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GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION | August 2021

Vermont Insurance Agents Association is a statewide trade association representing nearly 100 independent insurance agencies in Vermont, with more than 900 employees. VIAA member independent insurance agents represent more than one insurance company, and as a result, can offer clients a wider choice of auto, home, business, life and employee benefits.t

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

CONTENT ________________ August 2021

05 Letter from the President

600 Blair Park Road, Suite 100 Williston, VT 05495 Phone: 802-229-5884 Fax: 802-876-7912 www.viaa.org

12 How Can I Sell When I'm Not the Lowest Price? 18 On the Hill

VIAA Officers President Daniel J. Rodliff, CIC, CPIA, LUTCF

22 E&O Corner Watch Out -Here Comes the Hurricane Season

Vice President Michael Barrett Secretary/Treasurer Jessica M. Fleury, ACSR

26 EVOLVE21 Welcome Back

National Director Ronald Bixby Directors

29 Building Inclusion Capacity: 3 Simple Steps to Rethink Your Agency's Success

Chip Ams Ian Sutherland Alan Kinney

36 Commentary 41 Agency & Company News

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ______________________________ August 2021

Welcome Back! This is our theme for Evolve21 and it couldn’t be more true! As we start to resume our pre-COVID activities, it seems fitting that we celebrate things we previously took for granted like attending Evolve in person! Evolve21 is scheduled for September 16 -17 in Burlington and for those that cannot be there in person, we will have a virtual option as well. The goal for this year’s meeting is to unite independent insurance agency members, Young Agents, and companies throughout our state of Vermont - helping navigate the post-pandemic insurance marketplace. We’ve got a GREAT line up of topics and speakers that will offer fascinating and informative sessions. As always, networking is center stage. You will have plenty of time to meet and talk with agents who are facing the same challenges that you do - and you will have some fun, too!

Dan Rodliff VIAA President

Registration opens on August 4 – so mark your calendars to register early! I hope to see you all there – in some form of capacity. It has been way too long! I want to remind you that sponsorships also remain available. Please contact Sarah Ribera (sarah@viaa.org | 802-2295884) to learn more. Thank you and I can’t wait to see you all very soon! Dan

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HOW CAN I SELL WHEN I'M NOT THE LOWEST PRICE?

AGENCY MARKETING

By Dave Kahle

How many of you are driving used Yugos? Or wearing a suit you bought at a garage sale? Or watching an 8-inch black & white TV? You've got the picture. You don't always buy on the basis of low price, so why should you think that all your customers do? The truth is, they don't. And here's a secret that almost nobody knows, including all those gurus telling you to sell "value".... "How can I sell when I'm not the lowest price? I wish I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question in a sales training session. It's certainly one of the most common questions I hear coming from professional salespeople and their bosses. There are a variety of answers -- too many for just one column. But, we can identify one of the most powerful ways to deal with this problem.

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First, let's start with this premise: "Low price" is not the main reason people buy! In every survey of buying motivations I've ever read, low price is never the primary motivation. Yes, it's important. And, when everything else is equal, it will be the deciding factor. But very rarely is everything else equal. And very few people in this world buy only on the basis of low price. How many of you are driving used Yugos? Or wearing a suit you bought at a garage sale? Or watching an 8-inch black & white TV? You've got the picture. You don't always buy on the basis of low price, so why should you think that all your customers do? The truth is, they don't. And here's a secret that almost nobody knows, including all those gurus telling you to sell value. They don't always buy the best value. But, they can

How Can I Sell When I'm Not the Lowest Price? continued

invariably be counted on to buy the lowest risk! The biggest issue in the minds of your customers and prospects is not price, and its not value - it is risk. What's risk? It is the potential cost to the individual customer if he/she makes a mistake. It's not just the money, although that is part of it. It is also the social, psychological and emotional cost that your customer will pay if your choice isn't the best one. The lower the risk of the decision, the more likely your customer will say "yes" to you - regardless of the price. Let's become comfortable with this concept of risk first, and then discuss how to use it in your sales efforts. In order to really understand risk, you must first see this issue from your customers' perspective. Try to put yourself in their shoes, and calculate the amount of risk that you expect your customers to take when you offer them an opportunity to say "yes" to you. Here's an illustration to help you understand this concept. Imagine that you are under orders by your spouse to pick up a package of disposable cups on the way home from work today because you're having friends over for a casual evening of dessert and drinks tonight. You stop at the local grocery store, and make a selection between brand A and brand B. You pick brand A. After you bring the cups home, your spouse mixes up a pitcher of margaritas and pours one. The drink leaks out of the bottom of the cup and puddles on the counter. There is a hole in the bottom of the cup. You pour your drink into another cup and it leaks, too. In fact, every one of the cups you bought is defective. What happens to you in this instant in time?

