May/June 2012 Suffolk Big Eye Newsletter

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SUFFOLK Big Eye INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY

INSIDE: Presidents Message.

Identity Theft & Data Compromise.

10 Steps to Getting More Done in Your Day

the

President’s Message Retiring President

227 years ago...on July 4th, 1776 this great nation, the United States of America, in a struggle for what was right and free, was proudly born...May we celebrate that precious freedom for which our forbears fought so bravely...The freedom that is inherent in the Stars and Stripes, our revered flag...Celebrate FreedomThis Fourth of July!

Earl Eaton nnn

Identity Theft and Data Compromise Eric Keiffert, CPCU

Identity Theft is a $54 Billion crime that has surpassed drug trafficking in the United States. Identity Theft is the wrongful use of someone’s personal or financial information to commit fraud or other crimes. Some things to know: The age group most vulnerable to identify theft is 20-29 The most common means of stealing identity are “dumpster diving� and stolen mail It takes an average of 55 hours to recover your identity Identity theft is the #1 complaint to the Federal Trade Commission Approximately 28% of identity theft cases take 1 year or longer to be discovered:

Insurance carriers are responding to this growing threat by providing identity theft coverage on either a stand-alone policy or as part of a Homeowners, Businessowners or Commercial Package Policy. It is important to read the coverage form. ISO definitions vs. Carrier-specific policy definitions may vary. For example, some coverage forms provide coverage for employees of a business which could be a nice employee benefit and a great selling tool for the insurance agent.

Date Compromise is the #1 concern of corporate managers in a recent poll. In the past 2 years, data breaches in the United States affected over 100

Identity Theft and Data Compromise con’t million people. A personal data breach occurs when personal data or information is lost, stolen or accidentally made public and involves information beyond “already public knowledge” such as social security number, account numbers and driver’s license numbers.

Many states require a duty to warn if there is a reasonable possibility that the loss may lead to harm, injury, fraud or identity theft.

Common ways that data is breached are: Theft Laptop thefts Electronic hacking Copy data to portable media Insiders (employees) Outside data theft rings and gangs Loss or accidental release Lost file or disk Exposure on a non-secure website Account or social security numbers inadvertently printed on mailings File dumped and not shredded

Data compromise coverage is available. The policy or coverage form typically provides (subject to exclusions, conditions and definitions) response expenses—legal and forensic information technology review, notification to affected individuals, services to affected individuals and defense and liability.

Technology and ways of communicating and conducting business is always changing. As these exposures arise, the insurance industry is continually seeking ways to protect individuals and businesses.

the Editor’s Feedback

by Don J. Hester How Much Does a Penny Cost

Editor

Don Hester nnn

Right now it costs more than one cent for our government to make a new penny. So what? The cost of copper, pennies, wiring, gutters or pipes is all going up and so is the cost of insuring vacant homes and model homes and commercial buildings wired and plumbed with copper.

In England, there have been countless churches with century old copper roofs that have been stripped.

Where does copper go to? Scrap metal dealers are supposed to ask the source – but still the losses go on.

I have a commercial client whose store was closed from the recession. He was hit. With no wiring or plumbing, it is a virtual total loss. Externally the building looks ok, secure, neat – but anyone interested in buying it must have second thoughts. The thieves could pull out the wiring, copper pipes, but to reinstall it requires new sheet work and insulation, basically a gut renovation.

Perhaps the old penny wise and pound foolish adage applies. Should we be recommending central station alarms for vacant buildings? Compared to the cost to replace wiring and plumbing it may be worth it.

At our April Election Meeting, Russ Vollmer was recognized by Dick Poppa for his 50 years as an Independent Insurance Agent.

Russ Vollmer - 50 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS! - April 17,1962 - April 17,2012

Russ began working in the insurance business at his dad's agency in Greenlawn straight from college and has been here ever since. No sooner had he started, according to brother Roy,when their parents took a 2week trip to Europe. Russwas left in the office to run things while knowing very little, if anything, about the business. (Roy added that he's not sure exactly what Russ could handle at that time other than answering the phones and maybe some light clerical.)

Fortunately, the agency had a long-time experienced employee who was able to take over and 'save the day' (or maybe 'the business'). Upon their parents' return, Russ decided he liked the insurance world and enrolled in Werbel's Institute taught by Ed Lucie to obtain his brokers license.

