| Quote of the Month
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  A good rule of thumb is if you've made it to thirty-five and your job still requires you to wear a name tag, you've made a serious vocational error.
--Dennis Miller
Source: http://www.amusingquotes.com/hw/Work_1.htm
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| Joke Time
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Question: What's the difference between an actuary and an accountant?
Let Down: An actuary does much the same thing as an accountant but lacks his bright and vivacious personality.
Source: http://www.workjoke.com/projoke49.htm |
| Dingbats Corner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Robert and Angela Stokes sue Greyhound Bus Lines for $300,000 after an incident in which a passing bus dumps the contents of its toilet on their Ford Explorer, drenching the Ohio couple and their three children through the SUV's open sunroof.
Source: "101 Dumbest Moments in Business"; Business 2.0 Magazine; CnnMoney.com; http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/biz2/0701/gallery.101dumbest_2007/26.html
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| On the Cutting Edge: Claim Prediction Technology Almost Saves the Day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Risk Managers from around the globe celebrated a possible breakthrough this month that could change the way consumers view the insurance industry. At their annual convention in Sioux City, Iowa, members of the Risk Managers, Agents, Underwriters, Adjusters, Claims Assistants, CSRs and Actuarial Society of Fellows, Delegates and Professionals introduced their product to an eager audience.The new technology, developed in part by the society and its technology subsidiary Earnest, Inc., allows risk managers to analyze information that could have prevented a claim from occurring up to a split second after it actually does.
Read the Article
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| News Flash: Predictions Are In!
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Researchers from the Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University made waves this week with a prediction that there should be a named storm or two but maybe more or less this hurricane season.
In the organization's official report released this week, top researchers issued a somber reminder that this hurricane season has not yet begun and is probably worth preparing for. "Residents of hurricane prone areas are particularly at risk," says Sam Westurlund, researcher and wind-driven rainologist. "However, everyone else should be adequately prepared, just in case."
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| The Greatest Insurance Story Never Told: The Tripping Point
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Brilliant social scientist Hedley Lamar, best-selling author of Hard Market, Soft Market: Things My Rich Dad Taught Me About Dealing with Carriers, returns with more thought-provoking insights into insurance carrier behavior. According to Lamar's assertions, carriers are now totally beholden to "black box" scenario algorithms. These proprietary and closely guarded secret formulas purport to tell a carrier precisely when to exit an existing marketplace in order to best safeguard policyholder reserves and executive bonuses. Lamar's true stroke of genius is setting aside the complicated mathematics required by these mysterious "boxes" and instead studying the output, as represented by carrier market-withdrawal decisions of the last several decades. Here is a sample of his findings regarding the homeowners policy:
- Number of hail losses allowed prior to nonrenewal: 2
- Number of theft losses allowed prior to nonrenewal: 2
- Number of fire losses allowed prior to nonrenewal: 2
- Number of water damage losses allowed prior to nonrenewal: 2
- Number of hurricanes hitting any coastal area prior to mass nonrenewals along entire continental coastline, even if all losses result from flooding: 1
Agents will find these and other of Lamar's findings essential for pursuing strategic planning initiatives. Also recommended is this text's companion work, Who Moved My Markets? Your Future with Lloyd's of London.
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| Tales from the HR Crypt: Big Dog or Small Potato--Which Are You?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  What do a 10-pound bag of potatoes and a 95-pound dog who is afraid of everything have to do with changes in corporate America? Read on as Deb Gateley, IIF Marketing Maven, explains as only she can why a dog's relationship with the starchy spuds should be a lesson to us all.
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| Book of the Month: The Power of Nice--How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  The antithesis of kill or be killed sales seminars and survival of the fittest mantras, "nice" has become synonymous with the likes of the weak and weenie in our corporate culture. This tome seeks to redeem the sleeping giant by once again proving that a slice of "nice" may indeed be all it takes to experience the kind of success usually experienced by those with an iron fist. A light, refreshing and humorous adventure through the legend of "nice," how it disappeared from business and how its triumphant return is imminent, this text is an amusing and easy read for staffers at all levels.
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| Product Deal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Everyone, start your engines! Yes, IIF friends, it's driving time all over the country. And whether your tires lead you to the beach, mountains or that long-planned visit to the family, let your IIF flag fly with an authentic, official IIF license plate frame! Sure, you may already have one from your auto dealer. But when you pull up in your in-laws yard or get pulled over by that highway patrol trooper down south, do you want them staring at a lame frame reading "Randy's Repo Depot: Broke Buggies for Broke Folks"? Or casting their jealous eyes upon your proudly displayed "Bind me, Baby!" Talk about your no brainer - click that link with a smile and drive this summer in style! IIF license plate frames, baby - on sale now!
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| Picture of the Month
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"After months of seemingly endless litigation, it was determined by the court that, yes, the driver of the automobile is at fault." |
| Feedback
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