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Mark Your Calendar!
IIAN'S
36th Annual Winter Conference
"Survivor - Out Sell, Out Service, Out Produce!"
12 CEUs* - P/C &
Agribusiness
Over 40 Exhibitors
February 6-7, 2013
Ramada Inn, Kearney
*approval pending | |
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Halloween Insurance Resources
The best insurance-related costumes for you to draw inspiration from.
Give your trick or treaters a
Halloween Trick-Or-Treat Liability and Indemnification Agreement | |
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New 2012 ISO Commercial Property Coverages
IIABA Webinar
December 5, 2012
1-3 PM CST
2 CEUs*
Register Here *approval pending | |
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Technology Corner
New ACORD
E-Signature,
E-Delivery Guide
By using electronic signatures and e-delivery of documents, independent agencies can improve the efficiency of their workflows and deliver a better customer experience. To help agencies adopt this approach, ACORD has released a best practices guide for using effective electronic signature, e-delivery and electronic archival processes.
Click here |
Marketing Blog
Project CAP's blog
provides marketing articles for agents to be more effective. Recent articles include:
Growing Your Facebook Network
Marketing to the Baby Boom Generation
Marketing to Generation X
'Business to Person' Marketing
Creating a Blog
Search Engine Ranking | |
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Thanks to the Big "I" Industry Partner for October, Winner of IIAN's 2012 Five-Star Company of the Year Award
www.emcins.com
Their support enables IIAN to present affordable, high-quality member programs. |
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| New IIAN Officers & Directors Elected in Kearney | Lisa Davis of Omaha is President
 | | Lisa L. Davis, CPA, CPCU, ARM-P, ARe |
IIAN members elected new officers and directors at the association's annual business meeting on Thursday, October11 in Kearney, at the Big "I" Annual Awards luncheon during IIAN's 105th annual convention. IIAN's new president is Lisa L. Davis, CPA, CPCU, ARM-P, ARe, with Davis Insurance in Omaha. Also elected were Dee M. Sykora, AAI, AU, CPIW, Gallagher Grace Mayer Insurance in Omaha - Vice President, and Phillip F. Winkelmann, Omaha Insurance Services in Omaha - Secretary-Treasurer. Five IIAN directors were also elected. More... |
| 105th Annual Convention Features CSR Day, "Chopper for Charity", Digital Marketing & CE | |
Over 375 Attend in Kearney
Over 375 IIAN members and company representatives attended "Living The American Dream", IIAN's 105th annual convention held at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, October 10-12. "I was happy to see so many IIAN members from western Nebraska at the convention - especially all of the young agents and first-timers," commented Lisa L. Davis of Omaha, who was elected and installed as IIAN's new president during the convention.
Click here for full convention report.
Click here for a list of exhibitors and sponsors, along with contact information.
Click here for photos. |
| Annual, Special IIAN Awards Presented October 11 | |
Outgoing IIAN president Ritch Nelson, LUTCF, presented IIAN's annual agent and company awards at the Big "I" Annual Awards luncheon on October 11 in Kearney, along with three special awards. Member agents honored were Mark B. Lisko; Tom Greco, CPCU, CIC; and Gary Wagner, AAI, AIC, along with The HomeTown Agency, Trusted Choice® Agency of the Year. Company awards went to Julie Richt, Indiana Insurance; and EMC Insurance, Jay Sillau, CPCU. Special awards went to James P. Cavanaugh, James R. Beerman, CPCU, and Carol McClelland, CAE. More ... |
Excellence in Education Recognized October 10
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CSR of the Year, CISR Designees, Scholarship Winners Honored
IIAN's Annual Education Recognition Luncheon was held on October 10 in Kearney, as part of "Customer Service Representative Day" during the association's 105th annual convention. The annual event recognizes those who have achieved high educational goals. IIAN Foundation President Dave Chastain, CPCU, CLU, and IIAN Professional Development Committee chairperson Katie Kochenower, CIC, ARM, AIP, gave an update on the Foundation's expanding programs and 3-year goals. Read about all of the honorees here. |
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IIAN Foundation On The Move - Scholarship & Education Programs Expanding | |
Kittell Is New Foundation Program Director
 | | Dave Chastain, CPCU, CLU |
IIAN Foundation President Dave Chastain, CPCU, CLU, announced that Elizabeth Kittell is the Foundation's new Program Director starting November 1. "Liz brings proven program marketing and fundraising skills, along with experience as both an independent insurance agent and association marketer, to our first professional staff position," comments Chastain.
"I know that her desire to see the Foundation succeed will help us build on our accomplishments and achieve our
long range goals - including a new insurance internship program for college students, a new career
 | | Elizabeth Kittell |
development program for high school students in cooperation with 4-H, and a new 'designated giving' program."
Kittell helped the Foundation raise over $11,000 at its 2nd Annual Live Auction on October 11 in Kearney, during IIAN's 105th Annual Convention. She can be reached at lizkittell@gmail.com, 800-377-3985, or cell (402) 209-3284. More about IIAN Foundation |
| Homeowners Claims Frequency/Severity Increases | | According to the Insurance Research Council, increases in claim severity and frequency are responsible for a 7.4% annualized rate of increase in homeowners claims costs from 1997 to 2011. In 2011 alone, homeowners claim costs increased by 27%. Countrywide claim severity increased during the 15 year period almost 200% and ended the period in 2011 with $8,077 for non-catastrophe-related claims and $7,553 for catastrophe-related claims. During the 15 year period, the producer price index for residential maintenance and repair increased by just 57% and the consumer price index for urban consumers increased by 40%. Claim frequency has jumped from 5.3 paid claims per 100 insured exposures in 2007 to 8.0 claims in 2011. |
| MLR Bill Moves to U.S. House | |
The U.S. House's Committee on Energy and Commerce passed H.R. 1206 on to the full U.S. House of Representatives in September. The bipartissan bill would clarify that agent compensation is not part of the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirements established in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which went into effect on Jan1, 2011. If the MLR calculation is not quickly corrected to exclude agent compensation, consumers are at risk of losing the professional, licensed guidance of insurance agents during this tinme of great change in the health insurance market. Many insurance carriers have significantly cut their agent compensation in an effort to comply with these new regulations. More . . . |
| Most Agencies Grew Last Year |
According to the latest Agency Universe Study for 2011:
- The number of independent agencies totaled 38,500-a 3% increase which the first time in five years that agency ranks have increased.
- 60% said their agencies had generated revenue increases, compared with 42% between 2008 and 2009. Only 26% had experienced decreases in revenue last year, compared with 37% the year before.
- The average marketing budget has decreased about 35% over the past two years (and 42% since 2008).
- Agencies have fewer direct relationships with carriers, except for standard personal lines carriers.
- Systems and data security are now the most important technology challenges facing agencies.
To read a more extensive summary of the study, click here. |
First Half 2012 Promising For P/C Industry
| | Profitability in the property-casualty insurance industry rebounded in the first half of 2012, propelled chiefly by a sharp drop in catastrophe losses and a marked acceleration in premium growth. According to ISO's PCS unit, catastrophe losses plinged by 43 percent in the first half this year, largely the result of a mild winter and diminished tornado activity. As a result, the industry's bottom line benefited as overall net income after taxes surged in the first half by 245.2% to $16.4 billion from $4.8 billion in first-half 2011. More . . . |
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