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OKLAHOMA
Next Chapter 15 Meeting will be Thursday March 6th 11:30 AM
SHANGHAI AVENUE SUPER BUFFET 803 N. Aspen
Next to Arvest Bank @ S/E corner of S. 145 East Ave (Aspen)
& E. 71st St (Kenosha) Broken Arrow. Chinese - Japanese - American Foods
Accepts all major credit cards.
Non-UFAA Members Welcome.
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The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
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Published monthly by
United Farmers Agents Association, aka UFAA, Chapter 15 Eastern Oklahoma. The chapter meets the first Thursday of each month.
UFAA: "Created by Farmers Agents for Farmers Agents"
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Oklahoma UFAA Contacts:
UFAA Chapter 15 serving Eastern Oklahoma:
President- Glenn Johnson 918/252-0561 Tulsa
UFAA Chapter 12 serving Central-Western Oklahoma:
Jim Meredith 405/226-6671
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. 
Check out the New UFAA Chapter 15 Website here
turn up your sound
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918-663-5848
Fire, Water, Storm Damage & Other Perils Full Service Mitigation and Reconstruction 10344-B East 58th St Tulsa, OK 74146
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Reminder- We need all Okla. Voice Readers to vote in Pulse of the Agent Polls in this issue.
Poll voting activity has dropped over the months. We need your poll vote to increase poll accuracy showing the real pulse of the agents on specific issues. Thanks in advance - ed
Remember, the Oklahoma Voice only tracks the numbers of readers that click on a poll. We DO NOT know (1) If you voted or (2) How you voted. (3) We only know that you reviewed the poll question(s)! You must click on one multi-choice answer (takes 7 seconds) before the poll results are displayed.
Monthly Meeting
Join us March 6th 11:30 AM at the Shanghai Avenue Super Buffet for the UFAA Chapter 15 Monthly Meeting. 803 North Aspen S/E Corner of S. 145th East Ave & E. 71st St. next to Arvest Bank
MAP Message From the President:
AGENDA For Mar. 6th Chapter 15 Meeting Guest Speakers: Coulter Tree Service will sponsor lunch.
Attendance at District Meetings down, few left
DRA status by Mike Ward- confidential must be present
CSR sharing, discussion of mechanics, procedures, bartering.
lots of variables here, we need to work through this.
Life Ins Challenge
Information round table sharing- bring your info.
Farmers loss of 2M policies
NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME
If you plan to join us for lunch, Please Arrive for Lunch Promptly @11:30
UFAA Meeting begins at Noon. ========== More UFAA Member Options
UFAA members have options to retain income from policies leaving Farmers. Join us and other x-Farmers Agents, at our luncheons, who now have independent Agencies and can help you survive. Would you rather have your client go to another company agent who will take all the household policies or refer an agent you know to sell only what they need. Anchor Home & Auto Insurance
"I did not realize what UFAA was or what they could do, until I started attending chapter meetings & annual conventions sharing information with agents across the U.S."
UFAA Member
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"I was so happy to discover my UFAA Sponsored E&O Policy was portable and less premium than other quotes when I left Farmers." UFAA Member
"I have saved over enough premium on my UFAA Sponsored Errors & Omissions Policy to pay my annual UFAA dues." UFAA Member
"I jumped on the UFAA Sponsored E&O Policy when I discovered the company controlled policy may not cover my or a staff error in not placing a policy or coverage correctly." UFAA Member
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 Farmers Insurance Inducted into Training Top 10 Hall of Fame
EXCELSIOR, Minn., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ Now in its 14th year, the Training Top 125 is the only report that ranks companies unsurpassed in harnessing human capital. Training magazine recognized the 2014 Training Top 125 winners with crystal awards and revealed their rankings during the Golden Gala-themed in honor of Training magazine's 50th anniversary-held last night during the Training 2014 Conference & Expo at the San Diego Convention Center.
During the gala,
Training also inducted Verizon and Farmers Insurance into the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame after ranking in the Top 10 of the Training Top 125 companies for at least four consecutive years.
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Officers of Farmers Group, Inc. (FGI) or is it
Failures Greater than Imagined? (FGI)
Jeff Robinson, head of Mid-Central Territory, made this comment several times during the Jan, 9, 2014 Mid Central Territory Town Hall Meeting includes Ks, Ok, Mo. ,
"We (Farmers) cannot keep putting you (the agents) in a position to fail."
