Hello fellow Young Agents,
It was great to see many of you at the UAIIA convention at Zermatt in June. The Young Agents suite was a blast and we caused some of our usual commotion – thanks to some of you. At our Young Agents meeting many of you shared some great ideas about how to further our objectives as a group. One of our objectives is to keep the group informed either through regular email correspondence or through some kind of a newsletter. Hence – I am here bringing you up to date on a few items.
Here are some upcoming events you should be aware of:
Big “I” Fall leadership Conference in Las Vegas – Sept 10-14. We would like to see as many agents as possible from Utah in attendance. Brett Nilsson will be installed as the Big I National Chairman. This is a big deal for our state and we are thrilled to see Brett taking on this role.
UAIIA Mid-year meeting will be Wednesday, October 15, 2008. This event is the responsibility of the Young Agents to complete. The past few years have been a big success in offering an E&O class for CE and raising funds for the Young Agents. If you are interested in helping, please let me know.
On a sidenote, if you know of any other Young Agents in your office (or the competitor’s office) that would like to be involved with our group or receive information, please send me a note with their name and email address. This information will be most helpful in keeping the Young Agents informed.
Kind regards,
Jon
(Young Agent Chair)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
UAIIA Newsletter
Below is an electronic copy of our state association newsletter. It is being sent via blind copy for your privacy.
For a flyer on the benefits of membership, please click on the following link: www.uaiia.org/benefits.pdf
Thanks to our 2008 Associate Members: Acuity, Advanced Restoration, AIG, American Mining, Amtrust North America, Austin Mutual Insurance Co., Auto Owners Insurance Co., Bear River Mutual Insurance, BELFOR, Burns & Wilcox LTD, Cananwill Premium Funding, Capital Premium Finance, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, CIBA Insurance Services, CSE Insurance Company, Colonial General Insurance, Colorado Casualty Ins. Co., Continental Western Group, Cresta Insurance, LLC, Dairyland Insurance Co., EMC Insurance Companies, Encompass/Allstate/Deerbrook, Germantown Mutual, Great American Insurance Co., Kemper, Legacy Insurance Services, MetLife Auto & Home, Mountain States Insurance Group, Multico Rating Systems Inc., Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co., National American Insurance Co., Networked Insurance Agents, PLUS Insurance, Premium Financing Specialists, Progressive Insurance, Republic Indemnity Company, Risk Placement Services – Salt Lake, Risk Placement Services – Scottsdale, Sagamore Insurance Co., Sequoia Ins. Co., Service Master by Restoration Xperts, State Auto Insurance, Statewide Insurance Corp., Surplus Line Assoc. of UT, Swett & Crawford, Inc., Transwestern General Agency, Travelers, UAIC, UCA General Insurance, Unitrin Specialty, Utah Disaster Kleenup, Victoria Insurance, WCF.
1. Kay Howland Installed as President
2. Birth Month For Agent License Renewals
3. Fire-Safe Cigarettes?
4. Brett Nilsson’s Reception
5. Minimum Auto Liability Limits
6. Contingent Commissions
7. Nude Maid Strips More Than clothes
8. Bad Dogs in Provo
9. Flyers With Newsletter
10. Gas Prices and Insurance
11. New Uninsured Vehicle Law
12. Utahn’s Serve on National Committees
1. Kay Howland Installed as President Kay Howland was recently sworn in as President of our state association at the annual convention held at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah. Kay has been in the insurance industry over 23 years and is an agent at Beehive Insurance Agency. He attended the University of Utah and later earned his CIC designation in 1999. He is currently working on his Certified Risk Manager designation.
He is a Past President of the Salt Lake City Association of Independent Insurance Agents and has served as InsurPac Chairman for UAIIA. He and his wife, Rebecca, have six children and reside in the Salt Lake Valley.
Also sworn in was Eric Kingdon of Trustco, Inc., as President-Elect and Greg Vause of Blackburn-Jones Company as Treasurer.
Craig Timothy of Service Insurance of Roosevelt received the Agent of the Year Award, Holli Cody of Kemper was given the Company Person of the Year Award and Ryan Stringham of The Buckner Company received the Young Agent of the Year Award.
2. Birth-Month For Agent License Renewals New licenses issued on or after 8/11/2008, and licenses scheduled to renew on or after 10/31/2008 will convert to birth-month based renewal/expiration dates every two (2) years for individual licensees. Starting with the October 2008 renewals, the next renewal date may be anywhere from 24 to 35 months from the date of the licensee’s previously scheduled renewal date and will fall on the last day of his or her birth month. Once converted, renewals will then continue to be every two years at the end of the licensee’s birth month. The renewal fee amount will not change with this transition.
