ISO GL program changes approved in Connecticut

The Connecticut Insurance Department approved the new 2012 Commercial General Liability Program filed by the Insurance Services Office Inc., which includes a forms filing, rules filing and loss-costs filing. Forms and endorsements affected by the filing will carry an edition date of April 2013. The proposed effective date for this program is Sept. 1, 2013.  More…

Save the date! PIACT’s annual Fall CE Fest

The third annual PIACT Fall CE Fest is happening on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza, Cromwell. Get the CE you need, network with other insurance industry professionals and enjoy a great learning experience. Mishell Magnusson, CIC, CISR, CPIA, AAI, FIPC, brings her expertise to the table for two dynamic education sessions. For more information, or to register, click here.  

Access Health CT holding Q&A sessions

Representatives from Access Health CT, the insurance marketplace created by the federal health reform law, will be answering questions at events in the coming weeks. The "Healthy Chats" are free but people have been asked to register. You can do so by clicking here. The Healthy Chats are: Waterbury: Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 to 8 p.m., City Hall, 2nd floor, 235 Grand St., Waterbury. New Britain: Thursday, Aug. 22, 6 to 8 p.m., New Britain-Berlin YMCA, 50 High St., New Britain. Bridgeport: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 6 to 8 p.m., Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport. Hartford: Saturday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., Hartford.  

Battle over health exchange navigators continues

Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed, insurance agents and brokers have worried that health insurance exchange navigators would cut into their business. Over the past three years, the groups have waged an intense but little-noticed lobbying effort to regulate navigators in the states, leading to the passage of 16 state laws over the past year and a half. Most of the laws contain language that closely resembles recommendations that agents and brokers have been pushing in statehouses nationwide—a push receiving crucial aid from a legislators’ group focused on insurance policy that is supported with industry funds. More… PIA National sent a letter to the chair and vice chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Producer Licensing Task Force asserting that in order to sell, solicit or negotiate insurance, a producer license should continue to be required.   

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NOAA trims hurricane forecast, but still warns of active season

NOAA issued its updated Atlantic hurricane season outlook saying the season is shaping up to be above normal with the possibility that it could be very active. The season has already produced four named storms, with the peak of the season—mid-August through October—yet to come. The updated outlook is similar to the pre-season outlook issued in May, but with a reduced expectation for extreme levels of activity.   More…

Latest FEMA bulletins

The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a number of bulletins about the implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act including the following: October 2013 Revisions to the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual Bulletin W-13045; Supplemental Revisions to the Oct. 1, 2013, Program Changes Bulletin W-13047; Sample Letters Related to Processing Renewals Under Biggert-Waters Act Bulletin W-13048; and Final Letter Related to Processing Renewals Under Biggert-Waters Act Bulletin W-13046.  

NYDFS superintendent sets bar date for Atlantic Mutual and Centennial Insurance Cos.

PIA received notification that the New York superintendent of insurance set a bar date of Sept. 30, 2013, for Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co. and Centennial Insurance Co. All policyholders and creditors seeking to recover losses related to the liquidation of Atlantic Mutual or Centennial Insurance Cos. have until Sept. 30, 2013, to file a claim. If you have questions about outstanding claims for Atlantic Mutual and Centennial, contact Jeanne Pannullo-Anderson at (212) 341-6857 or email jpannullo@nylb.org. For a copy of the order setting the bar date, click here.  

Study: Most consumers who go to direct writers return to independent agents

Most customers who are lured away from independent agents by direct insurers promising lower prices ultimately will return to an independent agent, according to a recent study commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group. The study found that nearly 60 percent of consumers who had purchased insurance through a direct channel 10 or more years ago reported switching back to an independent agent because they wanted more value.   More…

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Travelers discontinues WYO participation

Travelers issued letters to producers stating that it is discontinuing its participation as a Write Your Own (WYO) company in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, selling its interest in the renewal rights to NFIP policies to American Bankers Insurance Co. of Florida, a subsidiary of Assurant Inc. Travelers will stop writing new NFIP policies Sept. 15, 2013, and will discontinue renewing policies by Oct. 15, 2013. ABIC will begin issuing renewal notices on Sept. 1, 2013, for policies with effective dates on or after Oct. 15, 2013.  