What is the consequence of your decision? I don't know about you, but I would be the recipient of some negative emotion. My spouse would be upset with me. That may be the most painful cost of your decision. But there are other costs. You're going to have to fix the problem. If there's time, you'll have to run back to the store and replace the cups. So, in addition to the emotional cost, you must also pay in terms of extra time and additional money. All because of your bad decision. Those costs -negative emotions, time wasted, extra money spent-all combine to form the risk you accepted when you made your decision. Here's a simple exercise to help you understand this concept. Draw a short vertical line. At the top of the line write the number 25. At the bottom, write the number zero. Now on a scale of 0 - 25, where would you put the risk of buying a package of disposable cups? You'd probably say it is close to zero. So, put an X on the line from 0 to 25 where you think the risk of buying those cups would be. Let's look at an illustration at the other end of the scale. I once had an adoption agency as a client. When a young lady is in a crisis pregnancy, and she's making a decision as to whether or not to release her unborn child for adoption, how big a risk is that for her? Put your X on the line that represents your assessment of that risk. Most people put their mark around 25. The risk in this situation is a lifetime of consequences for at least four people - the mother, child and adoptive parents. That's a very high risk. Compare the X's for the two different decisions, and you'll conclude that different decisions carry with them differing degrees of risk. Now, let's apply this concept to your

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How Can I Sell When I'm Not the Lowest Price? continued

customers. Remember that every time you ask your prospects to say yes to you, they are accepting some risk. And each of those decisions you ask of them carries with it a different degree of risk. Imagine your typical customer. Then think of the typical offer or decision you ask of that person. For example, take one of your newer products. Imagine you are presenting it to your customer for the first time. Now, put yourself in his shoes, and see the situation through his eyes. On the 0 - 25 scale, how much risk does your customer accept when he says "yes" to you? For an easy way of calculating it, just ask yourself what happens to that individual if you, or your company, messes up. If your customer buys that product and it doesn't do what you claim it will, what trouble will that make for your customer? What consequences will he/she pay? What is the risk? And don't say that there is no risk because you'll take care of any problem that might develop. You may think that, but your customer doesn't know that. And remember, you're trying to see this from your customer's point of view, not yours. The amount of risk is what your customer perceives it to be. I had a great example of the role of risk in sales several years ago. A young man approached me to help his company with their sales efforts. They were selling a product that was, at the time, a real state-ofthe-art breakthrough. The company designed computerized controls that were retrofitted on production equipment. As a result of the use of these controls, the savings in energy consumption would pay for the cost of the equipment in less than a year. It looked like a great product. But he couldn't sell them as rapidly as the company wanted. 14

"Tell me how you go about selling them" I asked. "We qualify our prospects to the point where we know we have someone who could use the equipment. Then I call the production engineer or the plant manager on the phone, and gather some information about the type of equipment they use. Then I create a written proposal showing the economic payback, and mail it to him. Next I call and try to close the sale." "Let me see if I understand correctly," I said. "You're calling a plant manager on the phone. I would guess that most plant managers are men in their 50's, probably with advanced degrees, and who have been in the plant for a number of years, is that right?" "That's right." "OK," I said. "So, you're calling someone twice your age, asking him to spend $20,000 - $30,000 on equipment he's never seen, from a company he's never heard of, and from a sales person half his age who he's never met. Is that right?" My client became a little defensive. "If you put it that way, I suppose it's right." "Well put it that way," I replied, "because that's the way he sees it." The problem was simple - risk. On that scale

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How Can I Sell When I'm Not the Lowest Price? continued

of 0 - 25, how much risk would you think the plant manager would be accepting if he said "Yes" to the over-the-phone offer? Put yourself in his shoes. Suppose the equipment didn't work the way it was supposed to? He could shut down production lines, spend weeks trying to make things right, cause all sorts of havoc in the plant, and potentially even lose his job. Now that's risk. If you were that plant manager, how much more than the original $20,000 quote would you spend to reduce the risk? It wouldn't be hard to justify a price double that.

