Kentucky IA - July/August 2015

July/August 2015

Agency Best Practices Stop losing sleep over your day-to-day operations!

AHHH, KENTUCKY. A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. All of us at KESA are proud to call Kentucky our home and we’re proud to call KESA our workplace home. KESA’s Kentucky roots run deep with 35 years of providing workers’ comp coverage for Kentucky’s employers. All across our beautiful Commonwealth, from the biggest cities to the smallest towns, KESA’s goal is simple - to keep Kentucky’s workforce safe and provide coverage when a workplace injury occurs. We’re proud of the work we do and we’re proud to be a long-standing part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Thank you for partnering with KESA.

Contact us about our SAFETY W.O.R.K.S program at www.kesa.org.

200 Executive Park, Louisville, KY 40207 502.894.8484 | 800.367.5372 | www.kesa.org

What's

Inside

Page 10

Contents

10 2015 Big “I” Sales & Leadership Conference Exceeds All Expectations 13 What to Look For and How to Hire Your Next Super Producer 18 From Fountain Pen Ink to E-Files: Developing a Records Retention Policy

24 Big “I” Junior Golf Tournament Results

Page 13

26 How Risky Is It?

Page 26

29 6 Things You Can Do To Be A Better Team Player 31 Everybody Loves Older Workers - But Few Are Hiring Them

In Every Issue The Kentucky IA is the official magazine of the Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky, and is published bi-monthly.

Editorial offices are located at 13265 O’Bannon Station Way, Louisville, Kentucky 40223.

Telephone:(502) 245-5432 Email: iiak@iiak.org Fax: (502) 245-5750 The Kentucky IA welcomes all advertising and editorial submissions. Inquiries for advertising, news releases and editorial contributions can be directed to Nikki Petrowski at the editorial office address or via email at npetrowski@iiak.org

4 From the Chair

35 Advertiser Index

6 E&O

35 Classified Ads

8 DOI News

35 Social Media Links

9 Education Calendar

35 There’s an APP for that

22 Industry Partners

Mission Statement The mission of the Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky is to be the preeminent advocate for Kentucky Independent Agents and support their businesses and professional development needs.

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 3

Officers Michelle L. Love

Chair, Owensboro 270.926.2806 David M. Houk

Chair-Elect, Horse Cave 270.286.2724 Chip Atkins Vice Chair, Louisville 502.585.3600 James D. England, AAI

Treasurer, Pikeville 606.437.7361 Stephen R. Kinkade, CPCU, AAI

National Director, Leitchf ield 270.259.5465 John Funkhouser, CIC, CWCA

Immediate Past Chair, Danville 859.236.5922

Directors Allen J. Crawford, CIC, CSRM

Somerset, 606.679.6311 Sharon B. Hill

Jamestown, 270.343.3144 Michael G. Johnson, CIC

Lexington, 859.233.1461 Aaron LaRue

Bardstown, 502.348.0050 Skip McGaw, CIC

Madisonville, 270.821.3122 Adam T. Murphy, CIC, CISR, CPIA

Cadiz, 270.522.9964 Crystal Reid, CIC

Paducah, 270.442.3533 Ray A. Robertson, CIC

Mt. Sterling, 859.498.3410

Staff Peggy P. Porter

President & CEO Crystal Brown

Administrative Assistant Katie M. Freshley

Education & Events Director Nikki S. Petrowski

Communications Director

Chair From the

It’s been a very long, hot, humid, wet summer here in Kentucky. The weather hasn’t been ideal but that hasn’t stopped your association from working for you, our members and partners.

Agency perpetuation,…planning for your future and an aging workforce are all phrases we hear and read about and think it’s something down the road. When in reality, it’s time, to begin planning for the next stage of your career or agency succession.

This has been a theme I’ve hit on several times this year and we’ve focused some additional articles in this issue to help guide you as well.

We had a great turnout at our 2015 Big “I” Sales and Leadership Conference in Owensboro with some fantastic speakers and programming to help build and strengthen our industry leaders. It was one of the best networking events I’ve attended in years and my hometown welcomed our group with open arms and showed everyone a good time, too! The Events Committee did a fantastic job with setting the program and the feedback received was very positive. Thanks to all who attended this event!

We also held our Kentucky Trusted Choice Big “I” National qualifier at Oxmoor Country Club in July. KEMI sponsored our first ever long drive competition for the players and it was a huge hit! We had a great field of junior golfers and they competed for 2 days, including one very rainy day, for a chance to represent Kentucky in the Trusted Choice Big “I” National Tournament in August at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas. As one of the six National Committee Members of the Big “I”, I’m pleased to have six junior golfers qualify from Kentucky joining me in Kansas. A huge thank you to those volunteers who helped with the tournament. It is a great way to spread the word about our industry and what being an Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent means. I know the players and spectators were more informed this year with the added efforts made to educate them.

Finally, our Young Agents Committee completed a service project in July that benefited Bradystrong Lawn Care. Brady Walz, grandson of IIAK Past President Denny Desmond, was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2014. His treatments continue as he fights this horrible disease. As part of Brady’s wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he received the necessary equipment to start his own lawn care business.

Proceeds from his business will help children fighting his same disease while also helping offset his extensive medical bills. Our Young Agents completed 19 yards and received donations to this great cause totaling $1,000. Trusted Choice partners with Make-A-Wish and IIAK is pleased to support Brady and his family. Not only are we grooming the next generation of insurance leaders – we are supporting them in their efforts to give back to others. They see the benefits of community involvement and our industry is lucky to have such great future leaders.

Tara T. Purvis

Marketing Director

Thank you for allowing me to continue to serve you.

Kristie Weyer, CISR

Insurance Services Manager

Sincerely,

4 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

DON’T GET BITTEN

BY AN E&O CLAIM YOU COULD HAVE AVOIDED.

Big “I” Risk Management Website

www.independentagent.com/EOHappens Big “I” members whose agency E&O insurance is written by Swiss Re through the Big “I” Professional Liability Program have access to an exclusive risk management web site.

Log on today to fish for E&O claims frequency data, real-life case studies and analysis, sample client letters, sample agency procedures, agency E&O self assessments, podcasts on important E&O topics, and much more.

DON’T BE ON THE HOOK FOR: Failing to procure coverage requested by the client Not adequately identifying client exposures Failing to provide timely notice of a claim to the carrier Misrepresenting or not explaining policy provisions Providing inaccurate information to carriers Failing to properly add additional insureds or loss payees

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 5

Need a Tail? By: Cara Gates Gone are the days when an agent would open an agency, run it for 40 years, retire and pass the agency on to a son or daughter. In today’s world agencies open and close, merge or get sold, and agents transfer from one agency to another.

So how does an agency protect itself when it faces a merger, acquisition or goes out of business?

Since most professional liability policies are written on a claims-made or claims-made and reported basis, the best answer is to purchase an extended reporting period endorsement—commonly referred to as an ERP or a “tail.”

An ERP provides an extension of time for an agent to report a claim after a claims-made or claims made and reported policy is canceled or expires.

