing The first step is to find a forensic investigator to assess the breach Forensics will determine what happened and identify the individuals whose private information has been compromised This list will then go to a legal counsel specializing in privacy laws Counsel will determine which laws are applicable to the situation and suggest compliance methods including how to structure the notification letter All states have specific requirements on how these letters need to be written After the draft is completed the letters are then mailed to the affected individuals This is a complex process that must be completed in a certain time period Because of this clients that do not have a formalized response plan are best

What would you do if you had a data breach

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

served by being placed with a carrier that will provide one for them Several carriers will offer turn-key breach responses or otherwise assist an insured through the breach response processThe costs associated with handling a breach can cripple any business Depending on the report being reviewed these costs can range from $1000 to $13700000 The important thing to remember is that the cost of the breach is not relative to the size of a company Instead the cost associated with each breach has to do with the type of information compromised the regulatory climate and how the information was compromised According to a 2014 NetDiligence report on 111 actual cyber liability insurance claims the average claim payout is $733109 This amount is inclusive of forensics notification legal guidance public relations legal defense legal settlement regulatory defense regulatory fines and PCI fines Because the notification costs can vary so greatly we usually recommend carriers that will respond to the notification obligation on the basis of

a record count outside the limit of liability instead of a set static dollar value limit It has often been said that it is not a matter of if you will have a breach but when Educating training and insuring are the key components to helping your organization be part of the 40 survival rate The Vermont Insurance Agents Association has partnered with ArlingtonRoereg to offer their members the Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program was developed for insurance agents to provide them with the tools to reduce their exposures and the insurance to respond to a breach For more information on this product please contact Helen Collins at 18446091481John Immordino is a vice president of professional liability at ArlingtonRoe a wholesale Insurance broker He is the administrator of the nationally endorsed Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program is only available to member agencies through their IIABA state associations He can be reached at jimmordinoarlingtonroecom or 800-878-9891 Ext 8732

What would you do if you had a data breach

AmTrust has a bouquet of coverage

for small businesses

Complementary workersrsquo comp and BOP coverage By offering a competitive businessowners policy (BOP) as an individual product or as an accompaniment to our workersrsquo compensation insurance or commercial auto products AmTrust has a selection that serves small businesses well

Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products

For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom

Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money

Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app

Your Success is Our Policyreg

AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo

(Excellent) FSC X

The products you need

247 claims

Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

John Immordino CIC CRM RPLU CIPPUSAccording to recent Symantec research 60 of small businesses will close within six months of a cyber-attack Are you prepared to handle a breachOne of the first questions that I ask clients is ldquoWhat would you do if you had a breachrdquo The response is usually along the lines of a glazed over look followed by eyes rolling into the backs of heads I usually know at this point that I will need to educate my client I start by informing them that 60 of businesses fail to recover from a breach Why Because those businesses are not familiar with state data breach notification laws the costs associated with a breach and the reputational harm that the business will incurThe majority of business owners consider reputation one of their most important assets Small business owners work in the same communities that they live shop go to church and where their kids go to school When clients provide their private information they expect the business to keep it safe If the client suffers a breach of this information the client and by extension the local community lose faith in the business As a matter of fact 38 of clients will leave after a breach and 46 of them will advise friends and family to be careful sharing information with that local business This is why the number one concern is to help my clients protect sensitive information and prevent a breach from happening Many insurance carriers will offer risk management web portals as part of their insurance policy These are excellent resources for companies that need assistance in identifying and protecting the private information they have These portals also provide useful tools in training the business employees on the importance of privacy Some of these same carriers will provide the insured with a public relations firm to help them announce the breach in a way that will mitigate their reputational harm

When it comes to discussing privacy laws the best approach is to keep it simple There are numerous state and federal privacy laws that business must comply with but I usually focus on one state notification laws There are currently 47 different state notification laws In a general sense these laws state that if a business collects private information on state residents they are required to protect that information If the business fails to protect the information and there is a breach they must notify the affected individuals within a certain time frame If the residents are not notified within that time period the business can be assessed civil money penalties The challenge is determining when the business has to notify the affected individual and when the clock starts ticking Most states specify that they must notify ldquowithout unreasonable delayrdquo Some states will actually provide a number of days that can range from five to 45 days The new national legislation being proposed will be 30 days So to keep from getting fined up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars the business must notify the residents as soon as possible The notification will consist of three steps forensics legal and mailing The first step is to find a forensic investigator to assess the breach Forensics will determine what happened and identify the individuals whose private information has been compromised This list will then go to a legal counsel specializing in privacy laws Counsel will determine which laws are applicable to the situation and suggest compliance methods including how to structure the notification letter All states have specific requirements on how these letters need to be written After the draft is completed the letters are then mailed to the affected individuals This is a complex process that must be completed in a certain time period Because of this clients that do not have a formalized response plan are best