Try to get your customer as physically involved with the product as possible. For example, if you're selling a piece of equipment, try to get the customer to trial the equipment, or at least visit somewhere its being used. The more your customer can see and feel the actual thing, the less risk is it to them. Finally, work with your company to create offers that reduce the risk. Trial periods, money-back guarantees, delayed billing, warranties, service desks - all of these reduce your customer's perception of risk.

That should give you a clue as to how to fight the "low price" issue. Worry less about low price, and more about lowering the risk. Here are four strategies to do so. Build solid, deep relationships with the key decision-makers. Relationships mitigate risk. The greater the relationship, the lower the perceived risk. That's why the salesman with the longer relationship almost always has the benefit of the doubt in a competitive situation. Its not the price - its the risk. Make ample use of third party recommendations, customer lists, case studies and testimonials. All of these say to

the customer that someone else, or lots of someone elses, have used the product or service. That means its less risk for your customer to buy it.

The winners in the competitive selling arena of the Information Age are those who are the low risk providers, not the low price people. Dave Kahle is a successful entrepreneur who, for over 25 years, has served as an internationallyrecognized authority in sales and sales systems. His twelve books have been translated into eight languages and are available in at least 20 countries. His focus now is to share the wisdom and insights he has gained with people who want to grow their businesses, enrich their careers, and live a more fulfilled life. He has presented in 47 states and 10 countries. In addition, he is a chapter president for Truth@Work Christian Business Roundtables, and facilitates both local and virtual executive meetings. He and Coleen split their time between Sarasota, Florida and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Visit his blog here.

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ON THE HILL: Big ‘I’ Applauds Reintroduction of Flood Insurance Bill in House

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) today applauded Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Florida) and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri) for introducing H.R. 4699, the “Continuous Coverage for Flood Insurance Act.” The legislation would allow for private flood insurance to satisfy National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) continuous coverage requirements. “The Big ‘I’ thanks Reps. Castor and Luetkemeyer for introducing this important legislation that clarifies that having an active flood insurance policy, whether through the NFIP or through the private market, should be considered continuous coverage for purposes of NFIP rating requirements,” says Charles Symington, Big “I” senior vice president of external, industry and government affairs. “The Big ‘I’ continues to support the development of a private market as a complement to the NFIP, and this legislation is of vital importance to that goal.

obtain coverage in the private market, and later find that this new coverage no longer meets their needs. “The Big ‘I’ especially appreciates that Reps. Castor and Luetkemeyer were once again able to work in a bipartisan manner to reintroduce this important legislation,” says Wyatt Stewart, Big “I” assistant vice president of federal government affairs. “The Big 'I' urges Congress to continue working toward enacting a long-term reauthorization of a modernized NFIP that includes this important language on continuous coverage and would increase take-up rates for flood insurance both in the NFIP and in the private market.” .

The legislation would mean that policyholders can obtain NFIP coverage without losing their grandfathered status if they leave the program, 18

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C E O & R O N ER

Watch Out -Here Comes the Hurricane Season By James C. Keidel, Esq., Christopher B. Weldon, Esq. and Robert W. Lewis, Esq. Keidel, Weldon & Cunningham, LLP

If we did not have enough to worry about already, with the coronavirus pandemic still upon us, June 1st is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. For the past seven years, there have been named hurricanes that have developed prior to the official June 1st start of hurricane season. Although 2020 was a record-breaking year for hurricanes, many of the weather and hurricane experts are predicting that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season may once again be a very active one. Already this year, in May, hurricane Ana developed in the Atlantic and, thankfully, headed out to sea without making landfall. Over the years we have seen insurance agencies and brokerages react to these types of storms and change certain aspects of how they conduct their business in order to help protect their customers and also help prevent a potential E&O claim or lawsuit. In this issue of The E&O Corner, we will discuss a few things that every insurance agency or brokerage should be doing in preparation for another potential catastrophic event. No matter whether your agency or brokerage is located on the coast or inland, it is important that you think about the issues discussed below. It has been estimated that less than a quarter of the properties that were damaged several years ago in Texas and Florida from flooding as a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma were covered by flood insurance. After Irene and Sandy many of the storm related E&O claims and lawsuits that we saw were been brought by customers who had suffered a flood loss but did not have flood insurance in effect at the time of the storm. Although Vermont is not on, or even near the sea coast, it suffered severe flooding as a result of Hurricane Irene after the