It's great that Farmers is in Training Magazine's Top 10 Hall of Fame among U.S. Companies. However, Farmers execution and results are outstandingly pitiful. So, who is to blame? The Oklahoma Voice Agent Polls time and time again point the finger at Farmers Management. So, who is this group of outsiders that have overtaken this use-to-be great company following the mergers over the years? Let's take a look at who is driving this about to occur train wreck that has already reduced company PIF by an estimated 10% just in 2013?.
Read the Bio's on these Corporate Execs to see if you agree if they have the experience to command an exclusive agency force and are not side tracked by other duties of the independent agent or direct sales positions. We posted a Pulse of the Agent Poll below.
 Jeff DaileyChief Executive Officer Jeff Dailey is Chief Executive Officer of Farmers Group, Inc., a position he assumed in January 2012. Farmers Group, Inc., is the attorney-in-fact, which provides non-claim management services to the Farmers Exchanges. Dailey joined Farmers Group, Inc., in 2007 when the Bristol West Group was acquired by the Farmers Exchanges. While with Bristol West, Dailey was Chief Operating Officer of Bristol West Holdings, Inc., from 2001 until 2004. Dailey was named President in 2004 and was instrumental in taking the company public with its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:BRW). In 2008, he became Executive Vice President of Farmers Group, Inc., and President of Personal Lines. In January 2011, he became President and Chief Operating Officer of Farmers Group, Inc. Dailey started his career with Mutual Service Insurance in 1980. In 1986, he started Progressive's CAIP business and LAD business, the former an assigned-risk commercial servicing business and the latter a servicing carrier for private passenger Auto insurance. In 1988, he was promoted to general manager of the Northeast region and in 1992, to Division President. In that role he was responsible for all facets of Progressive's business in nine northeastern states. In 1996, he formed Reliant Insurance Company, a non-standard Auto insurance startup owned by Reliance Group Holdings. In 1998, he headed Reliance Personal Insurance - a role he held until it was sold to Bristol West Holdings, Inc., in 2001. Education: B.S. and M.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Deborah Aldredge Chief Administrative Officer In this role, she oversees Human Resources, the University of Farmers, Government and Industry Affairs, and Risk as well as administrative oversight for Internal Audit. She was previously Chief People Officer for Farmers Group, Inc. Aldredge has more than 25 years of experience in human resources and corporate learning. Prior to joining Farmers, her experience included senior human resources, learning and development, and performance roles at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Thomson Financial.
Other sources say Deborah held positions at Zurich before Farmers.
Education: B.A, University of Iowa
Bryan Murphy President of Business Insurance, a position he's held since 2013. He previously served as head of claims for the Farmers Exchanges, a position he held since joining Farmers Insurance Exchange in 2001 as a Senior Vice President. Murphy started his career as a marine underwriting trainee with Chubb & Son in New York City in 1978. He moved to Hartford Financial Services in 1983 and held a variety of positions. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Claim in 1993. In 2000, Murphy joined Zurich Insurance Group as Head of its worldwide Claim function. In addition, Murphy is a member of the bar in Illinois, Connecticut and New York. He is also a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), and chair of FoodShare - a non-profit organization that provides food to other organizations in Ventura County, Calif.
Education: B.S., Duquesne School of Business, Pittsburgh; J.D., Fordham University Law School, New York
 David Travers Chief Operations Officer.
Travers joined the company in 2006 and is responsible for all operational areas, including the customer contact centers, information technology, real estate, procurement, fleet, enterprise program management and administrative services. In total, Travers' organization consists of approximately 5,000 employees across the country. Before joining Farmers Group, Inc., Travers was a senior vice president at United Services Automobile Association (USAA), a major property and casualty insurance company. His 26-year career with USAA began with an entry-level customer service position directly supporting customers in a contact center environment. With more than 30 years of operations experience, he is a highly regarded leader within the field and an industry speaker on leadership and contact center operations. His multifaceted areas of expertise include communications, leadership, multi-site contact center operations, process engineering, project management and customer experience execution. Education: B.A., Regis University, Denver; Wharton Advanced Executive Education Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Mike Linton Chief Marketing Officer
He joined Farmers Group, Inc., in 2011 and is responsible for marketing, research, internal and external communications, strategic planning and the company's digital marketing. Linton began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble in 1980. He went on to hold various marketing and general management positions at Progressive Insurance, James River Paper Company and Remington. In 1999, Linton moved to Best Buy where he became its first ever Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for all marketing, research, call centers, and public and investor relations. In 2006, he moved to eBay, first in general management, then as the Chief Marketing Officer. Linton is on the Board of Directors of Capella Education. He previously served as a Director of Peet's Coffee & Tea, Support.com, and the Allen Edmonds Shoe Company. Education: B.S., Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio; MBA, Duke University (The Fuqua School of Business), Durham, N.C.
