June 2015

GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT

A PUBLICATION OF VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it

Are you looking to hire

Place your ad in VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-223-0868 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Michael T Walsh CPCUVice President Daniel LussierSecretaryTreasurer Peter RichardsIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron BixbyImmediate Past President Jon Jamieson CIC

DirectorsChip AmsErin OdellPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

June 20154 Message from the President7 Legislative Wrap-UpFeatures8 Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin12 Marketing Indisputable Truths for Your Marketing15 Sales Success Stop Sales Pipeline Feast or FamineEampO Corner20 How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your InsuredsNews24 Ohio Mutual25 Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Agency

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it

Are you looking to hire

Place your ad in VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-223-0868 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Michael T Walsh CPCUVice President Daniel LussierSecretaryTreasurer Peter RichardsIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron BixbyImmediate Past President Jon Jamieson CIC

DirectorsChip AmsErin OdellPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

June 20154 Message from the President7 Legislative Wrap-UpFeatures8 Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin12 Marketing Indisputable Truths for Your Marketing15 Sales Success Stop Sales Pipeline Feast or FamineEampO Corner20 How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your InsuredsNews24 Ohio Mutual25 Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Agency

4

Hitting the Airwaves with the VIAA Agents Awareness Campaign

Last year I had the opportunity to see what can happen when agents join together under a common brand to promote themselves and our mission Several member agencies and our association were part of a $100000 campaign to promote independent agents in Vermont with Trusted Choice It truly represented everything wersquore all about - agencies companies and our association all joining together to help the people we all care about where we live and workItrsquos why VIAA and our company partners are committed to this yearrsquos campaign and based on the interest wersquove already received wersquore looking to double the Agent Awareness Campaign this year You will see a number of agents hitting the airwaves this summer and fall and I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity as wellOnly with the VIAA Agent Awareness Campaign you receive three times the advertising return for your investment It works like this an agent who invests $5000 or $2500 into this campaign can expect to receive $15000 or $7500 in advertising value This is because our company partners invest in the campaign and Trusted Choice provides matching funds based on agent participation and company support Additionally together we benefit from group purchasing power for media placement and video productionItrsquos win-win for all of us and I hope you will consider participating Take a look at the campaign information in this issue and reserve your space now See you on TV

Michael T Walsh VIAA President

Message from the President

You will see a number of agents hitting the

airwaves this summer and fall and I urge you to take advantage of this

opportunity as well

Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858

But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how

easy our leasing solution is for his agency

ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options

From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency

How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software

shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs

bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing

We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution

13INR052 713

These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options

Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA

Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience

Member FDIC

copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

With detailed agency profiles the ability to attract targeted commercial lines classes and expanded consumer resources TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullUnlimited NAICS codesAll prospect sizesYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Unlimited Prospects bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $79

Bundle with Personal Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

TrustedChoicecomCommercial Lines Advantage Subscription

7

John Hollar

Downs Rachlin Martin

Vermont has a long history of defining the left-most boundary of American politics but the movement

towards an ever-more-progressive state shifted during the 2015 legislative session After decades of enacting liberal legislation in virtually ever area of Vermont life lawmakers sensed a changed mood in the electorate They responded with a session that was mostly pragmatic and largely bereft of ideology The end of the session which concluded on May 16 was dominated as usual by taxes and spending Although the so-called Big Bill passed the House and Senate by a wide margin many observers have complained that the bill increased General Fund spending by more than four percent ndash far more than the rate of inflation or the rate of growth in household incomesA $38 million tax bill was more partisan After months of wrangling the governor and Democratic legislative leaders agreed on a bill that raises about $23 million in income taxes by eliminating the deduction for state income taxes paid and capping itemized deductions at two-and-a-half times the standard federal deduction except for charitable contributions and medical deductions The bill also raises $29 million in various fees establishes a minimum income tax adds soft drinks to items taxable under the sales tax and adds the rooms and meals tax to items purchased in vending machines About $32 million of the tax bill was devoted to balancing the fiscal year 2016 budget An increase in the cigarette tax of 33 cents per pack was included in the separate health care bill Insurance issues were less predominant than in past years Lawmakers considered but did not

approve bills to increase disclosure requirements in workersrsquo compensation settlements (S23) create a commission to investigate the issue of employee misclassification (S82) create a limited lines license for travel insurance agents (H34) and create new liability coverage requirements for transportation network companies such as Uber (H385)The legislature also failed to take action in response to growing pressure from agents building contractors and others to revise the statersquos definitions of ldquoemployeerdquo and ldquoindependent contractorrdquo Vermont law defines employment to cover any individual on a worksite who is performing duties within the ldquonaturerdquo of a general contractorrsquos business The broad statute and the Department of Laborrsquos enforcement efforts have led to increasing calls to clarify the law On May 7 the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee took one-half day of testimony on the issue in anticipation of a major reform effort next year VIAA President Mike Walsh told the committee that he advises clients never to let subcontractors on a construction site who lack workersrsquo compensation coverage A contract should always exist between the general contractor and subcontractor but the general should be aware of the risks given the expansive definition of ldquoemploymentrdquo under state law Walsh said the legislature could provide the ldquoultimate clarityrdquo by requiring that all workers carry workersrsquo compensation coverage Commerce Secretary Pat Moulton acknowledged that many contractors are being caught up in a ldquorobustrdquo enforcement process that fails to recognize the changes in the statersquos workforce Moulton said the state should create a temporary registration process until a long-term solution is found Although several previous summer study groups have failed to solve the issue another one is likely to be convened this summer That effort will likely be successful only if the Shumlin administration decides the issue is important and dedicates significant staff resources towards finding a solution

Legislative Wrap-Up

8

Nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety In 2013 alone 371645 people were injured and 2927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver The results come just as the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo begin the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb ldquoTeen crash rates are higher than any other age group and this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extend well beyond the teen who is behind the wheelrdquo said Pat Moody manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England ldquoAAA urges parents to increase their focus on safety during the school-free high-risk summer months when teens drive more and often have less supervision Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season this insight is a timely reminder to everyonemdashdrivers pedestrians and bicyclistsmdash to be mindful when sharing the roads with young driversrdquoThe study analyzed data of police-reported crashes of drivers aged 15-19 from 1994-2013 and found thatWhile the overall number of teen crashes are down the majority of people killed (66) and injured (67) in crashes involving a teen driver are people other than the teen themselves Nearly 50 percent of those injured were in another vehicle 17 percent were in the teen driverrsquos car and 2 percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrian bicyclist) Nearly 30 percent of those killed were in another car 27 percent were the teenrsquos passenger and ten percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrians bicyclist) AAA is promoting the study findings to raise attention among parents of teen drivers and all road users particularly during the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo period Based on a AAA analysis of the governmentrsquos Fatality Analysis Reporting

System (FARS) in 2013 an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months a 43 percent increase compared to the rest of the yearAAA has been a decades-long advocate on behalf of teen drivers and their families and has been a leader at the state level in advocating for the implementation and improvement of both graduated drivers licensing (GDL) laws and quality driver education programs Additional data from this study point to the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers that can be attributed to strong GDL legislation as well as other factors including falling gas prices and the economyIn the last 20 years non-fatal injury crashes and fatal crashes of teen drivers aged 15-19 decreased by 51 percent and 56 percent respectively In comparison crashes resulting in non-fatal injuries and fatalities including but not limited to those involving teen drivers fell by 25 percent and 17 percent respectivelyldquoWhile great strides have been made to improve the safety of teen drivers over the past 20 years motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for drivers aged 15-19 so advocating on behalf of teen driver safety remains a top priority for AAArdquo said MoodyTools to help parents prepare for the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo of summer driving and other resources to coach teens through the learning-to drive process including a parent-teen driving agreement can be found on AAArsquos award-winning website TeenDrivingAAAcom Parents have found the online AAA StartSmart program to be particularly useful helping them to quickly become effective in-car coaches make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teenrsquos overall driving privileges

Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858

But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how

easy our leasing solution is for his agency

ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options

From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency

How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software

shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs

bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing

We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution

13INR052 713

These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options

Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA

Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience

Member FDIC

copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

With detailed agency profiles the ability to attract targeted commercial lines classes and expanded consumer resources TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullUnlimited NAICS codesAll prospect sizesYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Unlimited Prospects bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $79

Bundle with Personal Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

TrustedChoicecomCommercial Lines Advantage Subscription

7

John Hollar

Downs Rachlin Martin

Vermont has a long history of defining the left-most boundary of American politics but the movement

towards an ever-more-progressive state shifted during the 2015 legislative session After decades of enacting liberal legislation in virtually ever area of Vermont life lawmakers sensed a changed mood in the electorate They responded with a session that was mostly pragmatic and largely bereft of ideology The end of the session which concluded on May 16 was dominated as usual by taxes and spending Although the so-called Big Bill passed the House and Senate by a wide margin many observers have complained that the bill increased General Fund spending by more than four percent ndash far more than the rate of inflation or the rate of growth in household incomesA $38 million tax bill was more partisan After months of wrangling the governor and Democratic legislative leaders agreed on a bill that raises about $23 million in income taxes by eliminating the deduction for state income taxes paid and capping itemized deductions at two-and-a-half times the standard federal deduction except for charitable contributions and medical deductions The bill also raises $29 million in various fees establishes a minimum income tax adds soft drinks to items taxable under the sales tax and adds the rooms and meals tax to items purchased in vending machines About $32 million of the tax bill was devoted to balancing the fiscal year 2016 budget An increase in the cigarette tax of 33 cents per pack was included in the separate health care bill Insurance issues were less predominant than in past years Lawmakers considered but did not

approve bills to increase disclosure requirements in workersrsquo compensation settlements (S23) create a commission to investigate the issue of employee misclassification (S82) create a limited lines license for travel insurance agents (H34) and create new liability coverage requirements for transportation network companies such as Uber (H385)The legislature also failed to take action in response to growing pressure from agents building contractors and others to revise the statersquos definitions of ldquoemployeerdquo and ldquoindependent contractorrdquo Vermont law defines employment to cover any individual on a worksite who is performing duties within the ldquonaturerdquo of a general contractorrsquos business The broad statute and the Department of Laborrsquos enforcement efforts have led to increasing calls to clarify the law On May 7 the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee took one-half day of testimony on the issue in anticipation of a major reform effort next year VIAA President Mike Walsh told the committee that he advises clients never to let subcontractors on a construction site who lack workersrsquo compensation coverage A contract should always exist between the general contractor and subcontractor but the general should be aware of the risks given the expansive definition of ldquoemploymentrdquo under state law Walsh said the legislature could provide the ldquoultimate clarityrdquo by requiring that all workers carry workersrsquo compensation coverage Commerce Secretary Pat Moulton acknowledged that many contractors are being caught up in a ldquorobustrdquo enforcement process that fails to recognize the changes in the statersquos workforce Moulton said the state should create a temporary registration process until a long-term solution is found Although several previous summer study groups have failed to solve the issue another one is likely to be convened this summer That effort will likely be successful only if the Shumlin administration decides the issue is important and dedicates significant staff resources towards finding a solution

Legislative Wrap-Up

8

Nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety In 2013 alone 371645 people were injured and 2927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver The results come just as the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo begin the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb ldquoTeen crash rates are higher than any other age group and this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extend well beyond the teen who is behind the wheelrdquo said Pat Moody manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England ldquoAAA urges parents to increase their focus on safety during the school-free high-risk summer months when teens drive more and often have less supervision Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season this insight is a timely reminder to everyonemdashdrivers pedestrians and bicyclistsmdash to be mindful when sharing the roads with young driversrdquoThe study analyzed data of police-reported crashes of drivers aged 15-19 from 1994-2013 and found thatWhile the overall number of teen crashes are down the majority of people killed (66) and injured (67) in crashes involving a teen driver are people other than the teen themselves Nearly 50 percent of those injured were in another vehicle 17 percent were in the teen driverrsquos car and 2 percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrian bicyclist) Nearly 30 percent of those killed were in another car 27 percent were the teenrsquos passenger and ten percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrians bicyclist) AAA is promoting the study findings to raise attention among parents of teen drivers and all road users particularly during the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo period Based on a AAA analysis of the governmentrsquos Fatality Analysis Reporting

System (FARS) in 2013 an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months a 43 percent increase compared to the rest of the yearAAA has been a decades-long advocate on behalf of teen drivers and their families and has been a leader at the state level in advocating for the implementation and improvement of both graduated drivers licensing (GDL) laws and quality driver education programs Additional data from this study point to the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers that can be attributed to strong GDL legislation as well as other factors including falling gas prices and the economyIn the last 20 years non-fatal injury crashes and fatal crashes of teen drivers aged 15-19 decreased by 51 percent and 56 percent respectively In comparison crashes resulting in non-fatal injuries and fatalities including but not limited to those involving teen drivers fell by 25 percent and 17 percent respectivelyldquoWhile great strides have been made to improve the safety of teen drivers over the past 20 years motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for drivers aged 15-19 so advocating on behalf of teen driver safety remains a top priority for AAArdquo said MoodyTools to help parents prepare for the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo of summer driving and other resources to coach teens through the learning-to drive process including a parent-teen driving agreement can be found on AAArsquos award-winning website TeenDrivingAAAcom Parents have found the online AAA StartSmart program to be particularly useful helping them to quickly become effective in-car coaches make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teenrsquos overall driving privileges

Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

With detailed agency profiles the ability to attract targeted commercial lines classes and expanded consumer resources TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullUnlimited NAICS codesAll prospect sizesYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Unlimited Prospects bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $79

Bundle with Personal Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

TrustedChoicecomCommercial Lines Advantage Subscription

7

John Hollar

Downs Rachlin Martin

Vermont has a long history of defining the left-most boundary of American politics but the movement

towards an ever-more-progressive state shifted during the 2015 legislative session After decades of enacting liberal legislation in virtually ever area of Vermont life lawmakers sensed a changed mood in the electorate They responded with a session that was mostly pragmatic and largely bereft of ideology The end of the session which concluded on May 16 was dominated as usual by taxes and spending Although the so-called Big Bill passed the House and Senate by a wide margin many observers have complained that the bill increased General Fund spending by more than four percent ndash far more than the rate of inflation or the rate of growth in household incomesA $38 million tax bill was more partisan After months of wrangling the governor and Democratic legislative leaders agreed on a bill that raises about $23 million in income taxes by eliminating the deduction for state income taxes paid and capping itemized deductions at two-and-a-half times the standard federal deduction except for charitable contributions and medical deductions The bill also raises $29 million in various fees establishes a minimum income tax adds soft drinks to items taxable under the sales tax and adds the rooms and meals tax to items purchased in vending machines About $32 million of the tax bill was devoted to balancing the fiscal year 2016 budget An increase in the cigarette tax of 33 cents per pack was included in the separate health care bill Insurance issues were less predominant than in past years Lawmakers considered but did not

approve bills to increase disclosure requirements in workersrsquo compensation settlements (S23) create a commission to investigate the issue of employee misclassification (S82) create a limited lines license for travel insurance agents (H34) and create new liability coverage requirements for transportation network companies such as Uber (H385)The legislature also failed to take action in response to growing pressure from agents building contractors and others to revise the statersquos definitions of ldquoemployeerdquo and ldquoindependent contractorrdquo Vermont law defines employment to cover any individual on a worksite who is performing duties within the ldquonaturerdquo of a general contractorrsquos business The broad statute and the Department of Laborrsquos enforcement efforts have led to increasing calls to clarify the law On May 7 the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee took one-half day of testimony on the issue in anticipation of a major reform effort next year VIAA President Mike Walsh told the committee that he advises clients never to let subcontractors on a construction site who lack workersrsquo compensation coverage A contract should always exist between the general contractor and subcontractor but the general should be aware of the risks given the expansive definition of ldquoemploymentrdquo under state law Walsh said the legislature could provide the ldquoultimate clarityrdquo by requiring that all workers carry workersrsquo compensation coverage Commerce Secretary Pat Moulton acknowledged that many contractors are being caught up in a ldquorobustrdquo enforcement process that fails to recognize the changes in the statersquos workforce Moulton said the state should create a temporary registration process until a long-term solution is found Although several previous summer study groups have failed to solve the issue another one is likely to be convened this summer That effort will likely be successful only if the Shumlin administration decides the issue is important and dedicates significant staff resources towards finding a solution