storm headed inland. Some Vermont towns were completely washed away and numerous lives were lost as a result of record the flooding. Due to these types of events, many insurance agencies and brokerages have adopted a procedure where they offer every customer the option of purchasing flood insurance regardless of where the Insured’s property is located. Since most customers will usually opt not to purchase flood coverage unless they are located directly on a body of water, it is a good practice for the agency or brokerage to document the customer’s rejection of that coverage. One of the best ways to document the acceptance or, more likely, the rejection of coverage is to use the ACORD 60 Flood Acceptance/Rejection form. The ACORD 60 form should be completed by the customer indicating that the coverage is either accepted or rejected. Then it should also be signed and dated by the customer. The executed form should be retained in the customer file. An added benefit of using the ACORD 60 Flood form is that it specifically states that once it is signed it will apply to all future policy renewals. By adopting an agency-wide practice where the option of purchasing flood coverage is offered to each customer, and the ACORD 60 is then completed by every customer, insurance agencies and brokerages will help protect themselves from potential E&O claims or lawsuits if a customer sustains a loss due to an uncovered flood claim. Another thing that many insurance agencies and brokerages learned from these various storms, is only as a result of the storm did some customers discover that they had insufficient coverage, inadequate limits of coverage, or they

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Watch Out -Here Comes the Hurricane Season Continued did not fully understand how their coverages or deductibles applied. Many insurance agencies and brokerages now use these types of storms as learning tools for their customers to think about the coverages that they may need. For instance, when discussing insurance coverage with a customer, a good practice is to walk the customer through what their insurance coverage, limits of coverage, and what the applicable deductibles would be in the event a catastrophic event occurred. This is a good practice for any agency or brokerage to follow whether it is a hurricane, ice storm, blizzard, fire, or any other type of catastrophic event. Agents and brokers that follow this practice when discussing coverages and potential losses with their customers have told us that it is a good way to help customers identify possible changes in the coverage that may need to be made in order to have the customer adequately insured. One thing that the coronavirus pandemic has shown us during the past year is how very fragile businesses’ supply chains are. Accordingly, businesses that depend on other businesses for supplies, purchases or to attract customers should consider purchasing one of ISO’s Business Income Form Dependent Properties. These endorsements are as follows: Broad Form (CP 15 08 10) Limited Form (CP 15 09 10 12) Limited International Coverage (CP 15 01 10 12) Extra Expense from Dependent Properties—Limited International Coverage (CP 15 02 10 12) The IRMI Commercial Property Insurance manual states that these endorsements insure against income loss or extra expense suffered by the insured as a result of damage to the property of another business on which 22

the insured depends to supply its products (contributing or manufacturing locations), to purchase its product (recipient locations), or to attract customers (leader locations). In order for coverage to apply, the income loss must result from damage the dependent property from a covered cause of loss. Because of this requirement, it would be best to couple these endorsements with flood coverage, so that a storm that flood a supplier would be covered. Additionally, various storms have taught us all over the years that every insurance agency or brokerage, no matter how large or small, should have a disaster plan in effect for their own office that is known and understood by all employees. The first aspect of any disaster plan should be what each employee should do if a catastrophic event occurs. A key element of the plan should be how the agency or brokerage can remotely access its data in the event its offices are not accessible, or they are not fully functioning. When developing such a plan, an agency or brokerage should make certain that they are complying with any applicable cybersecurity Laws and Regulations that they may be subject to. The agency or brokerage should also have the ability to forward their phone lines and the email access so that communications with customers can continue. Based upon what has taken place during the past year with the

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Watch Out -Here Comes the Hurricane Season Continued coronavirus pandemic it appears that most insurance agencies and brokerages now have such a plan in effect and are able to operate remotely. Having this ability enables the agency or brokerage to continue to operate and assist customers in the crucial time immediately following a catastrophic event. The prudent insurance agency or brokerage is the one that thinks well in advance of a catastrophic event, and also has its customers do so too, so that both are prepared when a catastrophe occurs. By doing so, the agency or brokerage will not only help protect itself from a potential E&O claim or lawsuit, but it will also help provide better service to its customers and, in the process, will very often sell more insurance.