What would you do if you had a data breach

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

served by being placed with a carrier that will provide one for them Several carriers will offer turn-key breach responses or otherwise assist an insured through the breach response processThe costs associated with handling a breach can cripple any business Depending on the report being reviewed these costs can range from $1000 to $13700000 The important thing to remember is that the cost of the breach is not relative to the size of a company Instead the cost associated with each breach has to do with the type of information compromised the regulatory climate and how the information was compromised According to a 2014 NetDiligence report on 111 actual cyber liability insurance claims the average claim payout is $733109 This amount is inclusive of forensics notification legal guidance public relations legal defense legal settlement regulatory defense regulatory fines and PCI fines Because the notification costs can vary so greatly we usually recommend carriers that will respond to the notification obligation on the basis of

a record count outside the limit of liability instead of a set static dollar value limit It has often been said that it is not a matter of if you will have a breach but when Educating training and insuring are the key components to helping your organization be part of the 40 survival rate The Vermont Insurance Agents Association has partnered with ArlingtonRoereg to offer their members the Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program was developed for insurance agents to provide them with the tools to reduce their exposures and the insurance to respond to a breach For more information on this product please contact Helen Collins at 18446091481John Immordino is a vice president of professional liability at ArlingtonRoe a wholesale Insurance broker He is the administrator of the nationally endorsed Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program is only available to member agencies through their IIABA state associations He can be reached at jimmordinoarlingtonroecom or 800-878-9891 Ext 8732

What would you do if you had a data breach

The products you need

247 claims

Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

John Immordino CIC CRM RPLU CIPPUSAccording to recent Symantec research 60 of small businesses will close within six months of a cyber-attack Are you prepared to handle a breachOne of the first questions that I ask clients is ldquoWhat would you do if you had a breachrdquo The response is usually along the lines of a glazed over look followed by eyes rolling into the backs of heads I usually know at this point that I will need to educate my client I start by informing them that 60 of businesses fail to recover from a breach Why Because those businesses are not familiar with state data breach notification laws the costs associated with a breach and the reputational harm that the business will incurThe majority of business owners consider reputation one of their most important assets Small business owners work in the same communities that they live shop go to church and where their kids go to school When clients provide their private information they expect the business to keep it safe If the client suffers a breach of this information the client and by extension the local community lose faith in the business As a matter of fact 38 of clients will leave after a breach and 46 of them will advise friends and family to be careful sharing information with that local business This is why the number one concern is to help my clients protect sensitive information and prevent a breach from happening Many insurance carriers will offer risk management web portals as part of their insurance policy These are excellent resources for companies that need assistance in identifying and protecting the private information they have These portals also provide useful tools in training the business employees on the importance of privacy Some of these same carriers will provide the insured with a public relations firm to help them announce the breach in a way that will mitigate their reputational harm

When it comes to discussing privacy laws the best approach is to keep it simple There are numerous state and federal privacy laws that business must comply with but I usually focus on one state notification laws There are currently 47 different state notification laws In a general sense these laws state that if a business collects private information on state residents they are required to protect that information If the business fails to protect the information and there is a breach they must notify the affected individuals within a certain time frame If the residents are not notified within that time period the business can be assessed civil money penalties The challenge is determining when the business has to notify the affected individual and when the clock starts ticking Most states specify that they must notify ldquowithout unreasonable delayrdquo Some states will actually provide a number of days that can range from five to 45 days The new national legislation being proposed will be 30 days So to keep from getting fined up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars the business must notify the residents as soon as possible The notification will consist of three steps forensics legal and mailing The first step is to find a forensic investigator to assess the breach Forensics will determine what happened and identify the individuals whose private information has been compromised This list will then go to a legal counsel specializing in privacy laws Counsel will determine which laws are applicable to the situation and suggest compliance methods including how to structure the notification letter All states have specific requirements on how these letters need to be written After the draft is completed the letters are then mailed to the affected individuals This is a complex process that must be completed in a certain time period Because of this clients that do not have a formalized response plan are best

What would you do if you had a data breach

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

served by being placed with a carrier that will provide one for them Several carriers will offer turn-key breach responses or otherwise assist an insured through the breach response processThe costs associated with handling a breach can cripple any business Depending on the report being reviewed these costs can range from $1000 to $13700000 The important thing to remember is that the cost of the breach is not relative to the size of a company Instead the cost associated with each breach has to do with the type of information compromised the regulatory climate and how the information was compromised According to a 2014 NetDiligence report on 111 actual cyber liability insurance claims the average claim payout is $733109 This amount is inclusive of forensics notification legal guidance public relations legal defense legal settlement regulatory defense regulatory fines and PCI fines Because the notification costs can vary so greatly we usually recommend carriers that will respond to the notification obligation on the basis of

a record count outside the limit of liability instead of a set static dollar value limit It has often been said that it is not a matter of if you will have a breach but when Educating training and insuring are the key components to helping your organization be part of the 40 survival rate The Vermont Insurance Agents Association has partnered with ArlingtonRoereg to offer their members the Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program was developed for insurance agents to provide them with the tools to reduce their exposures and the insurance to respond to a breach For more information on this product please contact Helen Collins at 18446091481John Immordino is a vice president of professional liability at ArlingtonRoe a wholesale Insurance broker He is the administrator of the nationally endorsed Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program is only available to member agencies through their IIABA state associations He can be reached at jimmordinoarlingtonroecom or 800-878-9891 Ext 8732

