aianc's street wise - february 2013

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.AutoInsuranceAgentsNC.com

AIANC’s STREET WISE February, 2013

STREET WISE Alliance of Insurance Agents of NC

8 Ways to Make Your Website Compelling

In this edition

8 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE

COMPELLING .................................. 1

GET A COMPLIMENTARY WEBSITE &

MARKETING ASSESSMENT .............. 2

YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: BE

NICE .............................................. 4

THE TOP FIVE SALES MYTHS .......... 8

LIMRA: AMERICANS HAVE

RUDIMENTARY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT

LIFE INSURANCE........................... 12

7 WAYS TO KILL YOUR LOCAL

SEARCH RANKINGS WITHOUT

TOUCHING A COMPUTER ............... 14

VALUATION FORMULAS FOR

AGENCY PURCHASES AND

START UPS ............................... 21

BE READY FOR NEW REGULATIONS

IN 2013 ........................................ 24

WHAT IS A MOBILE SITE AND WHY DO

YOU NEED ONE? ........................... 29

NC DOI COMMISSIONER GOODWIN

................................................... 32

by Steve Anderson

Your insurance organization's website is your electronic “storefront.” It is an important foundation for maximizing your Internet presence. As you develop your online marketing presence, you will likely send prospects to your website. Your website needs to be designed to provide prospects and customers with the information they want so you can keep them coming back for more.

So take a look at your existing website and ask yourself a few questions:

1) Where do your eyes go first?

You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of people who come to your site. Make sure they're seeing something relevant and important to them.

2) Can they tell what your website is about?

If you are using various marketing methods (Google Places, Facebook Pages and Ads, emails, updated content) to bring people to your site, you need to make your site is very clear on what you want them to do there.

Continued on page 2

http://taareport.com/taar/2011/03/maximizing-your-internet-presence.html

http://taareport.com/taar/2011/03/maximizing-your-internet-presence.html



8 Ways to make your Website compelling

Continued from page 1

Again, you only have a few seconds to communicate what makes you different than anyone else, so be clear and compelling.

3) Is important information above the fold?

“Above the fold” is an old newspaper term that references information that is on the top half of the page. Use the same principle on your agency website. Make the important information that will grab your visitors attention is viewable without needing to scroll down the page. And make sure you are using this space wisely. Do you really want to waste this valuable space with a big picture?

4) Are the benefits highlighted?

Your website visitors want to quickly learn “what's in it for them.” Spell out the benefits of the products and services you offer clearly on the website homepage.

5) Does the prospect know what to do next?

In direct response marketing terms this is a “call to action.” If you have piqued the visitor's interest and they want more information, or if they want a quote, or maybe they want to sign-up for your newsletter -- is it crystal clear what they should do next? It could be to fill out a simple form to subscribe to the agency newsletter, or simply download your special report on "5 Ways to Save Money on Your Insurance".

6) Are the colors and font distracting?

Jarring colors, quick animation, and gaudy fonts can really be distracting. And if your visitors are distracted, they'll quickly click away. Be especially careful of audio or video content that automatically starts playing when they come to the site. This is the fastest way to get them to leave.

7) Do they feel personally connected?

People buy from people they like, not machines or websites. Connect with your prospects by being honest, straightforward, and using a conversational style. Show some personality and that insurance doesn’t have to be boring.

8) Are there links to social platforms?

Many prospects will want to do more research about you and your agency before taking the next step.

Providing links to different social platforms where the agency has a presence gives your potential new customer another glimpse into your agency. And hopefully you have included some testimonials from satisfied customers.

Ask different people their opinion. Ask staff for their input as well as clients and friends and family. You may not be able to see flaws in your agency website that others will highlight.

Once you determine a few areas where you can improve, develop a plan to start implementing changes. You don't have to do them all at once—just do a few at a time until you have a website that really works.

Steve Anderson is the leading authority on insurance agency technology. He is a prolific writer known for his knack for translating “geek speak” into easily understood concepts. Check out his free weekly newsletter “TechTips” and other resources for the insurance industry on his website.

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Assessment

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• A full diagnostic of your website and opportunities to improve

• How your marketing compares against your competitors

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The Shepard Letter

Your Competitive Advantage: Be Nice

A Common Sense Customer Service Tactic

The other night I did a speech that was more about motivation than it was about business and customer service. The audience included college students in their teens and 20’s, people in the prime of their business careers and retired people. The client asked me to deliver a simple message about going from being average to being amazing.

If you’ve been reading my customer service articles or watching my weekly videos on YouTube, then you know my definition of being amazing is about consistently being better than average. And above average means exactly that.

You don’t have to be over-the-top amazing. No, you just have to be a little better than average. The key is to be better than average, all of the time. That’s what amazement is about. It is consistency that makes being above average, even just a little above average, amazing.

So, I shared five amazement tactics, and it was the fifth and final tactic that created a surprising response, and the subject of this article. And, it was simple:

Be nice.

The reaction from the audience was surprising. They unexpectedly applauded. I wondered why they would applaud at something so simple – something that seemed like just common sense. More on that in just a moment. Continued on page 6

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Don’t be satisfied with being good at your job. Be the best, and you’ll be indispensable. Experts have consistently found that after a certain point, money ceases to be a motivator. Even though you may not yet have reached that point, if you are honest with yourself, you will probably find that money is only one of many considerations. When asked if they would continue doing what they do even though it didn’t pay well, most highly successful people reply, “Absolutely. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love what I’m doing.” One of the surest ways to climb the ladder of success is to choose a job that you would do even if you didn’t earn much at it. When you are working because you like what you do, the money will follow. You will become such a rare commodity that others will compete for your services — and pay you handsomely for them.

Remember that no one is ever rewarded or promoted because of a bad disposition and a negative mental attitude. If you really examine any well-managed organization, you will find that the people who are most successful are those who are positive and helpful, people who always find the time to offer encouragement and praise when it is deserved. The people who occupy the top positions are almost always happy, enthusiastic people who encourage others to behave in the same way. Yet there are always a few individuals who never seem to get the message and behave as though they can complain their way to the top. There isn’t a single situation in your career, your relationships with others, or in your personal life that benefits from a negative attitude. All will be greatly improved if you make it a practice to approach life in a positive way.