3. Fire-Safe Cigarettes? Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has signed into law a bill that requires only fire-safe cigarettes be sold in Hawaii as of October 1, 2009. State officials say reduced ignition cigarettes burn at a lower temperature, thereby reducing possible fire hazards caused by smoldering cigarettes.
The Hawaii Fire Council reports there were 438 fires caused by cigarettes in Hawaii between 2001 and 2006, causing $1.5 million in property damage and 10 injuries.
Governor Lingle says low ignition cigarettes aren’t guaranteed to be self-extinguishing, so smokers must take responsibility to extinguish cigarettes properly and to ensure lit cigarettes are not left unattended. (From Associated Press)
4. Brett Nilsson’s Reception Utah’s own Brett Nilsson will be inaugurated as Chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) this coming September 13th at a luncheon in Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace. This is the highest elected position in the Big “I” national association. Brett is the 3rd person from Utah to be sworn into this office. Fred A. Moreton Served in 1944 and Richard G. Taylor held the position in 1986.
We would encourage anyone from our association to attend this luncheon to show our support for Brett. The luncheon is free, but attendees must register to attend at: http://www.independentagent.com/. Also, plan to attend UAIIA’s dessert reception for Brett, which will immediately follow the inauguration luncheon.
5. Minimum Auto Liability Limits Effective January 1, 2009, minimum automobile liability limits will change from $25,000/$50,000 BI to $25,000/$65,000 BI. The combined single limit for BI and PD will change from $65,000 to $80,000. The bill was sponsored by Senator Sheldon Killpack and was opposed by a majority of insurance companies.
6. Contingent Commissions At the same time that the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents is hailing a ruling by the 1st Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court that contingent commission agreements are not illegal, Don Bailey, CEO of Willis North America, called for an end to contingent compensation agreements in the insurance industry. “We did away with contingent payments because we believe that brokers should be paid for the quality of service they provide to clients, not for the volume of business guided to a carrier and not for the profitability of a client to a carrier,” said Mr. Bailey.
In it’s ruling, the court said, “Contingent commission agreements between brokers and insurers are not illegal, and, in the absence of a special relationship between the parties, defendant(s) had no duty to disclose the existence of the contingent commission agreement.”
“This is a resounding victory for Main Street insurance agents across the nation and the American Free Enterprise System,” said PIA National President-elect Kenneth R. Auerbach, Esq.
7. Nude Maid Strips More Than Clothes A 50-year-old Florida man hired a nude maid from the Internet to clean his suburban Tampa home. Authorities say the woman arrived at the home, took off her clothes and cleaned the house for $100-per-hour. She also cleaned out $40,000 worth of his wife’s jewelry. His wife was on vacation at the time and discovered her jewelry was missing when she returned. (H-m-m-m, there must be a moral to this story.) From: St. Petersburg Times
8. Bad Dogs in Provo City officials in Provo may put bad dogs and their owners on a shorter leash. The Municipal Council is considering an ordinance that would classify some dogs as “at risk” or “dangerous” and require their owners to take certain steps to protect the public.
Owners could be required to carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance in case someone is attacked. They could also be required to muzzle the animals in public and provide photos for police files. (What great mug shots that would make!)
The Provo Police Department says animals have bitten 24 people this year.
The council is expected to discuss the proposal further this month. (From Associated Press)
9. Flyers With Newsletter Watch for the flyers from Cresta and National American Insurance Company included with the printed version of our newsletter. We thank them for advertising with us.
10. Gas Prices and Insurance Since the price of gasoline has topped four dollars a gallon nationwide, consumers who are driving less could save an average of 5 to 15 percent on their automobile insurance rates according to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). Drivers reacting to high gas prices by using mass transportation, carpooling, taking fewer trips to the store or curtailing their vacations could see savings on their automobile insurance says CFA.
“Auto insurance rates are partially based on how much you drive and how you use your car,” said J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance for CFA and former Texas Insurance Commissioner and Federal Insurance Administrator in a consumer press release. “If you drive less to save money on gas, these driving changes might mean that you qualify for immediate insurance rate relief.”
11. New Uninsured Vehicle Law There is a new Utah law, which allows police to impound any vehicle that is on the road and not insured. Prior to the new law, officers could only issue a citation for driving without insurance. Effective on May 5th, officers can now write the ticket and take the car too.
One of the first cars taken off the road belonged to a man who was convicted twice of driving under the influence and could not get insurance.
12. Utahn’s Serve on National Committees J. Curtis Breitweiser was recently appointed to serve on IIABA’s Finance Committee and also as a member of the Dues Verification and IIABA Internal Audit Subcommittee.
Steve Mordue serves on the National PIA’s Regulatory Affairs Committee and on their National Catastrophe Task Force.
For being a small state, we are well represented in our national associations.