Scott Lindquist Chief Financial Officer
He joined Farmers in 2008 and is responsible for all financial related matters for Farmers Group, Inc. Lindquist's responsibilities include financial accounting and reporting, planning and performance management, investments, treasury, actuarial, tax and finance operations. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Farmers Group, Inc., and the Farmers Insurance Group Federal Credit Union.
Before joining Farmers Group, Inc., Lindquist served as Chief Accounting Officer for three successive years each at Genworth Financial, Inc., and The Phoenix Companies, Inc. Lindquist played a key leadership role in the transformation of each company's finance organizations as they transitioned to a public company environment. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. Education: B.S., Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa.; M.B.A., University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.
 Tony DeSantis President of Personal Lines
Tony DeSantis is President of Personal Lines and President and CEO of 21st Century Insurance. In this role, he leads all product development, pricing and underwriting functions, as well as all aspects of the 21st Century business. DeSantis and joined Farmers in 2009 when Farmers acquired 21st Century Insurance. He is a veteran of the insurance industry, with more than 30 years of experience. In 1981, he joined Liberty Mutual Insurance. He joined the American International Group, Inc. (AIG), in 1986. During his 22 years with AIG, DeSantis held positions in Claim, Underwriting, Marketing and Product Management. He was an integral part of AIG's direct-marketing initiatives in the United States, providing strategic support to parallel activities in Japan and Europe among other duties. He was appointed President of AIG Marketing, Inc., in 2005, and later president and CEO of American International Insurance Company (AIIC) and 16 other Personal Lines insurance companies within AIG. Education: B.S., Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia
Steve Boshoven Head of the Foremost Brand
In this role, he is responsible for Farmers' Specialty business unit, as well as the Bristol West business unit and all of Farmers Independent Agent Distribution. He was previously Head of Farmers Specialty Business, a position he held since 2006.
Boshoven joined Farmers in 2000 when Farmers acquired Foremost Corporation of America. At that time, he was appointed Vice President of Farmers Group, Inc. In 2005, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Farmers Specialty Lines. In 2006, he was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of Farmers Specialty Lines. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Farmers Group, Inc. in 2007. Boshoven has 30 years of business experience and 23 years of insurance industry experience. He joined Foremost as its Controller in 1986. In 1990, he was promoted to Vice President and Controller of Foremost. Four years later, he became Senior Vice President of Information Technology. Education: B.A, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich.; M.B.A., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
PULSE of the Agent POLL
PULSE of the Agent POLL
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Long Term Disability & Business Overhead Expense Policy now available and portable thanks to UFAA
"I purchased the UFAA Sponsored Long Term Disability Policy when I discovered the company policy has a forced agency termination requirement to collect benefits." UFAA Member
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 | Also in the Toilet are Farmers rankings by JD Power & Assoc in categories of-
2013 Property Claim Customer Satisfaction 2013 U.S. Auto Claim Satisfaction,
2013 U.S. Auto Ins. Satisfaction Ranking:
California, Central Region, N. Central Region, NW Region, SW Region, Texas Region, 2013 Home Ins. Customer Satisfaction,2013 Renters Ins. Customer Satisfaction,including 2013 Consumer Reports: Auto Claim Satisfaction |
Farmers Group, Inc. (FGI) Management Score Card #1 for 2013!
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) Explained
NPS = Customer Loyalty
The Net Promoter Score, or NPS®, is based on the fundamental perspective that every company's customers can be divided into three categories: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.
By asking one simple question - "How likely is it that you would recommend [your company] to a friend or colleague?" - you can track these groups and get a clear measure of your company's performance through your customers' eyes. Customers respond on a 0-to-10 point rating scale and are categorized as follows:
Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth.
Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competition.
Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.
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List shortened to conserve space - Farmers continues to fall in the NPW list from #7 in 2011
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2013 Satmetrix® Net Promoter®
Benchmark Study unveils NPS
customer loyalty leaders for 2013 in 22 U .S. industry sectors.
