December 13, 2012
As Americans do their best to plan for retirement, all it takes is a visit to a financial planner to realize the importance and value of long-term care insurance. The goal of purchasing it is two-fold: retaining as much of …
December 5, 2012
Is Your Agency Still Accepting Cash Payments? Relatively few agencies today, at least relative to ten years ago, are accepting cash. Technology will reduce cash payments even more. The means to never accept another cash payment already exist, but this …
November 28, 2012
Have You Updated Your Procedures to Cover Handheld Devices? Without question, handheld devices, whether they be simple phones, pda’s, or smart phones, have transformed agency communications. Agency producers and staff can and do communicate with clients, vendors, and carriers using …
November 27, 2012
Firmer insurance prices and an upward trend in agency revenues are signs of good times for most independent agencies. These same trends, however, are reflected in today’s insurance market for agency errors and omissions coverage where they can pose challenges …
October 31, 2012
Review Your E&O Carrier’s Requirements for Carrier Writing Standards. There’s a myth going around that if an agency writes with a carrier rated B+ or better by A.M. Best, their E&O policy will cover them. Based on the E&O policies …
October 24, 2012
Proper Authorization. I recently saw a situation where, in a divorce, one spouse deleted the prized vehicle of the soon to be ex-spouse to spite that person. Not knowing of the divorce, the agency complied. Of course the vehicle was …
October 17, 2012
Once again, Insurance Journal is polling its readers asking for their thoughts on today’s agency errors and omissions market. Don’t miss your chance to find out what’s been going on with insurance agents’ errors and E&O insurance. The DEADLINE to …
October 17, 2012
Binding Summaries. A significant risk unrecognized by most producers and CSRs is the risk of being sued by the agency’s own insurance companies. A large proportion of E&O suits that make it all the way to court are brought by …
October 11, 2012
Once again, Insurance Journal is polling its readers asking for their thoughts on today’s agency errors and omissions market. Don’t miss your chance to find out what’s been going on with insurance agents’ errors and E&O insurance. This annual survey …
October 10, 2012
Discussing Claims with Insureds. A common and often key personality trait of CSRs and producers is that they are people pleasers, especially relative to customers. When it comes to claims, being a people pleaser can get agencies into trouble. In …