PIA tool kit offers traditional, new media strategies

PIA’s Agency Marketing Tool Kit—a free resource to help independent agencies use a variety of tools to reach current and prospective customers throughout the year. It includes consumer content in ready-to-use format, such as tweets, pre-formatted web articles and consumer fliers and provides a calendar to suggest when these tools can be used. Exclusive to PIA members, this benefit incorporates new media tools and emphasizes that traditional marketing tools still are effective at cutting through the clutter their clients deal with in the digital age. The site even includes a calendar that suggests the best times and ways to use some of the tools available in the kit and offers information to help agents explain to their customers the advantage of working with an independent agent. It also explains the importance of direct-marketing, email and website campaigns; as well as discussing how agents can create public relations, customer relations and social-media strategies for retention and lead generation.  

Ask PIA: Surplus lines—proper declinations

Q. An insured came to me with a difficult-to-place risk and I’m considering the E&S market. To place it, I need to get three declinations. I know that I have two companies that simply don’t handle that business, and another company that explains this refusal in its underwriting guidelines. This is sufficient, correct? I don’t need an actual declination? A. No, that is not sufficient. In a communication from the Connecticut Insurance Department’s Property and Casualty Division, it was explained that a producer must have the necessary declinations on file, and proof that the insureds previous carrier nonrenewed or canceled the risk. However, while the department cannot make a "bright-line" rule, it expects that an agent can show due diligence that he or she made an attempt. Therefore, the agent should have some form of "written" communication from the company indicating the risk was declined and the "specific" reason(s) for the declination or no renewal. For a comprehensive answer to this question, click here. To access our entire Ask PIA library of frequently asked questions and expert answers by PIACT’s technical staff, click here.  

Branding with co-op advertising

In today’s competitive marketplace, agents need to keep ahead of the competition with their marketing efforts. Co-op advertising is one way agents can partner with their carriers for co-op advertising dollars to place ads in their local media to increase the visibility of both the insurance agent and the carrier. PIA offers a step-by-step guide on how co-op advertising works and how you can implement these ideas within your agency (QuickSource document No. QS90569—How to find co-op advertising dollars). This, along with other tools such as the ads available through PIA National’s "Local Agents Serving Main Street America" Branding Program, you have the tools you need to compete in today’s marketplace. To access QS90569, log on to the PIACT website and type QS90569 in the Google-facilitated search box or fax a request to PIA’s Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935.  

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Webinar: The Latest in E&O (and What Can Be Done About It)

Every year, the agent’s errors-and-omissions landscape seems to take some new twists. The Latest in E&O (and What Can Be Done About It)^FF^UM, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013, will review what has changed over the years. Included will be extensive discussion on the major E&O issues that agents face and the new plaintiffs that are bringing litigation against today’s agent. A series of best practices will be provided to help agents face these various challenges. Throughout the Webinar, actual E&O cases will be used to enhance the understanding of the material. The new three-hour format, allows participants to receive their E&O loss-prevention and CE credit in one session. Earn CTCE: 3 PC. ^FF^UM—This course has been approved for E&O loss-prevention credit by Fireman’s Fund and Utica Mutual. Call the PIA E&O Department at (800) 424-4244 for details. For more information, or to register, click here.  

PIA offers new personal-lines CISR course

Join PIA Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, at MiddleOak, in Middletown, and learn how to identify personal-lines exposures effectively, earn CE credit at CISR PM: Personal Lines Miscellaneous. This course addresses the exposures created by watercraft, recreational vehicles and business activities often encountered when working with personal-lines clients. Prompting your client to identify these exposures is crucial, because the ISO Homeowners and ISO Personal Auto Programs provide limited coverage. You will be better able to design the appropriate coverage for these exposures. The course also will provide an analysis of the important coverage offered through personal umbrella or excess liability policies. Earn CTCE: 8 PC. For more information, click here.   

What gives carriers the right to perform background checks?

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibits any individual from engaging in any insurance activity if that person has a prior felony conviction without a waiver. Additionally, it does not permit anyone to "knowingly" employ such an individual. Implied in the law’s requirement, is the ability of states, carriers and agency owners to conduct background checks on their employees. PIA’s Industry Resource Center has received numerous inquiries on this topic, and has made available a resource kit outlining these rules, as well as information on carriers’ requesting Social Security numbers. To obtain your copy, log on to the PIACT website and type QS06092 in the Google-facilitated search box, or fax a request to PIACT’s Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935.   

In case of emergency: PIA accepting member emergency contact numbers

Sandy caused widespread power outages for several PIA members, leaving them only cell phones and mobile devices for communication over a prolonged period of time. While we hope this need never happens again, your association now is accepting emergency cell phone numbers with the sole purpose of reaching your agency to offer PIA services in the event such an outage takes place. This information will be kept private and is to be used only if we are unable to reach you in such an event. If you would like PIA to have the emergency contact number for a single agency principal or designee at your agency, please click here.  

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