Your Competitive Advantage: Be Nice


I went on to explain what it took to be nice. I’ve written about this type of thing before, but here is the spin. Nice people do a number of things:

They are respectful of others.

They do what they say they are going to do. You can count on them.

They show up on time, respecting the time of others.

They are polite. They say, please and thank you.

And, speaking of thank you, they write thank you notes.

That last point, writing thank you notes, was a call-back to the beginning of the speech when I talked about how my parents taught me to do the right thing. That started when my mom made me write thank you notes to anyone that gave me a gift. That was a great lesson, taught at a very young age, about doing the right thing; being nice and showing appreciation to people who are nice to you.

After the speech I asked my wife, who was in the audience, why she thought the audience applauded. She said that so many people aren’t nice. It’s not that they are rude or mean, although sometimes they are. No, they just don’t smile and say thank you. And, when you encounter someone who is nice, you feel so much better about doing business with them.

In business, being nice is part of delivering customer service. It’s the positive attitude, the respect you show to the customer, and the way you make them feel appreciated. It’s an essential part of any customer service strategy. The best system isn’t complete without the positive feelings the customer experiences from doing business with you.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314) 692-2200 or http://www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to http://www.thecustomerfocus.com/. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken (Copyright © MMXII, Shep Hyken)

http://www.hyken.com/



http://www.thecustomerfocus.com/





http://www.twitter.com/hyken

Untitled-2 1 2/6/13 9:58:05 AM



The Top Five Sales Myths

by John Chapin

As someone who has been in sales for over 24 years, and now as a sales trainer, speaker and coach, I continually hear debate over the following five sales myths. In this article I will expose and throw light on these top sales fairy tales.

The Top Five Sales Myths Debunked Sales Myth #1: Sales is NOT a numbers game. The more people you talk to, the more business you

will do, even a blind squirrel finds a nut if it keeps looking. Granted, you want quality behind the numbers and, depending upon your business, it may be helpful to do some research on the person you’re calling before you call. That said, in order to be successful in sales you need lots of good solid relationships and the only way to get those relationships is to go out and talk to lots of people. The bottom line is: if you talk to enough people during the day, you will eventually run into someone who says, “I need what you have” or “I know someone who needs what you have.” Know the number of people you need to talk to during the day in order to be successful and then go out and talk to that many people and more.

Sales Myth #2: Cold calling is a waste of time and doesn’t work.

In over 24+ years I’ve built four different businesses primarily through cold calling. Cold calling is simply the fastest, most pro-active way to get leads. The reality is: if you are new in business or struggling, it’s more than likely you don’t have enough leads and you’re not getting enough through networking, referrals, and other sources... Time to cold call. Yes, cold calling is the most difficult, most time consuming task you can do, yet unless you have millions of dollars to spend on marketing campaigns, cold calling yields results like no other prospecting method.

Also, cold calling builds character and keeps you grounded. The reality is: if you can cold call effectively and with confidence, nothing will stop you, you will be able to do any other sales task you need to do in order to be successful. That is why I recommend you never stop cold calling even when you are extremely successful. Granted, you may only make one or two cold calls a week at that point, but this will keep you sharp and on your toes.

Continued on page 10

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The Top Five Sales Myths

Sales Myth #3: Friday afternoon is a bad time to call on prospects and clients.

Most salespeople believe that prospects either take Friday afternoons off or, if they do work, that they don’t want to be bothered by salespeople at this time. This is simply not true. Not only do most prospects work on Friday afternoons, they are also in a better mood at this time than at any other time during the week. As a result, Friday afternoon is a great time to prospect and close business. In addition, because most salespeople don’t make calls at this time, you will stand out as someone who is dedicated and hard-working. The bottom line is: Friday afternoon is one of the best times to prospect and close business.

Sales Myth #4: A good salesperson can sell ice to Eskimos.

The premise here is that a good salesperson could sell someone on something that is so obviously not needed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Top salespeople, over the long haul, don’t take advantage of people by selling them something they don’t need. Top salespeople make it all about the other person and they always do what is best for them, even to the point of sending someone to the competition on rare occasions.

That said, are their some “temporary” sales successes who take advantage of people and make lots of sales by selling them items they don’t need? Yes. But in the long-term those people get caught, burn out, find that their personal lives in shambles, or a combination of all of these. The bottom line is: you can’t take advantage of people for long and live a happy, fulfilling, successful life. The top salespeople are honest, have integrity, and focus completely on the other person. They only make the sale if it is a win-win.

Sales Myth #5: The customer ISN’T always right.

Salespeople I’ve seen with this attitude seem to have a chip on their shoulder. It’s an attitude of arrogance in which they seem to believe the customer should be privileged to be doing business with them as opposed to the other way around. If you have a mindset that the customer isn’t always right, chances are great that you will not go above and beyond, you will not do more than expected, and you will not deliver top-notch, second-to-none follow-up and service after the sale.

If you do not do everything within your power to ensure the customer has a great experience, odds are they will have a mediocre experience at best and you will never stand out. That said, is the customer always right? No, but you’d better walk into that conversation convinced they are, or they will pick up on your suspicion and indifference quickly and as opposed to running into that 1% of unreasonable people, you’ll find the number closer to 50%.

For access to John's free monthly newsletter and white paper on what it takes to be successful in sales, visit John's website at http://www.completeselling.com

Have a sales question? E-mail John at [email protected] John Chapin’s specialty is helping salespeople and sales teams double sales in 12 months. He is an award-winning sales speaker, trainer and coach, a number one sales rep in three industries, and the primary author of the gold-medal winning "Sales Encyclopedia". In his 24+ years of sales, customer service and management experience, he has thrived in some of the toughest markets and economies.

For permission to reprint, or to reach John, email him at [email protected].

John Chapin

Complete Selling, Inc.

