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. Utah State Government News
2. UAIIA Mid-Year Meeting Coming Soon
3. Eagle Agency Adds MetLife Auto & Home
4. Golf Ball Lawsuit
5. How To Print Your Insurance License
6. A Bank for Insurance Agents
7. Golf Tournaments Galore!
8. Enhance Agency Profitability
9. Wheelchair DUI’s
10. Insurance Department Hours
11. Are You Using Virtual University?
1. Utah State Government News Looking for the latest news about our Utah State government? Check it out on our website homepage at: www.uaiia.org. There are many links to various government departments and a running log of the latest Utah government news items with links to view the entire article. Be sure to check it out. We think you’ll like it.
2. UAIIA Mid-Year Meeting Coming Soon Remember the meeting we hold each year that hardly costs anything and includes 6 hours of C.E. credit (3 which can be used for ethics), errors and omissions loss control credit, lunch and a mini-trade show? It’s coming around again on October 15th at the Red Lion in Salt Lake City. This year would be a great year to attend if you are looking to update your E&O loss control credit because next year the required number of people from your agency will double if you are a Westport policyholder. To see loss control credit requirements go to: www.uaiia.org/_private/losscontrolcredit.pdf
This class has proven to be an eye opener for anyone working in an insurance agency when it comes to the best practices involved in avoiding an E&O claim. You can download a flyer by going to: www.uaiia.org/_private/midyear.pdf
3. Eagle Agency Adds MetLife Auto & Home Have you heard the latest on the Eagle Agency? This is the program started by the Big “I” to assist newer or small agencies in getting their feet on the ground. They have recently added MetLife Auto & Home to the program that already had Travelers personal lines products.
To be considered for Eagle Agency, an agent must have three years of experience as a licensed producer or have extensive industry experience (i.e. former underwriter, CPCU etc). If the agent is brand new to the business, consideration will be given to agents who can quantify that they have licensed support staff with at least three years of agency experience. For further information, go to www.bigimarkets.com or call Cheryl or Steve at the association at 801-269-1200.
4. Golf Ball Lawsuit A New Jersey man was recently awarded $725,000 in damages after a lawnmower launched a golf ball that hit his windshield. The windshield broke and the man suffered cornea damage when shattered glass entered his eye.
In his lawsuit, Thomas Guhl alleged the golf ball had landed on a home’s lawn from nearby Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club and was launched by a mower. The golf club failed to place netting along the avenue to prevent balls from leaving the course and that Canfield Lawn and landscaping should have checked the lawn before mowing.
5. How To Print Your Insurance License Effective October 1, 2008, the Utah Insurance Department will no longer mail hard copies of new, renewal, or duplicate licenses. You can print as many copies of your license as you want within 30 days of the issuance of your new or renewal license at no cost to you by going to www.sircon.com/utah and click on the link entitled “Print Your License.”
After 30 days Sircon will charge a fee of $5.50 for each copy of your license. To obtain a copy of your license after 30 days, go to www.sircon.com/utah and click on the link entitled “Print Your License.”
To see if a new or renewal license has been approved and issued, you can do one of the following: go to www.sircon.com/utah and click on “Check license application status” or “Check license renewal status”; or go to the department’s website at www.insurance.utah.gov and click on the link that says “Search for Company & Agent.” Once you see your license has been issued, go to www.sircon.com/utah, click on the link entitled “Print Your License” and print it.
New and renewal licenses will continue to be mailed until October 1, 2008.
6. A Bank for Insurance Agents InsurBanc is our bank. It is a bank that understands our business and offers a full range of banking products to help your agency grow. In fact, InsurBanc specializes in agency financing, including perpetuation/acquisition loans and cash management services to meet your unique business needs. Our state association has several accounts with InsurBanc. We have been pleased with their service.
If you would like further information on what InsurBanc can do for you, go to our website at www.uaiia.org and scroll down to the bottom of our home page. Then click on the InsurBanc logo.
7. Golf Tournaments Galore! For all of you on our mailing list who like to golf (and we know there’s a lot of you), below are the dates of four tournaments to be held in the next month or so: Sept 11th – Insurance Professionals of SLC; Sept 16th – Surplus Lines; Oct 3rd – BAIFA-IIAA; Oct 7th (tentative) – SLC Association of IIA.