An extended reporting period covers only claims that arise out of wrongful acts that occurred prior to cancellation or expiration of the policy. It will not provide coverage for errors or omissions made after the expiration of the policy.

Most claims-made or claims-made and reported policies provide a short extended reporting period at no additional premium (usually 30 to 60 days). Additionally, an agency has the option of purchasing a longer extended reporting period for an additional premium.

There are a few things to consider when contemplating an extended reporting period. The limits of liability during the final policy period generally are not reinstated during the extended reporting period (although this can vary by state).

Therefore, claims made during the extended reporting period will be subject to the limits remaining after any claims have been paid during the final policy period. The deductible applicable during the last policy period also applies during the extended reporting period, subject to the aggregate deductible.

When an agent retires from the insurance business, an unlimited extended reporting period may be available without any additional premium. This option may be subject to certain criteria: for example, the agent must be the sole owner and 6 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

producer of the agency, of a specific age and insured by the same carrier for 10 consecutive years prior to policy cancellation or termination. Further, the retirement cannot be due to a suspension, revocation or surrender of the agent’s insurance license. A similar option may be available for an agent who dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled.

Various extended reporting periods are also available in the event an agency merges with, consolidates with or is sold to a second agency.

An employee leaving an agency usually does not have the option of purchasing an individual extended reporting period; however, he or she will likely be covered as a former employee under the agency policy as long as the agency maintains continuous coverage or subsequently purchases an extended reporting period. It may also be worthwhile to continue monitoring the professional liability coverage of the former employer.

A claim against an agency or agent when there is no professional liability coverage could financially devastate the agency or the agent. An agency must ensure that it has protected itself by not only securing a professional liability policy, but in also securing coverage after the policy has expired or been cancelled.

Cara Gates is an assistant vice president, claims and liability management with Swiss Re

Timing Your Tail Purchase

The option to purchase an extended reporting period is generally available only at the time the policy is expiring or being cancelled, so making the decision to purchase one and for how long is important. The simple advice is to purchase as long a tail period as possible. Since many of the underlying policies that an agency sells are written on an occurrence basis, errors & omissions claims can easily arise years after the alleged error, not to mention that the statute of limitations for a professional liability claim itself can be rather lengthy in some states. Absent fraud, the carrier generally can’t terminate the extended reporting endorsement once it has been purchased.

© 2013 SECURA Insurance

Let’s make sure they always dig what they do.

Building working relationships since 1900 Commercial • Personal • Farm-Ag • Specialty

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DOI News

From the Commissioner By: Sharon P. Clark

What exactly can an unlicensed employee do in an insurance agency office? Can he/she collect information?

Answer the phone? Explain coverage to a client?

These are questions we are asked regularly. I know many of you have these discussions when the agent community is together. The Department of Insurance has provided some guidance over the years and I wanted to take this opportunity to review some of those issues. You may want to go to our website (insurance. ky.gov) and review Advisory Opinions 2001-08 and 2004-07 for more information.

If a person does any of the following activities, he/she is acting as an agent: • Collecting or even holding premium in any manner, • Explaining coverages or benefits to insureds or prospective insureds, • Quoting rates, • Actively seeking insureds for a particular insurer, or • Taking or filling out an application.

By way of explanation, the Department later clarified that “collecting or even holding premium in any manner” does not refer to the act of receiving a premium check and issuing a receipt. However, the unlicensed employee cannot deposit the premium check into an account in his/her name, fail to inform the agent of the receipt of the check, or otherwise withhold the payment negligently or convert it to the employee’s own use. The act of accepting a check should be regarded as purely a clerical function. Keep in mind that the unlicensed employee cannot bind coverage – only the agent can do so.

Regarding group plans, unlicensed individuals may “enroll” but not “solicit.” For purposes of this statute, “enroll” (as defined in Black’s Law Dictionary) would be defined as “to register, to make a record; to enter on the rolls of a court; to transcribe.” The Advisory Opinion gives this example: An unlicensed employee may hand a customer a brochure explaining the coverage, may provide scripted information pre-approved by the Department, or may inquire whether or not the customer wants insurance through a group policy if a simple “yes” or “no” answer is given. However, if the customer wants any additional information, the customer must be referred to a licensed agent.

An unlicensed person may receive a referral fee but an agent should avoid any situation that could constitute illegal sharing of commission or payment of commission to an unlicensed person.

Our Agent Licensing staff was asked for input and they provided these additional reminders/cautions for agents: • Don’t allow an unlicensed employee to use an agent’s user name/password to submit information to DOI via eServices.

• An unlicensed person should not complete an application for the agent’s signature.

• An unlicensed person should not explain coverage or give insurance advice to a customer.

• When possible, don’t leave an unlicensed person alone in the office for a long period of time.

• Avoid using a signature stamp.

As always, feel free to call the Department if you have questions about this or any other issue. We are here to help you!

8 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

Education Calendar E&O: Risk Management Louisville • October 8

on - site class!

____________________________________________________________________________________ ABEN Webcasts - (http://iiak.aben.tv/) Below are the classes that will earn you CE credit. But don’t forget that there is also a vast selection of Personal Development classes available.

Annuity Basics and Where They Fit

Home Based Business Exposures

August 20 @ 12 pm EST September 17 @ 12 pm EST

August 20 @ 10 am EST

Certificates of Insurance August 20 @ 10 am EST September 17 @ 10 am EST

Commercial Lines Claims That Cause Problems August 11 @ 2 pm EST

Commercial Property Endorsements That Can Make You Money!

How Insurance Agents Can Become Invincible to Lawsuits and Save Thousands in Taxes August 11 @ 10 am EST September 8 @ 10 am EST

Make the Wholesaler you BFF! August 18 @ 10 am EST September 15 @ 10 am EST

National Flood Insurance Program: Updated through 2014

September 22 @ 2 pm EST

August 19 @ 10 am & 3 pm EST September 16 @ 10 am & 3 pm EST

Data Privacy Insurance

The New Health Age: The Future of Health Care in America

August 12 @ 1 pm EST September 10 @ 10 am EST

August 25 @ 10 am EST September 22 @ 10 am EST

Directors and Officers Liability Insurance August 13 @ 2 pm EST September 11 @ 2 pm EST

Personal Lines Claims That Cause Problems September 10 @ 10 pm EST

Estate Planning Basics

Professional Ethics in the Insurance Industry

August 20 @ 2 pm EST September 17 @ 2 pm EST

August 11 @ 2 pm EST September 16 @ 2 pm EST

For questions on any of these courses or IIAK’s education program, contact Katie Freshley at kfreshley@iiak.org or call 502-245-5432 www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 9

2015 Big “I” Sales & Leadership Conference Exceeds Expectations By: Nikki Petrowski

Owensboro welcomed more than 100 attendees on June 17 and 18 for the this year’s Big “I” Sales & Leadership Conference. And while the weather was hot and humid, it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and energy of the occasion.

