Christie announces more flood buyouts

Gov. Chris Christie has announced more buyouts of flood-prone properties in the wake of Sandy. The state is buying up contiguous properties from willing sellers that will allow it to create flood plains. The state plans to buy about 1,000 repeatedly flooded properties. More…   

Governor vetoes WC bill for public safety employees

Gov. Christie vetoed S-1778, which would have guaranteed workers’ compensation benefits for public safety workers by presuming that several illnesses were linked to their jobs.   

DOBI issues bulletin on amendments under PPACA

The Department of Banking and Insurance issued Bulletin No. 13-14 to "briefly describe the differences between the ACA requirements and current Individual Health Coverage Program and Small Employer Health Benefits Program regulations, and to provide guidance to carriers regarding necessary action in order to comply with the ACA and federal regulations pending the department’s adoption of amendments to its current rules."   

Senate committee approves flood insurance bill

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee, approved the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, sponsored by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. The bill would stop the Federal Emergency Management Agency from raising "grandfathered" flood insurance prices for at least a year. The bill parallels an amendment by Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., that won House approval last month. More…   

PIANJ/PIANY Joint Annual Conference wrap-up

Were you at this year’s PIANJ/PIANY Joint Annual Conference? See a wrap-up for this year’s event in the July-August issue of PIA magazine. And, see additional photos and videos online. Mark your calendars for next year! The 2014 conference is scheduled for June 8-10, 2014. We hope to see you there!   

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Ask PIA—get answers to your technical questions

Who has the time to hunt down the answers to all the legal questions, regulatory obligations and all the other inquiries you have about running your agency? Think PIA first. With access to hundreds of questions and a platform to ask your own questions, Ask PIA allows PIANJ members to get the answers they need in one convenient location. Ask PIA contains hundreds of member questions, researched and answered in-depth by PIA’s technical staff, which has more than 100 years of combined industry experience. You also have the ability to search the database by keyword or to view a complete state index listing.   

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

Every year, the agent’s E&O 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. Join E&O expert Curt Pearsall, CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM, AIAF, and earn NJCE: 3 GEN. ^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.   

Last chance to pre-register: PIANJ-YIP Summer Reception

Join PIANJ-YIP next week for an evening of ocean breezes, fun, food, networking and more during its Summer Reception, Thursday, July 25, 2013, at Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant, Long Branch, N.J., from 6-8 p.m. The cost for the event is $55 per person for PIANJ-YIP members; and $60 per person for nonmembers. The cost includes: two-hour open bar and light fare. Pre-registration deadline is today (Tuesday, July 23, 2013), after today, you only may register at the door.  

How to protect your clients’ and your agency’s privacy

The privacy of a client’s personal information is a paramount concern for producers, who must comply with a number of different laws, rules, regulations and opinions on the subject. Producers’ customers are aware of how their personal information is handled and expect nothing short of what the law requires. There are two levels of privacy compliance—state and federal. Unfortunately, privacy laws that affect producers are far from uniform from state to state and there are overlaps between state and federal laws. PIA has developed a QuickSource document that covers the general concepts that apply to producers in the majority of states. To access this kit, log on to the PIANJ website and type QS90495 in the Google-facilitated search box, or fax a request to PIANJ’s Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935.  

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