Download a BAIFA-IIAA tournament flyer from the following link: www.uaiia.org/_private/ogdengolf.pdf
8. Enhance Agency Profitability The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America’s latest agency improvement tool helps agencies move to advanced workflows and eliminate paper in order to free up staff time for sales and pro-active customer service. The new “Best Practices Guide to Agency Business Processes and Information Management” replaces two earlier guides and incorporates the latest in agency workflows, such as Real-Time.
The 155-page resource is available at www.independentagent.com/act and is designed to be used electronically because it contains numerous links for easy navigation. The guide enables agencies to conduct a self-assessment in technology, management support, workflows, agency/carrier interfaces, Real-Time utilization and client focus, and then provides step-by step guidance on how to move to the next level of agency workflow. It also provides steps to implement a comprehensive information storage plan for all forms of media and documentation, including paper, scanned documents, e-mails, voice mails, notes, faxes and pictures.
9. Wheelchair DUI’s Here’s a new twist on driving under the influence. A wheelchair-bound German stunned police when they pulled him over for using the road and allegedly found he was 10 times over the legal alcohol limit for drivers.
“He was right in the middle of the road,” said a spokesman for police in the northeastern city of Schwerin. “The officers couldn’t quite believe it when they saw the results of the breath test. That’s a life-threatening figure.”
More recently, a man found asleep in a motorized wheelchair on a highway in northern Australia was charged with drunk driving. Officers in a patrol car noticed the man slumped in the stationary chair about 10 a.m. Friday on an exit lane near the tourist city of Cairns, regional traffic inspector Bob Waters said. Cars were swerving to get around him, Waters said.
The officers breath-tested the 64-year-old man, who registered a blood alcohol reading of .301—more that six times the legal driving limit. He was charged with operating a vehicle while drunk.
10. Insurance Department Hours Utah’s Department of Insurance has new office hours designed to better serve customers. New extended hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The office is closed on Fridays, but for emergency assistance on that day, the Working 4 Utah hotline at 801-538-1808 is available. For more information, visit www.insurance.utah.gov
11. Are You Using Virtual University? As agency members of the Big "I", you have free access to Virtual University (www.independentagent.com/vu). Our associate member partners can get access for a fee. The Big "I" Virtual University is the leading technical insurance and agency management information source in the industry--developed for agents, by agents.
As the business climate changes, the resources on the Virtual University expand. The Big “I” Virtual University regularly produces white papers, articles and continuing education courses on many of the critical issues affecting today’s insurance marketplace. These resources provide opinions and commentary to help today’s busy agency professional be informed and knowledgeable about the trends and topics affecting their future.
The Virtual University is a great member benefit. Look for the VU flyer included with the paper version of this newsletter for further information.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
YA Update
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)
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)
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
Friday, May 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, 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. No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
2. Who is Worth What?
3. Woman Steps into a $3.8 Million Pothole
4. Insurance Licensing News
5. Utah Receives High Ranking
6. Nevada Countersignature Law
7. Oreo Cookie Speeding Ticket
8. DOI Investigator Murdered
9. A New Company in Town
10. Earthquakes and Utah
11. Flyers with Printed Mailing
12. 100 Captives in Utah
1. No Such Thing as a Free Lunch? Think again. On Free Day Friday, June 6th at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, there will be a free lunch, free continuing education and a free trade fair. What’s the catch? Prying yourself away from the office. That’s all there is to it and it’s a healthy thing to do because there will be free massages, facials and mini-manicures inside the trade fair. In addition to all of the free stuff mentioned, there is more free stuff such as exhibitor prizes and an IPOD give-a-way. People from Midway and other parts of the world call that a “no brainer”. We agree and we hope to see you there. For a complete schedule of our convention, go to: www.uaiia.org/_private/zermattconvention.htm.
2. Who’s Worth What? Have you been wondering who is worth what in an independent insurance agency? The Insurance Journal recently completed their annual online survey on agency compensation trends. This survey provides valuable information on the topic. Nearly 1,750 independent agencies from across the nations responded to the survey.