We're glad he did because here are just a few of the accomplishments and industry awards Russ earned over the last 50 years.

President of IIABSC 1981 -1982 IIABNY President's Citation 5/22/1990 President Downstate Insurance Association Council 1990 Received IIABSC's 'Ferdinand Coste Award' 6/8/2006 Served as a Regional Director of IIABNY 2005-2009 President IIABSC 2010 - 2011 (reelected) Rec'd IIABSC's'Vincent A. Alba Lifetime Achievement Award' 6/8/2011

In addition, Russ has served in various local organizations, including:

Former president of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Asso. Former commodore of the Huntington Yacht Club Council, Current Treasurer of the Old Huntington Green.

Russ is an avid sailor and long time member of Centerport Yacht Club. He is also active in local chapter of the MG Car Club (he owns a 1952 MG).

In addition, he and his wife Lois are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary AND Russ' 50th year college graduation.

Also during our April Election Meeting, Dick Poppa gave a great talk on Project CAP. For those of you who missed it and want a little insight please read the article “They’re Here” by Marty Agather.

They’re Here

By Marty Agather Insurance shoppers increasingly go online to research options

In the movie Poltergeist, Carol Anne, the five-year-old daughter of the family who is about to be Did somebody change the channel?

Where did my prospects go? haunted, announces the arrival of the spirits named in the movie’s title, by stating “They’re Here.” Of course the family initially discounts her story, but eventually her prescience is accepted as fact.

Today many independent agents believe that those who are shopping on the Internet for insurance are less desirable prospects, either because of their demographic data (e.g., age or loss history) or their price sensitivity. Like Carol Anne’s family, they don’t want to admit that the unthinkable has happened.

Sobering Statistics

Unfortunately, the world has changed.

• ComScore, Inc. tells us that a full 75 percent of insurance consumers start their research for auto insurance on the web • Allstate, Geico, Progressive Direct, and State Farm spend $2.6 billion in marketing and advertising per year, most getting

consumers to shop the web for insurance • These four insurance companies get 71% of online quotes submitted • 28% of consumers want to interact with their insurance provider via their mobile device • A whopping 84% of millenials use the comments of others to help with purchase decisions; 70% of boomers do the same • Almost 1/3 of millenials won’t purchase insurance without some other commentary from other consumers

While each of these facts provides individual challenges and unique opportunities, they clearly tell us that the consumer expectations are growing and that to remain relevant, the independent insurance industry must change.

To make matters worse, the vast majority of independent agencies won’t even show up in the first few pages of the search results when a consumer does a search for personal lines insurance. Search competition is less for commercial lines insurance, and agencies can effectively compete. Unfortunately very few agencies are taking advantage of the lack of competition to win with digital marketing.

So, I encourage you to visit the program website at http:// www.projectcapmarketing.com and watch for more information on CAP. Then take a moment to think about the branding power that exists through this new endeavor.

10 Steps to Getting More Done in Your Day

By Barry Moltz Small Business Speaker, Consultant, and Author Every day, your to-do list seems to grow. And in this business climate of information overload and constant interruptions, it has become increasingly difficult for small business owners to get anything accomplished. Not to mention, instead of technology increasing your productivity, it often seems to weigh you down. How are you supposed be proud of what was accomplished today and not just be frustrated?

Here are 10 steps to getting more done in a single day. (After you get your cup of coffee, of course.)

1. Do not start the day by checking e-mail, voice messsages or social media feeds. This will suck you in a direction you do not want to go, and is the surest way to get your day off to a bad start.

2. Start by completing two things on your list that must get done today. Do the hard or unpleasant stuff first. Make sure whatever the tasks are, they will have a significant impact on your business and are part of the critical path to other business goals and objectives.

3. Make decisions and take action. Procrastination never pays off, so make the tough decisions first. Say "no" more often than you say "yes", and don’t even think about saying “maybe.”

4. Deal with every e-mail once. Read an e-mail and take action on it now. Don't save it for later or leave it in your inbox. File it in the appropriate subfolder if it is needed for later reference.

5. Focus on doing one thing at a time. Believe it or not, multitasking can cause brain damage. The brain actually doesn’t do multiple things at one time, but instead just switches very quickly. This does not improve your overall productivity.

6. Control distractions. Turn off the e-mail and social media notifications, beeps, ringtones and visits to your office. If you need to use a software tool that turns off your access to the Internet, install it. Limit or rotate the information you read.

