The Underwriter's Insider 2011 - Issue 4 by The Underwriter's Insider

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MOBILIZE THE MOMENT The hottest topic in the insurance industry is “Mobile Moments” - and nobody explains it better than Eddie K. Emmett, Editor/Publisher of the FYI Georgia Views & News By Eddie K. Emmett, Guest Columnist

believe there are 3 basic marketing principles:

a free credit-card reader from Square, Inc. (https://squareup.com) that plugs into my Smartphone so I can close sales and collect premiums on the spot.

1. People buy when they are ready to buy. 2. People like to buy but they don’t like to be sold to. 3. People buy from those they like and trust

His website (www. insuranceonmymind.com) has been up a little over one week and he has already sold insurance on 13 houses from a prospect visiting his website!

Nielsen research projects that fifty percent of the US population will own a Smartphone by the end of 2011, with two thirds of them researching products and prices online while in stores.

Get Rich in Your Niche I also showed the attendees how to create a free “niche” website, increase their online visibility by claiming their free online business listings and how to set up a “Virtual Insurance Agency” staffed by part-time remote independent contracted agents.

A little over a month ago I finally upgraded my antiquated cell phone to a Droid with all the Internet bells & whistles. I had to think long and hard about the additional $29.95 per month for unlimited data access.

Since then I have discovered that smart phones are not just fun toys but are tools for transacting business. I ordered www.underwritersinsider.com

Try it yourself and send a video e-mail to me at eddieemmett@windstream.net. Those ideas were just a few of the ones I recently shared with attendees to the Virtual Insurance Agency Marketing seminars being sponsored by AccuAuto (www.AccuAuto.net). Ali Shah of Protect All Insurance Group, LLC was one of my students a couple of weeks ago. He saw the potential of having AccuAuto set up an interactive website for only $20.00 per month and shoot a YouTube video.

You need to be in their minds when they reach that “Moment” and be the agent who is standing there the moment a consumer decides to buy insurance. And those Magic Moments are quickly becoming “Mobile Moments”.

Three days after I got the smart phone I was standing in line to buy 2 boxes of Avery name badges for the AccuAuto Users seminar in Savannah. The name badges cost $68.00 per box at Office Depot. On a lark I scanned the Avery bar code and discovered the name badges were on sale for $42.00 across the street. Office Depot immediately matched the price when I showed the clerk what was showing on the screen of my newest toy!

from www.eyejot.com.

I’ll be teaching those techniques and many more to attendees at AccuAuto’s upcoming seminar in Panama City Beach, FL on July 18th.

And I’ve learned how to create YouTube videos, convert the link into a QR code and include the QR code on my business cards. Right now I’m tinkering with the idea of sending video e-mails created at my desk using a $20.00 webcam. I use free software

PIA of Louisiana’s 68th Annual Convention Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa – Panama City Beach, FL Virtual Insurance Agency Marketing Seminar Sponsored by AccuAuto Monday, July 18th 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. See Mobilize The Moment Pg 5 3

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MOBILIZE THE MOMENT

sold for you while you were sleeping? Insurance agencies today are faced with extraordinary challenges as more and more consumers are turning to Smartphone comparison shopping applications from the direct-to-consumer carriers.

Luncheon & Trade Fair 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 3 hours non-CE seminar More info & registration at http:// accuauto0718.eventbrite.com QR Codes & Agency Videos

This is on top of iMingle's other policy discounts, which can save customers up to 50 percent or more. The sharing process is simple. When a customer purchases an iMingle auto policy, they can use a widget to let their friends know about the available discount. They have over a dozen choices for how they want to share their exclusive iMingle discount link, including email, instant messaging, blogging, and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If a friend clicks on the link and also purchases a policy – and both agree to the iMingle safety pledge – both customers get an extra 10 percent discount.

I taught the same seminar at last month’s Insurance Expo 2011 in Greensboro, NC. Here’s an email I got from one of the attendees: Hey Eddie, I thought I would share how we have applied what we learned at the last convention. My 17 year old son set it up for us.

It rolled out this innovation in Michigan. I wonder which company will be the first to go after Facebook Friends in your state..

http://youtu.be/UeH2eH8RJSM Jeffrey W. Butler, President Able Auto/Cycle Insurance Inc. Good morning, Jeff. Beautiful job. Now go to www.qrstuff.com and convert the YouTube link into a QR code to be printed on your next batch of T-shirts or your next batch of business cards. Best of luck to y'all, eke

Consistent Customer Communication So how can your insurance agency use mobile scanning and related applications to attract new customers, keep their existing customers, and build cross-sales … while fending off this growing competitive threat?

Do you need a QR Code Reader for your Smartphone? Go to www.2DGo. org and download a free one!

Integrate or Evaporate

The best way is through consistent, effective, value – added follow-up.

Insurance agencies should incorporate mobile barcodes to complement traditional marketing efforts. The codes should link consumers to coverage demos, video’s, the agency’s Facebook or Twitter page and even carrier’s webpages that allow the consumer to quote, buy & print without the assistance of a real live agent.

Want to see the newest challenge? iMingle (www.iMingle.com) just announced an auto insurance group discount for Facebook Friends.

How would you like to check your e-mails each morning to see policies were being

Most insurance companies offer discounts if you insure multiple cars within a

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household. iMingle takes this concept a step further by allowing consumers to link, or “mingle,” their policies with those of their friends, so they can both benefit from the iMingle Network® Discount of 10 percent.

Do you follow up on the leads that come to your agency? Do you follow up 5 to 11 months after they buy from another agency? Wouldn’t they be impressed that you cared enough to stay in touch?

See Mobilize The Moment Pg 20 5

CONTENTS 2011 • Issue 4

A Publication of AdMax Media Corp Corporate Offices P.O. Box 31551 P. Beach Gardens, FL 33420

Ron Manera Editor/Publisher

561.718-0745

ron@insurmedia.com

To see the online Underwriter’s Insider contents, please click on the BOOKMARK tab on the left side of your screen to directly access any feature or story in the issue. EVERY SPONSOR AD LINKS DIRECTLY TO THE SPONSOR’S WEBSITE. CLICK ON ANY AD TO VISIT OUR FINE SPONSORS!

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STRANGE BUT USEFUL IPHONE APPS By Kim Komando

be difficult to get them to look at the camera.

here are more than 500,000 apps in Apple’s App Store. You’ll find ones that help you stay organized and productive on the go. Others help you manage your health and fitness. And then there are apps that defy easy categorization.

Pet Pic ($1) aims to change that. This simple app plays a sound to get your dog or cat’s attention. You can choose from several different sounds; see which works best. It’s perfect if you want to create your own lolcat or loldog photos!

There’s no shortage of bodily function sound effect apps. You can also have your very own virtual voodoo doll or cow that moos at you. But there are unusual apps that can be actually useful. Find direct links to the apps that I uncovered at www.komando.com/ news.

Wannabe singers

Pet lovers only We love our pets. No matter if you’re a dog or a cat person, you treat your pet like one of the family. Snapping photos of your pet isn’t always easy. It can

Thanks to shows like American Idol and Glee, more of us are interested in making music. But maybe your singing is like mine. It makes babies cry and dogs howl. In that case, you need LaDiDa. LaDiDa ($1) dubs itself a reverse karaoke app. Just start singing or rapping into the phone. The app will analyze your voice and compose music to match. Thankfully, it will also tune your voice and add effects to make you sound like a pro.