Excerpt from 2013 SATMETRIX NPS study on the U.S. Insurance Industry
USAA led the auto and home/contents insurance sectors, earning 76% and a study-leading 80%, respectively. USAA has held the top spot in these sectors in each of the four years since Satmetrix added the insurance industry group. Among competitors, Farmers ranked lowest in key areas such as online experience and the ease/convenience of finding the right policy for a sector-low NPS of 24%. Liberty Mutual saw similarly low rankings in these loyalty drivers for the home/contents insurance (25%) and life insurance (1%) sectors, also lagging behind in "convenience of the claim process."
2011 Net Promoter Loyalty Ranking from Satmetrix
printed in the Okla. Voice March 2011 Including 03/2011 Agent Poll Results below.
Okla. Voice Agent Poll Mar 2011. 3 yrs ago!
How would you rate the client loyalty in your Farmers Agency?
Client loyalty is good but my agency growth is stagnant 9%
Some loyalty is becoming strained and some are leaving 61%
Most loyalty is in the dumpster and many are leaving 30%
Client loyalty is excellent and PIF is growing big time excl 500/700#'s 0%
We need all Okla. Voice Readers to vote in Pulse of the agent polls in this issue.
Remember, the Oklahoma Voice only tracks the numbers of readers that click on a poll. We DO NOT know (1) If you voted or (2) How you voted. (3) We only know that you reviewed the poll question(s)!
Agent Polls have changed. If you click on the vote icon to only see the vote results, you will see all zeros. In order to see the voting poll results, as of the moment you vote, you must select an answer to the question. All Pulse of the Agent Poll are identified with the bouncing colored balls shown below. -ed
Pulse of the Agent POLL
Poll results, as always, will be printed in next months Oklahoma Voice issue.
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"It's great that UFAA Tech can access my computers and correct the problems via the Internet. Better yet, it's free as members get 1 hour monthly of free UFAA tech support." UFAA Member
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FGI Management Score Card #2 for 2013!
4th Qtr Farmers Exchanges PIF Loss for entire year of 2013 guestimated at 2 million.
FGI reported 1,036,000 NET PIF AUTO loss. which had math errors.
Source below: copied from Zurich quarterly and final 2013 Annual Report
DM Conference
We are trying to verify information coming out of the recent DM conference that Farmers has lost over 1200 Agents and over 200 DMs in 2013. Also, according to Zurich's most recent report, Famers has an approximate 1.3M Net Policy Loss in 2013. Lastly, Farmers may be enticing agents to sign the 2013 AAA by offering policies from departing agents. The transfers we know about are 500 series.
 | | Grab your calculator and do the math on ending AUTO PIF at top of 2012 column of 11,633 minus 10,552 shown at top of the 2013 column. Is your result the same as the number shown under the CHANGE column? Do the same for the second row of numbers on the standard auto line. 10,495 - 9,666. Does it agree? |
All numbers are in thousand policies. The numbers are flawed. In fact, the 2012 ending (standard auto = Farmers Auto) must have been made of rubber numbers as it changed three times over the four 2013 quarterly reports from a high of 10,525 in the 1st Qtr., shrunk to a low of 10,450 in the 2nd & 3rd Qtrs. In the 4th Qtr. above, it was stretched to 10,495.
So, what is the net Farmers Auto PIF loss? Those 2013 Farmers Auto rubber numbers in Qtrs., 2,3 & 4 were disregarded as they must remain constant, as all other categories did. The 2012 ending Auto PIF of 10,525 minus ending for 2013 of 9,666 above = -859, not the -784 net PIF loss shown above in Farmers Auto. Plus, -252,000 in non-standard auto = Bristol West = -1,111,000 loss in net Auto PIF loss. That changes the total shown as -1,251,000 shown net loss for all companies to -1,326,000. We sure hope these same bean counters don't figure agent commissions and contract values.
NB written, which skews the pure PIF loss is mixed within the above graph numbers, but is not provided separately by Farmers. As NB written P&C has been down, NB was conservatively estimated 75 P/C policies written by an estimated 10,000 agents remaining active agents for the year 2013. That would add another guesstimated -750,000 Lost PIF to the total hovering at about 2 million+ GROSS PIF loss during 2013. It's not a pretty sight anyway you figure or view it for the agent as most all the policies lost were out of the small business Farmers Agency. The Farmers Exchanges lost 10's of millions of premium dollars on the lost policies, while the agencies took the hit on commissions and perhaps, negative growth and lower income! Pulse of the Agent POLL
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 | | Raining Bonus Bucks to Execs. |
Looks like Insurance Executive Bonuses
up following a great year of 2013
With property/casualty insurance and life and annuity companies having a great year in 2013, bonus funds were up above targeted amounts for 80 percent of them, Towers Watson reported.