Helping you find and get all the business you want

Cell: 508-243-7359

[email protected]

www.completeselling.com

LINKEDIN: once logged in find me under: johnchapin1

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/johnjchapin

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/johnjchapin

# 1 Sales Rep in 3 industries, Author of the gold-medal winning SALES ENCYCLOPEDIA - The most comprehensive "how-to" guide on selling.

The con man works harder and pays more for what he gets out of life than any other person, but he kids himself into believing he is getting something for nothing.

There is a fundamental rule in sales: You must sell yourself first before you can effectively sell others. If you can’t believe in the value of your products or service, no one else will either. If you are conning others into an unfair deal, you must work mightily to overcome your internal resistance to doing something wrong. A deal is a good one only when it is good for everyone involved. When each participant has an equal opportunity to profit and the risk is shared among partners who care about one another’s welfare, not only is the likelihood of success far greater, but the journey toward it will also be much more enjoyable.

This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. We encourage you to forward this to friends and family. They can sign up for this free service at our web site: http://www.naphill.org.

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LIMRA: Americans Have Rudimentary Knowledge About Life Insurance

LIMRA Researchers Test Americans’ Life Insurance IQ – 70 Percent Fail

WINDSOR, Conn., Jan. 17, 2012—Recently, LIMRA provided a life insurance IQ test to 4,000 Americans to gauge their knowledge and understanding of life insurance. Less than a third (1,200) passed the 10-question exam and the majority (55 percent) answered fewer than five questions correctly.

“In addition to identifying the aspects of life insurance that consumers understand and where consumers admit to being in the dark, the study also shed light on some widespread misperceptions,” said Jennifer Douglas, LIMRA associate research director for strategic and developmental research. “With life insurance ownership at an all-time low, it is important that the industry not only overcome consumers’ lack of knowledge about life insurance but address the misinformation that is out there confusing them and possibly having a negative impact on their image of the industry.”

LIMRA researchers identified a number of factors that were associated with higher life insurance IQs among the survey respondents:

• If the person cited multiple sources of information attributing to their understanding of life insurance

• If the person owns individual life coverage

• If the person’s primary source of information is through their occupation, some sort of seminar, or a financial planner

• If the person is older

• If the person has a higher degree of confidence in the life insurance industry

• If the person has a higher level of education

• If the person has higher household investible assets

• If the person is male

• If the person views life insurance as important

Less than one percent of those surveyed answered all ten questions correctly. (Take the quiz and compare your knowledge).

What does this mean for the industry?

“One of the top reasons consumers give about why they don’t buy life insurance is because it is ‘too confusing,’” noted Douglas. “The study shows that consumers with a better understanding of life insurance have a higher level of confidence in insurance companies than those less knowledgeable about life insurance. The study offers companies an in-depth view on what consumers know and the factors that contribute to better understanding of life insurance, helping them take the right steps to increase Americans’ comfort level with the industry and its products.”

Please feel free to share the link to our quiz with your readers: www.limra.com/NewsCenter/LIIQ.

LIMRA, a worldwide research, consulting and professional development organization, is the trusted source of industry knowledge, helping more than 850 insurance and financial services companies in 73 countries increase their marketing and distribution effectiveness. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

Catherine Theroux | Director | Public Relations | LIMRA | 300 Day Hill Road | Windsor, CT 06095 | Office: 860-285-7787| Cell: 703-447-3257

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Facts from LIMRA Americans Know they Need Life Insurance – the Trick Is Getting Them to Buy

According to LIMRA’s research, almost 9 in 10 Americans view life insurance as a necessity. In addition, life insurance beat out all other sources of financial assets or income that Americans expect to use to help pay bills, and to maintain their lifestyle if the primary wage earner dies. Yet, in 2011 only 59 percent of individuals LIMRA surveyed said they actually own some sort of life insurance and half of American households said they needed more life insurance. How does the industry bridge this gap and help people protect their loved ones? Over the past two years, only 22 percent of U.S. households seriously shopped for life insurance. Of those, 41 percent said life triggers — getting married, buying a home, having or adopting a baby, receiving substantial assets, or experiencing the death of a relative or close friend — were the reasons they began to shop for life insurance. But even life events only propelled a little more than half of those who shopped to buy. Why aren’t these people buying life insurance they feel they need? Many don’t know how much life insurance or what kind to buy. LIMRA has found that this indecision leads consumers to procrastination. LIMRA research has revealed four things producers can do to help shoppers become buyers: Conduct a needs analysis with clients and prospects. Consumers who get one

are “considerably more likely to buy” than consumers who don’t. What’s more, producers who recommend an amount of insurance to buy ultimately sell more policies, at a 60 percent higher coverage level.

Meet directly with clients. Clients who meet with producers face-to-face buy policies70 percent of the time.

Raise the issue. One-quarter of life insurance shoppers consider life insurance only after an agent or advisor initiated the discussion.

Be persistent with follow-up. More than one-third of shoppers said the producer should have followed up with them while they were still deciding whether to buy.

Buying life insurance is an act of love. Make sure your clients protect the ones they love by ensuring they have the appropriate amount of life insurance.

All facts are from LIMRA’s life insurance consumer studies.



7 Ways to Kill Your Local Search Rankings without Touching a Computer

There are a million online misadventures that can snuff out your business’s rankings in local search – in the Google+Local (AKA Google Places) search results and everywhere else.

Attempts to spam or deceive Google usually backfire. You can also destroy your rankings through sheer laziness – like if you never update any of your business information or never bother to understand Google’s quality guidelines.

You may be aware of what online actions can hurt your local rankings. Maybe you’ve learned the hard way.

But there also are offline ways you can kill your local rankings. Simply not doing anything stupid or naughty in your local SEO campaign isn’t enough. You can lose local visibility and local customers without ever touching your computer (or smartphone or iPad). To be more precise, I can think of 7 ways:

Offline Way to Die Online #1: Relocate,

rename, or use a new phone number without updating your Google+Local page or other business listings to reflect the change(s).

By “update” I mean you must do two things: (1) update all your business listings with the new info, and (2) scour the web for listings (AKA citations) that list your old info. (By the way, doing a free GetListed.org scan can be a huge help when you get to this step.)