Instant laughs There may be no real purpose t o

MouthOff ($1). Still, there’s no denying that this app is a lot of fun. You get 49 animated mouths created by top illustrators. Start the app and hold your phone to your mouth. The illustrated mouths react to the sounds you make. It looks like your words are coming from the illustrated mouth. Be sure to watch some of the videos of MouthOff in action on YouTube.

When nature calls Many apps will help you communicate when traveling overseas. Where’s the Bathroom? ($1) cuts through all the extraneous phrases and gets straight to the point. Simply press a button to ask where the restroom is located. Recordings are offered in many different languages by native speakers. If you’re on American soil, try SitOrSquat (free). It will help you find the nearest facility. Reviews and ratings help you avoid truly disgusting bathrooms. You can also add to the app.

Every day is a holiday Bizarre Holidays ($1) presents you with one wacky holiday each day. You’ll find silly holidays like Blame Someone Else Day and Dance Like a Chicken Day. Use it to have a little fun or plan fun parties for friends and family. It is updated yearly.

Make music Be prepared for your next impromptu drum circle with Bongo Bongo ($1). These virtual bongo drums change sound depending on where you hit them. It also offers tambourine and woodblock sounds. Bongo drums not unique enough? Then try Didgeridoo ($1). This ancient Australian Aboriginal wind instrument is sure to annoy anyone!

See the weather The iPhone’s built-in weather app is handy but boring. Outside ($3) offers a much more interesting take See Kim Komando PG 14

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MANAGING LAWYERS IS AN OXYMORON

s an insurance coverage, insurance claims handling and insurance bad faith consultant I am totally conflicted about the subject of “litigation management” since the insurance executives that attempt to manage litigation with inexperienced, untrained and incompetent claims people make much work for my consulting and expert witness practice.

By Barry Zalma, Esq. the services of their lawyer usually get value for their money. If they do not, they fire the lawyer and get a better one who does give value for money paid.

I was once solicited by an insurer who wanted to give me a great deal of work but I needed to use a software program of their choice for billing and could bill no more than $125 per hour. I told the claims person that the price was At one time in my past I operated $275 an hour less than my normal a small law firm with eight lawyers billing rate. In a fruitless attempt working for me and a total staff of to convince the claims person that 23. I now operate with a computer, my services were worth my charge a wife who helps me file and a I told the adjuster that if the insurer part-time bookkeeper. I am much could promise me 2000 hours a year happier than I was operating a law of legal work I would hire a young firm. lawyer who would bill $125 an hour. I also told the claims person that Managing lawyers is more difficult what took the young lawyer 10 hours to do would take me, because of my Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE is a California attorney Join Barry Zalma’s new Blog: experience, training, and education specializing in insurance coverage, insurance http://www.zalma.com/blog only 30 minutes to do and asked if claims handling and fraud who serves as the insurer would prefer to pay me a consultant and expert for insurers and than herding cats. If the lawyer is my regular rate of $400 per hour. policyholders. He founded Zalma Insurance as intelligent, knowledgeable of The adjuster replied, no, $125 an Consultants in 2001 and serves as its senior the law and an effective advocate hour was the limit payable and they consultant. He recently published an e-book, – the type of person an insurer would prefer that I hire the young “Insurance Fraud,” which is available at his wants representing its insureds – lawyer. I told the adjuster to never Web site, www.zalma.com. Contact the author an adjuster trying to “control” this call me back because I did not want or access his free insurance fraud letter at person is as effective as a team of to work, as a lawyer, for an insurer zalma@zalma.com. cub scouts trying a frontal military that thought $1,250 for a task was attack on a Special Forces “A” team. more cost effective than $200.00. I perform legal research, analyze legal It's no contest. never heard from the claims person issues, evaluate the options available again and I am certain a young lawyer Lawyers are “managed” by other lawyers and make recommendations based made a great deal of money from that or experienced and intelligent claims on the experience and training of the insurer as he or she learned what I – people who understand that litigation lawyer. with 40 years of experience – knew. is a team effort. The claims person and the lawyer are part of a team whose sole A claims person intent on “managing purpose is to provide the most effective litigation” must remember “There Litigation management is important defense to the insured or the insurer Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” to the insurance industry but not as it the lawyer is retained to represent. The (“TANSTAAFL”). is being applied currently. Adjusters adjuster does the work that he or she is who can't multiply and divide, let alone best equipped to perform: investigation, Lawyers, like claims people, do not understand litigation, are driving skilled witness interviews, records collection, provide free services. A “cheap” or defense lawyers to the plaintiff's bar. etc. The lawyer does what lawyers “inexpensive” or “discount” lawyer is do best: compose and file pleadings, probably priced above his or her worth. See Managing Lawyers Pg 31 deposes witnesses, appear in court, Insurers who pay a reasonable fee for 8

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N CAROLINA ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN REFUNDS

ALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced that SAFECO Insurance Company of America and American States Preferred Insurance Company have issued refunds totaling $1,050,082.43. The refunds were issued for 11,216 private passenger automobile, homeowners and dwelling fire new business policies on which the company overcharged North Carolina policyholders. "Ordering insurance refunds, where warranted, is the work of a Department of Insurance dedicated to consumer protection," said Insurance Commissioner

Wayne Goodwin. Over the course of the last three years, Goodwin has ordered hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds be paid from insurance companies back to individuals, families and businesses. The refunds stem from matters discovered by the Department of Insurance during a market conduct examination encompassing calendar years 2006 through 2008 and self audits requested by the Department and conducted by the company during the course of the most recent market conduct examination. While reviewing private passenger automobile new business policies, examiners determined there were issues stemming from the incorrect calculation of the Safe Driver Insurance Point (SDIP) surcharge and use of incorrect editions of base rates. The examination and self audit revealed that 2,462 policies were overcharged, resulting in refunds totaling $631,080.33. While reviewing homeowners new business policies, examiners determined there were issues stemming from the "Specified Additional Amount of Insurance for

Coverage A only." The examiners requested that the company conduct a self audit. The self audit was for the period of Jan. 1, 2006, through Nov. 12, 2009 -- the date the company indicated a correction was made in its rating system. The examination and self audit revealed that 8,257 policies were overcharged, resulting in refunds totaling $363,466.10. While reviewing dwelling fire new business policies, examiners determined there were issues stemming from the company not utilizing their independently filed liability/ medical payments Market Tier Relativities and deviation filing for Market Tier Relativities on the date approved by the Department; the examiners requested the company conduct a self audit. The examination and self audit revealed that 497 policies were overcharged, resulting in refunds totaling $55,536.00. The company has submitted a corrective action plan addressing the matters discovered during the examination. The Department plans to conduct a follow-up examination to confirm implementation of the corrective action plan.

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Found on the ‘Net

AN INSIDER CRITIQUES THE OSAMA BIN LADEN RAID probably include:

Editor’s Note: This unsourced document made the rounds on the Internet recently yet no one seems to know exactly who the author is - although one reprint attributed it to a “former Commanding Officer of the 4th Recon Battalion. Wounded three times in Viet Nam, he still maintains some contacts with his community, and his information is usually correct and to the point.” Nevertheless, the facts are facts and the opinion is reasoned and believable and very much worth a read:

#1 - The locations of Osama Bin Laden’s immediate subordinates (the people most likely in line to take over as the leaders of al-Qaida upon the death of Osama Bin Laden. (couriers had to have this information). #2 - Planning information on future operations (details about all major terrorist attacks planned for the foreseeable future).