Chair Michelle Love welcomed attendees to her hometown and then introduced Sharon Emek, President of our newest member benefit. WAHVE (Work At Home Vintage Employees,. (See page 31 for more information on this great program)

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The conference opened with an engaging presentation from Robb Zbierski, who taught listeners how to “Train Your Brain” with simple memory exercises. After lunch and lively roundtable discussions on industry-related issues, the group reconvened for Steve Anderson’s presentation “Creating a Customer Experience Your Clients Can Expect Today”.

Agents and Young Agents gathered for the opening reception to network with their peers and enjoy the wonderful river views from the Owensboro Convention Center. Following the reception, everyone was invited to attend a Night Out with IIAK in downtown Owensboro.

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Thursday morning commenced with breakfast and a visit from Commissioner Sharon Clark who spoke about ongoing industry related issues, both in Kentucky and abroad.

Next on the docket was an “Issues, Advocacy & Leadership” panel. The panel consisted of Michelle Love (E.M. Ford and Company), Bart Rowland (Rowland Insurance Company/Kentucky State Representative), Donna Schlie (Arlington Roe) and Jeremy Terry, AINS, CPIA (KEMI). Dustin Miller with Government Strategies, LLC served as moderator.

The conference concluded with a golf scramble at the Owensboro Country Club and tours of the International Bluegrass Museum and Wendell H. Ford Government Center. Fun was had by all!

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1. Robb Zbierski 2. Steve Anderson 3. Ron Gionet, Michelle Lucas and Crystal Reid 4. Sharon Emek 5. Michelle Love, Mike Johnson and Katie Freshley 6. Tim Murphy, Lindy Suiter and Ray Robertson

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4 1. Commissioner Sharon Clark 2. Michelle Love, Matt Meyer, Tara Purvis, Jared Pursley, Adam Murphy and Neel Ford 3. International Bluegrass Museum 4. Dustin Miller, Bart Rowland, Donna Schlie, Michelle Love and Jeremy Terry 5. Door prize donated by Seneca 6. Brian Smith

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Golf Scramble Results First Place Team

John Bell - Acuity Mutual - Lexington Robert Blain - Al Torstrick Insurance Agency, Inc. - Lexington Matthew Dumeyer - R.H. Clarkson Insurance Agency, LLC - Louisville Ron Gionet - Seneca Insurance Company - Louisville

Second Place Team

Randy White - The Cincinnati Insurance Companies - Cincinnati, OH John LaRue - LaRue Insurance, Inc. - Bardstown Adam Murphy- Lake Barkley Insurance Agency - Cadiz Bryan Clontz - Citizens Insurance Agency, LLC - Mt. Vernon

Third Place Team Matthew Meyer - Risk Placement Services - Lexington Jared Pursley - Pedigo-Lessenberry Ins. Agency, Inc. - Glasgow Ross Richey - Lawton Insurance Agency - Central City Tara Purvis - IIAK - Louisville

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 11

KEMI

12 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

By: Susan Hodges

Rainmaker producers: myth or reality? Agency owners and sales experts say they really do exist—and if your agency hasn’t found one, you’re looking in the wrong places.

“I know a rainmaker when I walk in the door,” says Craig Ryder, whose agency, Scott Insurance in Lynchburg, Va., has six young rainmakers with $2-million to $3-million books of business.

“Rainmakers are organized, continually make new contacts and have the desire to win—not to manage.

They want to be out talking to clients.” www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 13

Opinions abound regarding the innate qualities and acquired behaviors that must combine to create a super producer. But sales experts, principals at Best Practices agencies and those with top-performing producers say super producers love what they do—but need guidance from their leaders and unflagging support from other agency staffers to ensure their success.

Liz Christoffersen, founder and CEO of Empower Consulting Group in Reno-Tahoe, Nev., not only believes rainmakers exist; she makes a living coaching them and helping other talented salespeople become rainmakers.

“We work with men and women around the world, some of whom produce $1 billion annually selling real estate, insurance or luxury goods,” she says.

“What we know from working with these people is that they’re highly organized and have systems and supports in place.”

Rather than cold-calling, Christoffersen says they’re strategic: “They look for targeted, specific profiles and take action every day to be in front of people who fit those profiles. Rainmakers make sales happen, regardless of the economic climate.”

In addition, she says rainmakers leverage technology, but don’t rely on it to build relationships.

“These folks are masters of human behavior,” she adds. “Even though we have all these social media outlets, great salespeople make sure they’re interacting every day on a personal level.”

Another trait of rainmakers is intimate knowledge of their own strengths and weaknesses.

“They absolutely know when they need to delegate or not engage in certain activities,” Christoffersen says. “They know these things take away from what they do really well—which is to sell.”

Herb Greenberg, founder and CEO of Caliper Corp., a Princeton, N.J., firm that pioneered preemployment assessments in the 1960s, says gifted producers love their work.

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“When agents hire [producers], they often look for experience,” he says. “What they should look for is, does the person want to do that job? Will it be fun—an activity they’d do without money? Great producers love to prospect. They want to get to that ‘yes.’ ” Along with love of the job, Greenberg says Caliper has found that people who become great producers possess three other important qualities: Empathy, the ability to understand others; ego drive, a desire to get a “yes” from the customer; and the ability to take rejection, that is, to bounce back after a “no” and go after the next opportunity.

If a candidate or existing producer has these qualities, agencies should also look for self-discipline and the ability to reason abstractly, Greenberg says.

“Tremendous self-discipline is required for a person to sell in any consistent way,” he adds. “Great producers have enough self-discipline to plan their work, their follow-up and their personal marketing campaign. And when a prospect says no, the producer needs self-discipline to find a way to come back to the prospect again.”

Abstract reasoning, in comparison, stems from empathy. “You don’t just go in and sell a package,” Greenberg says. “You have to be able to understand what the person really needs and then mold your product to meet that need so you both win. In insurance, abstract reasoning requires intelligence, empathy, a knowledge of forms and financial skills.”

“How do you get all these great young producers?” is a question Ron Patterson hears when carrier representatives visit his office.

Of 18 employees at Patterson & Associates Insurance in Richardson, Texas, nine are external producers, including eight who are under age 50.

Patterson, the agency’s vice president, and his son Ben Patterson, who recently succeeded his father as agency president, find great producers in many places.

“We’ve recruited from schools and from our network of who we know,” Ben Patterson says.

“Some were hired while working their first jobs after college. We look for people with any kind of sales experience or leadership experience.”

The Pattersons believe leadership experience can be gained through a variety of activities.

“Maybe they led a fraternity, a business class or student government,” Ben Patterson says.

“Maybe they were in athletics. Leadership and sales ability often intertwine.”

One source from which the Pattersons usually don’t recruit: other agencies. “We don’t want to create enemies,” he adds.

Scott Insurance’s Ryder is always on the lookout for great producers and seeks candidates through its existing ones. “We incentivize them to always be looking,” says Ryder, COO, CFO and producer recruiter for the agency with 250 employees, including 45 producers.