What would you do if you had a data breach

John Immordino CIC CRM RPLU CIPPUSAccording to recent Symantec research 60 of small businesses will close within six months of a cyber-attack Are you prepared to handle a breachOne of the first questions that I ask clients is ldquoWhat would you do if you had a breachrdquo The response is usually along the lines of a glazed over look followed by eyes rolling into the backs of heads I usually know at this point that I will need to educate my client I start by informing them that 60 of businesses fail to recover from a breach Why Because those businesses are not familiar with state data breach notification laws the costs associated with a breach and the reputational harm that the business will incurThe majority of business owners consider reputation one of their most important assets Small business owners work in the same communities that they live shop go to church and where their kids go to school When clients provide their private information they expect the business to keep it safe If the client suffers a breach of this information the client and by extension the local community lose faith in the business As a matter of fact 38 of clients will leave after a breach and 46 of them will advise friends and family to be careful sharing information with that local business This is why the number one concern is to help my clients protect sensitive information and prevent a breach from happening Many insurance carriers will offer risk management web portals as part of their insurance policy These are excellent resources for companies that need assistance in identifying and protecting the private information they have These portals also provide useful tools in training the business employees on the importance of privacy Some of these same carriers will provide the insured with a public relations firm to help them announce the breach in a way that will mitigate their reputational harm

When it comes to discussing privacy laws the best approach is to keep it simple There are numerous state and federal privacy laws that business must comply with but I usually focus on one state notification laws There are currently 47 different state notification laws In a general sense these laws state that if a business collects private information on state residents they are required to protect that information If the business fails to protect the information and there is a breach they must notify the affected individuals within a certain time frame If the residents are not notified within that time period the business can be assessed civil money penalties The challenge is determining when the business has to notify the affected individual and when the clock starts ticking Most states specify that they must notify ldquowithout unreasonable delayrdquo Some states will actually provide a number of days that can range from five to 45 days The new national legislation being proposed will be 30 days So to keep from getting fined up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars the business must notify the residents as soon as possible The notification will consist of three steps forensics legal and mailing The first step is to find a forensic investigator to assess the breach Forensics will determine what happened and identify the individuals whose private information has been compromised This list will then go to a legal counsel specializing in privacy laws Counsel will determine which laws are applicable to the situation and suggest compliance methods including how to structure the notification letter All states have specific requirements on how these letters need to be written After the draft is completed the letters are then mailed to the affected individuals This is a complex process that must be completed in a certain time period Because of this clients that do not have a formalized response plan are best

What would you do if you had a data breach

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco Calif

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash support InVEST and find new recruits now InVEST is a free classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students And InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year With a new student center career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before InVEST is touching more and more students daily InVEST a 501 (c)(3) non-profit is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals For volunteer and donor opportunities visit wwwinvestprogramorg

wwwindependentagentcomevents

served by being placed with a carrier that will provide one for them Several carriers will offer turn-key breach responses or otherwise assist an insured through the breach response processThe costs associated with handling a breach can cripple any business Depending on the report being reviewed these costs can range from $1000 to $13700000 The important thing to remember is that the cost of the breach is not relative to the size of a company Instead the cost associated with each breach has to do with the type of information compromised the regulatory climate and how the information was compromised According to a 2014 NetDiligence report on 111 actual cyber liability insurance claims the average claim payout is $733109 This amount is inclusive of forensics notification legal guidance public relations legal defense legal settlement regulatory defense regulatory fines and PCI fines Because the notification costs can vary so greatly we usually recommend carriers that will respond to the notification obligation on the basis of

a record count outside the limit of liability instead of a set static dollar value limit It has often been said that it is not a matter of if you will have a breach but when Educating training and insuring are the key components to helping your organization be part of the 40 survival rate The Vermont Insurance Agents Association has partnered with ArlingtonRoereg to offer their members the Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program was developed for insurance agents to provide them with the tools to reduce their exposures and the insurance to respond to a breach For more information on this product please contact Helen Collins at 18446091481John Immordino is a vice president of professional liability at ArlingtonRoe a wholesale Insurance broker He is the administrator of the nationally endorsed Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program is only available to member agencies through their IIABA state associations He can be reached at jimmordinoarlingtonroecom or 800-878-9891 Ext 8732