For a flyer on the benefits of membership, please click on the following link: www.uaiia.org/benefits.pdf
Thanks to our 2008 Associate Members: Acuity, Advanced Restoration, AIG, American Mining, Amtrust North America, Austin Mutual Insurance Co., Auto Owners Insurance Co., Bear River Mutual Insurance, BELFOR, Burns & Wilcox LTD, Cananwill Premium Funding, Capital Premium Finance, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, CIBA Insurance Services, CSE Insurance Company, Colonial General Insurance, Colorado Casualty Ins. Co., Continental Western Group, Cresta Insurance, LLC, Dairyland Insurance Co., EMC Insurance Companies, Encompass/Allstate/Deerbrook, Germantown Mutual, Great American Insurance Co., Kemper, Legacy Insurance Services, MetLife Auto & Home, Mountain States Insurance Group, Multico Rating Systems Inc., Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co., National American Insurance Co., Networked Insurance Agents, PLUS Insurance, Premium Financing Specialists, Progressive Insurance, Republic Indemnity Company, Risk Placement Services – Salt Lake, Risk Placement Services – Scottsdale, Sagamore Insurance Co., Sequoia Ins. Co., Service Master by Restoration Xperts, State Auto Insurance, Statewide Insurance Corp., Surplus Line Assoc. of UT, Swett & Crawford, Inc., Transwestern General Agency, Travelers, UAIC, UCA General Insurance, Unitrin Specialty, Utah Disaster Kleenup, Victoria Insurance, WCF.
1. Kay Howland Installed as President
2. Birth Month For Agent License Renewals
3. Fire-Safe Cigarettes?
4. Brett Nilsson’s Reception
5. Minimum Auto Liability Limits
6. Contingent Commissions
7. Nude Maid Strips More Than clothes
8. Bad Dogs in Provo
9. Flyers With Newsletter
10. Gas Prices and Insurance
11. New Uninsured Vehicle Law
12. Utahn’s Serve on National Committees
1. Kay Howland Installed as President Kay Howland was recently sworn in as President of our state association at the annual convention held at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah. Kay has been in the insurance industry over 23 years and is an agent at Beehive Insurance Agency. He attended the University of Utah and later earned his CIC designation in 1999. He is currently working on his Certified Risk Manager designation.
He is a Past President of the Salt Lake City Association of Independent Insurance Agents and has served as InsurPac Chairman for UAIIA. He and his wife, Rebecca, have six children and reside in the Salt Lake Valley.
Also sworn in was Eric Kingdon of Trustco, Inc., as President-Elect and Greg Vause of Blackburn-Jones Company as Treasurer.
Craig Timothy of Service Insurance of Roosevelt received the Agent of the Year Award, Holli Cody of Kemper was given the Company Person of the Year Award and Ryan Stringham of The Buckner Company received the Young Agent of the Year Award.
2. Birth-Month For Agent License Renewals New licenses issued on or after 8/11/2008, and licenses scheduled to renew on or after 10/31/2008 will convert to birth-month based renewal/expiration dates every two (2) years for individual licensees. Starting with the October 2008 renewals, the next renewal date may be anywhere from 24 to 35 months from the date of the licensee’s previously scheduled renewal date and will fall on the last day of his or her birth month. Once converted, renewals will then continue to be every two years at the end of the licensee’s birth month. The renewal fee amount will not change with this transition.
3. Fire-Safe Cigarettes? Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has signed into law a bill that requires only fire-safe cigarettes be sold in Hawaii as of October 1, 2009. State officials say reduced ignition cigarettes burn at a lower temperature, thereby reducing possible fire hazards caused by smoldering cigarettes.
The Hawaii Fire Council reports there were 438 fires caused by cigarettes in Hawaii between 2001 and 2006, causing $1.5 million in property damage and 10 injuries.
Governor Lingle says low ignition cigarettes aren’t guaranteed to be self-extinguishing, so smokers must take responsibility to extinguish cigarettes properly and to ensure lit cigarettes are not left unattended. (From Associated Press)
4. Brett Nilsson’s Reception Utah’s own Brett Nilsson will be inaugurated as Chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) this coming September 13th at a luncheon in Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace. This is the highest elected position in the Big “I” national association. Brett is the 3rd person from Utah to be sworn into this office. Fred A. Moreton Served in 1944 and Richard G. Taylor held the position in 1986.
We would encourage anyone from our association to attend this luncheon to show our support for Brett. The luncheon is free, but attendees must register to attend at: http://www.independentagent.com/. Also, plan to attend UAIIA’s dessert reception for Brett, which will immediately follow the inauguration luncheon.