In an item posted on Towers Watson's Executive Pay Matters blog, John Gayley, a director in the executive compensation practice in Chicago, and Bryan Ortwein, a Milwaukee-based director, reported broadly on the results of a survey of over 50 leading insurance companies last month. According to the survey, not only did more than 80 percent of the participating insurers estimate their bonus pools would fund above target for the 2013 year, but 70 percent also estimated funding levels at 125 percent of target or higher. More than half of the companies surveyed reported improved bonus pool funding over 2012 levels, with half of those saying they would exceed the 2012 pool by 20 percent or more, the two directors reported, in the blog item titled, "The 2013 Bonus Year in the Insurance Industry: What Do We Do for an Encore?" IJ 02.19.2014 PULSE of the Agent |
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Click logo above to view the UFAA Website
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If you wish to be excluded from future mailings please let us know by emailing us at ufaa15editor@ufaa.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. |
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2014 UFAA National Convention
We are pleased to announce that this year's UFAA National Convention will be held at the recently $200 million dollar renovated Tropicana Hotel and Casino on the Las  Vegas Strip. The 2014 UFAA National Convention will be held June 10th through the 12th with the welcoming hospitality on Monday June 9th.
Any UFAA member in good standing may attend the meetings by simply filling out a convention registration form, booking a room and showing up.
A registration form can be found on the UFAA website, www.ufaa.com, under Convention 2014 icon or on page 16 of the 2013-2014 Winter issue of The Voice that is being mailed to you now. You can also obtain a registration for by contacting the National Office at 800-275-8668.
Registration forms MUST be received in the National Office no later than April 30th, early registration ends February 28th. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY. If you will be staying at the Tropicana your reservation needs to be made with them by April 30th also. The room reservation information can be found on the Convention Registration Form. Your registration must be received by Feb 28 to receive discount. Registration is $50 bucks higher March 1st thru April 30th deadline. You must be a UFAA Member to attend.
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Dubious Distinction: Texas, Oklahoma Have Most Twisters in 2013
Texas and Oklahoma led the nation in t he number of tornadoes last year. Oklahoma's 79 was well above the state's average of 57. Texas had 81.Greg Carbin, the warning coordination meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Ok., told the Tulsa World newspaper the national total of 898 tornadoes was well below normal, which is about 1,000.
Florida, Kansas and Texas typically each have more tornadoes per year than Oklahoma.
A storm at Moore, Ok., on May 20 was the only storm rated EF5 on a scale of tornado damage in 2013. The widest storm on record was recorded at El Reno, Ok., 11 days later.
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Thank you to Readers of the Okla Voice!
We know at least 65% of the Okla. agents open & read the Oklahoma Voice monthly. Please grade this issue that focused on Farmers Management. We want your opinions for future articles. (only voting totals are used, not I.D. of those who voted!)
Pulse of the Agent POLL By the way, Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9, 2014 and ends Sunday, Nov 3, 2014.
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Ads are now hot links to websites
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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.
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ads rotated for 03/14 issue.
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Oklahoma Continuing Education
Source: OID website 04.21.2013
All resident agents/producers, CSRs and adjusters are required to complete continuing education biennial. The requirements are as follows: Resident Producers (Excluding Title producers) are required to have 24 hours of continuing education, including three hours ethics and two hours of legislative updates. - Producers that sell, solicit, or negotiate Medicare Advantage or Part D Products or Plans are required to take a 4 hour Medicare Renewal course each renewal period.
- Producers that sell, solicit or negotiate Long Term Care insurance must take a 4 hour Long Term Care Partnership course each renewal period after the initial 8 hour Long Term Care Partnership course was taken.
- Producers that sell, solicit, or negotiate Annuity products are required to take a one time 4 hour course on Annuity products.
CSRs are required to have 13 hours of continuing education, including three hours of ethics and two hours of legislative updates. Resident Adjusters are required to have 24 hours of continuing education including three hours of ethics and two hours of legislative updates. Are you age 65 and been an agent for 20+ years? you may qualify for the free Okla. CE Mentoring Course worth 24 hrs credit hours and takes 10 minutes to complete. See CE Mentor pop up PDF HERE No documentation required. Just sign off on the OID form. |
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Price Optimization of P&C Policies =
Insurance Pricing Discrimination?
