PIA offers free Webinar on Floodbroker.com

Do your clients know that everyone lives in a flood zone? It’s up to you to show them why they need critical flood coverage … PIA has the tool you need. Register now for a free Webinar to learn all about Floodbroker.com and what it can do for your agency. The Webinar will be held Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at 11 a.m. Evan Spindelman, Floodbroker.com president, will discuss the Floodbroker.com program interface and illustrate how easy it is to quote flood—and sell more policies—right on an agency’s own website. The Webinar will conclude with an open Q&A session. For more information, or to register, click here.   

Christie asks FEMA to give Sandy victims more time to file flood claims

Gov. Chris Christie urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to grant New Jersey residents and businesses who suffered property damage or destruction in Sandy an additional six-month extension to file a complete flood insurance claim, or proof of loss, in connection with the storm. The governor is asking that the filing deadline be extended from April 28, 2014, to Oct. 28, 2014. More …   

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FEMA posts NFIP Manual revisions

The revisions to the National Flood Insurance Program Flood Insurance Manual that will become effective on June 1, 2014, have been posted on the FEMA website. Included are: revised primary residence definition and new underwriting requirement to verify the eligibility for primary residence; clarification of rules regarding tenant’s coverage and only one policy per building; new maximum limits for Other Residential buildings; revised deductible amounts, deductible factors and changes to the minimum deductible; inclusion of the 2014 edition of the Residential Basement Floodproofing Certificate; new Renewal Notice requirement to include a message on the back of the Renewal Notice; revised Cancellation Reason Code 9; and updates to the Community Rating System Eligible Communities list.   

U.S. senators announce TRIA extension legislation

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators announced they have reached an agreement on legislation to reauthorize and extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which is set to expire at the end of 2014. Under the new legislation, the program would be extended for an additional seven years. It will include two changes (regarding co-pays and recoupment) to the current program that will be phased in over five years. More …   

NCCI releases its 2014 issues report

The 2014 Workers Compensation Issues Report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance is now available. The articles included in this report have the following titles: Early Prognostication: Positive or Negative Workers Comp Market in 2014?; Legislative and Regulatory Outlook; Future of Terrorism Insurance Backstop; The Affordable Care Act and Workers Compensation: Our Experts Weigh In; Workers Compensation and Group Health Hospital Outpatient Payments: A Comparison; Why the Underwriting Cycle is Unavoidable; High Times in Workers Comp: The Impact of Medical Marijuana; and Five Legal Briefs.   

AAIS identifies five new states with e-policy laws

The American Association of Insurance Services Inc. announced that five states (Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) recently enacted laws to allow insurers to post policy forms, endorsements and other documents on a website, or transmit them electronically, in lieu of mailing them to insureds. These laws follow a series of similar measures enacted in several states in 2013, and more states are expected to follow suit before the end of this year’s legislative sessions. The laws are not fashioned after a single model law, leading to a great of variation from state to state in the phrasing of requirements.   

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PIA’s Company Rating Tracking Service

Worried your company’s rating slipped overnight? If you want to stop worrying, sign up for PIA’s Company Rating Tracking Service. This unique service, available to PIA members exclusively, automatically sends you an email when one of your represented companies’ A.M. Best Co. rating or outlook changes, as long as you have given us a listing of the companies you represent. To participate, contact PIA’s Industry Resource Center by phone at (800) 424-4244 or by email at resourcecenter@pia.org with a listing of the companies your agency currently represents and we’ll get you signed up for the program. This service frees up your valuable time to do what you do best—sell and service for clients’ insurance needs. Please note: This alert is a product of PIA and is not affiliated with any service provided by A.M. Best Co.   

Join PIANJ for upcoming educational sessions

PIANJ will hold a number of Webinars and education sessions throughout April. The schedule includes the following: Understanding the National Flood Insurance Program 2013 (FEMA training requirement), Wednesday, April 16, 2014, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (NJCE: 3 NFIP); Floodbrokers products free informational Webinar, Tuesday, April 22, 2014, from 11 a.m.-noon (NJCE: N/A); 2014-2105 CPIA 2: Implement for Success, Tuesday, April 29, 2014, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (NJCE: 7 GEN); and 2014 CISR IP: Insuring Commercial Property Exposures, Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m. (optional exam is at 4:15 p.m.) (NJCE: 7 GEN; CISRs in good standing will receive 12 CE credits).   

ICNJ’s Spring Workshop, May 16

The Insurance Council of New Jersey will hold its Spring Workshop on Friday, May 16, 2014, at The Hamilton Manor, in Hamilton (registration at 9 a.m.; workshop from 10 a.m.-noon). For more information, contact: Mary Novak at (609) 393-0025 or mnovak@icnj.org.   

Call for nominations: Annual Outstanding CSR of the Year

The Outstanding CSR of the Year award from the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is one of the greatest professional honors a customer service representative can receive. The award is open to insurance CSRs or those who have primary duties in the customer service arena. As a CSR, you can even nominate yourself. Cash prizes will be awarded. Nominations are due Thursday, May 1, 2014. For more information about this award, click here. To download the entry form, click here.   

DOBI’s N.J. automobile shopping guide available

The Department of Banking and Insurance has released its automobile shopping guide—premium comparison survey. This comprehensive survey gives various examples and, broken down by rating territory, what each carrier might charge for auto insurance. This information is helpful to agents when assisting members over the telephone. Also included are the latest automobile insurance complaint ratios and answers to commonly asked questions. For more information access QS29020 in PIANJ’s QuickSource library.   

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