Legislative Wrap-Up

8

Nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety In 2013 alone 371645 people were injured and 2927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver The results come just as the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo begin the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb ldquoTeen crash rates are higher than any other age group and this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extend well beyond the teen who is behind the wheelrdquo said Pat Moody manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England ldquoAAA urges parents to increase their focus on safety during the school-free high-risk summer months when teens drive more and often have less supervision Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season this insight is a timely reminder to everyonemdashdrivers pedestrians and bicyclistsmdash to be mindful when sharing the roads with young driversrdquoThe study analyzed data of police-reported crashes of drivers aged 15-19 from 1994-2013 and found thatWhile the overall number of teen crashes are down the majority of people killed (66) and injured (67) in crashes involving a teen driver are people other than the teen themselves Nearly 50 percent of those injured were in another vehicle 17 percent were in the teen driverrsquos car and 2 percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrian bicyclist) Nearly 30 percent of those killed were in another car 27 percent were the teenrsquos passenger and ten percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrians bicyclist) AAA is promoting the study findings to raise attention among parents of teen drivers and all road users particularly during the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo period Based on a AAA analysis of the governmentrsquos Fatality Analysis Reporting

System (FARS) in 2013 an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months a 43 percent increase compared to the rest of the yearAAA has been a decades-long advocate on behalf of teen drivers and their families and has been a leader at the state level in advocating for the implementation and improvement of both graduated drivers licensing (GDL) laws and quality driver education programs Additional data from this study point to the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers that can be attributed to strong GDL legislation as well as other factors including falling gas prices and the economyIn the last 20 years non-fatal injury crashes and fatal crashes of teen drivers aged 15-19 decreased by 51 percent and 56 percent respectively In comparison crashes resulting in non-fatal injuries and fatalities including but not limited to those involving teen drivers fell by 25 percent and 17 percent respectivelyldquoWhile great strides have been made to improve the safety of teen drivers over the past 20 years motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for drivers aged 15-19 so advocating on behalf of teen driver safety remains a top priority for AAArdquo said MoodyTools to help parents prepare for the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo of summer driving and other resources to coach teens through the learning-to drive process including a parent-teen driving agreement can be found on AAArsquos award-winning website TeenDrivingAAAcom Parents have found the online AAA StartSmart program to be particularly useful helping them to quickly become effective in-car coaches make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teenrsquos overall driving privileges

Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

7

John Hollar

Downs Rachlin Martin

Vermont has a long history of defining the left-most boundary of American politics but the movement

towards an ever-more-progressive state shifted during the 2015 legislative session After decades of enacting liberal legislation in virtually ever area of Vermont life lawmakers sensed a changed mood in the electorate They responded with a session that was mostly pragmatic and largely bereft of ideology The end of the session which concluded on May 16 was dominated as usual by taxes and spending Although the so-called Big Bill passed the House and Senate by a wide margin many observers have complained that the bill increased General Fund spending by more than four percent ndash far more than the rate of inflation or the rate of growth in household incomesA $38 million tax bill was more partisan After months of wrangling the governor and Democratic legislative leaders agreed on a bill that raises about $23 million in income taxes by eliminating the deduction for state income taxes paid and capping itemized deductions at two-and-a-half times the standard federal deduction except for charitable contributions and medical deductions The bill also raises $29 million in various fees establishes a minimum income tax adds soft drinks to items taxable under the sales tax and adds the rooms and meals tax to items purchased in vending machines About $32 million of the tax bill was devoted to balancing the fiscal year 2016 budget An increase in the cigarette tax of 33 cents per pack was included in the separate health care bill Insurance issues were less predominant than in past years Lawmakers considered but did not

approve bills to increase disclosure requirements in workersrsquo compensation settlements (S23) create a commission to investigate the issue of employee misclassification (S82) create a limited lines license for travel insurance agents (H34) and create new liability coverage requirements for transportation network companies such as Uber (H385)The legislature also failed to take action in response to growing pressure from agents building contractors and others to revise the statersquos definitions of ldquoemployeerdquo and ldquoindependent contractorrdquo Vermont law defines employment to cover any individual on a worksite who is performing duties within the ldquonaturerdquo of a general contractorrsquos business The broad statute and the Department of Laborrsquos enforcement efforts have led to increasing calls to clarify the law On May 7 the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee took one-half day of testimony on the issue in anticipation of a major reform effort next year VIAA President Mike Walsh told the committee that he advises clients never to let subcontractors on a construction site who lack workersrsquo compensation coverage A contract should always exist between the general contractor and subcontractor but the general should be aware of the risks given the expansive definition of ldquoemploymentrdquo under state law Walsh said the legislature could provide the ldquoultimate clarityrdquo by requiring that all workers carry workersrsquo compensation coverage Commerce Secretary Pat Moulton acknowledged that many contractors are being caught up in a ldquorobustrdquo enforcement process that fails to recognize the changes in the statersquos workforce Moulton said the state should create a temporary registration process until a long-term solution is found Although several previous summer study groups have failed to solve the issue another one is likely to be convened this summer That effort will likely be successful only if the Shumlin administration decides the issue is important and dedicates significant staff resources towards finding a solution

Legislative Wrap-Up

8

Nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety In 2013 alone 371645 people were injured and 2927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver The results come just as the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo begin the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb ldquoTeen crash rates are higher than any other age group and this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extend well beyond the teen who is behind the wheelrdquo said Pat Moody manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England ldquoAAA urges parents to increase their focus on safety during the school-free high-risk summer months when teens drive more and often have less supervision Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season this insight is a timely reminder to everyonemdashdrivers pedestrians and bicyclistsmdash to be mindful when sharing the roads with young driversrdquoThe study analyzed data of police-reported crashes of drivers aged 15-19 from 1994-2013 and found thatWhile the overall number of teen crashes are down the majority of people killed (66) and injured (67) in crashes involving a teen driver are people other than the teen themselves Nearly 50 percent of those injured were in another vehicle 17 percent were in the teen driverrsquos car and 2 percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrian bicyclist) Nearly 30 percent of those killed were in another car 27 percent were the teenrsquos passenger and ten percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrians bicyclist) AAA is promoting the study findings to raise attention among parents of teen drivers and all road users particularly during the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo period Based on a AAA analysis of the governmentrsquos Fatality Analysis Reporting

System (FARS) in 2013 an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months a 43 percent increase compared to the rest of the yearAAA has been a decades-long advocate on behalf of teen drivers and their families and has been a leader at the state level in advocating for the implementation and improvement of both graduated drivers licensing (GDL) laws and quality driver education programs Additional data from this study point to the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers that can be attributed to strong GDL legislation as well as other factors including falling gas prices and the economyIn the last 20 years non-fatal injury crashes and fatal crashes of teen drivers aged 15-19 decreased by 51 percent and 56 percent respectively In comparison crashes resulting in non-fatal injuries and fatalities including but not limited to those involving teen drivers fell by 25 percent and 17 percent respectivelyldquoWhile great strides have been made to improve the safety of teen drivers over the past 20 years motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for drivers aged 15-19 so advocating on behalf of teen driver safety remains a top priority for AAArdquo said MoodyTools to help parents prepare for the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo of summer driving and other resources to coach teens through the learning-to drive process including a parent-teen driving agreement can be found on AAArsquos award-winning website TeenDrivingAAAcom Parents have found the online AAA StartSmart program to be particularly useful helping them to quickly become effective in-car coaches make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teenrsquos overall driving privileges

Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

8

Nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety In 2013 alone 371645 people were injured and 2927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver The results come just as the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo begin the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb ldquoTeen crash rates are higher than any other age group and this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extend well beyond the teen who is behind the wheelrdquo said Pat Moody manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England ldquoAAA urges parents to increase their focus on safety during the school-free high-risk summer months when teens drive more and often have less supervision Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season this insight is a timely reminder to everyonemdashdrivers pedestrians and bicyclistsmdash to be mindful when sharing the roads with young driversrdquoThe study analyzed data of police-reported crashes of drivers aged 15-19 from 1994-2013 and found thatWhile the overall number of teen crashes are down the majority of people killed (66) and injured (67) in crashes involving a teen driver are people other than the teen themselves Nearly 50 percent of those injured were in another vehicle 17 percent were in the teen driverrsquos car and 2 percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrian bicyclist) Nearly 30 percent of those killed were in another car 27 percent were the teenrsquos passenger and ten percent were non-motorists (ie pedestrians bicyclist) AAA is promoting the study findings to raise attention among parents of teen drivers and all road users particularly during the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo period Based on a AAA analysis of the governmentrsquos Fatality Analysis Reporting

System (FARS) in 2013 an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months a 43 percent increase compared to the rest of the yearAAA has been a decades-long advocate on behalf of teen drivers and their families and has been a leader at the state level in advocating for the implementation and improvement of both graduated drivers licensing (GDL) laws and quality driver education programs Additional data from this study point to the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers that can be attributed to strong GDL legislation as well as other factors including falling gas prices and the economyIn the last 20 years non-fatal injury crashes and fatal crashes of teen drivers aged 15-19 decreased by 51 percent and 56 percent respectively In comparison crashes resulting in non-fatal injuries and fatalities including but not limited to those involving teen drivers fell by 25 percent and 17 percent respectivelyldquoWhile great strides have been made to improve the safety of teen drivers over the past 20 years motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for drivers aged 15-19 so advocating on behalf of teen driver safety remains a top priority for AAArdquo said MoodyTools to help parents prepare for the ldquo100 Deadliest Daysrdquo of summer driving and other resources to coach teens through the learning-to drive process including a parent-teen driving agreement can be found on AAArsquos award-winning website TeenDrivingAAAcom Parents have found the online AAA StartSmart program to be particularly useful helping them to quickly become effective in-car coaches make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teenrsquos overall driving privileges

Teen Drivers Put Everyone at Risk as 100 Deadliest Days Begin

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm

Annual Business Meeting Luncheon amp Installation of Officers

Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm

Featured GuestsSEPTEMBER 10 2015

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

Randy LanoixChairman Elect

Big ldquoIrdquo

Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value

GOLD SPONSOR $5000

Targeted Cable TV Ads 230

Ads on WCAX 35

Total Value $15000

SILVER SPONSOR $2500

Targeted Cable TV Ads 115

Ads on WCAX 16

Total Value $6500

TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$

- TV AD DESIGN

2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE

CAMPAIGN

Total TV Placements 3296

Total spots 2875

TV Placement

In Every Community

l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial

l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location

l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)

l Production begins in late Spring

Total spots 421

The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level

Sponsored By

OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS

Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming

For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg

Susan DoneganCommissioner

VT Department of Financial Regulation

12

Indisputable Truths for Your Marketing

The truth is this If it werenrsquot for independent insurance agents and Trusted Choice I would not have the marketing and advertising agency I have today Currently managing Trusted Choice campaigns in Vermont New Hampshire Rhode Island and Maine I owe so much to the association and agents who have entrusted me to be a part of one the most successful campaigns I have seen in marketing today Much of my business today stems from the first Trusted Choice campaign I managed in 2007 It is the basis for the company I have today Thank You As my way of expressing my appreciation I want to share with you five indisputable realities that I believe can help you in your own agency 5 Trusted Choice is the best campaign I have ever seen Thatrsquos right itrsquos the best and nothing Irsquove seen ever comes close Consider what the advertising pioneer John Wanamaker said ldquoHalf the money I spend on advertising is wasted the trouble is I donrsquot know which halfrdquo Trusted Choice participants donrsquot have this worry because they clearly understand what they receive for their advertising investment A $5000 investment results in more than $15000 in advertising value with agent ads placed on all major broadcast and cable stations ($2500 and $1250 investors see similar returns) The Association equally benefits because it consistently delivers a successful campaign to its members Insurance companies who sponsor the campaign benefit since they receive millions of ad impressions for their $5000 investment And Trusted Choice benefits because they turn their $85000 into more than $250000 in advertising Itrsquos simply a win-win for everyone involved4 Facebook advertising really works I would not have written this last year but I am now a true believer after witnessing its effect first-hand I could easily tell you the

story of the candidate running for office and how more people saw his intro video due to the $500 we invested in Facebook advertising Or I could tell you a similar story about the country club that swears more people came to their open house due to the Facebook ads than from other activities Or I could let you know how one of your colleagues made more people aware of ice dams by placing a Facebook ad and how his message was then re-shared with hundreds more And this was all accomplished for as little as $100 and as much as $500 (for the candidate) The ability to have your message and video appear in the news feeds of your targeted demographic is very exciting to me as a marketing consultant This is one of those marketing opportunities you need to take advantage of now3 You should move your website over to WordpressLet me be honest with you Web designers want to build really beautiful and functional websites but itrsquos not our joy to have to go in and change your hours or add a new employee We much prefer you do it yourself and we would rather see you save the fees we would have charged towards a better use of your marketing dollars (please see above mentioned marketing options) This is where Wordpress comes in Now with the ability to build customizable websites Wordpress also enables you or someone from your office to easily go in and update your website It is the preferred content management system for your website and its platform helps you rank even higher in the search engines If yoursquore looking to redo your website I advise you to take a serious look at rebuilding it in Wordpress2 SEO is as important as SEMBefore you start placing ads on Google (SEM) please make sure you have first done everything you need to do to make sure your website is optimized for the search engines (SEO) Take

Marketing Strategies with John Houle

a look at Googlersquos Search Engine Optimization Starterrsquos Guide which Google makes readily available Also check out your online listings in all the search engines and other listing sites to verify that all your information is correct You also should install a blog into your site and it should be the anchor of your social media and email marketing campaigns The goal is to drive people back to your site from the content you post and social media and email marketing are the simple drivers to bring people back Content is king in SEO so make sure you develop content in your blog that is insightful and important to your consumer1 Broadcast TV still remains Number OneLike most people I consume more television programming on Netflix and paid networks and watch my favorite shows on OnDemand or on my DVR However I still watch the local news and live sporting events Though you donrsquot want to fall for the fallacy that everyone does things just like you do the truth is that consumers spend more time with local TV and radio than with any other media To be

where your consumers are you still need to be on local network TV and on the radio This should be the mainstay of your marketing campaign and local broadcast TV advertising remains the most cost effective means to reach your greatest audience You only have to look to the last political campaign for validation Consider the millions of dollars that was primarily spent on local TV to reach you the voter To reach your consumer the same philosophy applies You need to be where your people are and theyrsquore still watching TV