#3 - Misc. matters necessary for al-Qaida to function (financing, communications, continuity of operation plans, organizational structures, strength, recruiting, training and standard operating procedures).

very reasoned critique of the Raid. The desire (and need) for politicians to” grandstand” along with the insatiable pressure from the media makes it almost impossible to maintain any semblance of “need to know”.

Common sense also tells us several other things that anyone could predict before the operation took place:

How could this administration allow the spectacular military raid that killed Osama Bin Laden be marginalized by the massive security breach (immediate disclosure of all information about this raid to the world) that served only to enhance the poll numbers of a president responsible for our national security? By spilling his guts to the world Obama grasped defeat from the jaws of victory! Obama could have gotten all the glory he wanted if he just could have given the military and intelligence community only a few more days to exploit the “Mother Lode” of information we gained during this raid before he had to brag to the world about his heroic deeds! The more I hear about the Osama Bin Laden raid the more concerned I become about the motives and the competence of this administration. Let me tell you why!

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The first thing we should be concerned about with this massive outflowing of information about the raid is our lost opportunity to dramatically disrupt the al-Qaida organization. It is now being reported that we got the “Mother Lode” of information during the raid. For the head of a terrorist organization using only couriers to communicate with others it seems axiomatic that this is what we should have expected. The three types of information we got most

#1- If we said absolutely nothing after the raid no one in al-Qaida would know what happened. No one in alQaida, except the couriers, apparently knew where Osama Bin Laden lived. The Pakistan government, or any individuals who happened to know, could not admit they knew he lived there... at least in the media. If they protested the incursion and the downed helicopter we could apologize for a failed operation or whatever. If anyone knew Osama Bin Laden lived there they wouldn’t know whether he got away or anything at all. unless we spilled our guts, as we have done about the operation. #2 - We would have a short period of time to exploit the “mother lode” of information we had just seized. The courier set-up See Bin Laden Page 13 11

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BIN LADEN RAID CRITIQUED Osama Bin Laden used would not work as the couriers were dead. It would take some time for al-Qaida members to find out what happened. When they heard anything they would not know much for some time and there would be a lot of doubt and confusion throughout the organization. If and when they did learn something definitive there would be a mass flurry of communication and our electronic surveillance apparatus would get some great information and leads. A lot of good things would happen. In contrast a lot of bad things will happen because we have laid everything out in great detail in the media that is going to every al-Qaida member in real time! #3 - We could dramatically disrupt the www.underwritersinsider.com

entire al-Qaida organization in a number of very substantive ways in a very short time. We could do many things in a very short time to exploit a lot of this information before anyone in al-Qaida could react, such as take out all the likely leaders to succeed Osama Bin Laden, seize al-Qaida funds around the world, disrupt or kill people in cells on the verge of committing terrorist attacks, etc. They wouldn’t know what happened until it was all over!

immediate gain in the polls! Besides, he could have gotten even better press if he was smart enough to have held up this information for about two months and then been able to tell the world:

I cannot imagine any of our military leaders or the people in the CIA not recommending to the president to keep his mouth shut for at least a short time to allow time to see what info we had and see what we could do before all the alQaida personnel relocated, transferred all the money out of existing accounts, etc. If our military and intelligence leaders didn’t make such recommendations they should be fired.

#3 - 80% of al-Qaida financial assets have been seized, and.

The country should be outraged at Obama throwing our country under the bus for a little good press and about a 9%

#1 - Osama Bin Laden was killed in a spectacular military raid, and. #2 - We have killed the five most likely terrorists in the line of succession to take over al-Qaida, and.

#4 - We have disrupted four major future terrorist attacks against ourselves and our allies in our war against terrorism, and etc., etc.! The second thing we should be concerned about with this massive outflowing of information about the raid is the dramatic increase in al-Qaida’s operational capabilities to avoid our See Bin Laden Page 14 13

were monitoring Osama Bin Laden’s satellite cell phone about the time of the Monica saga. After that small disclosure Osama Bin Laden stopped using his satellite phone and all electronic devices. He then went to the courier system and allowed few if anyone except a trusted courier even to know his location. After that almost all information from him completely dried up. If this disclosure of highly classified information had not happened we might have known about 9-11 in advance, the twin towers might be standing and 3,000 lives might not have been lost, not to even mention the cost of the wars that followed. As they said during WWII, Loose lips sink ships!

The Bottom Line: Because Obama couldn’t wait for a very short time to see his poll numbers go up and brag about a military success at a later time: Continued from Page 7

KIM KOMANDO

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BIN LADEN RAID CRITIQUED

#1 - Al-Qaida gained valuable information that will provide them time to modify compromised operational plans and reposition leaders and assets.

#2 - The US was prevented from scoring as decisive and extremely damaging a blow against al-Qaida as would on the weather. It provides stunning visual otherwise been possible without this representations of the weather. You can also get more details on the weather and view future intelligence gathering capabilities. security breach. forecasts. Every day more of the details are put #3 - Al-Qaida was provided valuable out about how we got the information information about their operational Over the moon that led to the death of Osama Bin security failures. Laden. We are also telling them exactly DeluxeMoon ($1) will help you identify moon where, when and how they screwed #4 - All of the above will most assuredly phases, sunset and sunrise times and more. up or had a lapse in security that let us enhance terrorist operations against us in the future at the cost of many What’s so unique about the app? It provides break the case. American lives. gardening advice based on the current moon phase. It also helps you explore connections All this information is a wonderful between the moon and your health and guide to them on what they need It is sickening to me to see Obama finances. to change to eliminate detection. If basking in success when he apparently we think it was hard to track down has been an impediment rather than an Copyright 2011, WestStar TalkRadio their leaders before, wait until we try asset to the country. He has ripped the Network. All rights reserved. Kim Komando it the next time. Let us look at what possibility of one of the most successful hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show happened the last time a president military operations we have had in about consumer electronics, computers wanted to raise his poll numbers a recent times from the jaws of victory and the Internet. To get the podcast or find bit. One of the reasons we had such and greatly diminished the brilliant the station nearest you, visit: http://www. a hard time finding Osama Bin Laden efforts of our outstanding military force! komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim’s this time and a major reason we free e-mail newsletters, sign-up at: http:// got surprised on 9-11 was because The country needs to know the truth www.komando.com/newsletters. President Clinton disclosed that we about what could have been. 14

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FLORIDA ANNOUNCES 3 ARRESTS IN TAMPA PREMIUM FRAUD SCAM

ALLAHASSEE – Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced three arrests in a Tampa insurance fraud case involving the theft of thousands of dollars in auto insurance premiums. Suspects Bella Jenkins, Torrance Blake and David Ball, employees of Insurance Plus located in Temple Terrace, surrendered to authorities and were charged with insurance fraud and selling insurance without a license.

Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles advising of the lack of coverage. Further investigation determined that payments customers made were never sent to Kingsway Amigo or Security National Insurance. The victims stated that the owner of the business, Bella Jenkins, a licensed insurance agent, was not present when they went to Insurance Plus in Temple Terrace, but the codefendants, David Ball and Torrance Blake, conducted insurance business with consumers without the required licenses. All suspects were booked into Hillsborough County jail and released on bond. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison per charge.