To purchase the results for $99.00 visit: http://www.insurancejournal.com/salary/pages/order.
3. Woman Steps into a $3.8 Million Pothole An 83-year-old woman who hurt herself stepping into a pothole has won $3.8 million in damages from New York City. A Bronx jury awarded Janie Utsey the money for the injury she suffered five years ago when she stepped off a bus and tripped. She ended up breaking a thighbone, which doctors mended with a rod and screws.
The jury found the city had failed to properly seal the pavement. Utsey says she deserves the money because she’s suffered two hip replacements and walks with a cane because of the pain and weakness in her leg. She can’t travel on her own and needs a home health care aide to help her with chores.
4. Insurance Licensing News Did you know that once an insurance license application has been approved and the insurance department has issued the license, licensees can go to www.sircon.com/utah to print their own license. They can print as many copies of the license as they wish at no cost for the first 30 days. After 30 days Sircon will charge fees totaling $5.50 per print.
The insurance department will now be doing the full national FBI background check on all initial resident individual license applicants rather than the limited seven western state background check as in the past. Fingerprinting must be done at a Prometric testing center and the applicant will be required to pay a $34.25 FBI/BCI fingerprint submission fee.
5. Utah Receives High Ranking Consumers in Utah enjoy more attractive homeowners insurance at better prices than citizens in most other states, according to a new report card jointly released by The Heartland Institute and Competitive Enterprise Institute. “Although insurers operating in the state have seen a degree of uncertainty in the automobile market lately, the Utah insurance environment does a good job serving consumers and insurers alike,” said Eli Lehrer, the report’s author.
Like homeowners in Idaho, Illinois, Vermont, and Wisconsin, those in Utah enjoy lower premiums for broader and more predictable coverage, earning “A” grades on the Heartland/CEI report card. Consumers in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and North Carolina—whose states earned “F” grades—pay more for homeowner’s coverage that is inferior to states with positive insurance climates.
“On balance,” writes Eli Lehrer, “states with less regulated insurance markets provide more consumer choice, more predictable rates, and insurance premiums that better reflect actual risk than do states with heavily regulated markets.” The Property & Casualty Insurance Report is available for $10 by calling The Heartland Institute at 312-377-4000.
6. Nevada Countersignature Law You’ve probably heard that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Nevada’s countersignature statute violates two clauses of the United States Constitution. The unanimous decision striking down the statute affirms an earlier U.S. District Court ruling in a lawsuit brought against Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman.
The Nevada Insurance Department still may seek to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nevada is one of just two U.S. jurisdictions where countersignature requirements remain in effect, along with the Virgin Islands, which currently is appealing a U.S. District Court ruling striking down its law. Until the time that the Nevada and Virgin Islands rulings are final, agents and brokers need to abide by the countersignature laws.
7. Oreo Cookie Speeding Ticket Police say a New York man’s excuse for speeding through a small Connecticut town takes the cake – or at least the cookie.
A state trooper who stopped the 1993 BMW last fall says its driver, 28-year-old Justin Vonkummer of Millerton, New York, blamed his driving problems on an errant Oreo. He told the trooper that an Oreo had just slipped from his fingers as he dunked it in a cup of milk, and that he was trying to fish it out when he lost control of the car.
Vonkummer was charged with speeding and driving under a suspended license. From the Insurance Journal.
8. DOI Investigator Murdered On May 19th, North Carolina police arrested Michael Arthur Howell, an insurance agent, charging him with first-degree murder of Sallie Rohrbach, an investigator for North Carolina’s Department of Insurance. Howell owns and operates Dillworth Insurance Agency where Ms. Rohrbach was investigating a complaint. She was assigned to look through files, review Howell’s books and interview him. Police did not say how they linked Howell to Rohrbach or whether a body had been found.
9. A New Company In Town There is a new property and casualty company in town called Acuity. They are headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and they operate in eighteen states. They recently hired Sonja DeVore as their Territory Director for Utah. Sonja was formerly with Allied, where she had been Sales Manager for Utah. Sonja worked for Nationwide Insurance for 28 years in various capacities.