If you fail to do the above, you may be OK…for a little while. After some months a major third-party data source (most likely InfoGroup) will catch wind of the change and create new listings for your business with the new info.

This will cause your business to have inconsistent info spread all over the web – which itself is a rankings-killer – and may cause Google to create unwanted and inaccurate Google+Local pages for your business (another rankings killer).

Offline Way to Die Online #2: Get a phony

address, like a PO box, UPS box, or virtual office. Eventually your fake-o address will enter the local-search “ecosystem” (in the way I described above) and you’ll end up with inconsistent business info all over the web, penalties from Google, or both.

(It’s likely that the only reason you’d want a phony address in the first place is so you can try to game Google – so it’s likely your rankings won’t die with you unplugged. More likely, you’ll try to update your listing(s)

with the fake address and end up getting flagged by a competitor or “good citizen.”)

Offline Way to Die Online #3: Mistreat your

customers and get slammed with bad reviews. This probably won’t have a direct effect on your rankings unless you have dozens or hundreds of scathing reviews, BUT it may affect your rankings indirectly.

For instance, nobody knows for sure whether click-through rate (i.e. the percentage of people who see your business listed in Google and click on it) is a factor that Google takes into account when sorting out the local rankings. But Google does “know” a bunch of user-engagement stats. If people simply don’t click on your listing because they see a 10/30 average Google rating, or if nobody clicks your link from (say) your Yelp listing because you have a 1-star average, Google may very well take your rankings down a peg.

Also, although “social signals” like Facebook shares, tweets, and Google +1s don’t seem to affect your local ranking much or at all as of this writing, they most likely will become a stronger ranking factor in the future. If potential customers are scared off by bad reviews, you’ve got fewer opportunities to get social shares.

Most of all, at the end of the day, it’s about getting people to pick up the phone. You can’t do that very easily if nobody clicks on your Google+Local page or website because your reviews/ratings are so dismal.

By the way, you get bonus idiot points if you get hammered with bad reviews but don’t write thoughtful “replies from the owner” because you never check up on the sites where you’re listed or simply don’t care.

Offline Way to Die Online #4: Hire and fire

an unethical SEO. He or she has access to your Google+Local page or other listings (and maybe even your website), and may do something nefarious or simply not hand over your command codes.

Offline Way to Die Online #5: Let your

domain name or hosting expire (thanks to Chris Silver Smith for this one). True, technically you don’t need a website to rank in the Google+Local or other search results. But if you don’t have one, you’re shooting yourself in the foot, because many local-search ranking factors depend on your website. If you’re in a competitive local market, forget it: without a site you’ll fare about as well as Lance Armstrong in a polygraph test.




7 Ways to Kill Your Local Search Rankings


Offline Way to Die Online #6: Never grow

your site. No, I’m not talking about updating the copyright at the bottom of your website so that it no longer reads “© 2002.” I’m talking about keeping a “static” website to which you rarely or never add useful, non-promotional info that might cause a potential customer to think “Hey, that was handy.”

Not only does Google know when a website is an online paperweight and reflect that fact in your rankings, but if your site is devoid of fresh, helpful info, nobody will link to you, share your site, or give you a juicy unstructured citation or review.

If you’re going to rank well, your site needs to show signs of life.

Offline Way to Die Online #7: Never check

your Google+Local page and other listings. They say a watched pot never boils. The corollary is that an unwatched pot can eventually boil over or boil until there’s no water left.

Things will happen to your online local presence, whether you know it or not – and probably not all of those things will be good. Sometimes you’ll need to fix or remove inaccurate info on your listings, respond to reviews, or double-check your Google+Local page or website is compliant with the Google update du jour.

But you can’t fix any problems if you never know about them.

By the way, there’s no offline way to fix most of the above problems, if they become problems for you. The solutions involve getting with the times, getting on the computer (or tablet), learning a little bit of local SEO (as you’re doing now!), and getting your hands a little dirty. That will help you get or stay visible to local customers and to keep the phone ringing.

Any other offline “ways to die” you can think of? Any questions or general suggestions?

Phil

www.localvisibilitysystem.com

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Where You Reside

Catastrophic Homeowners Policy ‘Exclusion’

You may wish to read the entire white paper at http://www.independentagent.com/Education/VU/Pages/featured-resources/reside/where-you-reside.aspx

We encourage the use of this information to inform agents, insurers, regulators, media, and consumers, and, as warranted, to seek resolution of this potential problem.

Most homeowners policies provide coverage for the dwelling on the “residence premises.” The term “residence premises” is typically defined to include the dwelling “where you reside.” The question is, what happens if you no longer (or never) reside(d) there?

The cost to rebuild the average home in the United States is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000. For most Americans, this is by far their most valuable asset. In order to protect that asset from loss, most consumers insure the replacement cost of their homes with a homeowners policy. Most homeowners policies cover the dwelling “where ‘you’ reside.”

According to some interpretations and courts, if ‘you’ no longer reside in the dwelling, coverage on that structure immediately terminates. If you never resided in the dwelling, coverage may never have attached.

This gives rise to a number of circumstances that, if this school of thought is correct, may lead to a catastrophic coverage gap for such homeowners. This is evidenced by both court decisions and real life insurance claim denials.

For example, an elderly widow was admitted to a convalescence home to recuperate from some health problems in order to be able to return home and to self-sufficiency. Her home remained her legal address and her nonresident children cared for the home, though no one lived there during her presumably temporary stay at the health care facility. After a few months, her home was totally destroyed by fire. The insurance company denied the claim on the house on the basis that she did not reside there at the time of loss.

As another example, a home was damaged by Hurricane Gustav. The homeowners had temporarily vacated the premises during remodeling though they

visited the premises daily. The insurer denied the claim because the insureds were not residing there at the time of loss.

In one other example, the purchaser of a home renovated it before moving in. During the renovations, the house suffered a six-figure fire loss. The insurance company denied the claim because the insured had never resided in the house prior to the loss.