What would you do if you had a data breach

served by being placed with a carrier that will provide one for them Several carriers will offer turn-key breach responses or otherwise assist an insured through the breach response processThe costs associated with handling a breach can cripple any business Depending on the report being reviewed these costs can range from $1000 to $13700000 The important thing to remember is that the cost of the breach is not relative to the size of a company Instead the cost associated with each breach has to do with the type of information compromised the regulatory climate and how the information was compromised According to a 2014 NetDiligence report on 111 actual cyber liability insurance claims the average claim payout is $733109 This amount is inclusive of forensics notification legal guidance public relations legal defense legal settlement regulatory defense regulatory fines and PCI fines Because the notification costs can vary so greatly we usually recommend carriers that will respond to the notification obligation on the basis of

a record count outside the limit of liability instead of a set static dollar value limit It has often been said that it is not a matter of if you will have a breach but when Educating training and insuring are the key components to helping your organization be part of the 40 survival rate The Vermont Insurance Agents Association has partnered with ArlingtonRoereg to offer their members the Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program was developed for insurance agents to provide them with the tools to reduce their exposures and the insurance to respond to a breach For more information on this product please contact Helen Collins at 18446091481John Immordino is a vice president of professional liability at ArlingtonRoe a wholesale Insurance broker He is the administrator of the nationally endorsed Big ldquoIrdquo Agents Cyber Secure Program This program is only available to member agencies through their IIABA state associations He can be reached at jimmordinoarlingtonroecom or 800-878-9891 Ext 8732

What would you do if you had a data breach

Register Todayviaaorgeducation-center2016-continuing-education-calendar

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

We receive roughly 4-5 leads from TrustedChoicecom on a monthly basis and they are phenomenal Irsquove purchased all kinds of leads throughout the years and nothing is close to this The quality of the lead and closing percentage are just incredible

ldquo

rdquo

Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents

17

Set Yourself up for Significant Sales Success in 2016

If your business runs on the calendar year itrsquos that time of year again As of January first the ldquonew-businessrdquo slate has been wiped clean and the pressure is on to produce We all know the basics come up with goals and objectives develop a plan determine why you absolutely have to make it happen and then get to work That said if you want 2016 to be significantly better than 2015 itrsquos going to take an attitude shift and massive action And while yoursquore charging ahead every day getting done what needs to be done it will be helpful to keep these three lesser-known success ideas in mind

You wonrsquot be as successful as you otherwise could be ifhellip

hellipyoursquore not uncomfortable and scared every dayIn order to grow personally and professionally you must step out of your comfort zone and face your fears every day If yoursquove read my past articles you know I proselytize that the inability to deal effectively with fear and discomfort is the main reason people fail in sales Both lead to a lack of activity in the three most important sales areas prospecting follow up and closing The solution is to get comfortable being uncomfortable and to act in spite of fear Make that call yoursquove been putting off for months Forget the e-mail and go see that prospect in person Find the biggest scariest prospect you can and make the call You know who and what your demons are You know which dragons yoursquore afraid to face If you donrsquot face them yoursquoll always wonder what might have been Yoursquoll lie on your deathbed with regrets and ultimately take those regrets to your grave We all know the saying that ldquoThe coward does a thousand deaths the hero only onerdquo The reality is while the coward imagines the worst never makes call and does the face the death of their self-esteem and sales career the hero usually wins and doesnrsquot die at all The hero discovers that the dragon or demon they thought was so bad wasnrsquot it was just their imagination giving in to fear and discomfort Finally as long as wersquore digging up old sayings and clicheacutes remember for most people the ship doesnrsquot come in they have to swim out to it

Sales Success with John Chapin

18

hellipyoursquore not making any mistakesTherersquos a quote that reads ldquoTo discover the limits of the possible you must go beyond them into the impossiblerdquo All great skiers skaters and race-car drivers know that if you donrsquot fall or crash yoursquore not pushing the envelope and you probably arenrsquot getting any better In sales if yoursquore not making mistakes you arenrsquot taking enough action When you try new things push yourself to new heights and put yourself in uncomfortable situations in order to get comfortable you are going to make some mistakes Part of the growing process is finding out where the edge of the envelope is and then coming up with more efficient and effective ways to deal with that edge As a side note keep in mind that Irsquom not talking about careless mistakes due to indifference or mistakes that you keep making over and over again Thatrsquos pain ignorance and those mistakes are inexcusable Again Irsquom talking about the kind of mistakes that come from taking calculated risks and massive action

hellipyoursquore not running into new problemsAs your business grows your problems naturally change and get bigger Your goal is to create new problems big problems because the bigger the problem the bigger the opportunity associated with it Growing your customer base to a size thatrsquos too large to handle is an example of a good problem Realizing that you have too many appointments on a given day is a good problem Having to significantly increase your estimated tax payments because yoursquore making too much money is another example of a good problem Any problem you run into in business has a solution though the solution may not be easy and it may not be without pain Thatrsquos okay small problems and no pain equals a small business with very little revenue Again your goal is big new problems