Position Wanted Commercial Producer in Training Recent FSU Graduate (5/11 Marketing Major) seeks position as Commercial Producer in Training with a Florida Property & Casualty agency having the resources to assist me in earning my 2-20 General Lines Agent’s License and learning the business of commercial property & casualty insurance. Currently in Tallahassee but will consider locating anywhere in Florida. Please email me for a resume: zmanera@gmail.com

“As Floridians, we rely on the honesty and integrity of reputable insurance agents and agencies to help protect our property,” said CFO Atwater. “My department is committed to hunting down these fraudsters who choose to play outside the rules and aim to take your hard-earned money.” In August 2010, the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, began an investigation into Tampa insurance agency Insurance Plus. The division received complaints that customers were given automobile insurance coverage quotes by phone only to have the price for the coverage increase greatly at the time of purchase. Many customers paid the additional money and left the agency believing that they had insurance coverage with either Kingsway Amigo or Security National Insurance. Customers later learned that they had no coverage, either by getting pulled over for a traffic violation and being told that their license was suspended for not having insurance, or by getting notices from the Florida Department of 16

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many said that in a year the economy would be better, rather than worse (35% vs. 16%).”

isk Transfer, a professional retail buyer and leading program manager of workers’ compensation and casualty insurance for Professional Employer Organizations (PEO’s) and Temporary Staffing entities announced today the promotion of Scott Pruitt to Vice President of Risk Portfolio Management. Mr. Pruitt has been with Risk Transfer for over eight years in numerous roles, most recently as National Accounts Executive, servicing the largest most sophisticated accounts within Risk Transfer. Mr. Pruitt will be charged with the maintenance of current portfolio management tools, as well as the development and implementation of concierge-type future cutting-edge services for insurance buyers within the PEO and Temp Staffing industries to include risk management, risk financing, risk selection and risk monitoring models.

ust released: The $666 Billion spent on Obama’s stimulus program generated (by the administration’s figures) 2.4 Million jobs. If that’s an accurate number (many believe it is a wild exaggeration) it still cost the taxpayer over $277,000 per job! We would have spent less if we had simply sent $50,000 per year for five years to each newly employed worker. A perfect example of unworkable big-government solutions foisted on the American taxpayer. It seems the current regime running Washington cannot see past its far left, big-government -is-the-answer ideological roots - while every small business person knows it is the free market that creates jobs - not the government. Perhaps the best thing the government can do to end this recession is to get out of the way.

global insurance broker, is now in production with the SeaPass Hub and SeaPass Insurance Portal. The Insurance Noodle production environment, called Insurance Noodle 2.0, allows its member agents to submit and quote business online with leading insurance carriers for BOP, workers’ compensation, umbrella, commercial auto, professional liability and excess and surplus lines of business. The successful implementation followed a successful 60 day pilot program.

f Aubrey de Grey’s (Chief Scientific Officer of the non-profit California-based SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) Foundation Envisions ‘Cure’ for Aging) predictions are right, “the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.,” according to a recent NewsMax magazine article. ““I’d say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I’d call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so,” said de Grey in a recent interview.

ccording to the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted June 15-19 among 1,502 adults, “29% expect that economic conditions will be better a year from now while 23% say things will be worse. Last October, more than twice as

omeowners Choice, Inc., a Clearwater, FL based insurance holding company, has named Paresh Patel as CEO. Patel, the company founder and former Chairman of the board replaces Frank McCahill who served as CEO since 2007. McCahill announced his retirement plans in April of this year. The company provides homeowner’s insurance to 61,000 policyholders in Florida.

acebook fans of Applied Systems are helping the insurance technology company support a nonprofit industry program that provides insurance education and training for high school and college students considering careers in insurance. Beginning today, for every person who logs in at http://www.facebook.com/ appliedsystems and clicks the “Like” icon, Applied Systems will donate $1 to InVEST® (Insurance Vocational Education Student Training). The company’s goal is to donate $15,000. Applied Systems is a longtime InVEST supporter, also donating agency management software for use by students enrolled in the classes.

lorida holds more than $1 billion in unclaimed cash, property 5/20/2011 A little-known Florida government office called the Bureau of Unclaimed Property sits on quite a nest egg, more than $1 billion dollars in unclaimed money and property that belongs to potentially hundreds of thousands of current and former Florida residents. Some of it that unclaimed cash could be yours, and claiming it is as easy as filling out a simple form.

ccording to a recent story by insurance columnist Eric Gilkey, PropertyCasualty360.com, Florida top’s the list of the 10 Worst Regulatory States for P&C Insurers - and that’s worst for both consumers and insurors. Here’s the scores: Florida F -35, California F - 28, Texas F- 25, Hawaii F - 22, Massachusetts D- -18, New York D- -17, Michigan D- -16., Alaska D -15, Tennessee D -14, Colorado D+ -14.

eaPass Solutions, Inc. (insuranceconnect. seapass.com), a leading independent provider of web-based insurance distribution solutions to the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry, today announced that Insurance Noodle, part of Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings Limited the

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AGENT/BROKER ACQUISITION APPETITE HEALTHY, ACCORDING TO REAGAN CONSULTING REPORT Continuing Demand for Deals Predicted Into 2012

If this vital expertise and specialization is to occur, the Reagan panel underscores the importance for the entire industry to improve its ability to attract and retain new talent-a hurdle Gallagher characterizes as the industry's "single biggest challenge."

Following its bi-annual Mergers & Acquisitions Conference with more than 130 insurance industry leaders in attendance, Reagan Consulting released a highlight report of M&A findings featuring perspectives of seven of the industry's most active acquirers.

Although property/casualty revenue remains a fundamental element of many firm acquisitions, an employee benefits book remains attractive. The panelists emphasize the changing environment and generally agree that the appeal of accounts with fewer than 100 lives is waning. Nevertheless, agencies delivering a demonstrated level of expertise in this complex field hold particular appeal for acquirers. "Healthcare reform has created a fundamental set of changes plus a state

TLANTA -- The independent agent and broker channel's most prolific buyers predict a strong ongoing appetite for acquisitions through 2012, according to a new report prepared by Reagan Consulting.

The consensus on continuing deals is reflected in the comments of one panelist, who described his firm's acquisition activity as "prolific, but disciplined." The report includes the opinions of: Dave Eslick, Chairman, Marsh & McLennan Agency Wade Reece, Chairman & CEO, BB&T Insurance Services Pat Gallagher, Chairman & CEO, Arthur J. Gallagher Mike Secard, Chairman, President & CEO, USI Powell Brown, CEO, Brown & Brown Dave Zuercher, EVP and Group Head, Insurance Services, Wells Fargo Marty Hughes, Chairman & CEO, Hub International.

In the report, the executives see continued appeal for firms offering one or more characteristics based on strategic goals: a mix of employee benefits and property/ casualty, additional geographic coverage, new areas of expertise, or strong cultural and strategic fit with existing operations. "There is really no limit on the type of operations that we would be interested in acquiring," Eslick says. The Reagan panelists also share what they believe is vital for industry growth overallparticularly development of expertise and value-added service to customers. "While having a solid relationship with the client is important, it is not enough," Reece says. "Understanding the client's business intimately to help the client achieve his 18

goals is becoming more and more critical."