Each of these is a real-life claim where losses to homes were denied based on a lack of residency, to the complete surprise to the insured and the agent. There is no specific exclusion for damage to a home in most homeowners policies due to a lack of residency, yet there have been court cases where such denials were upheld. Our research has uncovered nine court cases that have concurred with similar claim denials (along with an equal number of judicial decisions overturning claim denials).

A nonresidency situation can arise unexpectedly due to illness or death, military deployment, foreclosures, relocations, etc. Even when it arises due to a routine sale, temporary rental, occupancy by a family member, divorce or separation, or transfer of ownership to a trust, given that there is no clear exclusion for most losses in most homeowners policies, most agents and virtually all insureds presume there is no coverage problem.

The purpose of the full white paper is to explore sixteen (16) very common “nonresidency” situations, the rationale for/against coverage, and potential solutions in jurisdictions where a coverage gap is presented. It is up to the reader to decide the best course of action in remedying these types of situations.

We encourage the use of this information to inform agents, insurers, regulators, media, and consumers, and, as warranted, to seek resolution of this potential problem.

200 Russell Court, Canton, GA 30114

Eddie K. Emmett, Publisher / Editor / Janitor

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Cell: (770) 312-2342 Fax: (770) 783-8226

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What is the difference between a seasoned insurance agent and mortgage broker? The agent works and the mortgage broker thinks he does!

There's a lot to be said for this stupid joke because it holds a bit of truth and

exposes the true value of you as a seasoned insurance professional. I'm assuming you consider yourself one - heeeehee. Clients come to you not only to offer good pricing but have to know about numerous coverages, exclusions and the true needs to your client. Understanding policy forms, client coverage needs and the applicable policies is part of our everyday life in the office. Quite a few formers agents and brokers who didn't cut in our business migrated there because they thought it would be easy money and it can be but how much training do you really need to tell clients what the current interest rate is?

In my opinion, the insurance agent provides much, much more of a service than mortgage brokers and realtors and this is the reason why clients will stick with an agency for decades. They know they can get solid advice and pricing from an independent agency who employees licensed, bonded and well trained insurance pros.

Recently, I have had some clients refinance their homes with a company called Cash Call and I updated their homeowners’ policies accordingly. The one thing that these customers had in common with Cash Call was their complaints on how bad the service was. I suppose you get what you pay for. Mortgages are a necessity but it's not an industry that requires a whole lot of business savvy.

Basically, a cheap rate is teased for the best credit scoring clients and this entices customers to call. I wish insurance was that easy but it's not. If you are representing viable and long term clients who have assets, your expertise is required and you have to know what you're doing or somebody will be representing your clients instead of you. So many people came into our industry when the broker fees were easy to collect and now that trend has faded.

Many of those same people realized the party was over and were looking for other easy, get-paid-quick occupations and they either end up being mortgage brokers or realtors.

I take a lot of pride in the industry we all call our occupations. Commercial producers have a particularly difficult task when they insure a client. You can have 2 cabinet shops with the same gross income per year and their premiums could be thousands of dollars different.

Some shops assemble and manufacture on the premises in additional to milling the wood and they may have other operations within the business that presents another risk factor which changes the premium dramatically. These are the real professionals of our industry and those who handle clients with numerous real estate holdings and assets. It's your job to continuously monitor their needs.

Slamming a loan together is a wham bam thank you mam one shot and after it closes, the client is often forgotten unless they need another loan. I'm trying to find some value in that line of work but it is very similar to selling used cars. The relationship often ends after the loan is funded and the broker makes his commission.

Health and life agents and brokers have even more difficult tasks in keeping up with all the current rules and regulations within their field of expertise; as a matter of fact, noncompliance in some situations can lead to huge fines! How do you like that incentive to be current?

Your P&C and Life/Health licenses allow you to explore many avenues and when you do it right, you're rewarded with not only that business but inevitably they ask you to help them with other policies. After writing thousands of policies in the preferred tier, at this point I have well over 2300 clients and most of them have multiple policies. It's like having a pot of gold in a filing cabinet and these clients religiously renew every year.

But then again, I am easy to find especially by email. You'll find that today's technological level of communication has changed purchasing habits tremendously. Being quick, thorough and reachable is the key. Are you waiting till tomorrow to check that voice mail? WRONG! Waiting to call that client back to give them a quote in a day or two? WRONG. The faster you email them a formatted and complete quote with stylish fonts and easy to read explanations, the faster you will see that book grow. Perspective clients are very much impressed with speed service.

We hear it all the time how great a company’s service is and then you test them only to find them falling short of your expectations. We are living in a world of nanoseconds and getting things done yesterday. That's what it takes these days.

Many of us get it but there are still those who stare at the phone expecting their lame yellow page ad to pay for itself. Hah....wake up. We're passing you by Mr. Old-school -I'll always have a double truck ad" dinosaur. Yep...there are still a few of these hanging by their teeth and the slow, financially painful regression continues until I eventually hear about them being for sale.

It's a story much like Groundhog Day...Groundhog Day....Groundhog Day.

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VALUATION FORMULAS FOR AGENCY PURCHASES AND START UPS

Inevitably, some producers decide to quite their job at the agency and decide that they can open their own. They think it’s just about

renting a space and getting a catchy agency name and phone numbers and the money will start rolling in. I would have to agree..........if it was 1993!! For you marketing representatives or producers who think this is the time to spin off and open your open business, I would like to give you a bit of a reality check and this is coming from somebody who did it but also sees and hears what is happening now with new business startups. If you have business knowledge or education, some money socked away and fiercely driven, I encourage you to go for it. I will assume you are personally good at sales and not planning on hiring anybody initially except for a part-time CSR. I will also assume you have previous experience in obtaining new business in something other than nonstandard auto insurance.

So why all the assumptions? This market is NOT for the inexperienced dreamers at all. It is a completed waste of their money and time and the insurance companies and general agencies that are considering appointments. The success stories that I have heard of and there are very few come from producers who have been in the business for at least 5 years or so and write multiple lines of insurance and they have a niche or a healthy marketing plan to attract new clients. They either buy leads, market specific affinity groups or advertise in key markets that they specialize in. Their success is almost a guarantee because they are opening a new business as a continuation of something they have already started. In a few cases, the agent owned her own book of business and was tired of working under the tight corporate umbrella of rules, expectations and production requirements. In another case, the producer worked with Golden 1 Credit Union members directly and had a healthy referral base. There aren't too many individuals out there that are this lucky but they are out there and coming into the market.