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2016 Annual Partners

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97

S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

17

Set Yourself up for Significant Sales Success in 2016

If your business runs on the calendar year itrsquos that time of year again As of January first the ldquonew-businessrdquo slate has been wiped clean and the pressure is on to produce We all know the basics come up with goals and objectives develop a plan determine why you absolutely have to make it happen and then get to work That said if you want 2016 to be significantly better than 2015 itrsquos going to take an attitude shift and massive action And while yoursquore charging ahead every day getting done what needs to be done it will be helpful to keep these three lesser-known success ideas in mind

You wonrsquot be as successful as you otherwise could be ifhellip

hellipyoursquore not uncomfortable and scared every dayIn order to grow personally and professionally you must step out of your comfort zone and face your fears every day If yoursquove read my past articles you know I proselytize that the inability to deal effectively with fear and discomfort is the main reason people fail in sales Both lead to a lack of activity in the three most important sales areas prospecting follow up and closing The solution is to get comfortable being uncomfortable and to act in spite of fear Make that call yoursquove been putting off for months Forget the e-mail and go see that prospect in person Find the biggest scariest prospect you can and make the call You know who and what your demons are You know which dragons yoursquore afraid to face If you donrsquot face them yoursquoll always wonder what might have been Yoursquoll lie on your deathbed with regrets and ultimately take those regrets to your grave We all know the saying that ldquoThe coward does a thousand deaths the hero only onerdquo The reality is while the coward imagines the worst never makes call and does the face the death of their self-esteem and sales career the hero usually wins and doesnrsquot die at all The hero discovers that the dragon or demon they thought was so bad wasnrsquot it was just their imagination giving in to fear and discomfort Finally as long as wersquore digging up old sayings and clicheacutes remember for most people the ship doesnrsquot come in they have to swim out to it

Sales Success with John Chapin

18

hellipyoursquore not making any mistakesTherersquos a quote that reads ldquoTo discover the limits of the possible you must go beyond them into the impossiblerdquo All great skiers skaters and race-car drivers know that if you donrsquot fall or crash yoursquore not pushing the envelope and you probably arenrsquot getting any better In sales if yoursquore not making mistakes you arenrsquot taking enough action When you try new things push yourself to new heights and put yourself in uncomfortable situations in order to get comfortable you are going to make some mistakes Part of the growing process is finding out where the edge of the envelope is and then coming up with more efficient and effective ways to deal with that edge As a side note keep in mind that Irsquom not talking about careless mistakes due to indifference or mistakes that you keep making over and over again Thatrsquos pain ignorance and those mistakes are inexcusable Again Irsquom talking about the kind of mistakes that come from taking calculated risks and massive action

hellipyoursquore not running into new problemsAs your business grows your problems naturally change and get bigger Your goal is to create new problems big problems because the bigger the problem the bigger the opportunity associated with it Growing your customer base to a size thatrsquos too large to handle is an example of a good problem Realizing that you have too many appointments on a given day is a good problem Having to significantly increase your estimated tax payments because yoursquore making too much money is another example of a good problem Any problem you run into in business has a solution though the solution may not be easy and it may not be without pain Thatrsquos okay small problems and no pain equals a small business with very little revenue Again your goal is big new problems

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2016 Annual Partners

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97

S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

18

hellipyoursquore not making any mistakesTherersquos a quote that reads ldquoTo discover the limits of the possible you must go beyond them into the impossiblerdquo All great skiers skaters and race-car drivers know that if you donrsquot fall or crash yoursquore not pushing the envelope and you probably arenrsquot getting any better In sales if yoursquore not making mistakes you arenrsquot taking enough action When you try new things push yourself to new heights and put yourself in uncomfortable situations in order to get comfortable you are going to make some mistakes Part of the growing process is finding out where the edge of the envelope is and then coming up with more efficient and effective ways to deal with that edge As a side note keep in mind that Irsquom not talking about careless mistakes due to indifference or mistakes that you keep making over and over again Thatrsquos pain ignorance and those mistakes are inexcusable Again Irsquom talking about the kind of mistakes that come from taking calculated risks and massive action

hellipyoursquore not running into new problemsAs your business grows your problems naturally change and get bigger Your goal is to create new problems big problems because the bigger the problem the bigger the opportunity associated with it Growing your customer base to a size thatrsquos too large to handle is an example of a good problem Realizing that you have too many appointments on a given day is a good problem Having to significantly increase your estimated tax payments because yoursquore making too much money is another example of a good problem Any problem you run into in business has a solution though the solution may not be easy and it may not be without pain Thatrsquos okay small problems and no pain equals a small business with very little revenue Again your goal is big new problems