Scott Insurance also finds exceptional sales talent in a variety of places. “The next one could be could be a waiter or waitress, one or two years out of college,” he says. “It could be someone in another field who calls on you, and feels like us.”

Typically, those hired “have one or two sales jobs out of college, not normally in insurance,” he adds. “We look for the top sales person in a firm. We feel like we can teach insurance—but we can’t teach sales.”

Caliper’s Greenberg notes many recent college graduates are ideal candidates for selling insurance. “If you can’t find great producers, you’re looking in the wrong places,” he says.

When hunting for prospective producers, he suggests using this line: “We don’t care much about what you’ve done, but we care very much what you are. If you’re somebody who loves to sell and loves to work with people, we want to talk to you. We can teach you skills, but we can’t teach you attitude.”

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Many would-be producers talk a good game but can’t walk the talk. That’s why Scott Insurance uses a personality assessment to test producer candidates for traits and behaviors normally accompanying sales ability.

Candidates then interview with a group of four to five senior managers or producers, who look for intelligence, trustworthiness and drive.

“The people we hire as producers must also have a strong presence in the room,” Ryder says. “They should stand out, be someone you’re interested in talking to. They should also be caring and able to go deeper into the sales process.”

Qualitative benchmarks, on the other hand, should include the quality of relationships developed with agency partners, the ability to network and promote the agency and the ability to work in a team environment, he adds.

“Rainmakers absolutely exist,” he says. “They’re born with a set of skills that are God-given, then made into rainmakers when they’re put into an environment that helps them flourish. They have to have that perfect balance to fulfill all of their potential.”

Susan Hodges is an IA senior contributing writer.

“Anybody can ask questions, but the producers we want are good listeners who can then ask deeper questions that show the prospect what we do is different,” he adds.

Ryder says superstar producers at his agency have all these qualities to a high degree.

“They also want to win by winning accounts,” he says. “If they tell us they want to be a sales manager, that’s a strike against them.”

800-226-3224 www.fcci-group.com

Ron and Ben Patterson also use a personality assessment to test producer candidates for sales abilities.

“But it’s not always 100% accurate on the qualities that make a super producer,” Ron Patterson says. “So we’ve taken a super producer we have here and gotten him to take the profile so we know what we want to look for.”

Once candidates with serious sales talent are tested, interviewed and hired, their production should be benchmarked against the performance of others like them.

Ben Patterson says rainmakers or those with the potential to be rainmakers can be benchmarked quantitatively “by revenues generated and being generated.”

He recommends comparing revenues against those reported for top producers at similar-size agencies in the Big “I” Best Practices Study.

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One of the things I enjoy most is working along with an agent to help a contractor evolve from being unable to obtain bonds to being the type of contractor sought out by surety companies.”

Dan Pikar Senior Contract Surety Underwriter FCCI Insurance Group Midwest Region Now, let’s talk about your business.

General liability • Auto • Property • Crime Workers’ compensation • Umbrella Inland marine • Agribusiness • Surety Coverage available in 18 states. © 2015 FCCI

16 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 17

From Fountain Pen Ink to E-Files: Developing a Records Retention Policy

By: Richard S. Pitts

(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of three articles examining records retention policies for insurance agencies.)

“Sarah, take a look at this. I found it last week.”

Andy DeClair sat in his lawyer’s office. Sarah Comfore was happy to see Andy, who had been a good client of Comfore & Patridge for years. Andy handed Sarah a manila file folder.

Sarah opened it. The pages inside were yellowed and wrinkled. Water spots dotted the paper. Dust particles danced in the air and a musty smell was present. Time had faded much of the printing, but some was still legible. In heavy script print, the top of the first page said “Imperial Fire Assurance Company” and beneath it appeared the words “Fire Protection Policy.” An ornate logo was faintly visible in the upper right hand corner: an eagle in full flight, wings spread, and some sort of banner in its talons.

A Touch of History Sarah continued to scan the page, seeing the exquisite penmanship of long ago and the wavering ink lines of a fountain pen’s markings.

About a quarter of the way down the page the words “Quincy Mercantile Building” appeared.

Just beneath that, on the line stating “Policy Commencement Date” was the date, again in fountain pen, “1 August 1886.”

“Andy, what am I looking at?”

“I think it’s one of the first policies written by Joshua Neville, the founder of our agency” The DeClair Insurance Agency had been started by Joshua Neville in the mid-1880’s. Quincy, Kentucky was then, even as a county seat, barely more than a crossroads. The Quincy Mercantile Building, now safely preserved on the historic register along with the neighboring courthouse, had sprung up in the 1880’s.

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“and you know the rest, Sarah. Eventually, Joshua hired my great-grandfather, who later bought him out and renamed the agency. So, I’m going to get this framed and hang it in the lobby.”

“That’s great, Andy. But I suspect,” Sarah said with a smile, “that’s not what brought you here today.”

“No, it isn’t,” Andy said. “I found the Mercantile Building policy in our storage facility. Do you know we’ve got five bays out there now?

Anyway, you wouldn’t believe this, but I’ve got a pair of old paper-and-file issues that have both come up in the last month.”

Old Paper Problems Andy shifted a bit uncomfortably. “Do you remember the Quincy Lumber Mill out on Old State Road 466? I used to write that account until they closed in the mid-1980’s.”

“At least we’ve moved the story forward about a hundred years, Andy,” Sarah laughed gently.

“Well, it turns out that the Lumber Mill was also doing some chemical treating as well as sawing in the 60’s and ‘70’s. The ground out there is supposedly a mess. The government wants it cleaned up. I got a request to give them the liability policies from 1965 to 1980! Dad insured them back then. This won’t surprise you, Sarah, but I only found one policy from 1979. There’s boxes and boxes of agency stuff from before that, but I can’t

find anything else on the Lumber Mill. And, what’s worse, there really isn’t any rhyme or reason to the stuff we’ve got stored out there. I think we just stuffed it in boxes every year and shipped it out.”

“OK, Andy, so your historical records aren’t the best,” Sarah said. “But you’re joining some pretty good company in that regard. There isn’t too much you can do about that, though.”

New Electronic Records Problems “I know, Sarah. But here’s the real kicker: I also had to go out and get a file from just two years ago. This one is on Jumps-N-Giggles, that kids’ adventure park on the west side of town. Ted Johnson’s the producer on that one. Ted had told the owners that they needed to have disclaimer a form or something like that for the go-kart track.

It was an underwriting requirement at renewal from the carrier.”

Sarah winced.

“Andy, don’t tell me.”

“No,” Andy quickly said, “It’s not what you think. There’s no loss here. But what did happen is bad.

The insurance company went out and did an audit. There’s no liability waiver form in place, so the company initiates a mid-term cancellation. The market was pretty tight for this kind of risk, so the eventual cost to Jumps-NGiggles, when you add it all up, was about double what they were paying.”

“Why does this involve DeClair?” Sarah asked.

Andy explained that Ted was sure he had told the managers at Jumps-N-Giggles about the waiver form requirement. In fact, he remembered having forwarded the underwriting information to them on an email about a month before the renewal was up. “Ted thinks, but honestly isn’t sure, that it would have been in an attachment to his email. The folks at Jumps-N-Giggles have no memory of any of this, of course.”