You’ll be able to meet Sonja at the Acuity booth during UAIIA’s Annual Trade Fair on June 6th. Don’t miss out!
10. Earthquakes and Utah We’ve been told that a big earthquake is due to hit us within the next 50 years. This and the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Wells, NV in February has prompted renewed calls for our state to examine seismic safety in the state’s schools and public buildings.
We’ve also heard that more homeowners are purchasing earthquake coverage on their dwellings since the Wells, Nevada earthquake. Are you taking advantage of our Homeowner Catastrophe Insurance Trust program that will cover earthquake and flood damage? It’s a good way to increase your agency revenue. Please give us a call if you would like further information.
11. Flyers with Printed Mailing Look for the Transwestern General Agency and CIC flyers included with the printed version of this newsletter and thank you for being a member of our association.
12. 100 Captives in Utah Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. has welcomed the state’s 100th captive insurance company, AFS Security Insurance Co.
In 2004, Utah had two captive companies, followed by 14 in 2005, 30 in 2006, and 92 in 2007. Commissioner of Insurance, D. Kent Michie, noted that, “Comparing the growth of the five states who rank ahead of Utah in number of captives, Utah’s growth last year was nearly as many as the other five states put together.
Based on year 2007 financial statements, the Captive Insurance Division reports captive assets of $676 million and capital surplus of $86 million, with net written premiums for 92 captives totaling $244 million.
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, 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. No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
2. Who is Worth What?
3. Woman Steps into a $3.8 Million Pothole
4. Insurance Licensing News
5. Utah Receives High Ranking
6. Nevada Countersignature Law
7. Oreo Cookie Speeding Ticket
8. DOI Investigator Murdered
9. A New Company in Town
10. Earthquakes and Utah
11. Flyers with Printed Mailing
12. 100 Captives in Utah
1. No Such Thing as a Free Lunch? Think again. On Free Day Friday, June 6th at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, there will be a free lunch, free continuing education and a free trade fair. What’s the catch? Prying yourself away from the office. That’s all there is to it and it’s a healthy thing to do because there will be free massages, facials and mini-manicures inside the trade fair. In addition to all of the free stuff mentioned, there is more free stuff such as exhibitor prizes and an IPOD give-a-way. People from Midway and other parts of the world call that a “no brainer”. We agree and we hope to see you there. For a complete schedule of our convention, go to: www.uaiia.org/_private/zermattconvention.htm.
2. Who’s Worth What? Have you been wondering who is worth what in an independent insurance agency? The Insurance Journal recently completed their annual online survey on agency compensation trends. This survey provides valuable information on the topic. Nearly 1,750 independent agencies from across the nations responded to the survey.
To purchase the results for $99.00 visit: http://www.insurancejournal.com/salary/pages/order.
3. Woman Steps into a $3.8 Million Pothole An 83-year-old woman who hurt herself stepping into a pothole has won $3.8 million in damages from New York City. A Bronx jury awarded Janie Utsey the money for the injury she suffered five years ago when she stepped off a bus and tripped. She ended up breaking a thighbone, which doctors mended with a rod and screws.
The jury found the city had failed to properly seal the pavement. Utsey says she deserves the money because she’s suffered two hip replacements and walks with a cane because of the pain and weakness in her leg. She can’t travel on her own and needs a home health care aide to help her with chores.
4. Insurance Licensing News Did you know that once an insurance license application has been approved and the insurance department has issued the license, licensees can go to www.sircon.com/utah to print their own license. They can print as many copies of the license as they wish at no cost for the first 30 days. After 30 days Sircon will charge fees totaling $5.50 per print.
The insurance department will now be doing the full national FBI background check on all initial resident individual license applicants rather than the limited seven western state background check as in the past. Fingerprinting must be done at a Prometric testing center and the applicant will be required to pay a $34.25 FBI/BCI fingerprint submission fee.