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2016 Annual Partners

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97

S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2016 Annual Partners

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97

S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2016 Annual Partners

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97

S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

22

EampO New Yearrsquos Resolutions

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Every New Year people make resolutions concerning changes which are intended to improve their lives In the past we have offered resolutions that agencies and brokerages may want to consider in order to provide better customer service and also help prevent EampO claims and lawsuits While each agency and brokerage knows the specific areas in which it may need to resolve to make changes below are our suggested resolutions for possible changes for the New Year1 Resolve not to write business that is

beyond your knowledge or experience2 Resolve to follow the state law and

insurance company procedures when issuing certificates of insurance

3 Resolve to provide timely notice to all appropriate insurers of any incident claim or lawsuit that is reported to the agency or brokerage by a customer

4 Resolve to respond to customer questions or inquiries promptly and accurately and provide the best customer service possible

5 Resolve to get signed applications from all customers even if a signed application is not required by the insurer

6 Resolve to seriously consider your need to continue business relationships with customers who are chronically difficult

7 Resolve to do business with insurers that have a strong financial rating and keep current on any changes in those ratings

8 Resolve to place business with insurers that have a history of paying claims and that do not have a reputation for taking unreasonable coverage positions

9 Resolve to be prudent when it comes to the EampO coverage for your agency or brokerage Insure with an EampO insurer that has a strong financial rating and reputation and make certain that your limits are high enough

10 Resolve to be committed to EampO loss control Provide education to employees and adopt procedures concerning the best practices to follow to help prevent potential EampO claims and lawsuits

11 Resolve to have all employees consistently document and confirm all communications with insureds and insurers

12 Resolve to report in a timely manner to your professional liability insurer any potential claim or lawsuit against your agency or brokerage

13 Resolve to make certain that the required procedures are followed when placing coverage in the excess and surplus lines market

14 Resolve that your agency or brokerage will have a happy prosperous and EampO free New Year

The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group

Everything you insure is on your shoulders

Who do you trust to have your back

For a quote or for more information contact Helen Collins at hcollinsviaaorg or 1-844-609-1481wwwiiabaneteohappens

VIAS is a subsidiary of Vermont Insurance Agents Association viaaorg

24

Company News

Congratulations to Chuck Goller from Allstate on his retirement

Chuck Goller retired at the end of 2015 after more than 38 years with Allstate and was the guest of honor on December 30 at a surprise retirement celebration hosted by grateful agents and friends from the Vermont Independent Insurance Agent community Shawn Rogerson Allstate Regional Sales Leader for the Northeast Division sent a letter to congratulate Chuck on his retirement

While I personally only had the opportunity to work with Chuck over the past two years it certainly was inspirational to see a leader who truly exemplifies what it means to serve Simply put Chuck cares He puts his heart into everything he does Chuckrsquos

advancement through his 38 years with Allstate speaks for itself what doesnrsquot show up in the ldquonumbersrdquo is his dedication and loyalty to not only Allstate but to his peers and you all The relationships and personal connections will be what are most meaningful after thoughtful reflection on a long tenured career On behalf of Allstate and myself it gives

me great pleasure in congratulating Chuck Goller on a well-deserved retirement

Goller was presented with a gift from Orvis after lunch stories and laughs Chuck will keep busy on the slopes in the brooks streams and lakes and on the links

Chuck Goller (3rd from left) amp the Goller Family

25

Company News

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics Officer

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide InsuranceKent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President amp CEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquoAs Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Passionate Innovative Partnership

More than a promise 1725 Hopley Avenue PO Box 111 Bucyrus Ohio 44820-0111

4195623011 8006863011omigcom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 11 2016

Contact Todd Boyer4195630664

tboyeromigcom

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics OfficerSUSAN KENT TO JOIN MANAGEMENT TEAM ON FEB 1

BUCYRUS OH ndash Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1

Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide Insurance

Kent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President ampCEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquo

As Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Connecticut Indiana Maine New Hampshire Ohio Rhode Island and Vermont Ohio Mutual has maintained a rating of ldquoA Stablerdquo from AM Best Co for 23 consecutive years and was named to the Wardrsquos 50 from 2009-2013 Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

26

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

ACUITY Grows To New Record In Revenue In 2015

ACUITY announced its 2015 growth results reporting an overall gain of nearly $90 million in total written premium The amount represented a 7 percent increase over 2014 and brought ACUITY rsquos revenue to an all-time high of $133 billion for the year ldquoOver the past 16 years ACUITY has grown 250 percent faster than the insurance industry In the past 48 months alone our company added nearly $500 million to its top-line revenuerdquo said ACUITY President and CEO Ben Salzmann ACUITY achieved significant growth across all lines of business and throughout the companyrsquos operating territory in 2015 The insurer wrote over $200 million in new business for the fourth straight year driven by increases in both personal and commercial lines In personal lines ACUITY achieved double-digit growth and marked an incredible 19th consecutive year of premium gain In commercial lines the company set a new record for percentage of quotes that became issued policiesAs a result of ACUITY rsquos continued strong growth the company added 135 staff members in 2015 and plans to hire 120 more over the next six months After the latest round of staffing is completed ACUITY will have hired 700 employees over just a five-year span The company is poised to continue its growth in 2016 due to the companyrsquos competitive strengths and market positioning ldquoACUITY rsquos financial success in 2015 is a direct result of the efforts of our dedicated staff and trusted agency forcerdquo said Wally Waldhart Vice President - Sales and Communications ldquoWe are extremely grateful to all our people for helping us achieve another record-setting year and we look forward to continued success in 2016rdquo ACUITY headquartered in Sheboygan Wisconsin is a property and casualty insurer that operates in 24 states through 1000 independent agencies and manages over $35 billion in assets Named the 3 large company to work for in America ACUITY employs 1200 people