“But why were you out at the storage facility, Andy?”

“Sarah, after we bought the Jones Agency, we needed a computer systems upgrade. We now have 22 producers and 53 employees in three offices. All of our companies are going paperless.

Our clients are now expecting everything in email.

We decided to bite the bullet and upgrade the network. We got a new server, which is great.

“I’ve exchanged voicemails with our information technology consultant. He told me there’s some corruption on the old drive. It really wasn’t meant to be a permanent storage device. But we haven’t met face-to-face, so we haven’t really tried to access the old drive to see if Ted’s email is there. Since I had to go see what we had on the Lumber Mill, I thought I would just see what our physical file looked like.”

“What did you find, Andy?” Sarah asked.

“Nothing. Well, nothing of any assistance,” Andy answered. “The file was where it ought to be, but there was nothing that would help us. There are some handwritten notes – probably Ted’s. One of the notes says, ‘waiver’ on it. It looks like a phone message, but there’s nothing that would indicate whether it was a conversation between Ted and the insured or maybe Ted and the company. Oh, yeah, there’s a copy of the dec page and the policy itself, and a transmittal letter. We know the insured got the policy. There’s also the original application from the insured, but that’s about it.

“Like I said, Ted thinks he emailed the underwriting requirements to the insured. We didn’t have a policy of printing out emails, and now we may not have access to the electronic records. Sarah, what do we do?”

Sarah drew a deep breath and launched in. “Andy, there’s several things that we need to do. First, let’s define the scope of the problem. There are really three lurking issues here and we need to separate them.

Is It Really a Retention Issue?

“The first problem is documentation of the file.

I’m sure Ted really did communicate the need for a waiver form to the insured. However, are you really satisfied with the way that he handled that www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 19

communication and the way he documented it? In other words, given the importance of the waiver requirement, can Ted truly say – and prove – that he told the insured what to do?”

Sarah continued. “This is where the second issue overlaps the first. Let’s assume for a minute that there is an email on your old server. If the text of that email says words to the effect of, ‘You run the risk of non-renewal or cancellation if you don’t start using a liability waiver form,’ then Ted’s in the clear.”

“Ted’s a good producer, Sarah. He knows what he was doing and I don’t have any doubt that he would have told the amusement park something like that,” Andy interrupted.

“OK, then the second issue is evident – it’s one of records retention and retrieval. You’re sure you have a business record that will vindicate the agency, but you can’t put your hands on a copy of that email, right now. We’re pretty sure that the agency’s retained the record that it needs, but now we can’t retrieve it. It’s the electronic version of the things that you were saying about the old files on the Lumber Mill problem – the records are probably there, but there’s no ‘rhyme or reason’ to how they’re stored so they’re not realistically accessible.

“This leads to the third problem area – are your electronic records safely stored? Do you have computer backup? Are there plans to do something to stabilize the old network?”

Andy looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know. Sarah, this records thing is a big problem. I’m trying to run an agency and I can’t spend days at a time out in our storage pods. We’re sending box after box – dozens every year – and the storage cost alone is just getting out of hand, not to mention the staff time it drains. What good is all of this if I can’t find an insured’s policy, like the Lumber Mill, or can’t find the paperwork we need to defend ourselves?”

Sarah sat back. “Andy, I’ll answer a question with a question. Are you ready to make the time and money commitment necessary to get control of your business records?”

“Yes. I am. I mean, we have to.”

20 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

A Procedure to Create a Procedure “OK, Andy. We’re going to do this in three parts.

First, let’s talk about the procedure for setting up the procedure. I know that sounds strange, but I think it’s really important. Second, let me research the legal requirements for your agency. Third, let’s draft and implement a policy that makes some sense.”

“What we have to do, Andy, is have a realistic, business-oriented way to put a records retention policy in place. “Here,” Sarah said, handing Andy a legal pad. “Take some notes.”

Sarah continued. “Andy, it’s your agency. You have to identify the new records retention policy as a priority to everyone in the company, branch locations included. You have to make it a priority to see the plan is drafted and put in place, and you can’t be too distracted by company visits, hiring new producers, and things like that. Any successful records retention policy and procedure is going to have to have complete management support. And by support, Andy, I mean both time and money.”

Sarah looked and Andy didn’t groan, so she kept going. “Here’s the good news, though. You don’t have to be – in fact, shouldn’t be – the one to write it or even implement it. In fact, what you need to do is gather together a small team of your folks to get a handle on what records you routinely produce and how you store them. Select a pair of producers and CSRs – one each from commercial and personal lines. Let them be involved in this process.

Let them tell you what they do and the records that they generate day-to-day, so that the policy can address them realistically.”

“Also, you need to have your IT person involved in this process, too. Remember, it’s generally OK to store some records electronically. In fact, isn’t that what your companies really want? And, before you’re done with all of this, I would run it past your key companies – and your errors and omissions insurer – to see if they can help.”

Why Not the Usual?

Andy put down his pen. “Wait a minute, Sarah, I thought you’d just hit ‘Alt F6’ on the word processor and I’d get a shiny new records policy.”

“Andy, you can do that if you want. But there are a couple of problems with that. Most generic or

boilerplate records retention policies are drafted with publicly traded companies in mind. They’re just not size-appropriate. Also, many do not address records like yours, which are created, maintained and stored on a client-by-client basis. An ‘off the rack’ records retention policy is not going to be truly relevant.

That makes it less likely to be followed.

“You’re better off if you start from a document that is insurance-industry specific, Andy,” Sarah continued, “but the best approach of all is to go forward from there to make it appropriate for you.

For instance, most records retention policies only identify how long to keep records before they’re destroyed. As a result, they don’t stem the tide of paper or file creation at all, and, again, companies wind up not even following their own policies.

That’s arguably worse than not having a policy at all.”

Sorting out what is a “Record” “Here’s what I mean, Andy. Of course, an important component of a records retention policy is how long to hang on to papers, and which ones.

Think about your Lumber Mill situation. The core of a records retention policy would normally be that the agency hangs on to policies for ‘X’ years, so that you could safely report to the government that

you do not have any records for the Lumber Mill, if it was actually too long ago.”

Sarah continued. “But here’s the catch. Having a policy that just says, ‘Keep insurance policies for 20 years,’ or something like that, doesn’t really address your other problem, at Jumps-N-Giggles.

Your physical file has an ambiguous telephone note and routine transmittal correspondence. The key record, and the one that’s missing temporarily at least, is the email. A records retention policy has to have some guidance in it that would’ve helped Ted preserve the email about the waiver form in an easily accessible manner when the file was shipped out for closing.

“Now, I’m getting ahead of myself here, but the policy could be that all emails are stored electronically, so that Ted wouldn’t have had to create a paper copy before the Jumps-N-Giggles file was stored. Or, we do create a paper copy.