AIA ON PASSAGE OF TWIA REFORM

ASHINGTON, D.C., June 29, 2011 – Fred C. Bosse, Southwest region vice president for the American Insurance Association (AIA), today issued the following statement on the Texas Legislature’s passage of HB 3, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) reform legislation. Gov. Rick Perry called the Legislature into special session immediately following the May 30 adjournment of the Legislature’s regular 2011 Session. TWIA, the insurer of last resort for property owners in 14 Texas coastal areas, had its resources depleted following claims it received due to damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008. It receives funding from policyholders’ premium payments, and bonding funded in part by insurer assessments, as well as the option for TWIA to purchase reinsurance. Reforming TWIA’s operations has been a priority for Gov. Perry and legislative leadership in

of 'perpetual uncertainty,' Secard says. "Perpetual uncertainty on behalf of clients means a critical role for the right broker/ consultant/advisor." This need for expertise-not only in employee benefits, but in all specialtiesis expected to drive industry growth well into the future and fuel continued acquisitions, the Reagan report documents. The panelists share uniform optimism for both their own firms and the industry at large. "The world is getting riskier. The need for risk consultancy and risk mitigation will only continue to grow," Gallagher notes. The report, "M&A Perspectives from the Most Active Acquirers," can be obtained by contacting Reagan Consulting at info@ reaganconsulting.com or by visiting www. reaganconsulting.com. 2011. Mr. Bosse’s statement follows: “Gov. Perry and the Legislature are to be commended for their leadership in gaining passage of legislation that places TWIA on a more solid funding foundation that protects both policyholders and the Texas insurance market. The bill strikes a fair balance between the reasonable expectations of TWIA's policyholders and much-needed reforms aimed at strengthening TWIA's financial structure. The bill also contains many provisions unrelated to post-event claims handling which are crucial to better preparing the state for the next natural catastrophe along the coast. “HB 3 authorizes the issuance of ‘preevent’ Class 1 bonds for the first time. The process for surcharging coastal property owners for ‘post-event’ Class 2 bonds has been streamlined and improved. The surcharge, which insurers will now have 180 days to implement following the commissioner’s order to do so, will now be refundable to consumers when a policy terminates prior to its expiration date. The issuance of Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 bonds in a successive manner aims to shore up TWIA’s financial soundness and promotes a healthier insurance market on a statewide basis. “AIA encourages Gov. Perry to sign this legislation into law.” The Underwriter’s Insider

AMERICAN COLLECTORS INSURANCE DEBUTS VIDEO TRAINING SERIES Shines Spotlight on New Retention and Sales Opportunity in Collector Market

Business Video 5: Quote, Submit, and Manage Collector Business Online "Car collectors make great clients. Agents can and should use the collector vehicle specialty insurance product to: add on sales through cross-selling, identify collector opportunities among prospects, and tighten relationships with existing clients," Bookman explained. "The collector vehicle insurance product has changed substantially in recent years, and this video training program explains updated features and options," noted

Bookman, whose firm has been providing collector vehicle coverage since 1976. "The videos also show brokers how to qualify, quote and submit collector business online." The video training program follows American Collectors' recently updated collector vehicle insurance product, which provides many program innovations. In April, the firm unveiled expanded availability to any year/make/model of collector vehicle; more garaging options; expanded driving experience limits; discounts for high-value collections; a "Freedom Tier" for general use of a collector car; expanded mileage limits for hobby use; and a collector-centric Towing and Labor for Collectors Plan.

HERRY HILL, NJ (June 28, 2011) - American Collectors Insurance has launched an online video training series designed to help insurance producers identify, qualify and manage collector vehicle opportunities. Hosted on the company's website, the video training program includes five videos, each 2-3 minutes in length. "Time is money. In less than 15 minutes, this video training program rapidly brings brokers up to speed on collector vehicle insurance market needs and products," said Jill Bookman, CEO of American Collectors Insurance. "The videos highlight the business opportunity for insurance brokers, and also showcase numerous cool collector cars, trucks and motorcycles." The five videos in the training program from American Collectors are: Video 1: Passionate Collectors Are Good For Your Business! Video 2: Features and Benefits for Your Collecting Clients Video 3: Identifying Collectors and Increasing Sales Video 4: Qualifying Collector

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Continued from Page 5

MOBILIZE THE MOMENT If you knew exactly when a prospective customer would be ready to buy your product or service, wouldn’t you make every effort to be in touch at that very moment?

Do you set referral goals for your CSRs & Producers?

There are several free e-mail marketing software systems on the Internet. Here’s a couple that might fit your budget:

Would you like a guideline to help you? Information is available on the AccuAgents’ website at www.AgentsFirst. org.

iContact (www.icontact.com) offers a free edition for up to 500 subscribers and provides 20+ e-mail templates. MailChimp (www.MailChimp.com) has a free version that allows you to store up to 2,000 subscribers. Send up to 12,000 emails per month. No expiring trials. No contracts. No credit card required.

Since we can’t predict the future, you should implement a system that keeps you in their mind.

Leveling the Playing Field

First of all, you need software that tracks CSR Activity, Marketing Campaigns and Prospective Clients.

The breakout phenomenon of “Mobile Moments” is leveling the playing field for insurance agents who embrace the technology (most of which is free).

You need software that uses e-mails, snail-mail, text messages and phone call follow-up reminders. You need to stay in touch with prospects until the “Magic Moments” when they decide to buy. You need AccuAgency, AccuAuto’s webbased Agency Management System. I’ll show the “tips ‘n tools” to you at the seminar.

Touched by an Agent If you don't already have a consistent communication campaign for your clients and prospects, create one now. You should be touching each of your clients and long-term prospects at least 6 times a year. Use a combination of media – phone calls, emails, newsletters, letters, and postcards. Make sure each of your communications brings value to your client. The key question to ask yourself before making any contact is "does this benefit the client or only me?" If it doesn't benefit the client, don't send it or don't call. Never waste your client's time. So, doesn’t it make sense in “Integrate” your Off-Line Marketing Strategy with an 20

On-Line Marketing Strategy before you “Evaporate”?

Then you can say – “Sure we do that – but we do a whole lot more to keep our customers happy anywhere they happen to be with their mobile device.” I read an article last month in which Allstate revealed its plan to revamp by having fewer agencies whose operations are more consistent by utilizing the Internet. Allstate’s research shows that half of its new auto insurance customers make first contact through Allstate’s website, rather than its network of 14,700 exclusive agents. Did you know statistics show almost 85% of our potential customers use the Internet before they buy insurance? How does your agency attract new clients? Let’s try an experiment … for one week, ask every person with whom you come in contact, “Where would you go to get information on buying Auto Insurance?” Keep a tally sheet with you at all times. Personal Referral is, and always will be, the best marketing strategy for your agency. Everyone in your office always asks for referrals, don’t they?

But for the folks who don’t have a personal referral to guide them, I think you’ll probably find that less than 10% use print (newspapers & Yellow Pages). BTW … when was the last time YOU used the Yellow Pages Book?I predict 30% will get inspiration from TV & radio (but they probably “Google” the company name to get the phone number when they are ready to call. Independent Agents owe a debt of gratitude to GEICO & Progressive. The billions of dollars they have spent driving consumers to the Internet can be easily leveraged in driving those same consumers to your agency.

Try another experiment: Type car insurance city state (that’s your city and state, space between each, no quotation marks) into Google search. Did you instant spot your agency’s website? If the answer is “No”, then neither did your potential clients.