John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet

12

Indisputable Truths for Your Marketing

The truth is this If it werenrsquot for independent insurance agents and Trusted Choice I would not have the marketing and advertising agency I have today Currently managing Trusted Choice campaigns in Vermont New Hampshire Rhode Island and Maine I owe so much to the association and agents who have entrusted me to be a part of one the most successful campaigns I have seen in marketing today Much of my business today stems from the first Trusted Choice campaign I managed in 2007 It is the basis for the company I have today Thank You As my way of expressing my appreciation I want to share with you five indisputable realities that I believe can help you in your own agency 5 Trusted Choice is the best campaign I have ever seen Thatrsquos right itrsquos the best and nothing Irsquove seen ever comes close Consider what the advertising pioneer John Wanamaker said ldquoHalf the money I spend on advertising is wasted the trouble is I donrsquot know which halfrdquo Trusted Choice participants donrsquot have this worry because they clearly understand what they receive for their advertising investment A $5000 investment results in more than $15000 in advertising value with agent ads placed on all major broadcast and cable stations ($2500 and $1250 investors see similar returns) The Association equally benefits because it consistently delivers a successful campaign to its members Insurance companies who sponsor the campaign benefit since they receive millions of ad impressions for their $5000 investment And Trusted Choice benefits because they turn their $85000 into more than $250000 in advertising Itrsquos simply a win-win for everyone involved4 Facebook advertising really works I would not have written this last year but I am now a true believer after witnessing its effect first-hand I could easily tell you the

story of the candidate running for office and how more people saw his intro video due to the $500 we invested in Facebook advertising Or I could tell you a similar story about the country club that swears more people came to their open house due to the Facebook ads than from other activities Or I could let you know how one of your colleagues made more people aware of ice dams by placing a Facebook ad and how his message was then re-shared with hundreds more And this was all accomplished for as little as $100 and as much as $500 (for the candidate) The ability to have your message and video appear in the news feeds of your targeted demographic is very exciting to me as a marketing consultant This is one of those marketing opportunities you need to take advantage of now3 You should move your website over to WordpressLet me be honest with you Web designers want to build really beautiful and functional websites but itrsquos not our joy to have to go in and change your hours or add a new employee We much prefer you do it yourself and we would rather see you save the fees we would have charged towards a better use of your marketing dollars (please see above mentioned marketing options) This is where Wordpress comes in Now with the ability to build customizable websites Wordpress also enables you or someone from your office to easily go in and update your website It is the preferred content management system for your website and its platform helps you rank even higher in the search engines If yoursquore looking to redo your website I advise you to take a serious look at rebuilding it in Wordpress2 SEO is as important as SEMBefore you start placing ads on Google (SEM) please make sure you have first done everything you need to do to make sure your website is optimized for the search engines (SEO) Take

Marketing Strategies with John Houle

a look at Googlersquos Search Engine Optimization Starterrsquos Guide which Google makes readily available Also check out your online listings in all the search engines and other listing sites to verify that all your information is correct You also should install a blog into your site and it should be the anchor of your social media and email marketing campaigns The goal is to drive people back to your site from the content you post and social media and email marketing are the simple drivers to bring people back Content is king in SEO so make sure you develop content in your blog that is insightful and important to your consumer1 Broadcast TV still remains Number OneLike most people I consume more television programming on Netflix and paid networks and watch my favorite shows on OnDemand or on my DVR However I still watch the local news and live sporting events Though you donrsquot want to fall for the fallacy that everyone does things just like you do the truth is that consumers spend more time with local TV and radio than with any other media To be

where your consumers are you still need to be on local network TV and on the radio This should be the mainstay of your marketing campaign and local broadcast TV advertising remains the most cost effective means to reach your greatest audience You only have to look to the last political campaign for validation Consider the millions of dollars that was primarily spent on local TV to reach you the voter To reach your consumer the same philosophy applies You need to be where your people are and theyrsquore still watching TV

John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet

a look at Googlersquos Search Engine Optimization Starterrsquos Guide which Google makes readily available Also check out your online listings in all the search engines and other listing sites to verify that all your information is correct You also should install a blog into your site and it should be the anchor of your social media and email marketing campaigns The goal is to drive people back to your site from the content you post and social media and email marketing are the simple drivers to bring people back Content is king in SEO so make sure you develop content in your blog that is insightful and important to your consumer1 Broadcast TV still remains Number OneLike most people I consume more television programming on Netflix and paid networks and watch my favorite shows on OnDemand or on my DVR However I still watch the local news and live sporting events Though you donrsquot want to fall for the fallacy that everyone does things just like you do the truth is that consumers spend more time with local TV and radio than with any other media To be

where your consumers are you still need to be on local network TV and on the radio This should be the mainstay of your marketing campaign and local broadcast TV advertising remains the most cost effective means to reach your greatest audience You only have to look to the last political campaign for validation Consider the millions of dollars that was primarily spent on local TV to reach you the voter To reach your consumer the same philosophy applies You need to be where your people are and theyrsquore still watching TV

John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet

AmTrust has a bouquet of coverage

for small businesses

Complementary workersrsquo comp and BOP coverage By offering a competitive businessowners policy (BOP) as an individual product or as an accompaniment to our workersrsquo compensation insurance or commercial auto products AmTrust has a selection that serves small businesses well

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For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom

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Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app

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AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo

(Excellent) FSC X

15

Stop Sales Pipeline Feast Or Famine

If yoursquove been in sales for any length of time you have more than likely experienced the ebb and flow of prospects in your pipeline from time to time We all know there will be certain days weeks and months that are heavy with appointments servicing of accounts and other items that make it difficult to find time to prospect That said here are some ideas to ensure that you always have plenty of prospects in the pipelineHow to Always Have Plenty of ProspectsFirst you have to be prospecting every dayEven on your busiest day yoursquove got to make some prospecting calls No matter what you have going on personally or professionally there are always 10 to 20 minutes in the day probably more to make some calls Over a year even a few calls a day really adds up Prospecting every day also ensures that you stay sharp and get in the habit of doing itNote Assuming it only takes about 2 minutes to make a call or 5 minutes if you actually contact someone you can make anywhere from 2 to 10 calls in 10 to 20 minutes Shoot for a minimum of at least 5 calls even on the busiest days If you fall short and do 3 or 4 thatrsquos still 720 to 960 calls a year over a 48 week working yearNote 2 If you donrsquot think you have any time track your time and where each minute goes during the day If you do this you will literally find hours in your day In any case you can always find 15 to 30 minutes somewhereSecond take advantage of the slow timesWhen times are slow in terms of sales and other activities you have to take advantage of these times by making a significant number of prospecting calls For example if your goal is 20 calls a day shoot for 40 or more calls a day when times are slow This is when you

will get the majority of your prospects and also when you will make up for the crazy-busy days in which you had little time to prospectOne of the biggest prospecting issues is that when people have time to prospect they either donrsquot do enough or they hit their daily goal and stop The people who always have plenty of prospects make two to three times the amount of daily prospecting calls when they have the timeThird make prospecting a priorityWhen your primary job is to produce revenue (sell) you have three priorities prospecting presenting and closing Those three activities simply have to come before the other things yoursquore doing during the day and they are all important Many times when there is plenty of time to prospect salespeople find ways to ldquokillrdquo time Most salespeople get really creative when it comes to avoiding the hard work of prospecting Cleaning the desk looking up information on a prospect or customer (for more than a few minutes) reading articles during prime calling hours going to doctor or dentist appointments during prime calling hours answering an e-mail that isnrsquot important but is quick making a phone call that isnrsquot important but is quick are all examples of items that are less important than prospectingMake sure that during prime calling time you are focused on closing sales appointments and prospectingForth get better at sales and prospectingWhen is the last time you read a book on sales or prospecting When the last time you changed or refined any part of your sales or prospecting process Itrsquos critical that you continue to get better in these areas The better you are at prospecting and selling the fewer calls you have to make and the fewer people you need to talk to Practice drill and rehearse your