Lately, there has been a rash of 2-4 year old agency owners who want to sell off their relatively small book of nonstandard auto business and are surprised when they hear about the current valuations for their agency business. Several years ago when a few large broker fee bandit bucket shops sold their locations and books, they made a very good profit. The valuations and marketing outlook were much more positive then now and they were snapped up by a few aggregator companies who were building up their premium levels into the 10s of millions of dollars.

In a very short period of time, things have changed and a few of those aggregators have, in turn, sold off what they purchased. Brokers’ fees are minimal in most cases and the general public is much more aware of getting the best deal with many agencies charging NO fees at all. The cash flow chart went from a money maker to a break even scenario and the attraction was gone. Why else would anybody purchase large books of low-retention policies? It' all about the cash flow and growth. The product could be anything and all these investing groups care about is that they are making money - not breaking even or losing money. So what is the current valuation of a nonstandard auto agency? It's whatever somebody is willing to pay but when it comes down to it, an owner is lucky to get 1X the commissions for 1 year. Broker fees are not normally included in the formula since they can't be depended on to remain level - they have been shrinking.

I know...I hear you. There are still some agencies that are collecting broker and service fees regularly but it is not something that can be relied on. Eventually, customers get tired of paying the fees and move over to more reputable and non-fee charging agencies. This has been the trend and will continue to be. I wish it was like it was in the old days. All you had to do was place a yellow page ad and the phones would ring and ring. This is now a market for the strong willed, computer savvy and clever producers and principals. We utilize email the way we used to use the phone. We respond in a matter of minutes instead of hours to our clients’ needs and their quote requests and we rarely use a fax anymore. We use PDF files and scanners. Paper checks are rarely needed anymore because most insurers offer E-checks and credit card options. The better clients don't want to pay high billing fees and have much better retention. EFT clients are much better as well. As a matter of fact, when somebody offers to pay with a check, I'm leery especially when I tell them that we will use an E-Check program that will sweep the money out of their account and they tell me they will call back. There are still a few people who like to use paper checks but that's quickly disappearing. The best way to sum this up is that your future customers want their insurance needs taken care of with precision and with little or no issues. Those who deliver this with efficiency, professionalism and speed will own the market in 2013. If your agency is still hanging on to old methods, your future is much more uncertain than the rest of us who have morphed into TECHNOSTUDS. You gotta get on board or it’s all gonna pass you buy......in the fast lane.

Make plans to attend “How to Evaluate, Buy & Sell Insurance Agencies” seminar at this year’s conventions.

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Be Ready for New Regulations in 2013

The elections are over, and nothing has changed on the surface. But, while predictions of legislative gridlock likely are accurate, one of the biggest problems businesses, and HR, may face will be new regulations. Find out what the DOL and EEOC have on their agendas for the coming four years.

It's 2013, but status quo is again the rule in Washington. After a contentious election season, we are back where we started with a divided Congress and President Barack Obama at the helm.

What exactly does that mean for businesses and human resources for the next four years? Early indications are that not much new legislation will be passed since the House of Representatives still is controlled by the Republicans and the Democrats maintain a majority in the Senate.

However, because President Obama retains the executive authority, the regulatory agencies under his control are free to pursue their agendas by issuing new regulations and enforcing existing ones more aggressively. Here are our predictions for the New Year, as well as actions your organization should take to limit the impact of potential new regulations and enforcement activities.

More Regulations at DOL and EEOC Likely

Although no new regulations have been issued yet, you can find clues to likely regulations and actions from the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the strategic plans the agencies posted on their Web sites last year.

Specifically, the DOL's regulatory agenda for the next four years will be centered on its "Plan/Prevent/Protect" strategy. According to the DOL's strategic plan document for 2011 to 2016, the Plan/Prevent/Protect regulatory agenda is based on the principle that "employers and others must find and fix violations - that is, assure compliance - before a DOL investigator arrives at the workplace." Employers, therefore, "must understand that the burden is on them to obey the law, not on the DOL to catch them violating the law."

According to the DOL, "plan" means that the DOL will propose rules requiring employers to create a plan to find and fix any violations of the laws or risks to employees, "prevent" means that the DOL will propose rules requiring employers to implement their plans to prevent violations and risks, and "protect" means the DOL will propose rules requiring employers to assure that their plans actually do protect employees.

(Download free Hours of Work model policy including analysis of DOL regulations.)

To promote the Plan / Prevent / Protect strategy, the DOL is expected to propose new regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that would require employers not only to explain their employees' general rights under the FLSA (as currently required under notice posting laws), but also would require you to explain how pay is computed and what their employment status is (i.e., exempt or nonexempt). The DOL also may require employers to provide information justifying independent contractor classifications to workers not categorized as employees.

In addition, the DOL is expected to issue new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to support the Plan/Prevent/Protect strategy. One likely rule will require employers to implement an injury and illness prevention program which would involve planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving processes and activities that protect employee safety and health. Also, OSHA is expected to make changes to its reporting system for occupational injuries and illnesses "to enable a more efficient and timely collection of data that is intended to improve the accuracy and availability of the relevant records and statistics."

The DOL also is overdue to issue new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations to implement the 2008 changes to the FMLA creating new leave rights for employees to care for injured military family members and to deal with qualifying exigencies arising from military service. Those regulations should be implemented within the next few months.

The EEOC's 2012 to 2016 Strategic Enforcement Plan focuses on combating employment discrimination through "strategic law enforcement" and indicates that the majority of the EEOC's financial and human resources will be dedicated to this mission. The plan does not specifically address new regulations, but you likely can expect stepped up enforcement of discrimination laws by the agency. In particular, as we saw last year, the agency most likely will continue to issue guidance on the applicant screening process, such as background checks, the exclusion of unemployed applicants, and high school diploma requirements. In addition, the ADA is expected to generate a lot of activity at the EEOC thanks to the expanded definition of disability created by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. And, the agency has pledged to focus on enforcing equal pay laws as well.