Company News

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

• Bookmark 3
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack

24

Company News

Congratulations to Chuck Goller from Allstate on his retirement

Chuck Goller retired at the end of 2015 after more than 38 years with Allstate and was the guest of honor on December 30 at a surprise retirement celebration hosted by grateful agents and friends from the Vermont Independent Insurance Agent community Shawn Rogerson Allstate Regional Sales Leader for the Northeast Division sent a letter to congratulate Chuck on his retirement

While I personally only had the opportunity to work with Chuck over the past two years it certainly was inspirational to see a leader who truly exemplifies what it means to serve Simply put Chuck cares He puts his heart into everything he does Chuckrsquos

advancement through his 38 years with Allstate speaks for itself what doesnrsquot show up in the ldquonumbersrdquo is his dedication and loyalty to not only Allstate but to his peers and you all The relationships and personal connections will be what are most meaningful after thoughtful reflection on a long tenured career On behalf of Allstate and myself it gives

me great pleasure in congratulating Chuck Goller on a well-deserved retirement

Goller was presented with a gift from Orvis after lunch stories and laughs Chuck will keep busy on the slopes in the brooks streams and lakes and on the links

Chuck Goller (3rd from left) amp the Goller Family

25

Company News

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics Officer

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide InsuranceKent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President amp CEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquoAs Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Passionate Innovative Partnership

More than a promise 1725 Hopley Avenue PO Box 111 Bucyrus Ohio 44820-0111

4195623011 8006863011omigcom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 11 2016

Contact Todd Boyer4195630664

tboyeromigcom

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics OfficerSUSAN KENT TO JOIN MANAGEMENT TEAM ON FEB 1

BUCYRUS OH ndash Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1

Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide Insurance

Kent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President ampCEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquo

As Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Connecticut Indiana Maine New Hampshire Ohio Rhode Island and Vermont Ohio Mutual has maintained a rating of ldquoA Stablerdquo from AM Best Co for 23 consecutive years and was named to the Wardrsquos 50 from 2009-2013 Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

26

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

ACUITY Grows To New Record In Revenue In 2015

ACUITY announced its 2015 growth results reporting an overall gain of nearly $90 million in total written premium The amount represented a 7 percent increase over 2014 and brought ACUITY rsquos revenue to an all-time high of $133 billion for the year ldquoOver the past 16 years ACUITY has grown 250 percent faster than the insurance industry In the past 48 months alone our company added nearly $500 million to its top-line revenuerdquo said ACUITY President and CEO Ben Salzmann ACUITY achieved significant growth across all lines of business and throughout the companyrsquos operating territory in 2015 The insurer wrote over $200 million in new business for the fourth straight year driven by increases in both personal and commercial lines In personal lines ACUITY achieved double-digit growth and marked an incredible 19th consecutive year of premium gain In commercial lines the company set a new record for percentage of quotes that became issued policiesAs a result of ACUITY rsquos continued strong growth the company added 135 staff members in 2015 and plans to hire 120 more over the next six months After the latest round of staffing is completed ACUITY will have hired 700 employees over just a five-year span The company is poised to continue its growth in 2016 due to the companyrsquos competitive strengths and market positioning ldquoACUITY rsquos financial success in 2015 is a direct result of the efforts of our dedicated staff and trusted agency forcerdquo said Wally Waldhart Vice President - Sales and Communications ldquoWe are extremely grateful to all our people for helping us achieve another record-setting year and we look forward to continued success in 2016rdquo ACUITY headquartered in Sheboygan Wisconsin is a property and casualty insurer that operates in 24 states through 1000 independent agencies and manages over $35 billion in assets Named the 3 large company to work for in America ACUITY employs 1200 people

Company News

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

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25

Company News

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics Officer

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide InsuranceKent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President amp CEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquoAs Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Passionate Innovative Partnership

More than a promise 1725 Hopley Avenue PO Box 111 Bucyrus Ohio 44820-0111

4195623011 8006863011omigcom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 11 2016

Contact Todd Boyer4195630664

tboyeromigcom

Ohio Mutual Adds Chief Analytics OfficerSUSAN KENT TO JOIN MANAGEMENT TEAM ON FEB 1