Are You Invisible? Are you wondering why the phone isn’t ringing like it used to do? Chances are your agency is invisible to the majority of potential clients searching for your products & services. Want to see just how invisible your agency is to the folks searching on the Internet> Go to www.GetListed.org then make plans to attend AccuAuto’s seminar in Greenville, SC on July 13th. I’ll show you how to become more visible for free! Adam Kotter of The Kotter Group (www. Kotter.net) says, “Regardless of how you personally feel about the Internet, you must understand how your potential clients see it. Most people under age 35 See Mobilize the Moment Pg 32 The Underwriter’s Insider

RISK TRANSFER HIRES INDUSTRY LEADER

RLANDO, Fla.—Risk Transfer, a professional buyer and leading program administrator of workers’ compensation insurance and services for Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) and Temporary Staffing placements announced this week the hiring of Bill Jackson as Risk Transfer Programs’ new Director of Program Development. “Bill brings with him more than 20 years of proven experience,” said Dino Fabrizio, President of Risk Transfer Programs, a former colleague of Bill's at ManagedComp. “We expect him to contribute strongly to our track record of providing the best possible solutions to our clients.”

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Most recently Mr. Jackson served as Vice President of Program Sales of the Marsh Consumer Division of Marsh & McLennan where he boosted sales, identified improvement opportunities and increased submission volume. Jackson said his first priority would be to add multi-line capacity and develop additional insurance products to distribute through Risk transfer’s PEOs. “At Marsh, I worked in the Consumer, Program and Franchise division, creating and distributing multi-line products to affinity groups,” Jackson said. “That experience, along with years of experience working in affinity programs, will serve us well as we develop new multi-line products for our PEOs.” Jackson said the opportunity at Risk Transfer came at the perfect time. “I’ve followed the remarkable success story of Risk Transfer with great interest for years,” said Jackson. “The chance to work with proven leaders like Paul Hughes and Dino Fabrizio made for a very attractive opportunity.”

GA ANNOUNCES INSURANCE FRAUD CASE PLEA

tlanta – Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said a Macon insurance agent has pled guilty to insurance fraud charges. Broadus W. Marshall Jr., 58, was sentenced to ten years of probation, ordered to pay restitution, and do community service. Marshall also voluntarily surrendered his license as part of the plea agreement. Marshall, was indicted on 7 counts of insurance fraud for allegedly keeping premiums paid to him for auto and business liability insurance. Marshall was a licensed insurance agent for Marshall Insurance Agency, 2942 Vineville Avenue, Macon. “This type of fraud is nothing new,” Hudgens said. “The outcome is always the same. Whenever agents are tempted to keep premium money, they should realize that sooner or later they’re going to get caught.” 21

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Knowledge, they say, is power. The Insider Alert brings you that timely knowledge making it easier to make those strategic decisions all of us in business are called upon to make daily. Thousands have subscribed already and the process takes less than 30 seconds. You can unsubscribe at any time and we promise not to sell or share your email address with anyone. Shouldn’t you be on the Alert List?

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“The Final Authority on Everything!”

To Fee or Not to Fee

have a decent size truck insurance agency in Miami and it seems there is never enough commission to cover expenses. I really would like to be able to charge a fee for some services like endorsements or filings. What is the law on agents charging fees? - B.W. Medly, FL

The following is from the FL OIR website FAQs : Answer: In specific circumstances, yes. Florida Statute 627.7295(5) permits an agent to charge a $10 per policy fee for PIP/PD policies only. The statute reads “A licensed general lines agent may charge a per-policy fee not to exceed $10 to cover the administrative costs of the agent associated with selling the motor vehicle insurance policy if the policy covers only personal injury protection coverage as provided by s. 627.736 and property damage liability coverage as provided by s. 627.7275 and if no other insurance is sold or issued in conjunction with or collateral to the policy. The fee is not considered part of the premium.” A consulting fee CAN NOT be charged where the fee is part of the consideration for insurance coverage, as that fee would be considered additional premium. HOWEVER, a consulting fee can be charged for services not related to placing the coverage if there is a SEPARATE consulting contract between the agent and the insured. If a consulting fee is charged, the insured must fully understand that he is entering into a separate contract and paying a separate consideration in advance of the performance or consulting service. The services rendered must be other than those normally provided by an insurance agent in connection with the solicitation or effectuation of the insurance coverage.

ADVISOR

publication, you want the press release to read just like a news story. Essentially, you want to strive to write the same story that we would write if we had time to come visit your company, interview your people and learn about your new products. The biggest mistake we see in the many press releases we receive is the tendency to make the release to “salesey” or “promotional.” It should sound like a dispassionate, factual report — while hitting all the highlights and giving a brief informational on the company — but not like an advertisement. Save the editor some time by editing the release down to a reasonable size. We get press releases here that would fill an entire page before we have to start chopping. Try and keep in mind the five “W’s” of the professional reporter: “Who, What, Why, Where and When.” Consider it a great opportunity to report positively on your company — but don’t think of it as a free ad. The more your release sounds like a real news report and the less it sounds like fluff and self-promotion, the more credibility it will have to the reader. Keep these points in mind when constructing your press releases and you’ll find many more publications actually printing them. Try

Have a question for The Advisor?

Click HERE! beginning your press release with wording such as, “XYX Company announced today that they will be adding HO-4 Tenant Homeowners policies to their products available to top agents. Next, fill in more information on the new products and why they are important to the marketplace. You may wish to include quotes from key sources in the company, such as, “According to John Jones, President of XYZ Company, ‘HO-4’s are an important addition to our line-up as more and more people seem to be moving into the rental market in the past two years. Our agents have been asking for the product and now we have it available.’” Finally, include a brief paragraph on the background on the company and perhaps a contact name and phone number that can be used if someone desired more information. Incidentally, running a press release in the same periodical in which you are running an advertisement is a powerful one-two punch as one reinforces the other.

Please Release Me... We wish to issue a press release for your next issue but no one in our company has a clue on how to write it. We are adding two new product lines and we have a couple of promotions to announce. What format would you recommend? T.K. Memphis, TN When you send a press release to a

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Insurance Agency 4-Sale Miami-Dade County area

Miami Agency For Sale Well established agency for sale. Owner is retiring. Positive cash flow/ $1,200,000 sales, prime location, over 20 years in business/ representing eight companies, turn-key operation, priced for a quick cash sale 50% commercial/50%personal lines industry special/ commercial auto. Contact: Medero@bellsouth.net 8-3

Personal Lines Acct Manager or Claims Full-time employment in the Tampa, Florida area. Must have 2-20, 2-15 or 5-20 license. Contact: janice50griffin@yahoo.com. 8-3

CSR Wanted Memphis, TN area P&C CSR to produce quotes for progressive agency. Need commercial P&C experience.