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2013 Employment Regulations


(Download free Equal Employment Opportunity model policy including an analysis of EEO regulations.)

Actions to take: Keep up-to-date on DOL and EEOC proposed and final rules and guidance and be prepared to implement new policies and procedures to comply with new requirements. HR Matters Tools and Resource Center will be reporting on any new enforcement activities that affect employers. Increased Scrutiny of Independent Contractor Classifications

Thanks to the nation's ballooning deficits, you can expect that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will continue to try to increase its tax collections by targeting employers who misclassify employees as independent contractors. The IRS has collected hundreds of millions in back taxes and penalties from employers who improperly classified employees as independent contractors. And, the agency will look to the DOL for help. Since 2011, the IRS and DOL have had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to "improve coordination on employee misclassification compliance and education" through "enhanced information sharing and other collaboration." The IRS duties under the MOU appear to be directed toward evaluating and following up on employment tax referrals provided by the DOL as the result of the DOL's investigation into independent contractor issues. The DOL stated its intent in its strategic plan to work with the IRS to identify and remedy employee misclassifications.

Note, too, that state labor, revenue, and unemployment compensation agencies have their own definitions of independent contractor and are stepping up their review of the independent contractor label as well. In fact, several states have signed MOUs with the IRS and DOL to coordinate independent contractor enforcement activities.

Actions to take: If you are considering adding more independent contractors to provide services normally performed by employees to cut costs, make sure you understand what the criteria are for independent contractors. There are three different standards commonly used by the federal courts and agencies to determine independent contractor status:

(1) the IRS 20-factor analysis, for coverage under federal withholding requirements;

(2) the "economic reality" test, used to determine compliance with requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); and (3) the common law "right to control" test, used by many courts to administer discrimination and benefits statutes.

One of the key issues common to all of the tests is whether your organization exercises control over how the worker performs the job. In addition, be sure you can support the classification with documentation showing that the worker meets the IRS and other independent contractor criteria. HR Matters Tools and Resource Center will keep you up-to-date on independent contractor issues.

Reprinted with permission from HR Matters, copyright Personnel Policy Service, Inc., Louisville, KY, all rights reserved, the HR Policy and Employment Law Compliance Experts for 40 years, 1-800-437-3735. Personnel Policy Service markets group legal service benefits and publishes HR information products, including the free weekly electronic newsletter, HR Matters E-Tips (http://www.ppspublishers.com/hrmetips.htm). This article is not intended as legal advice. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate legal or other professional advice.

Attention: Insurance Companies, MGA’s, Premium Finance Companies & Insurance Industry Vendors:

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Paraprosdokians Paraprosdokians (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

9. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure...

14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now!



Millions of people are using mobile devices to get online every day.

Does your agency have a mobile-friendly site or an app?

If not, you’ve come to the right place to get started.

What is a mobile site and why do you need one?

Just because you can access your desktop site on a mobile phone doesn’t mean it’s mobile-friendly. Your mobile efforts should reflect the unique navigation capabilities and limitations of mobile devices. A mobile-friendly site and mobile app can help your business connect with customers and drive conversions.

Why does mobile matter?

Your customers are already mobile. Are you?

Customers want to access your agency in their real world – anyplace, anytime.

Users expect their mobile experience to be as good as their desktop experience.

If customers can’t find or easily access your mobile content or services, you’ve lost their business.

Mobile users want to connect with the businesses in their local area.

Your competitors’ mobile performance influences your customers’ expectations.

Where do I start?

We know that starting to develop a mobile strategy can be an overwhelming task. Many questions can arise, leaving you anxiously contemplating which to concentrate on first.

Who is your target audience?

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Which platforms will you utilize?

What are your primary goals for the mobile site or app?

What do your customers want?

How are you going to measure success?

Go to www.AgencyThrive.com for the answers!

Whether you need significant direction, or a few questions answered, AgencyThrive will help develop your mobile strategy so you can see it thrive in the market!

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NC DOI Commissioner Goodwin

Guilford County Man Charged with Insurance Fraud, Forgery

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Glen Thomas Jacobson, 46, of 5242 Cragganmore Drive, McLeansville; he is charged with 14 counts of insurance fraud and 13 counts of common law forgery.

Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that between May 2010 and July 2011, Jacobson submitted 14 fraudulent insurance claims to Aflac Insurance Company and was paid $5,110 for medical services he did not receive. Investigators accuse Jacobson of forging physician’s signatures on several of the fraudulent claims, as well as adding additional medical procedures that he had not received to otherwise legitimate claims forms.

Jacobson was arrested on Jan. 16 and held at the Guilford County Detention Center on a $15,000 secured bond. His next court date is Feb. 20, 2013.

The Department of Insurance employs 20 sworn state law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting claims of insurance and bail bonding fraud. Since Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin took office in 2009, criminal investigators have received more than 16,800 complaints, resulting in 720 arrests and 380 criminal convictions. These efforts have delivered more than $50 million in restitution and recoveries for victims.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.

Stanly County Man Arrested for Allegedly Inflated Rental Insurance Claim

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Timothy Ray Blizzard, 41, of 532 Catalina Drive, Albemarle; he is charged with one count of insurance fraud.

Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that Blizzard submitted an initial and supplemental insurance claim that inflated the amount of property damaged and/or destroyed during a Sept. 14, 2011 fire at a residence he was renting in Norwood.

Blizzard was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 14 and released on a $2,500 secured bond.

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Alleged Insurance Scam Lands Greene County Man in Jail

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Torrell Tracy Harris, 25, currently residing at the Greene Correctional Institution in Maury; he is charged with one count each of insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense.

Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that on Aug. 10, 2011, Harris filed a fraudulent insurance claim with Assurant Insurance Company - and a supporting, but fraudulent police report - claiming that miscellaneous property was stolen from his Wilson residence. Assurant settled the claim for $4,344.20, but turned the case over for investigation to the Department of Insurance after discovering that Harris had made multiple similar claims in a short period of time for the same residence.