According to a recent survey of 78 major insurance companies by consulting firm Earnix ("2013 North America Auto Insurance Pricing Benchmark Survey"), 45 percent of insurers with gross written premiums of more than 1 billion currently optimize their prices for auto insurance and an additional 29 percent are planning such action in the near future. Executive Summary:
Price optimization bases premiums on themaximum amount that a consumer is expected to be willing to pay rather than calculating premiums based on projected costs, such as claim, overhead and profit. Actuary J. Robert Hunter, who is also Director of Insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, says the price optimization technique is actuarially unsound and unfairly discriminatory.See more in this new P&C pricing issue HERE |
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Other News Heard but not confirmed
[] Management visiting larger agencies advising 2014 may be a repeat of 2013 so establish some retention systems to ease the pain of more PIF losses.
[] New Home policy in the works. May have less coverage and premium with less commission @10%.
[] Agency Platform has not been as successful as expected. May go away.
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Are you Tired Hauling Farmers Payments to the bank?
If your Farmers Premium Account is assigned to the Bank Of Okla (or Bank of Your State Name) in other areas, you just might be able to deposit Farmers checks from your office. Avoid driving, fighting traffic, long bank lines and bad weather.
At Bank of Oklahoma, we understand the challenges of managing your cash flow can be one of your greatest concerns. That's why we have designed solutions like Small Business Office Deposit... to help you maximize your cash flow. Small Business Office Deposit gives you the ability to scan all types of paper checks (including business to business checks) and send the scanned checks directly to Bank of Oklahoma for processing.
Features and Benefits
Save time and money: You and your employees no longer have to make a trip to the bank to deposit a check, giving you more time to focus on your business.
Put your money to work quickly: Make deposits 24/7, right from your office. Deposits received before 10 PM receive same day credit.
Increase your deposit flexibility: Designed specifically for businesses, providing you with premium deposit limits. Streamline your deposit process: View or export deposit reports and images right on your desktop. And don't forget to ask about NetConnect Business Edition.
To take advantage of these limited time offers or to learn more about our business solutions, Call 918.710.3616 or email our Business Experts today and let us start helping you and your business.
NOTES: Will not work on MAC computers. Cannot deposit cash or money orders. Works on hand written or typed checks. Cost: Free $400 check scanner. $99 setup fee and $30/month with 2 year contract. Get a free month before April 30th deadline. Your agent premium account must be with a local BOK. Bank name and acct # is on your Farmers deposit slip.
Program available in OK, AR, TX, CO, NM, AZ, KS, MO. listed as Bank of (your State Name).
Free Option #1 BOK has a free deposit program by cell phone with app. Take picture of both sides of endorsed check and email to BOK. You get an email receipt. Problem is single transactions only but, may work for some. (we could not verify if any up front cost is incurred for the cost, if any, for cell phone app before we went to press)
For the cost of a postage Stamp: Option #2 We know of a UFAA Member that never hauled Farmers Payments to the bank over 15 yrs.
His agency stopped taking cash payments in 1997 with the introduction of Farmers ACA Program where you haul checks and cash to Farmers selected bank and deposit in Farmers Acct. Since there was no cash in the deposits, he used the U S Mail to make 3 deposits weekly (Mon/Wed/Fri) until his retirement in 2012. BOK mailed a receipt back to the agent. No Problems, No traffic, No long lines, No fighting bad weather, No burning his gas to the drive through. And, Get This! His office was just 3 blocks from a BOK location. NOTE: There is a special bank address/PO Box for this service that you will have to type/print on mailing labels. The bank may provide labels or addressed envelopes. Just take a deposit slip with you and ask a Comm'l BOK Bank Mgr.
"AGENTS HELPING AGENTS"tm
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12 Customer Service Quotes to Inspire YouBlog post by Tricia Morris on January 2nd.
