|
|
Having trouble viewing this email, active links or waving flag below? Mouse "click here" at the top of this newsletter to view all graphics, images and text as a web page.
Published monthly by United Farmers Agents Association,
aka UFAA, Chapter 15 Eastern Oklahoma. The chapter meets the first Thursday of each month.
Next Chapter 15 Meeting will be Thursday April 4th 11:30 AM
Lone Star Steakhouse 101 E Albany St. Broken Arrow
|
| 
Chapter 15 Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month at the
LONE STAR STEAKHOUSE
101 E Albany St. Broken Arrow
(this is right off the B/A Expressway @ 161 E A just past entrances to BASS PRO).
Non-members welcome.
|
|
Oklahoma UFAA Contacts:
UFAA Chapter 15 serving Eastern Oklahoma:
President- Glenn Johnson 918/252-0561 Tulsa
UFAA Chapter 12 serving Central-Western Oklahoma:
President- Jeff Roberts -580-224-0808 -Ardmore
United Farmers Agents Assn. National Office 800-275-8668
UFAA Oklahoma Voice Editor
UFAA Oklahoma Voice Ads
To join an Oklahoma UFAA Chapter
choose one closest to you and
contact the chapter. Or, sign
up at the UFAA Website.
United Farmers Agents Association Web Site
UFAA Chapter 15 Newsletter Archive & Homepage
Letters to the Editor
Learn more about our advertisers in this issue. Ads are hot links to their websites.  As a result of several reader requests, we have changed most of the article background colors to white in the Oklahoma Voice to speed printing and use less ink.
|
Greetings!
Join us April 4th at the Lone Star Steakhouse
for the UFAA Chapter 15 Monthly Meeting
Chapter 15 members and guests shall arrive at 11:30 AM at the Lone Star Steakhouse 101 E. Albany St. Broken Arrow- located just past the driving entrance to Bass Pro. Exit B/A Exp. @ 161st E A aka (Elm PL) 101 E Albany St, Broken Arrow, OK Menu (scroll to bottom for lunch) Message From the President
AGENDA For April 4th Chapter Meeting
NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME
- Our advertiser, Paul Davis, will present the current state of water, fire & other losses, along with loss/frequency trends, inflation, & how FIG compares with our competitors Always a good connection with phone #s to make sure your clients are handled by experienced, skillful, caring people.
- Donations, donations, donations: Yes, we are matching agent donations up to a $500 max limit. Please bring a check to support the recent UFAA Lawsuit vs. Farmers. It's to benefit you. Please support it.
- Current service issues, underwriting changes & how to handle. It has been said that the company is working on underwriting to be more common sense. (fire only for now)
- Open discussion with Independent friends attending to learn what our competition is doing with rates & underwriting. You will get the truth here!
- Marketing, marketing, marketing. Is it time to spend again. Join Tulsa's finest on Thursday Apr 4.
- Stay current, stay in the loop of success. You are worth it. Take time to attend, you will be glad you did. You are not alone.
I hope to see Tulsa's finest agents there as usual. Glenn Johnson, Chapter 15 President.
If you plan to eat lunch, Please Arrive for Lunch Promptly @11:30
UFAA Meeting begins at Noon.
Meeting attendees should prepare to order lunch upon timely arrival at 11:30 AM The staff will be prepared to take your order upon your seating and cooked to order. We will no longer order as a group as in the past as this has caused our meeting to run overtime.
|
918-663-5848
Fire, Water, Storm Damage & Other Perils Full Service Mitigation and Reconstruction 10344-B East 58th St Tulsa, OK 74146
|
 Greetings!
NEW CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
Monday, February 25, 2013 2:13 PM
From:"United Farmers Agents Association" <directmail@ufaa.com>
FARMERS IS NOT REQUIRING AGENTS TO SIGN THE NEW CONTRACT. REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM YOUR DISTRICT MANAGER, FARMERS IS NOT SAYING "SIGN OR ELSE."Agents have reported that their District Managers are saying that any agent that does not sign the contract will be gone by Fall, FARMERS HAS NOT SAID THIS! Agents have reported that their District Managers are threatening them about signing the new 2013 contract and addendum, FARMERS IS NOT REQUIRING AGENTS TO SIGN THE NEW CONTRACT! Signing the new contract is your choice and you need to make the best choice about whether to sign the 2013 contract/addendum or not. If you have questions about the new contract, what the major changes are or haven't seen the contract just visit the UFAA website, www.ufaa.com, to view the informational emails we have already sent out or to view the new contract and addendum. If you have received ANYTHING in writing implying that signing the new contract is a requirement or that if you do not sign the contract you will be terminated PLEASE FORWARD ON TO UFAA. You can email the National Office directly at no@ufaa.com or you can fax documentation to 314-631-7963. Please send this email on to other Farmers Agents as there are several agents we only have farmersagent.com email addresses for. We know that Farmers actively blocks emails to the agency force as they see fit and we know that most of the informational emails that come from UFAA do not make it through to the agents. This email was sent by United Farmers Agents Association, 9785 Mackenzie Rd, Ste 104, St. Louis, MO 63123, using Express Email Marketing.