5. Utah Receives High Ranking Consumers in Utah enjoy more attractive homeowners insurance at better prices than citizens in most other states, according to a new report card jointly released by The Heartland Institute and Competitive Enterprise Institute. “Although insurers operating in the state have seen a degree of uncertainty in the automobile market lately, the Utah insurance environment does a good job serving consumers and insurers alike,” said Eli Lehrer, the report’s author.
Like homeowners in Idaho, Illinois, Vermont, and Wisconsin, those in Utah enjoy lower premiums for broader and more predictable coverage, earning “A” grades on the Heartland/CEI report card. Consumers in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and North Carolina—whose states earned “F” grades—pay more for homeowner’s coverage that is inferior to states with positive insurance climates.
“On balance,” writes Eli Lehrer, “states with less regulated insurance markets provide more consumer choice, more predictable rates, and insurance premiums that better reflect actual risk than do states with heavily regulated markets.” The Property & Casualty Insurance Report is available for $10 by calling The Heartland Institute at 312-377-4000.
6. Nevada Countersignature Law You’ve probably heard that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Nevada’s countersignature statute violates two clauses of the United States Constitution. The unanimous decision striking down the statute affirms an earlier U.S. District Court ruling in a lawsuit brought against Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman.
The Nevada Insurance Department still may seek to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nevada is one of just two U.S. jurisdictions where countersignature requirements remain in effect, along with the Virgin Islands, which currently is appealing a U.S. District Court ruling striking down its law. Until the time that the Nevada and Virgin Islands rulings are final, agents and brokers need to abide by the countersignature laws.
7. Oreo Cookie Speeding Ticket Police say a New York man’s excuse for speeding through a small Connecticut town takes the cake – or at least the cookie.
A state trooper who stopped the 1993 BMW last fall says its driver, 28-year-old Justin Vonkummer of Millerton, New York, blamed his driving problems on an errant Oreo. He told the trooper that an Oreo had just slipped from his fingers as he dunked it in a cup of milk, and that he was trying to fish it out when he lost control of the car.
Vonkummer was charged with speeding and driving under a suspended license. From the Insurance Journal.
8. DOI Investigator Murdered On May 19th, North Carolina police arrested Michael Arthur Howell, an insurance agent, charging him with first-degree murder of Sallie Rohrbach, an investigator for North Carolina’s Department of Insurance. Howell owns and operates Dillworth Insurance Agency where Ms. Rohrbach was investigating a complaint. She was assigned to look through files, review Howell’s books and interview him. Police did not say how they linked Howell to Rohrbach or whether a body had been found.
9. A New Company In Town There is a new property and casualty company in town called Acuity. They are headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and they operate in eighteen states. They recently hired Sonja DeVore as their Territory Director for Utah. Sonja was formerly with Allied, where she had been Sales Manager for Utah. Sonja worked for Nationwide Insurance for 28 years in various capacities.
You’ll be able to meet Sonja at the Acuity booth during UAIIA’s Annual Trade Fair on June 6th. Don’t miss out!
10. Earthquakes and Utah We’ve been told that a big earthquake is due to hit us within the next 50 years. This and the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Wells, NV in February has prompted renewed calls for our state to examine seismic safety in the state’s schools and public buildings.
We’ve also heard that more homeowners are purchasing earthquake coverage on their dwellings since the Wells, Nevada earthquake. Are you taking advantage of our Homeowner Catastrophe Insurance Trust program that will cover earthquake and flood damage? It’s a good way to increase your agency revenue. Please give us a call if you would like further information.
11. Flyers with Printed Mailing Look for the Transwestern General Agency and CIC flyers included with the printed version of this newsletter and thank you for being a member of our association.
12. 100 Captives in Utah Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. has welcomed the state’s 100th captive insurance company, AFS Security Insurance Co.
In 2004, Utah had two captive companies, followed by 14 in 2005, 30 in 2006, and 92 in 2007. Commissioner of Insurance, D. Kent Michie, noted that, “Comparing the growth of the five states who rank ahead of Utah in number of captives, Utah’s growth last year was nearly as many as the other five states put together.
Based on year 2007 financial statements, the Captive Insurance Division reports captive assets of $676 million and capital surplus of $86 million, with net written premiums for 92 captives totaling $244 million.
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