5. Minimum Auto Liability Limits Effective January 1, 2009, minimum automobile liability limits will change from $25,000/$50,000 BI to $25,000/$65,000 BI. The combined single limit for BI and PD will change from $65,000 to $80,000. The bill was sponsored by Senator Sheldon Killpack and was opposed by a majority of insurance companies.
6. Contingent Commissions At the same time that the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents is hailing a ruling by the 1st Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court that contingent commission agreements are not illegal, Don Bailey, CEO of Willis North America, called for an end to contingent compensation agreements in the insurance industry. “We did away with contingent payments because we believe that brokers should be paid for the quality of service they provide to clients, not for the volume of business guided to a carrier and not for the profitability of a client to a carrier,” said Mr. Bailey.
In it’s ruling, the court said, “Contingent commission agreements between brokers and insurers are not illegal, and, in the absence of a special relationship between the parties, defendant(s) had no duty to disclose the existence of the contingent commission agreement.”
“This is a resounding victory for Main Street insurance agents across the nation and the American Free Enterprise System,” said PIA National President-elect Kenneth R. Auerbach, Esq.
7. Nude Maid Strips More Than Clothes A 50-year-old Florida man hired a nude maid from the Internet to clean his suburban Tampa home. Authorities say the woman arrived at the home, took off her clothes and cleaned the house for $100-per-hour. She also cleaned out $40,000 worth of his wife’s jewelry. His wife was on vacation at the time and discovered her jewelry was missing when she returned. (H-m-m-m, there must be a moral to this story.) From: St. Petersburg Times
8. Bad Dogs in Provo City officials in Provo may put bad dogs and their owners on a shorter leash. The Municipal Council is considering an ordinance that would classify some dogs as “at risk” or “dangerous” and require their owners to take certain steps to protect the public.
Owners could be required to carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance in case someone is attacked. They could also be required to muzzle the animals in public and provide photos for police files. (What great mug shots that would make!)
The Provo Police Department says animals have bitten 24 people this year.
The council is expected to discuss the proposal further this month. (From Associated Press)
9. Flyers With Newsletter Watch for the flyers from Cresta and National American Insurance Company included with the printed version of our newsletter. We thank them for advertising with us.
10. Gas Prices and Insurance Since the price of gasoline has topped four dollars a gallon nationwide, consumers who are driving less could save an average of 5 to 15 percent on their automobile insurance rates according to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). Drivers reacting to high gas prices by using mass transportation, carpooling, taking fewer trips to the store or curtailing their vacations could see savings on their automobile insurance says CFA.
“Auto insurance rates are partially based on how much you drive and how you use your car,” said J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance for CFA and former Texas Insurance Commissioner and Federal Insurance Administrator in a consumer press release. “If you drive less to save money on gas, these driving changes might mean that you qualify for immediate insurance rate relief.”
11. New Uninsured Vehicle Law There is a new Utah law, which allows police to impound any vehicle that is on the road and not insured. Prior to the new law, officers could only issue a citation for driving without insurance. Effective on May 5th, officers can now write the ticket and take the car too.
One of the first cars taken off the road belonged to a man who was convicted twice of driving under the influence and could not get insurance.
12. Utahn’s Serve on National Committees J. Curtis Breitweiser was recently appointed to serve on IIABA’s Finance Committee and also as a member of the Dues Verification and IIABA Internal Audit Subcommittee.
Steve Mordue serves on the National PIA’s Regulatory Affairs Committee and on their National Catastrophe Task Force.
For being a small state, we are well represented in our national associations.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Passing of Gary Bergener
To: UAIIA Membership
From: Steve Baugh, Executive Director
It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of Gary Burgener of Transwestern General Agency yesterday . Our sympathies go out to his family and our great friends at TGA. He was a strong leader and had a lot of influence over the years in the Utah and regional insurance industry. He will be missed.
At this time, I have no information on his funeral arrangements. Since I will be out of town the remainder of the week, I thought I better make you aware of his passing so you can either look for a notice in the newspaper or call the front desk of TGA at 801-363-8804 for details.
Steve
Utah Association of Independent Insurance Agents4885 South 900 East, #302Salt Lake City, UT 84062(801)269-1200 Fax: (801)269-1265
From: Steve Baugh, Executive Director
It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of Gary Burgener of Transwestern General Agency yesterday . Our sympathies go out to his family and our great friends at TGA. He was a strong leader and had a lot of influence over the years in the Utah and regional insurance industry. He will be missed.
At this time, I have no information on his funeral arrangements. Since I will be out of town the remainder of the week, I thought I better make you aware of his passing so you can either look for a notice in the newspaper or call the front desk of TGA at 801-363-8804 for details.
Steve
Utah Association of Independent Insurance Agents4885 South 900 East, #302Salt Lake City, UT 84062(801)269-1200 Fax: (801)269-1265
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