Pulse of the Agents POLL |
 | | Click here to obtain an Oklahoma UFAA Membership App |
| |
Click logo above to view the UFAA Website
|
If you wish to be excluded from future mailings please let us know by emailing us at ufaa15@gmail.com or by using the Unsubscribe feature at the located within this document. Disclaimer - The Oklahoma Voice is published twelve times per year for the United Farmers Agents Association, Chapter 15 Northeastern Oklahoma. The United Farmers Agents Association and the editor neither assumes any responsibility for the accuracy of the articles or advertisers, nor any liability arising from reliance upon them. The Oklahoma Voice expresses its appreciation to the many members who assist in and support its publication,. Opinions in the Oklahoma Voice do not necessarily express the views of any single member or Chapter officer or UFAA organization. Products and services advertised are not endorsed by this Chapter or United Farmers Agents Association, Inc. Complaints or inquiries should be forwarded directly to the advertiser. All purchases and services are at the complete discretion of the consumer. Trademarks and/or logos are the respective products or trademarks of their respective owners. |
 Greetings!
Major Captive Agency Competitors % Growth in Market Share
Here are major captive agency and direct response competitors (with premiums greater than $750 million) that experienced a change in market share greater than 1% in 2011- the period the latest figures are available.
2011 Property-Casualty Insurance Market: Opportunities & Competitive Challenges For Independent Agents & Brokers IAs outperformed captive agencies carriers in personal lines and grew premiums by nearly the same amount as direct response carriers. This was helped by: Impressive performance in homeowners, where IAs outperformed the captive agencies, which control half of that market; and an overall slowdown in auto market growth, where direct response has become so disruptive See this 2013 report by Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Inc. Results are based on year-end numbers of 2011, the latest available.
|
 Greetings!
Increase in Oklahoma Mobile Home Parks Ups Tornado Vulnerability
IJ March 15, 2013
Will Mobile home rates Increase?
A new report from Lloyd's of London found that a growing number of Oklahomans are becoming increasing vulnerable to tornadoes, according to the Oklahoma Insurance Department. The report, Tornadoes: A Rising Risk?, indicates that the growing density of mobile home parks in Oklahoma and other "Tornado Alley" states is placing a greater risk on lives and homes. "This report should be a wakeup call," said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. "Mobile homes offer no protection from a tornado. Those who choose to live in one must have a safety plan in place. Chances are, if you try to ride out the storm in a mobile home, you won't survive." Every year, an average of 1,200 tornadoes kill at least 60 people, injure 1,500 more and cause over $400 million in damage across the world. In 2012, 41 tornadoes struck Oklahoma. Six people were killed in an April twister, all in a Woodward mobile home park. According to the National Weather Service, the percentage of deaths in mobile homes has more than doubled, from 24 percent in 1976 to 50 percent in 2000. The Lloyd's of London report claims that one third of all tornado deaths now happen in mobile homes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that people living in mobile homes are 23 times more likely to be killed than those living in permanent homes. The entire report can be found here. Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department |
Greetings!
|
AGM DRA Lawsuit
I am sure you know by now that in December 2012 UFAA Filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County against FGI. The suit challenges FGI's improper violations of the contract with agents such as the AGM, EDGE, Take 5, home offices and office hours. The lawsuit also tackles Farmers pattern of sharing agents' data with 21st Century Insurance and the reprehensible practice of terminating lifetime agency owners on ninety days' notice or less.
UFAA has done many surveys over the years asking who was told by the District Manager that the 90 day clause is never used. That..."You can build your book as large or as small as you are comfortable with."..."after 15 or 20 years you can just sit back and relax, live off your renewals"...or..."you make ALL the decisions about how, when and where you conduct your business"... Without fail every survey produced a 95+% response that they were assured that Farmers does not use the 90 day clause, "...just don't worry about that..."
Do you remember when you heard someone say, "I give you my word" and shook hands and your agreement was as good as written in stone. When taking a man at his word was not a recipe for disaster or for having the wool pulled over your eyes. It was a time of corporate and personal integrity, honesty and trust. Trust that you could depend on the person who was offering their word and hand. The tide has turned in the past few years and now record numbers of good, honest, long standing Farmers Agents are finding themselves between a rock and a hard place.