BUCYRUS OH ndash Ohio Mutual Insurance Group has named Susan E Kent to serve as the companyrsquos Vice President amp Chief Analytics Officer effective February 1

Kent brings an extensive portfolio of experience and skills to this new position having served in a number of roles on the research and development team over the past 16 years for Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Bank Her previous experience includes seven years as an actuary for Shelby Insurance Companies and two years as an actuarial analyst for Nationwide Insurance

Kent earned a Master of Science from the University of Michigan is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and is certified as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

ldquoSusan is a key strategic addition to Ohio Mutualrdquo said Mark Russell Ohio Mutual President ampCEO ldquoand we are thrilled to welcome her to our management team Her diverse and broad industry knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to our organization as she leads our efforts to remain in front of constant changes in the insurance market regulatory environment and consumer needsrdquo

As Chief Analytics Officer Kent will be charged with obtaining and leveraging industry analytics to help the company drive business success ndash including competitive analysis claims and marketing analytics product strategy and reinsurance modeling She will report to the companyrsquos chief executive officer and manage a team of actuarial and statistical analysts

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Connecticut Indiana Maine New Hampshire Ohio Rhode Island and Vermont Ohio Mutual has maintained a rating of ldquoA Stablerdquo from AM Best Co for 23 consecutive years and was named to the Wardrsquos 50 from 2009-2013 Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

26

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

ACUITY Grows To New Record In Revenue In 2015

ACUITY announced its 2015 growth results reporting an overall gain of nearly $90 million in total written premium The amount represented a 7 percent increase over 2014 and brought ACUITY rsquos revenue to an all-time high of $133 billion for the year ldquoOver the past 16 years ACUITY has grown 250 percent faster than the insurance industry In the past 48 months alone our company added nearly $500 million to its top-line revenuerdquo said ACUITY President and CEO Ben Salzmann ACUITY achieved significant growth across all lines of business and throughout the companyrsquos operating territory in 2015 The insurer wrote over $200 million in new business for the fourth straight year driven by increases in both personal and commercial lines In personal lines ACUITY achieved double-digit growth and marked an incredible 19th consecutive year of premium gain In commercial lines the company set a new record for percentage of quotes that became issued policiesAs a result of ACUITY rsquos continued strong growth the company added 135 staff members in 2015 and plans to hire 120 more over the next six months After the latest round of staffing is completed ACUITY will have hired 700 employees over just a five-year span The company is poised to continue its growth in 2016 due to the companyrsquos competitive strengths and market positioning ldquoACUITY rsquos financial success in 2015 is a direct result of the efforts of our dedicated staff and trusted agency forcerdquo said Wally Waldhart Vice President - Sales and Communications ldquoWe are extremely grateful to all our people for helping us achieve another record-setting year and we look forward to continued success in 2016rdquo ACUITY headquartered in Sheboygan Wisconsin is a property and casualty insurer that operates in 24 states through 1000 independent agencies and manages over $35 billion in assets Named the 3 large company to work for in America ACUITY employs 1200 people

Company News

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

• Bookmark 3
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack

26

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

ACUITY Grows To New Record In Revenue In 2015

ACUITY announced its 2015 growth results reporting an overall gain of nearly $90 million in total written premium The amount represented a 7 percent increase over 2014 and brought ACUITY rsquos revenue to an all-time high of $133 billion for the year ldquoOver the past 16 years ACUITY has grown 250 percent faster than the insurance industry In the past 48 months alone our company added nearly $500 million to its top-line revenuerdquo said ACUITY President and CEO Ben Salzmann ACUITY achieved significant growth across all lines of business and throughout the companyrsquos operating territory in 2015 The insurer wrote over $200 million in new business for the fourth straight year driven by increases in both personal and commercial lines In personal lines ACUITY achieved double-digit growth and marked an incredible 19th consecutive year of premium gain In commercial lines the company set a new record for percentage of quotes that became issued policiesAs a result of ACUITY rsquos continued strong growth the company added 135 staff members in 2015 and plans to hire 120 more over the next six months After the latest round of staffing is completed ACUITY will have hired 700 employees over just a five-year span The company is poised to continue its growth in 2016 due to the companyrsquos competitive strengths and market positioning ldquoACUITY rsquos financial success in 2015 is a direct result of the efforts of our dedicated staff and trusted agency forcerdquo said Wally Waldhart Vice President - Sales and Communications ldquoWe are extremely grateful to all our people for helping us achieve another record-setting year and we look forward to continued success in 2016rdquo ACUITY headquartered in Sheboygan Wisconsin is a property and casualty insurer that operates in 24 states through 1000 independent agencies and manages over $35 billion in assets Named the 3 large company to work for in America ACUITY employs 1200 people

Company News

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

• Bookmark 3
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack
• _GoBack

Helen Collins hcollinsviaaorg

• Bookmark 3
• _GoBack
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