If your resolution is to deliver better customer service as an individual, team or an entire organization, here are 12 customer service quotes to inspire you on a monthly basis this year. January: "The goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best, but legendary." - Sam Walton, WalMart Founder February: "The customer's perception is your reality." - Kate Zabriskie, Author of Customer Service Excellence: How to Deliver Value to Today's Busy Customer March: "The longer you wait, the harder it is to provide outstanding customer service." - William H. Davidow April: "Rule 1: The customer is always right. Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, re-read Rule 1." - Stew Leonard May: "If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful." - Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon.com June: "It starts with respect. If you respect the customer as a human being, and truly honor their right to be treated fairly and honestly, everything else is much easier." - Doug Smith July: "One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." - Lewis Carroll August: "Always give people more than what they expect to get." - Nelson Boswell September: "Your customer doesn't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Damon Richards October: "Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it." - Peter Drucker November: "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends." - Walt Disney December: "When the customer comes first, the customer will last." - Robert Half |
48.5 Million Settlement Approved in Diminished Value Class Action Lawsuit Against Farmers Insurance Company of Washington TACOMA, WA--(Marketwired - February 05, 2014) - Class Counsel for Plaintiffs; Reich and Binstock, L.L.P., the Law Office of Stephen M. Hansen, the Law Office of Scott P. Nealey, Susman Godfrey LLP, and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP announced today that Judge Vicki L. Hogan of the Pierce County Superior Court entered a final judgment approving the settlement and dismissing all claim in the action with prejudice in the diminished value class action lawsuit Moeller v. Farmers Ins. Co. of Washington, Case No. 99-2-07850-6 (Pierce County, WA). Plaintiffs alleged that Farmers failed to pay for "diminished value," which is the loss in value suffered by certain vehicles after they are repaired, in adjusting and settling certain types of collision and comprehensive losses with its insureds. Plaintiffs alleged that Farmers' failure to pay for diminished value was a breach of contract and a violation of Washington's Consumer Protection Act. During the litigation, the Washington Supreme Court interpreted the contract to cover diminished value under the collision and comprehensive portions of the policy, as written, and the case was set for trial on August 19, 2013 when it was ultimately resolved. Farmers denies any liability. The settlement resolves all the Class Members Claim against Farmers Ins. Co of Washington ("Farmers") in exchange for the payment by Farmers of up to $48.5 million. Certain Farmers insureds who were members of the Class and timely submitted valid claim will be entitled to monetary compensation from the settlement. The settlement covered individuals who met the following requirements: (1) they had an automobile insurance policy with Farmers Ins. Co. of Washington, (2) they received payment between May 30, 1993 to September 13, 2002 for an accident involving structural (frame) damage and/or deformed sheet metal and/or where body or paint work was needed, (3) they did not receive payment for diminished value, (4) the repair estimate was at least $1,000, (5) the vehicle was at most six years old, and (6) the vehicle had less than 90,000 miles on it. Counsel for named plaintiffs and class members are Debra Brewer Hayes of Reich & Binstock, LLP; Stephen M. Hansen of the Law Offices of Stephen M. Hansen, P.S.; Scott P. Nealey of the Law Offices of Scott P. Nealey, Terry Oxford of Susman Godfrey LLP and Michael W. Sobol of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. |
House Fire Caused by Smoke Alarm Battery
More common are 15,000 annual home fires caused by a lint-clogged clothes dryer vent hose. The flammable flex white & flex metal foil-looking hoses are plastic hoses and they can be kinked and crushed between wall and dryer restricting air flow causing built-up lint to ignite and fuel a dryer vent fire.
Indications of lint build up or restricted air flow are increased drying times required, Outside of dryer hot to the touch, unusual oders when dryer is opened.
See short Consumer Reports video here Clean dryer vents and inside dryer components annually.
Search You Tube "Dryer Vent fires" "Cleaning Dryer" "Cleaning dryer vents" for instructional videos.
Also know that Dryer sheets leave a film on the lint filter screen that can lead to problems.
This film blocks the air flow, which means the dryer has to use more energy and the heating unit is more likely to burn out sooner. Keeping the dryer lint screen clean will keep it working well and nearly double the life of the dryer. If you've tried cleaning with no success, you may just need to tweak your approach. Try this method to keep your dryer working at top performance. |
Credit vs. Debit Cards
Budget Control
When it comes to budgetary control, there's no question the debit card is the winner. You can only spend what you have in your checking account so there's not chance of getting into debt. Debit cards don't curb wasteful spending though; they just cap your downside if you lack self-control.
Usability
When it comes to usability, credit cards are slightly better than debit cards. Debit cards can be problematic when used for travel related expenses like hotels, gas, and rental cars. These types of merchants commonly place a "hold" against the funds in your account that exceed the actual amount you're going to spend.
When funds are being held they cannot be used to clear other transactions, which can cause you to go overdraft and either have your "swipe" declined or be assessed and overdraft fee.