Why does Farmers believe they can change the rules in the middle of the game. Did the meaning of "the time to be expended by the Agent is solely within the Agents' discretion..." or "The Agent shall...exercise sole right to determine the time, place and manner in which the objections of this Agreement are carried out..." change in the past 20 or 30 years?
Where can a concrete, universally agreed upon definition of "good business practices" be found?
Doesn't the AGM, EDGE, Take 5, required 45 hour work weeks and hiring of agency personnel directly conflict with the language in the 1984 contract?
To view information on the lawsuit or to review the filings visit www.ufaa.com
If you would like to donate to the UFAA AGM DRA Fund you can do so by filling out the form at the bottom of this email. Contributions can be made by check or credit card by simply completing the form below and faxing or emailing to UFAA National Office.
[Or,] You may also make a donation using our secure on-line store at ufaa.com at
http://www.ufaa2.com/store/default.asp [Select UFAA AGM DRA Fund Donation. The minimum website donation is $5.00 x each quantity number selected. Example: $5 x quantity of 10 = $50]
You May Double Your Lawsuit Donation
UFAA Chapter 15 will match up to $500 maximum total of all donations received from Oklahoma Agents from April 1st through April 12th. Remember, this lawsuit is about you the agent. Please, support it. Please, email Chapter15 with your name/address/amount donated so we can match your donation if the max of $500 has not yet been attained. -ed
_________________________________________________________________________
Name Non-Farmers Email Address
[ ] Yes, I will support UFAA's AGM DRA Fund
Charge my [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa, $ _____________
_________________________________________________________________________
Credit Card Number Expiration Date
[ ] Enclosed is my check for $ __________ in support of UFAA's AGM DRA Fund
[ ] Please increase my monthly draft $__________ in support of UFAA's AGM DRA Fund
___________________________________________________________________________
Signature Printed Name
Mail to-
UFAA AGM DRA Fund
9785 Mackenzie Road Ste 104 Email: UFAA Nat'l Office Fax: 314-631-7963
St. Louis, MO 63123
|
|
|
United Farmers Agents Association, 9785 Mackenzie Rd, Ste 104, St. Louis, MO 63123
Pulse of the Agents POLL
|
|
We now repair auto electric Windows
Call for Board up Service 24/7
 Click to check out our website 08/13
Tulsa Broken Arrow
918/664-7904 918/258-7578
|
Farmers Insurance Celebrates its' 85th Birthday; to conduct National Food drive
Founded on March 28, 1928 by civic-minded, Southern California entrepreneurs, John C. "Jack" Tyler and Thomas E. Leavey , Farmers, in addition to the national food drive, will commemorate its 85th year of doing business with anniversary festivities at company offices across the country.
 | | Be safe. Never use too many candles on a cake. |
More than eight decades after its first insurance policy was sold, Farmers now has more than 74,000 employees, agents and district
managers in the
U.S representing its brand.
"Everyone at Farmers takes great personal pride in this company and all the wonderful things it represents," said Farmers CEO Jeff Dailey . "Our 'One Farmers' culture, our mission, our vision, our values and our guiding principles are all singularly focused on serving the needs of our customers in the communities in which we serve and do business."
|
|
UPGRADES - REPAIR - NETWORKING
SAME DAY SERVICE VIRUS CLEANUP
FREE DIAGNOSTIC & ESTIMATE
DROP-OFF AND ON-SITE SERVICE 918-622-1700
10208 E 41 St. Tulsa click graphic for pricing
08/13 |
Bethel Collision Center in Broken ArrowBBB Rated A+
|
Ads are now hot links to websites
Support Our
Advertisers
Please support and recommend our supporters.
Learn more about our advertisers as you or your clients may need their services in the future. Educate yourself so you can give your clients more detail about the services they offer.
 Ads are hot links to our advertisers websites. Click any ad for more details.
ads rotated for 04/13 issue.