Then, when we see that it’s not present in the file, we can govern ourselves accordingly in dealing with the disappointed customer. We have confidence in Ted, but we know going into the situation that we can’t prove that we did the right thing. Knowing that in advance may help stem whatever loss there is, even if it’s just customer confidence.”

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Andy rubbed his temples. “Sarah, this is more complicated than I thought it would be.”

“I’m sure it is, Andy, but it’s really a brave new world out there. We need to think about what happens if there’s litigation over the Lumber Mill situation, or, heaven forbid, Jumps-N-Giggles. For instance, the rules on discovering the other side’s information in litigation have just been changed to reflect electronic recordkeeping. The bottom line is that as much as I enjoy talking to you, Mr. DeClair,” Sarah said, “I don’t want to have to explain to a judge or a government agency why we can’t muster together the papers we’re supposed to have.”

Andy stood up. “Let’s meet next week?” She nodded; Andy had a thin smile. “Well, there is one bright spot. At least I’ve got evidence that Joshua Neville insured the Mercantile Building 120 years ago.”

(Next month: Examining the sources of the law on records retention, including the consequences of not being able to find documents.)

Richard S. Pitts, IIAK’s General Counsel is also part of our newest member benefits, First Call Free Legal. Members receive up to a 30 minute phone consultation on an insurance or agency-related matter once a year at no charge.

If the matter needs more than the allotted time, IIAK members will receive a discounted hourly rate. Contact IIAK to initiate contact and use this service. Not all matters may be eligible for the service, and using the service does not by itself establish an attorney – client relationship.

Thank You 2015 Industry Partners Premier

Platinum

Gold Acuity Bolton & Company Grange Insurance KEMI Progressive Risk Placement Services Silver Amerisafe Bailey Special Risks, Inc. Kentucky National Insurance Company Keystone Insurers Group Motorists Insurance Group Secura Insurance State Auto Insurance Company Bronze Auto-Owners Insurance Company Countryway Insurance Company FCCI Insurance Group Kentucky Agents Finance Company KESA KY Associated General Contractors Midwestern Insurance Alliance Inc. Summit Westfield Insurance Sterling Burns & Wilcox Ltd Columbia Insurance Group InsurBanc

22 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 23

Junior Golfers compete against each other... and Mother Nature By: Nikki Petrowski The 47th Trusted Choice Big “I” State Qualifier brought both fierce competition and weather on July 6 & 7 at the Oxmoor Country Club in Louisville where first-round leaders Cullan Brown of Eddyville and Lilly Young of Shelbyville held on to win medalist honors in their respective divisions.

Brown, who will be a sophomore at Lyon Co. High School, shot 142 (69-73) to win by three shots over Corey Teaford of Santa Claus, IN, Will Molen of Frankfort and Michael Sass of Louisville. The trio shot two-day totals of 145 and solidified the final three qualifying spots in the boys division.

In the Girls Division, Young held a five-shot lead going into the final round and held off a furious rally from Kie Purdom of Lexington to win by one shot. Young, who will be a junior at Shelby Co. High School, shot 149 (72-77) while Purdom, who also qualified for the National Tournament, had 150 (77-73).

24 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

These top finishers will advance to the Trusted Choice Big “I” National Championship to be held August 3–6, 2015, at the Prairie Dunes Country Club, Hutchinson, KS. For the first time in tournament history, Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance (KEMI) hosted a long drive competition. Participants qualified on Sunday, July 5 and the top distance earners went on to compete following Monday’s round. Allen Hamilton of Louisville won the Boys Division with a 307-yard drive while Kie Purdom won the Girls Division with a distance of 232 yards.

With a range of insurance coverages including errors or omissions, extensive loss control resources, expert claims knowledge and local service from an independent agent like you, EMC offers an insurance program designed specifically for light manufacturers. It’s just one of the many reasons why you and your commercial clients Count on EMC®.

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© Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2015. All rights reserved.

How Risky Is It...?

IIAK Insider magazine enlisted the help of Eric Moberg from The Moberg Group in this new series which will present various scenarios and E&O exposures.

... to make a change to a policy without written authorization from the client?

Always request written confirmation for all change orders received. Alternatively, if a written request is not received, send a written confirmation to the customer of the change that is being ordered from the company. Email to or from the client is OK, although it is best to have confirmation in writing from the insured.

Somewhat Risky High Risk

If the change is the elimination of an exposure or reduction in coverage.

to accept an AOR or BOR without specific wording to protect the agency?

Make sure your AOR/BOR form includes wording that protects the agency. Wording such as: ____(Agency)____ is hereby authorized to negotiate with any insurance company regarding changes in the above referenced coverages. ___(Agency)___ shall not be responsible for any return commissions, uncollected premiums, audits, or other financial arrangements, nor for any deficiencies in the current insurance coverages to which this letter may apply.

In addition, treat business acquired by AOR/BOR as a piece of new business and thoroughly underwrite the business including new applications, updated schedules and values, and a complete evaluation of all exposures and limits.

High Risk

...

26 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

... to bind new business without a signed application?

A fundamental process in our business is to always get a signed application and money (if required) before binding business. Today, many carriers allow an agency to quote online and bind online without specifically requesting a signed application. Although this may work in the process of using the carrier system, it is not a good practice. The ability to prove misrepresentation is almost impossible if the insured did not sign the application. This may cause the carrier to have to pay a claim they should not have been obligated to pay if they could prove misrepresentation.

This could lead to an E&O claim from the carrier against the agency for not having the insured sign the application.

Check your carrier contracts.

You may find that it is the agency’s responsibility to get applications signed even though the underwriter does not ask for a signed form.

High Risk

...to not contact clients at renewal to update exposures and make recommendations?

Things change! The lives of your clients and the business of your commercial accounts change regularly. If we are not making contact how would we know?

We cannot assume that our clients, big or small, know what they are supposed to tell us when something changes in their circumstances. How many times have you discovered additional equipment that you didn’t know about? Improvements to a home that was not reported to your agency?

Efforts should be made to contact every client every year.

That may sound overwhelming, or you may be thinking you would have to add staff in order to accomplish this, but with effective use of technology it is not that difficult.

Start by making a concerted effort to get email addresses from all or at least most of your clients. Once you have their addresses, send an email to the client asking them to update their information by filling out a

renewal questionnaire. This can be included with the email or can be located on the agency website with a link in the email directing them to the form. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of responses you receive and shocked at what you learn about changes your clients have made without your knowledge. By the way, make sure you are offering additional coverage as part of the questionnaire like: flood insurance, umbrella, life, health, earthquake or any other coverage that fits in your locale.

Great cross sell opportunity to increase revenue!

For those without email, simply mail the questionnaire to the clients.

High Risk

...to not document all customer contacts in the agency management system or paper file?

There is an old saying among agency automation people: “if it’s not documented in the system, it never happened.”

All communication with clients should be documented in the agency file and automated with an “activity” or manually in the paper file. If manually, make sure it is on a customer contact sheet that is in chronological order so that it supports the fact that the notes were created as they occurred and not easily changed. Automated notes hold more weight in a courtroom as they are designed to be uneditable and are electronically date stamped.