Credit cards don't have the same "hold" related problems as most credit cards have a sufficient credit limit to clear other transactions even when some amount of your credit limit is being held.
Once you're done with your hotel stay or you turn in your rental car the amount is adjusted to the actual amount you spent and the transaction is posted.
Fraud
When it comes to fraudulent use of credit and debit cards, as people are learning because of the Target breach, the credit card is the hands down winner, and it's not even close. While your liability capped at $50 on a credit card, the four major credit card networks have zero liability policies that ensure you won't even pay the $50.
Debit card liability is capped at $50 unless you don't report the fraud within two days, and then your liability jumps to $500.
And, if you never report the fraud you can lose all of the money in your checking account. Even if you eventually get your debit card funds returned by the issuing bank, that doesn't solve your problems. Those funds are supposed to be there so that they can clear other transactions. While you're arguing with the bank to get your money back, and it is most definitely YOUR money, other transactions may not clear.
And, if other transactions don't clear you can find yourself paying over limit fees or late fees on things like rent and other obligations that go past due.
Another problem with debit cards is they act as an incentive for you to keep way too much money in your checking account. Not only do you have to maintain an amount sufficient to pay bills like rent, car, and student loan but you also have to maintain enough to pay for utilities, cell phones, and have enough left over for shopping and some mad cash.
Those are thousands of dollars every month that are at risk, unnecessarily. Unless you're moving money in from a separate savings or money market account, where it's actually earning some interest, then every dime of your balance is at risk because of debit card fraud.
John Ulzheimer is the Credit Expert at CreditSesame.com, and a credit blogger at SmartCredit.com, |
KimKomando.com
Mobile app helps you read 900 words per minute Try it with the link below.
The problem with reading? You have to move your eyes too much. This might sound like a line from the world's laziest person, but it has been discovered that the movement of your eyes from one word to another is slowing you down.
A new technology is being deployed that could rewrite the way we read. Spritz streams text to the eye one word at a time and will have a red line at the Optical Recognition Point - where our eyes naturally go to in words to determine what they are.
When you read text using Spritz it makes things more efficient and can turn the average 220 words per minute reader into super human 500 or even 1000 words per minute champions. The learning curve is about two minutes to double your reading speed. TRY IT HERE and you will be amazed on how quick you pick up on this new reading method. -ed There is no app download required to sample this new product.
12/5/2013 Oklahoma Voice has reprint rights. Copyright 1995-2014 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.
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From the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The following "Final Orders" are from the OID public information legal section of the OID website. These violations and penalties are shown here to ONLY warn, inform and educate you on Okla. Insurance Laws. No cases this month. -ed
1 Hour of Free CE Credit Available for Attending Workers' Compensation Seminar in Tulsa- Thursday March 6th
OKLAHOMA CITY - Insurance professionals can receive one hour of Legislative Update CE credit at no cost by attending a forum on Workers' Compensation. OID experts, along with representatives from the new Workers' Compensation Commission, will explain the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, the Oklahoma Option, the eligibility requirements for a Qualified Employer and recent rulemaking for both.
Insurance professionals seeking Legislative Update CE credit must register online at http://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/calendar/calendar.php?event_type_seq=772&calendar_seq=37 Click on Worker's Compensation Forum- Tulsa March 6, 2014 to register.
Thursday, March 6th 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Tulsa Technology Center - Career Services Center - Auditorium
3420 South Memorial Drive Tulsa, OK 74145
The Course will be offered in Oklahoma City March 13th 10 AM Click link above for more info. As we [the OID] work to help you comply, we will vigorously enforce 59 O.S. § 1310 (A) (21) which relates to failure to notify of change of address. ADDRESS CHANGE:
Okla Ins Dept: Change of address or name more than 30 days after the change occurred shall be no less than a $100 fine. The Oklahoma Insurance Department encourages all licensees to update their mailing personal and business addresses and email addresses as often as possible. This feature is available free of charge by visiting the SBS website
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Check out the UFAA Chapter 15 Home Page with more Farmers, industry news, 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. Some may have a link for direct access.
UPDATED: Okla. Company Comparison Rate Charts- Auto: 11/13 Home: 11/13
The 'Switching' Economy: Consumers Open to Buying Insurance from Google, Amazon, Verizon IJ February 7, 2014 more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/11/20/4637116/farmers-insurance-signs-10-year.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/30/3528526/eeoc-claims-discrimination-by.html#storylink=cpy
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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.
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