Sales Success with John Chapin

prospecting calls You have to be practicing you lines with other salespeople andor friends and family This goes for prospecting as well as other sales situations such as presentations objections questions you ask prospects etcFifth work more hours when there is less time to prospectThere will be times when you simply have to work more hours Even if you only work an average of an extra 30 minutes a day or 2 12 hours a week on average thatrsquos enough time for 10 phone calls per day or 50 per weekHere are some other ideas that can help hit your prospecting goalsbull Time block your prospecting Treat

prospecting as an appointment on your schedule

bull Have someone hold you accountablebull Team up with someone and make

calls at the same timebull Have a contest with someone

Who can make the most calls and get the most appointments

Finally remember Someone out there is keeping their pipeline full at all times Actually lots of people are Whatever your excuse is how bad you have it how busy your day is there is someone out there who has it worse than you and has overcome that to achieve a full sales pipeline at all times Is it the majority of people No But there are many who are getting it done Executing on most of the above items will simply come down to sheer determination and effort to do what must be done Is it going to be easy No Can you do it and will it be worth it YesNote The examples I used for this article involve making phone calls versus in-person calls Whatever types of calls yoursquore making the thing to keep in mind is that even on the busiest days you can always make 1 or 2 in-

person visits or 5 to 10 phone calls Either way yoursquove got to do some prospecting every day

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support

MMG Insurance CoProgressive

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97 S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

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This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

15

Stop Sales Pipeline Feast Or Famine

If yoursquove been in sales for any length of time you have more than likely experienced the ebb and flow of prospects in your pipeline from time to time We all know there will be certain days weeks and months that are heavy with appointments servicing of accounts and other items that make it difficult to find time to prospect That said here are some ideas to ensure that you always have plenty of prospects in the pipelineHow to Always Have Plenty of ProspectsFirst you have to be prospecting every dayEven on your busiest day yoursquove got to make some prospecting calls No matter what you have going on personally or professionally there are always 10 to 20 minutes in the day probably more to make some calls Over a year even a few calls a day really adds up Prospecting every day also ensures that you stay sharp and get in the habit of doing itNote Assuming it only takes about 2 minutes to make a call or 5 minutes if you actually contact someone you can make anywhere from 2 to 10 calls in 10 to 20 minutes Shoot for a minimum of at least 5 calls even on the busiest days If you fall short and do 3 or 4 thatrsquos still 720 to 960 calls a year over a 48 week working yearNote 2 If you donrsquot think you have any time track your time and where each minute goes during the day If you do this you will literally find hours in your day In any case you can always find 15 to 30 minutes somewhereSecond take advantage of the slow timesWhen times are slow in terms of sales and other activities you have to take advantage of these times by making a significant number of prospecting calls For example if your goal is 20 calls a day shoot for 40 or more calls a day when times are slow This is when you

will get the majority of your prospects and also when you will make up for the crazy-busy days in which you had little time to prospectOne of the biggest prospecting issues is that when people have time to prospect they either donrsquot do enough or they hit their daily goal and stop The people who always have plenty of prospects make two to three times the amount of daily prospecting calls when they have the timeThird make prospecting a priorityWhen your primary job is to produce revenue (sell) you have three priorities prospecting presenting and closing Those three activities simply have to come before the other things yoursquore doing during the day and they are all important Many times when there is plenty of time to prospect salespeople find ways to ldquokillrdquo time Most salespeople get really creative when it comes to avoiding the hard work of prospecting Cleaning the desk looking up information on a prospect or customer (for more than a few minutes) reading articles during prime calling hours going to doctor or dentist appointments during prime calling hours answering an e-mail that isnrsquot important but is quick making a phone call that isnrsquot important but is quick are all examples of items that are less important than prospectingMake sure that during prime calling time you are focused on closing sales appointments and prospectingForth get better at sales and prospectingWhen is the last time you read a book on sales or prospecting When the last time you changed or refined any part of your sales or prospecting process Itrsquos critical that you continue to get better in these areas The better you are at prospecting and selling the fewer calls you have to make and the fewer people you need to talk to Practice drill and rehearse your

Sales Success with John Chapin

prospecting calls You have to be practicing you lines with other salespeople andor friends and family This goes for prospecting as well as other sales situations such as presentations objections questions you ask prospects etcFifth work more hours when there is less time to prospectThere will be times when you simply have to work more hours Even if you only work an average of an extra 30 minutes a day or 2 12 hours a week on average thatrsquos enough time for 10 phone calls per day or 50 per weekHere are some other ideas that can help hit your prospecting goalsbull Time block your prospecting Treat

prospecting as an appointment on your schedule

bull Have someone hold you accountablebull Team up with someone and make

calls at the same timebull Have a contest with someone

Who can make the most calls and get the most appointments

Finally remember Someone out there is keeping their pipeline full at all times Actually lots of people are Whatever your excuse is how bad you have it how busy your day is there is someone out there who has it worse than you and has overcome that to achieve a full sales pipeline at all times Is it the majority of people No But there are many who are getting it done Executing on most of the above items will simply come down to sheer determination and effort to do what must be done Is it going to be easy No Can you do it and will it be worth it YesNote The examples I used for this article involve making phone calls versus in-person calls Whatever types of calls yoursquore making the thing to keep in mind is that even on the busiest days you can always make 1 or 2 in-

person visits or 5 to 10 phone calls Either way yoursquove got to do some prospecting every day

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support

MMG Insurance CoProgressive

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97 S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Search Results (Get A Quote) bull

Unlimited Prospects (Find An Agent) bullUnlimited Prospects (Get A Quote) bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $49

Bundle with Commercial Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

prospecting calls You have to be practicing you lines with other salespeople andor friends and family This goes for prospecting as well as other sales situations such as presentations objections questions you ask prospects etcFifth work more hours when there is less time to prospectThere will be times when you simply have to work more hours Even if you only work an average of an extra 30 minutes a day or 2 12 hours a week on average thatrsquos enough time for 10 phone calls per day or 50 per weekHere are some other ideas that can help hit your prospecting goalsbull Time block your prospecting Treat

prospecting as an appointment on your schedule

bull Have someone hold you accountablebull Team up with someone and make

calls at the same timebull Have a contest with someone

Who can make the most calls and get the most appointments

Finally remember Someone out there is keeping their pipeline full at all times Actually lots of people are Whatever your excuse is how bad you have it how busy your day is there is someone out there who has it worse than you and has overcome that to achieve a full sales pipeline at all times Is it the majority of people No But there are many who are getting it done Executing on most of the above items will simply come down to sheer determination and effort to do what must be done Is it going to be easy No Can you do it and will it be worth it YesNote The examples I used for this article involve making phone calls versus in-person calls Whatever types of calls yoursquore making the thing to keep in mind is that even on the busiest days you can always make 1 or 2 in-

person visits or 5 to 10 phone calls Either way yoursquove got to do some prospecting every day

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer For his free newsletter or if you would like him to speak at your next event go to wwwcompletesellingcom John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year Sales Encyclopedia For permission to reprint e-mail johnchapincompletesellingcom

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support

MMG Insurance CoProgressive

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97 S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Search Results (Get A Quote) bull

Unlimited Prospects (Find An Agent) bullUnlimited Prospects (Get A Quote) bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $49

Bundle with Commercial Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support

MMG Insurance CoProgressive

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97 S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Search Results (Get A Quote) bull

Unlimited Prospects (Find An Agent) bullUnlimited Prospects (Get A Quote) bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $49

Bundle with Commercial Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Search Results (Get A Quote) bull

Unlimited Prospects (Find An Agent) bullUnlimited Prospects (Get A Quote) bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $49

Bundle with Commercial Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy

Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers

Contact your state association to learn more

or to receive a quote today

wwwindependentagentcomEOContact

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state copy Copyright 2014 by Consumer Agent Portal LLC All rights reserved