Field communication between producers and clients is equally important. Discussions outside the agency need to be documented as well. The use of standard forms that are scanned into the system, or an email from a smart phone or tablet, to the office to be attached to the client would be a good practice to implement.

Extremely Risky Eric Moberg is President/CEO of The Moberg Group, Inc. (TMG), an insurance consulting firm working IIAK recommends The Moberg Group for Westport E&O policyholders interested in risk management auditing.

The Moberg Group, a management consulting firm specializing in the operational analysis of insurance agencies, provides all Risk Management Audits for the FMS E&O SwissRe/Westport program.

SwissRe/Westport offers a five year 10% premium credit for completion and compliance with the Moberg Review Program. This credit is in addition to any other educational credits earned by the agency.

If you have a topic you’d like us to cover in future entries, please contact us at iiak@iiak.org.

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 27

Relax...

You understand that you’ll need to structure your professional emails differently than you would a text or a tweet. But unless you had the good fortune to take an “Email Etiquette 101” course in college, you might be unsure of what, exactly, you should and shouldn’t do before clicking “send.” Let’s clear up the cyber-confusion with a few tips for effective email communication:

You’ve offered each of your clients a personal umbrellaReadpolicy. your email carefully before sending it. It takes

only a few seconds to glance back over what you’ve written before clicking “send”—but those few seconds could save you a lot of grief! Specifically, make sure that you’ve entered the correct email addresses.

Confirm that you’ve included all of the necessary information and proactively answered any questions that readers might have. Look for and correct any typos.

Right?

It might not be quite as relaxing as a day at the beach, but knowing you’ve done everything in your power to protect the customers who trust you to help them will go a long way towards easing your mind.

Offering each and every client an umbrella not only protects those who choose to purchase the coverage. It protects your agency from liability. And it protects your book of business, since studies show that customers who have multiple policies are less likely to move their business elsewhere.

As a Big “I” member, you have access to a stand alone personal umbrella program from A+ rated carrier RLI, featuring: Limits up to $5 million available Excess UM/UIM available in all states You can keep your current homeowner/auto insurer New drivers accepted - no age limit on drivers Up to one DWI/DUI per household allowed Auto limits as low as 100/300/50 in certain cases

Competitive, low premiums for increased limits of liability Simple, self-underwriting application that lets you know immediately if the insured is accepted E-signature and credit card payment options Immediate coverage available in all 50 states plus D.C.

So cover your clients... protect your agency... and profit from umbrella sales!

Contact Jennifer Hopper, your RLI Administrator at: Email: jhopper@arlingtonroe.com Tollf Free: (800) 878-9891, ext. 8639 Local Fax: (317) 554-8551 Toll Free Fax: (888) 552-9891

28 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

Things You Can Do To Be A Better Team Player While being a superstar has its appeal (fame, fortune, first-class), there’s not a whole lot of room in the corporate world, or even in our personal lives, for a one-man or woman show. Learning to shine as part of a team, rather than trying to be the star hovering above it (or avoiding it altogether) will do a lot more for your career and sense of well-being in the long run.

Of course, as with most things, being a strong team player is a lot easier said than done. It takes learning and practice. But, whether your team is a small group working on a single project, a department working on achieving yearly goals, or an entire company trying to move to the next level, here are six basic strategies you can start using today to be the kind of teammate everyone wants on their side.

1. Be Approachable If you tend to do a lot of sighing, eye-rolling, or exploding when someone asks for your help or your input, it’s a pretty strong indicator that you’re not at the top of the “Best Team Players” list. Everyone needs help now and then—including you. So, no matter how unimportant the request may seem to you, remember that it is important to the person asking and you should treat them and their request with respect. Make an effort to follow the golden rule of treating others the way you would you like to be treated.

2. Be Responsive Don’t ignore people’s requests in the hope that they’ll go away. None of us work in a vacuum. The truth is, most of the work that goes on inside a company is much more interconnected than we all think. Too often we focus only on our piece of the goal and feel we don’t have time for

someone else’s project. Remember, we are all busy. You certainly shouldn’t need to (or be expected to) drop what you’re working on to help someone else at that minute, but you should offer a reasonable date or time by which you will have an answer, an alternative or be available to work with the person. And stick to your deadline.

3. Improve Your Communication Skills This means both talking and listening. Be sure people understand what you’re trying to say. If you’re not certain, ask – but be sure to do it in a way that is positive and not insulting. Saying, “I’m not sure if I was being clear in the way I presented that, could you tell me what your understanding is?” will likely get you more respect and long-term cooperation than using an attacking style such as, “You look confused. Are you not getting this?”

As for the listening side, aside from the obvious making a conscious effort to really “hear” what’s being said rather than planning your response to what’s being said, be sure to ask people for input, and really absorb what they’re telling you. And look directly at the person speaking so you convey the message that what they’re saying is important. If you often enter situations thinking you already have most of the answers, you’re not only being a poor team player, but you are also severely limiting your chances to learn and grow.

4. Establish and Maintain Trust Avoid gossiping and back-stabbing behavior. Nothing sabotages the efforts and effectiveness of a team like distrust and anger. By making an effort to build positive relationships through open and honest communication, you are likely to be more productive as well as get more enjoyment out of your work.

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 29

5. Share What You Know The point of working as a team is to combine the knowledge, expertise, and efforts of a variety of people.

The interaction of everyone’s thoughts and ideas creates a whole new realm of possibilities that wouldn’t exist on the individual level. If you tend to hold back your ideas because you want sole credit or want to be seen as the only expert, you are doing yourself and the team a disservice. Sharing information empowers you and those around you by elevating everyone’s level of knowledge and making the team and the organization as a whole that much stronger.

For information on how Caliper can help you recognize if a potential employee has what it takes to be a strong team player, or for assistance with building stronger, more productive teams, call us at 609-524-1200.

6. Put the Team First When you find yourself thinking, “What’s in it for me?” stop and reframe the question, asking “What’s in it for the team?” or “What could we do differently that would benefit the group as a whole?” It’s important to understand that no team member is “better” or more important than the rest. Each person brings value to the table. If you learn to appreciate the individual contributions of each team member and can step back to see how they fit into the team’s bigger overall picture, everyone will be working togethermore effectively and building a more productive team.

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That’s why an insurance policy from West Bend makes sense. It protects these valuable and hard-earned businesses so your customers can focus on doing what they do best: taking care of children.

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West Bend. Insurance your customers buy when they can’t afford anything less.

Everybody Loves Older Workers But Few Are Hiring Them By: Sharon Emek, Ph.D. It’s a demographic fact: The American workforce is getting older, and just about every industry stands to lose from it—especially insurance.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nearly one in four members of the U.S. workforce will soon be 55 years or older. Many of these older workers are already gone from the labor market due to downsizing, disability or simply retirement. The bureau projects that baby boomer’s participation in the labor force will plummet to only 40 percent after they turn 55.

This talent drain could deal a crippling blow to businesses that are unprepared for their departure.