Contact: jake1934@msn.com 8-3 24

Sale price $110,000. in Hialeah Area. Established 1979. Call me at (305)322-9039. 7-5

- POSITION WANTED COMMERCIAL PRODUCER 2-20 TRAINEE Recent FSU Grad with a BS in Marketing and a focus on insurance. Looking for full time career-level opportunity as commercial P&C Producer. Will consider anywhere in FL. Please request resume: zmanera@gmail.com 8-2

P & C PRODUCER WANTED - SARASOTA 2-20 Licensed Outside producer for Sarasota Agency. Have multiple markets. Send resume to northwick@mindspring.com 8-1

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HERE Cigar Mfg. Connections Wanted National brokerage seeks individual with connections in cigar manufacturing and distribution. Exclusive marketing opportunity! Call John or Matt 800-359-5102 8-4 Part Time CSR Wanted in Lakeland, Florida - Need Part Time Personal Lines CSR, must have min. a 4-40 license (required)Mornings or afternoons - bozsail@aol.com 7-6

POSITION WANTED TAMPA AREA Senior CSR Comm’l P&C Experienced Senior CSR Commercial P&C seeking position in the St.Pete / Tampa/ Clearwater area. Has AAI designation and 220 license. 20+ years experience and stable employment background.email for resume & letters of recommendation. Contact: caroljkaley@yahoo.com 7-6 The Underwriter’s Insider

FREE CLASSIFIEDS! HELP WANTED — POSITION WANTED 4 — SALE ITEMS

CLICK HERE! P & C AGENCY 4-SALE SOUTH GEORGIA AREA OPENED IN 1933. SOLD TO MY PREDESSORS IN 1970 AND I AQUIRED IN JUNE OF 1995. WE BOUGHT TWO AGENCIES AND OPENED THE PRESENT AGENCY IN 1995 AND IN 1998 MERGED THEM AT OUR PRESENT LOCATION. OWNER PLANNING TO EITHER RETIRE OR TAKE A LESS ACTIVE ROLL AND WOULD HELP DURING THE TRANSITION. FOR MORE DETAILS AND PARTICULARS, PLEASE EMAIL wayne6238johnson@yahoo.com 7-7

SECURE JOB POSITION NEEDED

Looking for a full time position with a reliable company/agency in the Treasure Coast area. I have my 4-40 and 14 years of experience in personal lines sales and customer service. I am great at sales! pslgirl37@aol.com 7-8

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose your were a member of Congress... But then I repeat myself. - Mark Twain

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Part time/Full Time Insurance Agents – P&C

Expanding agency looking for full and part time licensed 220 agents, who will operate out of their home or home office in Central and North Florida. 1. Commission based remuneration – 50% for new and renewal policies, paid monthly; vesting plan. 2. Leads provided 3. Training provided 4. Office support provided 5. Markets to meet a variety of client needs: virtually all industries and risk profiles. Call Bob at 850-894-4709, or email a resume to me at bob. hartsell@comcast.net 7-8

FEDUSA Insurance Agency 4-Sale Ft Myers area

Established in 2007. Growing business opportunity. Good mix of HO, auto & Commercial business. Owner motivated to sell for less than $100k. Close to 400 customers and $60000 in commissions. Call Raj Singh at 239-699-7047 7-6

Property And Casualty Insurance Agency 4-sale Kissimmee, FL Active property and casualty insurance agency located in kissimmee FL,representing multiple carriers.busy street front store extremely organized smooth operating and clean. over 500 policies in force with great retention income tax services also offered at this location buyer must provide personal financial statement. asking $240,000 price is negotiable.for more info agencyforsale1@yahoo.com 8-1

2-20 Agent Wanted Lakeland, FL Need 2-20 Commercial Agent for Lakeland, FL office. Contact Teresa Bailey. Phone: 863-686-3100 Email: teresa@baileyharris. com 8-1

2-20 Agent Wanted Plant City, FL

2-20 Commercial Agent need for Plant City, FL office. Commission based. Contact Deb Newman Phone: 813-752-5200 Fax: 813-752-2011 Email: dnewmaninsurance@yahoo.com 8-1

2-20 Agent Wanted Margate, FL Great Opportunity,for a self motivated individual. Busy P&C agency looking for an experienced agent-csr. Must be organized, great work ethics. Good growth potential, competitive salary plus commissions. drivera@atlantica insuranceagency.com 8-1 25

“Frankly,

I don’t know what it is about California, but we seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to high office. I’m not bragging, you understand, but no other state, including Maine, even comes close. When it comes to sending left-wing dingbats to Washington, we’re number one. There’s no getting around the fact that the last time anyone saw the likes of Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi, they were stirring a cauldron when the curtain went up on ‘Macbeth’. The four of them are like jackasses who happen to possess the gift of blab. You don’t know if you should condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at their ability to form words.” -- Columnist Burt Prelutsky, Los Angeles Times

“What

kind of man makes it through Hell Week? That’s hard to say. But I do know— generally—who won’t make it. There are a dozen types that fail: the weight-lifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they are, the preening leaders who don’t want to get dirty, and the look-at-me former athletes who have always been told they are stars but have never been pushed beyond the envelope of their talent to the core of their character. In short, those who fail are the ones who focus on show. The vicious beauty of Hell Week is that you either survive or fail, you endure or you quit, you do— or you do not.” - From the SEAL Sensibility,” Eric Greitens, Wall Street Journal, May 7

“It is the liberal elites who revile the American

colossus and devoutly wish to see it cut down to size. Leading from behind — diminishing America’s global standing and assertiveness — is a reaction to their view of America, not the world’s. Other presidents have taken anti-Americanism as a given, rather than evidence of American malignancy, believing — as do most Americans — in the rightness of our cause and the nobility of our intentions. Obama thinks antiAmericanism is a verdict on America’s fitness for leadership. I would suggest that “leading from behind” is a verdict on Obama’s fitness for leadership. Leading from behind is not leading. It is abdicating. It is also an oxymoron. Yet a sympathetic journalist, channeling an Obama adviser, elevates it to a doctrine. The president is no doubt flattered. The rest of us are merely stunned.” — Charles Krauthammer, Published: April 28

“Despite a carefully choreographed image of affability and cool,

Barack Obama’s decisions and appointments as President betray an

alienation from the values and the people of this country that are too disturbing to be answered by showing his birth certificate. Too many of his appointees exhibit a similar alienation, including Attorney General Eric Holder, under whom the Dept. of Justice could more accurately be described as the Dept. of Payback.” - Renowned Columnist Thomas Sowell in a recent contribution to Townhall.com commenting on Obama’s affection for radical-left values.

“There is life after Congress for Anthony Weiner,” New York Democratic

Rep. Nita Lowey grimly assured reporters on Thursday before his resignation announcement. But Weiner’s life has been nothing but Congress. Nothing but government. Nothing but taxpayer-subsidized self-perpetuation. In other words: the life of a pathetic public leech.” - From a recent column by noted conservative pundit Michele Malkin

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MANAGING LAWYERS The dedicated defense lawyer is more often than not found representing plaintiffs and filing bad faith actions against the insurers who helped then hone their skills. Skilled, experienced defense lawyers have found better ways to make a living. Audits, operated by non-lawyers, or lawyers who have never taken a case to a trial before a jury, destroy long standing professional relationships by allowing auditors to call lawyers liars, cheats and frauds when all they did was defend the insured as the insurer asked and accurately recorded the time expended. To paraphrase Pogo, the insurance industry has met the enemy and they are it. Every claims manager or vice president of claims who wants to know why defense costs go up and results at trial or at settlement conference is miserable need only look in the mirror. The average claims representative in the United States is a 23-year-old female graduate of a liberal arts college with two years experience. That experience will usually make the adjuster a claims supervisor attempting to train from ignorance even younger and more innocent claims people. Professional adjusters with years of experience have been laid off and now work as private investigators or negotiators for plaintiffs’ lawyers because replacing them with young college graduates reduces payroll. Training at insurers is negligible, if not non-existent. Adjusters are managing litigation who don't know what a crosscomplaint or counter claim is, let alone what is needed to bring a successful motion for summary judgment. They are told lawyers take depositions to build up the fees they collect rather than to obtain enough evidence from the plaintiff and independent witnesses www.underwritersinsider.com

To paraphrase Pogo, the insurance industry has met the enemy and they are it. Every claims manager or vice president of claims who wants to know why defense costs go up and results at trial or at settlement conference is miserable need only look in the mirror to defend the insured. They have never attended a deposition. They don't know the rules of evidence. They have no idea what a “chain of evidence” is nor have they ever heard of spoliation of evidence. Modern claims adjusters interview witnesses with “cheat sheets” prepared

will.” Everyone dealing with litigation management of insurance defense counsel know that Murphy was an optimist.