|
|
|
Insurance Journal 03.07.13Oklahoma Senate OKs Plan for Insurance Commissioner to be Appointed by Governor
The Oklahoma Senate has advanced a proposal that would allow voters to make the offices of state superintendent, insurance commissioner and labor commissioner gubernatorial appointments. Treat noted Oklahoma is one of 10 states in which an insurance commissioner is elected. Twelve states elect a superintendent of public instruction and just four states elect a labor commissioner. |
Oklahoma House Votes to Modernize Disaster Recovery
IJ 03.08.13 Legislation to create a disaster recovery information website that is more accessible and that would allow multiple contributors including citizens wanting to document local damage has been approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. State Rep. Joe Dorman, who authored the bill along with state Reps. Mike Turner (R-Oklahoma City) and Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), said the website would be a critical resource for recovery efforts. |
 55 percent of small businesses in the United States have had a data breach Insurance Journal 03.06.13 While more than half the U.S. small businesses experienced at least one data breach, just one-third of those firms notified individuals that their personal information had been compromised, a new survey revealed. "Smaller companies are targeted by data thieves, but they often don't know how to respond when sensitive information they keep on customers and employees is lost or stolen," said Eric Cernak, vice president for Hartford Steam Boiler. "Failing to act in a timely and effective way can harm the reputation of businesses and even risk legal penalties in many states." Read article here
|
 The two organizations that standardize forms and policies for property/casualty insurers, the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) and ISO, have both filed cosmetic damage endorsements. Read article here |
Edmond 405-330-0025Tulsa 918-270-2888
Factory Certified Contractor. Please visit our Edmond & Tulsa Showrooms At Red River Roofing, our goal is to provide you the proper information to make the best roofing decisions. Should you have any concerns, questions, or comments, do not hesitate to contact our offices.
Residential & Commercial Roof Repair & Replacement. www.redriverroofing.com info@redriverroofing.com 05/13
|
|
Sneak Preview of Spring Issue Cover of the UFAA National Voice with great articles and information coming your way in this month.
|
Komando Info Center: By Kim Komando
2013 predicted to be the year of advanced computer viruses & infiltration of systems.
A 'Microsoft' email you should avoid at all costs!
By now, you're no stranger to phishing emails. These are scam emails that look like they're from legitimate companies or people. However, they're really from hackers trying to trick you into opening a malicious attachment or visiting a malicious website.
An email making the rounds today is no exception. This phishing email is going to fool many people.
Forward this warning to your friends and family so they aren't taken in! While you're at it, tell them they should subscribe to my daily email newsletters so they can stay current on all the latest threats in technology, as well as helpful tips, cool sites, free downloads and more.
Click here to find what this latest phishing email says and why it might just fool you.
SECURE COMPUTING: Another Windows update Last week I told you to update Windows with the security fixes Microsoft released in its monthly Patch Tuesday 03/12. Well, there's actually another update this month. Earlier this week, 03/19 Microsoft released Windows 7 service pack 1. This service pack combines all previous Windows 7 updates, as well as some new ones. ATTENTION! Windows 7 users will need to install this update to receive any future security patches or support from Microsoft. I recommend doing so as soon as possible. Note that the update can take 30 minutes or more. So be sure to install it when you know you won't urgently need your computer. Learn more about service packs and how to update Oklahoma Voice has reprint rights. Copyright 1995-2013 WestStar TalkRadio Network. Reprinted with permission. No further republication or redistribution is permitted without the written consent of WestStar TalkRadio Network. Visit Kim Komando and sign up for her free e-mail newsletters. KimKomando.com
|
Check out the UFAA Chapter 15 Home Page with more Farmers, industry news and member benefit information, newsletter archives including breaking news too late or too large to publish above.
The Articles below are on our Home Page link this month
UPDATED: Okla. Company Comparison Rate Charts- Auto: 02/13 Home: 02/13
and Company rate filings
Farmers updates agent computer specs effective: 01.03.2013
See important highlights on our home page link above See the warning on having your computer set to automatic Windows updates
Did you miss the presentation by the U.S. Postal Service to UFAA Chapter 15 last month? It's on our home page this month advising you how to...
"Find the Customers Who Matters Most"- Cost: 16 cents per home/business. Don't miss this article on CHEAP saturation mailings! Best of all, the Government Post Office finally made it EZ and Economical 4U 2do
==========================================================================
Quick reference Advertiser listing in this issue you can print or download for your office referral  ===================== Okla Ins Dept: Change of address or name more than thirty (30) days after the change occurred shall be $50.
============================
Did you know? As a member of UFAA you get:
1 hour of tech support a month
1 Free @ufaa.com email address
1 Free web page with your domain name
Call us today Toll Free, Primary # 1-866-441-8018 Alex Conger - UFAA Tech | | Click here to access the Oklahoma Membership app. |
Have you missed past issues of the Okla. Voice? If you missed past issues, you can access them and other article headlines on our Chapter 15 Home Page Link above.
Have you joined UFAA? We just can't make it much easier. Just mouse the Join UFAA logo to obtain the a membership application. Fill it out and attached a check and mail or use the bank card option and fax it to 1-314-631-7963. United we stand. Divided we fall.
|
|
|
|
|