“Preparing for an Aging Workforce,” a recent study conducted by the Society for Human Resource

32 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

Management (SHRM), confirms what we in the insurance have known for years: although most businesses are concerned about this loss of talent, few are prepared to address it.

Healthcare, nonprofits, government, and utilities top industry sectors for those with the most workers aged 55 and older. The financial sector (which includes finance, insurance and real estate) comes in near the top, with 28.7% of its work force comprised of older workers.

The SHRM survey shows that only one-fifth of organizations have conducted in-depth assessments about what the retirement of older works means to them in terms of filling potential skills gaps, and only a third of responders said their businesses had taken steps to fill those gaps. One in five said their

organizations had no strategies in place to transfer knowledge between the older and younger generation of employees.

blazed trails in so many other areas of society, workers 55 and older are rethinking retirement, the workplace and employment.

There’s a lot to like about older workers. Survey respondents said that older workers bring more work experience (77 percent), more maturity or professionalism (71 percent), a stronger work ethic (70 percent), mentoring skills (63 percent) and more reliability (59 percent).

A recent report published by the Federal Reserve found that while over half of retirees followed the traditional retirement model, only 26 percent of workers who have thought about retirement plan to follow their lead. In fact, workers in their 20s and 30s say they’re more interested in following the traditional retirement path; only 15 percent of people in their 60s or older plan to jump from a full-time job into retirement.

In spite of these convictions, however, more than half of the survey respondents said they did not actively recruit older workers.

The ultimate irony is that many of today’s retirement-aged workers can’t, or choose not to, retire. Typical of the baby boom generation, which

KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM EXPERIENCE

“I have a passion and love for working with agents and writing transportation business.

So what are they doing instead? The Fed report finds that these non-traditional thinkers are “doing” retirement on their terms. Alternatives include, working for themselves (10 percent), and cutting back on hours (10 percent). Another 6 percent said they never plan to retire at all.

This is great news for insurance, and especially independent agents and brokers, which are especially vulnerable to losing talent to retirement.

However, the disconnect between how businesses can benefit from older workers and what they’re doing about hiring and keeping them will keep both sides of the equation from benefiting from what could be a mutually satisfactory arrangement.

U.S. businesses need to take off the blinders and put aside their ageist attitudes with the goal of creating a working environment where talented people of all ages can learn from each other.

My 35 years of experience in underwriting and working with our markets helps me to be a valuable resource for our customers and the relationships we’ve built together are priceless.”

Sandi Fritz, CIC, TRS Vice President, Director of Transportation Underwriting

WAHVE (Work At Home Vintage Employees) offers a unique, cost-saving, remote-staffing talent solution for insurance agencies and companies. Using an innovative work-at-home model, WAHVE engages vintage professionals “phasing” into retirement who work from home on a dedicated basis full-time or part-time.

WAHVE bridges the gap between insurance firms’ staffing needs and “vintage” insurance professionals desiring to phase into retirement. IIAK is offering WAHVE’s staffing solutions to its members at preferred pricing. For a limited time, the $2,500 setup fee will be waived for IIAK members. Contact Tara Purvis at tpurvis@iiak.org or call 502-245-5432 for more information.

Managing General Agency Since 1920

800.666.5692

jmwilson.com

Brokerage/Professional Liability Property & Casualty • Personal Lines • Surety

Commercial Transportation • Premium Finance

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 33

We’re taking our show on the road!

Join us for FREE lunch and professional development

EACH meeting there will be a drawing for a 7-inch Kindle Fire HD The schedule for each meeting is as follows: • 12 - 1 p.m. = Lunch • 1-3 p.m. = You Can Impact Those Around You: Perfect Your Critical Elements of Credibility. Come hear simple strategies for everyday leadership and customer service.

Date Tuesday, August 18 Wednesday, August 19 Wednesday, September 16 Thursday, September 17

City Paducah Bowling Green Florence Louisville

34 | www.iiak.org | July/August 2015

Location Western Kentucky Community & Technical College Holiday Inn - University Plaza Hilton Cincinnati Airport Hilton Garden Inn Northeast

Classifieds Acquisitions

Established Louisville agency interested in acquiring insurance agencies in Jefferson and surrounding counties. If you are interested in selling, merging, or need assistance with perpetuation, we would like to talk with you in confidence. Call R. Alex Rankin, CPCU or Steve B. Thompson, CPCU, at Sterling G. Thompson, Co. at 502-585-3277

DO YOU FOLLOW IIAK ON

SOCIAL MEDIA

NO? THEN YOU ’ RE MISSING OUT ON IMPORTANT NEWS &

EVENTS!

Find all our links at our homepage: www.iiak.org Or, use your smartphone to scan the QR codes below:

Looking for Producers

Independent with top best markets looking to expand presence in Jefferson, Oldham or Shelby counties. Wanting Personal lines, Producer or book of business to move or purchase. All arrangements possible, in strict confidence. Please send inquiries to Turner Insurance Agency, 2460 Shelbyville Road, Shelbyville, KY 40065 or call Kurt Turner, CPCU at 502-633-6060.

IIAK

Young Agents

Commercial Property/ Casualty Producer/Partner

Louisville Insurance LLC has producer opportunities with flexible compensation plans while offering ownership in book of business produced. Confidentiality provided to all interested parties. Contact Glenn Pike at 502-473-5454 or glenn@louisvilleins.com.

Ad Index Amerisafe Bolton & Company EMC Insurance FCCI Guard Insurance J.M. Wilson Kentucky Retail Federation KEMI KESA RLI Personal Umbrella Secura State Auto Summit Consulting Swiss Re Professional Liability West Bend Mutual Insurance

17 OBC 25 16 21 33 23 12 IFC 28 7 30 34 5 31

For classified ads or to advertise in the Kentucky IA, contact: Nikki Petrowski, Communications Director, 502-245-5432 • npetrowski@iiak.org

Pushover Pushover is a game-changing app for those of us with more than one phone. This app will organize all your messages from all your devices in one common space. The system sends push messages to any smartphone, and places messages in one unified inbox. The app lets you send 7,500 messages each month, making it ideal for the most connected small business owner. - NerdWallet

www.iiak.org | July/August 2015 | 35

Having trouble writing vacant homes?

Call us today!

If your clients are going on an extended vacation or have moved into a new house and still have the old one up for sale, vacant home insurance can be hard to get.

Vacant homes are an easy target for thieves, vandals or even homeless people.

Don’t put your clients at risk. Vacant homes are a specialty at Bolton & Company. We have a program especially designed for this market.

Call us today and let your clients rest easy.

• No restrictions on length of vacancy

• Policy terms of 3, 6 or 12 months available

• Coverage to $4,000,000

• Online rating at our website: www.boltonmga.com

• Buildings undergoing improvements also eligible

• Very competitive rates

2400 Waterfront Plaza • 325 West Main Street • Louisville, Kentucky 40202 Telephone 502 583.8361 • 800 292.6597 • Fax 502 584.6131 • www.boltonmga.com