TrustedChoicecomPersonal Lines Advantage Subscription

With detailed agency profiles expanded consumer resources and comparative quoting TrustedChoicecom is unlike any other insurance website ndash and more new prospects are discovering that difference every month The Advantage subscription provides your agency with a variety of key benefits including a detailed agency profile preferred placement in agency search results unlimited pre-qualified prospects

Listings + ProfiLes AdvAntAge

Positioning

LeAd generAtion

Contact Information bullPersonalized Profile Page bullYour logo andor imagesContact informationPositioning statementAgency servicesTypes of insuranceCarriers representedSocial media links

Search Results (Find An Agent) Detailed

Search Results (Get A Quote) bull

Unlimited Prospects (Find An Agent) bullUnlimited Prospects (Get A Quote) bullEmail Notification bullset UP Cost $0MonthLy $49

Bundle with Commercial Lines and save

Advantage Subscription is now available through iwtrustedchoicecomor call our sales team at (855) 3720070 or email TC-SupportTrustedChoicecm

This offer is subject to change without notice

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

20

How to Handle Requests for Disclosure of Information About Your Insureds

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

One of the more frequent questions that we receive from insurance agents and brokers is the proper way to handle requests for the disclosure of information about their insureds If such a request is handled properly an agency or brokerage can minimize the likelihood of EampO claim or lawsuit In this issue of The EampO Corner we will review several procedures that an agency or brokerage should follow if faced with a request from an insurance company an insured an attorney or anyone else to disclose information regarding an insuredWhen an agency or brokerage receives any sort of request to provide information or documents regarding an insured the agency or brokerage should be sure to proceed with caution Such a request may potentially constitute a claim against the agency or brokerage or possibly contain facts which give rise to a possible claim both of which require that notice be given to an EampO insurer pursuant to the terms of its insurance policy Like other insurance policies EampO insurance policies require that insureds provide prompt notice of not only actual claims but also notice of any circumstances that may give rise to a potential claim For this reason we advise that when an agency or brokerage receives a request for any information about an insured it should promptly report the situation to its EampO insurer Doing so will ensure that if the situation eventually develops into an EampO claim or lawsuit the EampO insurer cannot assert that it was not timely notified of the situation As you can well imagine it is very difficult for an insurance agency or brokerage faced with a late notice situation under its own insurance policy to claim that it was not familiar with or did not understand the claims reporting requirements of the

policy Furthermore in many instances the EampO insurer will appoint counsel to assist the agency or brokerage in dealing with the request for the disclosure of informationOne of the more common requests we see in our practice is where an insurance agency or brokerage is asked by an insurance company to provide either information or documents concerning an insured One thing to keep in mind is that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a request made by an insurance company to disclose information regarding an insured it is usually in connection with the insurerrsquos investigation or denial of a claim Very often the insurance company will contact the agency or brokerage during the course of its claims investigation and request that the agency or brokerage provide either a written or recorded statement or copies of its file materials If the insurance company conducting the investigation is one that the agency or brokerage has an agency agreement or an ongoing relationship with the insurance company may take the position that the agency or brokerage is obligated to provide the requested information Any agency or brokerage faced with this situation must remember that under most circumstances it is under no obligation to provide this information Additionally if this information is provided to the insurance company by the agency or brokerage and is subsequently used as a basis for the denial of an insuredrsquos claim it is quite likely that the agency or brokerage will become involved in any litigation arising out of the insurerrsquos denial of the claimOn a number of occasions agencies and brokerages are asked by the insureds themselves to provide information or documents from the files maintained by the agency or brokerage An insured however is not entitled to obtain copies of file materials maintained by the agency

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

21

or brokerage that relate to his or her insurance Those documents constitute the business records of the agency or brokerage and as such are the property of the agency or brokerage We understand that when an insured requests information or copies of documents from the insuredrsquos files that the agency or brokerage may be inclined to provide that information in order to foster good will and maintain the relationship Accordingly we advise that if an agency or brokerage is faced with such a situation and wants to comply with the request it should do so on a limited basis and provide the insured with only those documents that the insured would have received in the ordinary course of the relationship For example the agency or brokerage may provide the insured with copies of insurance policies endorsements certificates of insurance letters and other communications with the insured However the agency or brokerage should not disclose to the insured such items as notes computer records from the agency management system or internal memoranda In our experience an insured will most often request copies of these items only if they are trying to determine whether to bring a claim or lawsuit against the insurance company or the insurance agency or brokerage Furthermore if the agency or brokerage receives a request for information or file materials from an attorney for an insured this should likewise be reported to the EampO insurer Our experience has shown that when an insured goes so far as to enlist the services of an attorney to inquire into the practices of an insurance company or the agency or brokerage an EampO claim or lawsuit is likely to followAs you could imagine an agency or brokerage should proceed most cautiously when it is served with a subpoena seeking information or documents Although the agency or brokerage may simply be a non-party to the legal proceeding in which the subpoena was served a legal proceeding is in fact pending and it is very easy for the agency or brokerage

to be added as a party to that proceeding We often see agencies and brokerages served with subpoenas simply choose to comply and provide the requested testimony or documents without the assistance of an attorney While it is true that an agency or brokerage that is properly served with a valid subpoena has an obligation to comply or risk being held in contempt of court we recommend that an attorney always be involved to assist in this situation Many times a subpoena is defective in some manner because the attorney who served it either failed to comply with the strict legal requirement governing the manner in which service may be made or the information that may be requested If an agency or brokerage simply complies with a subpoena without the assistance of an attorney they may be providing information that it is not required to be disclosed and therefore be putting itself at risk of becoming involved in an EampO claim or lawsuitOur final recommendation on this topic is that every agency and brokerage should make certain that all employees are aware of the procedures to be followed if the agency or brokerage receives a request to disclose information concerning an insured We suggest that all such inquiries be directed to one person at the agency or brokerage so that the requests are handled properly and consistently The prudent insurance agency or brokerage that follows the few simple steps we have outlined above can help reduce the likelihood that the request for information will develop into something more serious such as an EampO claim or lawsuitThe law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom

VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group

Everything you insure is on your shoulders

Who do you trust to have your back

For a quote or for more information contact Helen Collins at hcollinsviaaorg or 1-844-609-1481wwwiiabaneteohappens

VIAS is a subsidiary of Vermont Insurance Agents Association viaaorg

The products you need

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Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

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Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

The products you need

247 claims

Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

24

Agency NewsAgency NewsOhio Mutualrsquos Issuer Credit Rating Upgraded by AM Best

BUCYRUS OH ndash Insurance rating organization AM Best has issued its annual rating ofOhio Mutualrsquos financial strength upgrading its issuer credit rating (ICR) to ldquoa+rdquo after three years rd as ldquoardquo and reaffirming the companyrsquos financial strength rating (FSR) of ldquoArdquo (Excellent) for the 23 consecutive yearThe ratings include the three companies included in the OMIG intercompany pool Ohio-domiciled Ohio Mutual Insurance Company its wholly owned subsidiary United Ohio Insurance Company and Maine-domiciled Casco Indemnity CompanyIn sharing its rating rationale AM Best states ldquoOMIGrsquos positive rating factors are derived from its moderate underwriting leverage conservative investment risk profile and solid regional market presencerdquo While recognizing the companyrsquos weather-related risks Best acknowledged that ldquodespite weather-related issues OMIG continued to produce pre-tax operating gains and positive net income in each of the past five yearsrdquo and noted that ldquoOMIGrsquos five-year pre-tax returns on revenue and equity have

outperformed the private passenger standard auto and homeowners composite averagerdquoldquoThis increased rating from AM Best reflects both the financial and operational profiles ofOhio Mutual as a solid stable company with a bright futurerdquo said the companyrsquos President amp CEO Jim Kennedy ldquoAs this is the final rating review under my leadership tenure Irsquom particularly encouraged to see the upgraded ICR rating from AM Best which is tangible acknowledgement of Ohio Mutualrsquos strong operating performance in recent yearsrdquoFounded in 1899 AM Best Company is the worldrsquos oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source More information is available at wwwambestcomOhio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Ohio Indiana Maine Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut and Rhode Island Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