Teaching E&O at EVOLVE21 Sept 16 & 17, 2021

James C. Keidel, Esq. Partner, Keidel, Weldon & Cunningham, LLP

Christopher B. Weldon, Esq. Partner, Keidel, Weldon & Cunningham, LLP

Keidel, Weldon & Cunningham, LLP concentrates its practice in the defense of insurance agents’ and brokers’ errors and omissions claims and litigation, errors and omissions loss control counsel and education, insurance coverage analysis and litigation, and insurance regulatory matters. They can be reach by mail at the firm’s Rhode Island office located at 303 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode Island 02888, email at jkeidel@kwcllp.com or cweldon@kwcllp.com, or by telephone at 401-773-7730 www.viaa.org

Building Inclusion Capacity: 3 Simple Steps to Rethink Your Agency's Success

COVERAGE

By Margaret Spence

IIt's time to reimagine what's possible for your agency's culture by way of diversity, equity, and inclusion– that's so easy to say but intensely hard to reimagine. You've gotten the green light to start the very first diversity and inclusion initiatives within your agency. You're elated there is so much to do, there's so much impact you want to make, so where do you start? As a task-oriented person who feels you should make a list of everything on your plate, you set out to evaluate the landscape and built a to-do list. This is what you came up with: pandemic remote working, social justice demands, lack of belonging, disengaged employees, changing demographics, evolving customer base, and a gaping hole in the talent pipeline! Whew, with this list, how do you even begin to define success while building inclusion capacity? www.viaa.org

I'd start by taking a deep breath! To move the needle forward, let's start by answering three critical and actionable questions: First, as an organization, how do you define inclusion? We could describe inclusion as the ultimate invitation to the private party – a neat way of wrapping a bow around inclusion. Inclusion is the ultimate invitation to the party – who gets the invite, who doesn't, and who will never get the prime invitation? For example, when employees join your agency, the value of inclusion becomes more evident. If I'm the new kid on the block, will I get an invitation to the party and have full acceptance when I arrive? Sometimes when we attempt to build inclusion capacity for our leaders, the lens 29

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of inclusion has to be removed from the textbook and applied based on factual circumstances our leaders will face. In this instance, who will not get an invitation to the party, and who will get an invitation in hopes they won't accept it?

Finally, what is your tomorrow today? Inclusion capacity building doesn't have a long-tail, long-winded blueprint. When we think about capacity, what can you accomplish today that may be on our list for tomorrow. This is not tackling the lowhanging fruit and quick wins. The definition of tomorrow today is, what is the hardest part of implementing your diversity and inclusion initiatives that you plan to put off until tomorrow? Why not start working on that today?

Everything starts with the definition. We cannot get into the work of diversity before we fully understand the organization's psyche around inclusion. Can we be deliberately inclusive in every area of this agency? Behind the walls of the company, what is the definition of inclusion? Does everyone agree on the definition? Who are your holdouts, and what long-term impact will they have on your success list? Lesson One: We cannot fix what we cannot define. Second, what are we holding onto and why? Within every organization, there is a resistance to change. Change is the hardest thing you'll ever do, even though as leaders, we think, if we invent new policies and roll out our latest initiatives, everyone will drink the iced tea. The reality, it's never going to happen.

Lesson Three: We cannot put off the hard work while settling for the quick wins.

The shifting sands of a post-pandemic world demand that we answer this bold question. What parts of your organization will never be inclusive even if you try? It's straightforward to answer the question, but we rarely ask it. Change must be viewed through the lens of transition. How do we transition individuals who resist, for example, hiring women, or those who find every excuse not to fully embrace diversity initiatives, to become champions of your diversity and inclusion process? If we're inclusive, even the naysayers get to be included. Lesson Two: Understanding the dynamics of change means we must transition our thought process. 30

The reality is organizations that pick the easy wins are meerly delaying addressing the challenging tasks of building leadership capacity. Most agencies think putting out buzzworthy diversity statements, and connecting with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will ultimately create the building blocks of inclusive capacity. I'm here to tell you that until you peel the onion and have tears in your eyes, inclusion capacity will never be built.

