MILWAUKEE CPCU SOCIETY SCHEDULES LEADERSHIP COURSES
The CPCU Society and the Society'sGreater Milwaukee Chapter will host two CPCU Society National Leadership Institute (NLI) courses, Strategic Thinking and Strategic Planning, Jan. 18, 2006.
The CPCU Society National Leadership Institute (NLI) is the CPCU Society's educational program for insurance industry professionals looking to advance their careers or take on leadership roles within their organizations. Both CPCU Society members and nonmembers are invited to attend NLI courses. Each course has been approved for four continuing education credits in Wisconsin.
Strategic Thinking: This course focuses on participant interaction so that attendees can learn how to think strategically and solve problems analytically. At the conclusion of this course, attendees should be able to: understand the barriers to strategic thinking and problem solving; learn and practice the steps to effective thinking and problem solving; and, explore options and strategic problem-solving strategies.
This course will be held Jan.18, 2006, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Country Springs Hotel and Water Park Conference, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee, Wis., 53072.
Strategic Planning: This interactive course will allow attendees to practice applying the strategic planning process to gain a deeper understanding of the strategic fit between an organization's goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities. At the conclusion of this course, attendees should be able to: understand the value of strategic planning; define expectation of strategic planning; and, understand the roles and responsibilities for members of a strategic planning team.
This course will also be held on Jan.18, 2006, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Country Springs Hotel and Water Park Conference, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee, Wis., 53072.
John W. Egan, the instructor for both courses, is an organization development consultant and principal with Workforce Innovations Inc. To register online go to: www.cpcusociety.org (CPCU Society members only) or call (800) 932-CPCU (2728) and select option 4 to speak to the Member Resource Center. For CPCU Society members registration is $109 for one course and $129 for both courses. non members, registration is $129 for one course and $149 for both courses.
SETTLEMENT PROPOSED IN CLASS ACTION AGAINST CHOICEPOINT
Insurance agents and agencies who provided personal information regarding potential or actual insureds to ChoicePoint Services Inc. between Jan. 1 1997, and Aug. 9, 2005, may be entitled to money and benefits as a result of a proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit that Illinois agents filed against that firm.
CF&H Insurance Agency Inc., et al., v. Statewide Data Services Inc., et al., a group of insurance agents claimed that ChoicePoint and its related affiliates took confidential, personal customer information from agents' requests for C.L.U.E. underwriting reports and created prospecting lists (Lead Lists), which it sold to the agents' competitors.
The defendants, ChoicePoint Inc., ChoicePoint Direct Inc., Statewide Data Services Inc., and ChoicePoint Services Inc., have denied any wrongdoing or liability. Members of the plaintiffs' class include all insurance agents and agencies that made a request for C.L.U.E. Auto, C.L.U.E. Personal Property and/or National Credit File underwriting information, and/or who purchased a list of consumers and contact information used for personal lines insurance marketing purposes from Jan. 1, 1997, and Aug. 9, 2005.
The proposed class action settlement would require the defendants to provide a
cash settlement fund, not to exceed $7 million, to compensate agents whose data was wrongfully used. Other requirements would be charitable contributions of $500,000, half allocated to the University of Illinois and the other half would go
MICH. AG WARNS CONSUMERS ABOUT DANGERS OF BUYING FLOOD DAMAGED VEHICLES
Michigan's Attorney General Mike Cox warned consumers about the danger of flood-damaged vehicles. A Consumer Alert, Used Vehicle Buyers Watch for Flood Damage, posted to the attorney general's Web site provides tips to avoid unpleasant surprises.
"There may be half a million vehicles that were severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Cox said. "Consumers need to be on guard against vehicles that may have been repaired, moved to Michigan, and offered for sale without an indication of the previous damage."
Cox cautions that without full disclosure, the buyer pays too much for the vehicle and risks costly repairs, hassles, and, most importantly, even physical danger. Used car buyers should have used vehicles thoroughly inspected by a mechanic before purchasing.
In addition to tips for detecting flood-damaged vehicles, the consumer alert references free tools to check the history of a used vehicle offered by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Carfax and AutoCheck.
Cox said that his office will take action against any business that knowingly sells a storm-damaged vehicle to a Michigan consumer without disclosing the damage. Consumers can report fraud complaints by calling (877) SOLVE-88 or at: www.michigan.gov/ag.
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR PUSHES PLAN TO HELP UNINSURED KIDS
After signing a state law offering low-cost medical coverage for most uninsured children in Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich flew to Washington to push for broader health insurance coverage for children around the nation.
Blagojevich briefed fellow Democratic governors at a meeting in Washington on the Illinois program and spoke at a news conference organized to enhance nationwide support for better insurance coverage for children. Then he attended the announcement of proposed legislation to grant subsidies to states that create similar children's insurance programs.
"Every single child ought to have health care," Blagojevich said at a news conference organized by Families USA, a liberal healthcare advocacy group according to a Chicago Tribune account.
Illinois' state-subsidized All Kids Health Plan, which becomes effective July 2006 in Illinois, will offer comprehensive medical insurance to all children in the state who have gone without insurance for at least 12 months. Families will pay premiums and co-payments based on their income.
The existing state health insurance program and federal subsidies are targeted to poor families.
But Blagojevich said the high cost of health insurance can place considerable burden on many working middle-class families. The Employee Benefits Research Institute found that more than 60 percent of children without insurance have at least one parent who works full-time year-round. They (parents) work, and despite their best efforts, they cannot take their children to the doctors. That's not right in my view," the governor said.
MICHGAN COMMISSIONER EXTENDS TIME FOR MOTORISTS TO SUE
Michigan's Insurance Commissioner Linda Watters is prohibiting auto insurers from setting limits on the amount of time people can sue.
Watters, who heads the Office of Financial and Insurance Services, recently announced that she has issued an order that would bar insurance companies from imposing one-year limitations onsuits involving uninsured motorist coverage.
Watters said that the order was a reaction to a recent Michigan Supreme Court decision that upheld an insurance policy with a one-year limitation period. Any limitations period below three years is unreasonable, Watters countered.
The Michigan Insurance Institute criticized the Commissioner's decision saying that uninsured coverage is optional under the state's no-fault system.
The case involved two women injured in an auto accident. The women involved sued the driver of the other vehicle when they learned she was uninsured. The insurer in the case denied the claim. The Supreme Court upheld the one-year limitation. 1
INSURERS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE STUDY ON AUTO THEFT
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies based in Indianapolis, Ind., will support a legislative study on auto theft in Arizona when the bill is heard in the state's legislature. A proposed bill has been pre-filed for possible consideration.
SB 1019, Automobile Theft Authority Vehicle Theft Study Report, would require the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority to study:
The Authority's study is to be completed by Oct. 1, 2006.
A motor vehicle is stolen every nine minutes and in Arizona, one is stolen every 42 seconds, making the Grand Canyon State first for vehicle theft per capita in the country.
Fourteen states including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington have laws that offer drivers discounts on their comprehensive insurance for having anti-theft devices.
There were more than 1.2 million motor vehicle thefts in the U.S. in 2004.The average comprehensive insurance premium, rose 11.2 percent from 1999 to 2003, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