Company News

The products you need

247 claims

Best in class quote and issue platform

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

100 dedicated underwriter

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most

Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance

Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

24

Agency NewsAgency NewsOhio Mutualrsquos Issuer Credit Rating Upgraded by AM Best

BUCYRUS OH ndash Insurance rating organization AM Best has issued its annual rating ofOhio Mutualrsquos financial strength upgrading its issuer credit rating (ICR) to ldquoa+rdquo after three years rd as ldquoardquo and reaffirming the companyrsquos financial strength rating (FSR) of ldquoArdquo (Excellent) for the 23 consecutive yearThe ratings include the three companies included in the OMIG intercompany pool Ohio-domiciled Ohio Mutual Insurance Company its wholly owned subsidiary United Ohio Insurance Company and Maine-domiciled Casco Indemnity CompanyIn sharing its rating rationale AM Best states ldquoOMIGrsquos positive rating factors are derived from its moderate underwriting leverage conservative investment risk profile and solid regional market presencerdquo While recognizing the companyrsquos weather-related risks Best acknowledged that ldquodespite weather-related issues OMIG continued to produce pre-tax operating gains and positive net income in each of the past five yearsrdquo and noted that ldquoOMIGrsquos five-year pre-tax returns on revenue and equity have

outperformed the private passenger standard auto and homeowners composite averagerdquoldquoThis increased rating from AM Best reflects both the financial and operational profiles ofOhio Mutual as a solid stable company with a bright futurerdquo said the companyrsquos President amp CEO Jim Kennedy ldquoAs this is the final rating review under my leadership tenure Irsquom particularly encouraged to see the upgraded ICR rating from AM Best which is tangible acknowledgement of Ohio Mutualrsquos strong operating performance in recent yearsrdquoFounded in 1899 AM Best Company is the worldrsquos oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source More information is available at wwwambestcomOhio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Ohio Indiana Maine Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut and Rhode Island Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

Company News

24

Agency NewsAgency NewsOhio Mutualrsquos Issuer Credit Rating Upgraded by AM Best

BUCYRUS OH ndash Insurance rating organization AM Best has issued its annual rating ofOhio Mutualrsquos financial strength upgrading its issuer credit rating (ICR) to ldquoa+rdquo after three years rd as ldquoardquo and reaffirming the companyrsquos financial strength rating (FSR) of ldquoArdquo (Excellent) for the 23 consecutive yearThe ratings include the three companies included in the OMIG intercompany pool Ohio-domiciled Ohio Mutual Insurance Company its wholly owned subsidiary United Ohio Insurance Company and Maine-domiciled Casco Indemnity CompanyIn sharing its rating rationale AM Best states ldquoOMIGrsquos positive rating factors are derived from its moderate underwriting leverage conservative investment risk profile and solid regional market presencerdquo While recognizing the companyrsquos weather-related risks Best acknowledged that ldquodespite weather-related issues OMIG continued to produce pre-tax operating gains and positive net income in each of the past five yearsrdquo and noted that ldquoOMIGrsquos five-year pre-tax returns on revenue and equity have

outperformed the private passenger standard auto and homeowners composite averagerdquoldquoThis increased rating from AM Best reflects both the financial and operational profiles ofOhio Mutual as a solid stable company with a bright futurerdquo said the companyrsquos President amp CEO Jim Kennedy ldquoAs this is the final rating review under my leadership tenure Irsquom particularly encouraged to see the upgraded ICR rating from AM Best which is tangible acknowledgement of Ohio Mutualrsquos strong operating performance in recent yearsrdquoFounded in 1899 AM Best Company is the worldrsquos oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source More information is available at wwwambestcomOhio Mutual Insurance Group founded in 1901 and based in Bucyrus OH partners with nearly 400 independent agencies to distribute quality property and casualty insurance products throughout Ohio Indiana Maine Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut and Rhode Island Additional company information is available at wwwomigcom

Company News

25

Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group Appointed to The Hanoverrsquos Presidentrsquos Club

The Hanover Insurance Group a leading provider of property and casualty insurance products and services nationwide recently honored Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group with an appointment to its Presidentrsquos Club an elite group of independent insurance agencies from across the country Presidentrsquos Club agencies meet the highest level of standards with regard to the agencyrsquos ability to deliver value to customers through strong insurance expertise and responsive service The Hanover partners with only 2200 out of a total of 35000 total independent agents in the country Across The Hanoverrsquos agents an elite group of only 125 are honored in its Presidentrsquos Club each year as the companyrsquos top performers ldquoThe Hanover has always partnered with the best independent agents in the country who provide real value and outstanding service for their customersrdquo said Frederick H Eppinger president and chief executive officer of The Hanover ldquoHickok amp Boardman Insurance Group exemplifies what it means to be a truly professional independent agent providing expert insurance advice dedicated service and a broad range of products to meet the needs of its customersrdquoThe agency will be formally recognized for its Presidentrsquos Club achievement at a national business conference sponsored by The HanoverldquoWe are proud to have earned the honor of The Hanoverrsquos Presidentrsquos Club said Scott Boardman President at Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group ldquoThis achievement is a reflection of the successful partnership we have developed with The Hanover through which we offer specialized and innovative insurance products to meet our customersrsquo unique needs We are very pleased that The Hanover has

recognized our team for its excellent work and dedication on behalf of our customersrdquoThe Hanover ndash At a Glancebull One of the largest and fastest growing

property and casualty insurers in the USbull Specialized products that meet the needs

of families individuals and businesses bull Since 1852 distributing products through

the best independent agents in the US Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is a locally owned and operated insurance agency offering business and personal insurance founded in 1821 with offices in Burlington Lyndonville Montpelier St Albans and Stowe

Agency News

Contact

Robert F GlassSenior Vice President of Products and Distribution

MARKETINGMolly RossDirector of Marketing

Carolyn S IxRegional Vice President

Jeffrey S McLaughlinSenior Marketing Representative

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies offer agent support and customer service that is ldquoSecond to Nonerdquo with a complete line of competitively-priced personal and commercial products We proudly serve all six New England States and the State of New York providing peace of mind for our 100000+ policyholders

wwwunionmutualcom

PERSONAL INSURANCEbull Homeowner (including Inland Marine)bull Autobull Umbrellabull Flood Programbull Dwelling Fire

COMMERCIAL INSURANCEbull Businessowner (including Inland Marine)bull Autobull Umbrellabull Flood Program

UNDERWRITINGGeoff J SmithDirector of Underwriting

PERSONAL LINESFrancine C BoulangerStephanie J RichardsonDiane T Shadroui

COMMERCIAL LINESJoanie M Smith Laurie L TatroKim M Whitcomb

• Bookmark 3

Contact

Robert F GlassSenior Vice President of Products and Distribution

MARKETINGMolly RossDirector of Marketing

Carolyn S IxRegional Vice President

Jeffrey S McLaughlinSenior Marketing Representative

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies offer agent support and customer service that is ldquoSecond to Nonerdquo with a complete line of competitively-priced personal and commercial products We proudly serve all six New England States and the State of New York providing peace of mind for our 100000+ policyholders

wwwunionmutualcom

PERSONAL INSURANCEbull Homeowner (including Inland Marine)bull Autobull Umbrellabull Flood Programbull Dwelling Fire

COMMERCIAL INSURANCEbull Businessowner (including Inland Marine)bull Autobull Umbrellabull Flood Program

UNDERWRITINGGeoff J SmithDirector of Underwriting

PERSONAL LINESFrancine C BoulangerStephanie J RichardsonDiane T Shadroui

COMMERCIAL LINESJoanie M Smith Laurie L TatroKim M Whitcomb

• Bookmark 3