Harris was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 9 and returned to the Greene Correctional Institution where he was being held for prior, unrelated charges.

Commissioner Goodwin Announces $26 Million in Recoveries and Savings for North Carolinians

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced that the Department of Insurance saved or recovered more than $26 million for North Carolinians in 2012.

"The Department of Insurance is committed to fighting fraud, assisting North Carolinians with insurance questions or complaints, and holding members of the insurance industry to the highest professional standards," said Goodwin. "I am very proud of our track record of recovering and saving money for our citizens."

Several divisions of the Department of Insurance contributed to the total recoveries and savings:

The Consumer Services Division, which receives consumer inquiries and complaints about homeowners, auto, life and other insurance-related issues, handled approximately 65,000 calls and 7,500 written complaints from the public. Through these calls and complaints, the Department was able to help citizens recover more than $10.4 million in benefits from insurance companies.

Health Insurance Smart NC returned $1,979,398 to consumers as a result of services provided. Health Insurance Smart NC, the department’s

newest consumer assistance program, assists people with questions about health insurance, and helps consumers file complaints or appeals with their health insurance companies, identify enrollment opportunities and request external reviews for denied claims. In 2012, Smart NC specialists took in over 14,000 calls, responded to 1,248 consumer complaints, 361 health insurance enrollment inquiries and 352 medical appeal cases, and handled 282 external review requests.

SHIIP, the Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program, assisted more than 100,451 consumers with general Medicare questions and helped more than 10,200 Medicare recipients apply for the Low-Income Subsidy program that provides savings for prescription drug costs. The estimated cost savings for Medicare beneficiaries was $10,883,676. SHIIP offers free, unbiased information about Medicare, Medicare prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage, long-term care insurance and other health insurance information. SHIIP’s trained volunteers provide one-on-one counseling in all 100 counties.

The Criminal Investigations Division employs 20 sworn law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating claims of insurance fraud and criminal concerns associated with bail bonding, motor clubs, collection agencies and premium finance companies. In 2012, the work of these criminal investigators led to 156 arrests, 75 criminal convictions and more than $2.7 million in restitution and recoveries. Another 117 cases are currently pending in court.

The Agent Services Division regulates all licensed agents, brokers, limited representatives, appraisers, adjusters, premium finance companies, collection agencies, motor clubs, bail bondsmen, surety bondsmen and bail bond runners authorized to do business in North Carolina. Oversight includes licensure qualification, pre-licensing education, continuing education, telephone inquiries, complaint investigations and agency examinations. The Division investigated more than 943 complaints and recovered $44,834 in premium funds for consumers.

The Market Regulation Division conducts both routine and targeted market conduct examinations on foreign and domestic licensed companies (insurance companies, premium finance companies, HMOs, PPOs and more) to ensure compliance with state laws and regulations. Through these exams, the Division ordered $411,068.53 returned to policyholders.



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Alleged Insurance Fraud Leads to Rutherfordton Man’s Arrest

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Jon Joshua Behrns, 33, of 758 Pleasant Hill Loop, Rutherfordton; he is charged with one count of insurance fraud.

Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that Behrns provided false information to support an insurance claim that was submitted to Allstate Insurance Company for vehicle damage sustained during a Sept. 14 accident. Allstate settled the claim for $952.08, but representatives suspected that the vehicle was damaged prior to the accident and that Behrns’ claim was inflated to cover the repair of the previous damage. Allstate turned the case over to the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division.

Behrns was arrested on Feb. 1, processed at the Rutherford County Magistrate’s Office, and released on a $15,000 unsecured bond.

The Department of Insurance employs 20 sworn state law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting claims of insurance and bail bonding fraud. Since Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin took office in 2009, criminal investigators have received more than 16,800 complaints, resulting in 720 arrests and 380 criminal convictions. These efforts have delivered more than $50 million in restitution and recoveries for victims.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.

$2.9 Million to be Returned to Former Phoenix Fund Members

RALEIGH -- Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the distribution of more than $2.9 million to 643 former members of the Phoenix Fund, Inc.

The Phoenix Fund was a self-insured group workers' compensation fund whose members agreed to pool their workers’ compensation liabilities rather than seek coverage in the private insurance market. Self-insured group workers’ compensation funds are licensed and regulated by the Department of Insurance in North Carolina.

The Phoenix Fund was ordered into rehabilitation in 2006 after the Department of Insurance uncovered a scheme perpetrated against the fund by its purported reinsurance broker that left it without reinsurance. In total, the fund was defrauded in the amount of $19,699,293. The department has been successful in recovering $17,992,899, allowing the fund to pay its obligations and return money to its former members.

In August 2009, the Department of Insurance returned more than $6 million to employers who were members at the time the fund was ordered into rehabilitation. In December 2012, the Department of Insurance obtained court approval to close the estate and make a second and final distribution to participating members totaling $2,936,797.

"I know the entry into rehabilitation was a very stressful and trying time for employers who where members of this fund,” said Goodwin. “Throughout this years-long process, the Department of Insurance has been committed to helping return the money to which these employers are entitled."

For additional information about the distribution, please call 919-821-2626 or email [email protected].

More information, downloadable publications and an online suggestion box are available at www.ncdoi.com




Mark Your Calendars!

AccuAuto’s South Carolina / Georgia Insurance Convention 2013

May 16 – 18, 2013

Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

AccuAuto invites South Carolina and Georgia Insurance Agents, CSRs, Insurance Companies and Insurance Vendors to enjoy the most fun, most educational and most affordable Insurance Family Getaway anywhere in the Southeast.

More information at www.AgentsFirst.org

FYI Express’ Insurance Expo 2013

July 11-13, 2013

Marriott Gwinnett Place, Duluth GA

3 days of Edu-Tainment for Georgia Insurance Industry plus the largest Insurance Industry Trade Fair in the Southeast.

More information at www.FYIGeorgiaViews.com

aianc's street wise - february 2013

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