Proposal If insurers really want to manage litigation they should immediately start, and continue, the following: 1. Train their claims staff. 2. Pay their claims staff enough money and benefits to keep them long term. 3. Honor their experienced people with more money, titles and less case load so they can do quality work. 4. Instruct all claims personnel that they are expected to work with defense or house counsel as a team – not adversaries. 5. Select defense counsel for their skill, knowledge and experience – not their billing rate. 6. Recognize that the duty of the insurer is provide the best defense possible for the insured. 7. It is not economical to save $10 on expense and pay an extra $1,000 in indemnity, The prudent insurer recognizes that the what it sells is a service. It cannot provide the promised service with incompetent, untrained or inexperienced personnel. Saving money on personnel is too expensive.

TANSTAAFL by management from which they never deviate. They expect lawyers to defend lawsuits with both hands tied behind their back and for discount fees. They want Nordstrom's work for a Wal-Mart price. Insurers have forgotten, if they ever knew, TANSTAAFL. They want free legal advice and never recognize that free legal advice is worth exactly what is paid for it. The fictional Murphy once said that “Everything that can go wrong,

An insurer intent on providing the defense and indemnity promised by the policy it must generate a staff of professional claims personnel who can resolve claims before litigation is required. If the claim cannot be settled the insurer must generate a staff of professional attorneys – in house or independent – across the country who can properly defend their insureds for a reasonable price without the need for close supervision or management. 31

Continued from Page 20

MOBILIZE THE MOMENT (and those that wish they were) prefer doing things online. We bank online; we conduct meetings online; we talk online; we pay our bills online; we socialize online; we take classes online; we write in our diaries online. We even shop and date online - - because that’s the way we like it. If you can provide a way for me to get quotes online, buy a policy online, make my payments online, and manage my account online, then you can be my agent for life. It is far easier (and frankly, more pleasant and convenient) for me to jump online than for me to call you or visit you. Sure, there does exist a group of people who want to come in and make a payment or sit down with an agent, but that group is getting smaller and smaller each year. You can choose to be among the many agents competing for the diminishing pool of face-to-face clients, or you can choose to go after the rest of the world” Does your agency have an effective web presence? Odds are the answer is “No”. Most independent insurance agency websites are little more than a glorified “business card”. Most prospective customers search for local insurance agencies online.

Can they find yours? Consider the following facts: 9 out of 10 consumers use the Internet to find local products or services. Of these, 86% follow up with a phone call or in-store visit. And with more than 1 billion local searches every month, this translates into a huge opportunity to attract new customers through the Internet! That is why a growing number of small & medium agencies just like yours are 32

investing in their online presence.

Does your agency have a website? If no, what are you waiting for? Think of an agency website as a Super Yellow Pages ad … with 100 times the results … at 1/10th the cost. AccuAuto can have you up & running in a couple of days for only $20.00 per month. I have a great website, isn't that enough? Most potential customers looking for local businesses in your area don't have your website address in advance. They will most likely use search engines, yellow pages directories or popular local search sites to find what they’re looking for. In order to get calls from these customers you have to make sure your agency listing appears prominently on all these sites. If you do have a website, chances are it is not optimized to increase your visibility but, even if it was, simply having a website is not the same as ensuring online visibility, which takes into account rankings on all online directories, Internet yellow pages and local search engines; as well as website optimization and keyword relevance.

Grade Your Website Here’s a free “Search Engine Optimization” tool link that measures the marketing effectiveness of a website. It provides a score that incorporates things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. It also provides some basic advice on how the website can be improved from a marketing perspective. Go to www. WebsiteGrader.com.

AccuAuto: An Unfair Advantage W.C. Fields was once quoted as saying, “All I ever wanted in life was an unfair advantage”. AccuAuto Users have an unfair advantage over agencies that do not use the service that revolutionized the insurance industry.

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The Underwriter’s Insider

FLORIDA ANNOUNCES CONVICTION OF JAX MAN IN ELABORATE COMP FRAUD SCHEME, ILLEGAL CHECK CASHING OPERATION

ALLAHASSEE – Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today the conviction of a Jacksonville man in an elaborate workers’ compensation fraud scheme. David Rodriguez Socarras appeared before the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Monday and pled guilty to five charges, including application fraud and workers’ compensation fraud, for running a “shell company” to pay undocumented workers and avoiding workers’ compensation premiums. Socarras was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution. “Employers who commit workers’ compensation fraud put workers at risk and drive up premiums for all businesses, and it will not be tolerated,” said CFO Atwater. “This conviction is an acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication of our fraud investigators. Not only are we going to track down these fraudsters, but we are developing strong cases that will get them off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

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An investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, revealed that in October 2007, Socarras used a fraudulent Social Security card and birth certificate to obtain an ID card with the alias Harry Marrero Vasquez. He then established a shell company with the name HMV Construction in order to obtain a minimal workers’ compensation policy. With the insurance policy in hand, Socarras proceeded to cash 80 checks at a Jacksonville check cashing store for a total of more than $2.9 million. The cash was used to pay groups of undocumented workers, and by using the shell company, Socarras avoided paying the necessary workers’ compensation premiums and taxes needed for a payroll of that size. In response to CFO Atwater’s continued crackdown on insurance fraud in Florida, investigators have arrested 529 fraudsters since the start of the year, including 147 workers’ compensation fraud arrests.

N CAROLINA INSURANCE AGENT ACCUSED OF EMBEZZLEMENT

ALEIGH -Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Alicia Ann Wilson, 31, of 759 Scruggs Circle, Canton; she is charged with three counts of embezzlement by an insurance agent. Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that between January 2009 and January 2011, Wilson embezzled $16,580.00 while working as an insurance agent for the Haywood County North Carolina Farm Bureau. Wilson surrendered herself to authorities and was processed at the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office on June 24 and was placed under a $5,000.00 unsecured bond.

N CAROLINA ARRESTS AGENT ON FRAUD CHARGES

ALEIGH -Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Gloria Scott Richardson, 56, of 785 Delmar Road, Enfield; she is charged with one count of obtaining property by false pretense and one count of common law forgery. Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that in February 2005, Richardson forged a policy holder name on a $10,000.00 whole life insurance policy with Settlers Life Insurance, for which she received approximately $178.91 in commission. Investigators allege that the person in whose name the policy was taken was unaware that a life insurance policy had been written in their name at the time of the incident. With the assistance of Halifax County Sheriff's Office, Department of Insurance investigators arrested Richardson in Halifax County on June 23. She was processed at the Halifax County Sheriff's Office and placed under a $1,000 unsecured bond.

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