Inclusion is hard work. Building inclusion capacity means we tackle the tomorrow task today. Peel the onion and address the underlying issues that may delay progress. Margaret Spence, CEO and Founder of the Inclusion Learning Lab has led the businessadvisory firm, C. Douglas & Associates, as their CEO for the last 22 year. The firm specializes in human resources compliance, talent development, diversity and inclusion, and women's leadership development. With more than thirty-six years in the insurance industry, Margaret has a demonstrated understanding of the industry. She understands that the most significant issue for the industry is long-term talent development. Her focus making the insurance industry leadership and ranks more diverse while attracting younger employees to the industry.

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Am I Legally Liable?

William C. Wilson, Jr. CPCU, ARM, AIM, AMM is the founder of InsuranceCommentary.com. He retired from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America in December 2016 where he served as Assoc. VP of Education and Research and was the founder and Director of the Big "I" Virtual University for over 17 years. 36

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Your insured asks, “If I do ‘X’, am I legally liable?” Or, “If ‘this’ happens, am I legally liable?” How do you answer questions like this? While I retired from the Big “I” almost five years ago, I still participate in their Virtual University’s “Ask an Expert” service. This morning, we were presented with this question from an agent: “Neighbor’s building had bricks fall off and damage my insured’s building. Not weather related, maintenance issue. I know the insured can go under his own coverage for RC, but is the other carrier liable for damages? “One part of me says no, the neighbor didn’t know about the damage to their building so this would be like a tree falling on my insured’s roof. “The other part of me says that if the bricks had hit a pedestrian, the building owner would have been liable so why is property damage different?” My response: You’re asking for a legal opinion. That needs to be specifically addressed to an attorney. All we can constructively comment on is whether there is liability coverage IF there is legal liability.

even if they were successful, recovery is usually on an ACV, not replacement cost, basis so your insured might not recover in full depending on the cost to repair, depreciation, and other factors. If he bought RC coverage, then he likely has more coverage than he would get from the other party. He can recover from this own insurer and let the insurer subrogate if they choose to do so. How do you response to such questions from your customers? Do you simply refer them to an attorney or do you provide some guidance with the caveat that you’re not an attorney and not providing legal advice?

That being said, if a windstorm blows a healthy tree onto your insured’s roof, there is an argument that the other party is not liable. On the other hand, if the tree was dead and should have been removed, then there’s an argument that the other party’s failure to do so constituted negligence. In your case, IF the other party in your case failed to maintain his property and that failure resulted in damage to your insured’s property, then liability may exist. Your insured is always free to make a claim or file a suit against the other party. However, www.viaa.org

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COMPANY & AGENCY NEWS www.viaa.org

Union Mutual Presents 2021 Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge & State Agency Race Union Mutual is pleased to announce the Company is the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race. The event, to be held in-person in Montpelier on September 16 and virtually September 1 through October 31, will be known as the Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race, Presented by Union Mutual. The Corporate Cup, a program of the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, is a popular 5k run/walk race in which teams of three enjoy the benefits of a wellness activity with their coworkers and compete for awards in four employer classes: State/Federal Government, Corporation/Business, Nonprofit/Local Government, and an Open Class. Proceeds benefit the many programs and events of the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, including the Vermont Senior Games, community wellness grants, parks pass prescriptions, Vermont Worksite Wellness Awards and subsidies for youth ski and snowboard lessons. The 2021 event will be the 38th annual race – the 2020 race was held virtually and drew participants from all regions of the state. Traditionally, more than 4,000 runners and walkers stream through the Capital City’s main streets and gather on the State House lawn for pre-and post-race festivities.

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Vermont Mutual Named a Top 50 Insurance Company for the Thirteenth Year in a Row Vermont Mutual Insurance Group® has again been recognized as one of the top 50 property and casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group. This is the thirteenth consecutive year Vermont Mutual has been recognized as a “Ward’s 50” insurer. Every year, Ward Group conducts a comprehensive financial analysis of approximately 3,000 U.S. property and casualty insurers. The “Ward’s 50” designation identifies the top 50 P&C carriers in the U.S. for their consistency, safety and superior financial performance. Every company recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer has demonstrated superior performance based on a comprehensive examination of the past five years of financial results and passed all safety and consistency screens. As a recipient of the Ward’s 50 designation for thirteen consecutive years, Vermont Mutual has again affirmed its position as a leading provider of homeowner, automobile and business insurance in the Northeast, and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009.