Note your calendar ********************************** This Year, Our Holiday Party Will Be Held on Thursday November 29, 2012 Once Again at the Fabulous Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook KICK OFF YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON WITH US! Reserve this date for a fun-filled festive evening with friends and associates!

Details will follow soon.

7. Stay off the Internet, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter unless you have a plan. This is the fastest way to kill your productivity since you can drift on these sites forever. Know why you are using these tools and how it will help your business, and always set a time limit for this activity.

8. Do not enter a meeting without a written agenda and a stop time. And in some meetings, have everyone remain standing. Document action items and assignments, and end early if you can.

9. Delegate to others. Improving your productivity means utilizing the other people in your organization to take full responsibility for their own tasks. Unless you set up an assigned hierarchy, you will always be stuck with all the tasks.

10. Recharge. If technology would have its way, most small business owners would work 24/7. Set a time limit on work and ensure there are place in your life which are an oasis so you can recharge daily.

This article originally appeared in American Express OPEN Forum: Powering Small Business Success

Board of Directors VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

SECRETARY

DAVID M. BORG,

PAULETTE KATZ,

John V. Stype, CIC

CPCU, CIC, ARA, CRM

CIC

dmborg@borgborg.com insurance@cunning

jstype@nsainsure.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT RUSS VOLLMER russ@vollmerins.com

hamagency.com

Directors JOANNE BENTIVEGNA, CIC, CRM joanne.bentivegna@peoples.com

ERIC KEIFFERT, CPCU ekeiffert@hometowninsurance.com

DAVID H. BORG, CISR dhborg@borgborg.com

Michael J. Romeo ll, CIC mjromeo@industrialcoverage.com

RICHARD DE LA SOTA, CPCU rdelasota@mrwgroup.com

AARON STEIN, CPCU, CFP aaron@nortonsiegel.com

JOSEPH A. GUNDERMANN, AAI jgundermann@gundermann.com

Publication Staff EDITOR: Don Hester PRODUCER: Aaron Stein NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: Aaron Stein, Joanne Bentivegna, David H. Borg, Pat Calvert Eric Keiffert and Jeanne Abatelli.

AD SALES/SPONSORSHIPS: Jeanne Abatelli - info@suffolkagents.com

Jerry Brunell Memorial Fishing Outing Wednesday September 12, 2012 Again this year, Downstate will hold its annual Fishing Excursion on the “Fishtale� boat departing Captree Boat Basin. Ticket price includes a full day of fishing, breakfast, lunch, beer, soda, prizes, bait & tackle, fishbags.

Amount: $75.00/person Place: Captree Boat Basin Time: Departs 7:45 am. Return 3:30pm Directions: Southern State Parkway to Exit 40, Robert Moses Causeway, take south 5 miles to Captree Boat Basin exit Footware: Sneakers, dock-siders or equivalent

Note to donate fishing prizes and more information call Martin Rosenthal at 516-599-1100 ext 155

Please fill out and send with your check payable to Downstate Council Return to Martin Rosenthal c/o NGL Group 112 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563

Firm Name:___________________________________________________________________ Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________ State: _______ Zip: _________________ Tel No._____________________________________ Email: ___________________________ No.Fishing _____ @ $75 each = $__________ Total Amount of Check enclosed ___________ Use back of form for additional fishermen.

Long Island Insurance Community 18th Annual Gala The Premier Insurance Industry Event in the Metropolitan Area Honoring Richard Spiro, Executive Vice President Chubb Group of Insurance Companies September 20, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

Carlyle on the Green at Bethpage State Park

www.l-i-i-c.org

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES JOURNAL MATERIAL DEADLINE: AUGUST 24, 2012 PLATINUM SPONSOR: $10,000  Twelve Gala tickets  Full-page advertisement in Commemorative CD Journal—back cover and Gold page  Logo in LI Business News, Insurance Advocate & on LIIC web site with hyperlink  Company name on all event related printed materials  Verbal recognition at event  Recognition in United Way of Long Island Annual Report GOLD SPONSOR: $7,500  Ten Gala tickets  Gold full-page advertisement in Commemorative CD Journal  Logo in LI Business News, Insurance Advocate & on LIIC web site with hyperlink  Company name on all event related printed materials  Verbal recognition at event  Recognition in United Way of Long Island Annual Report SILVER SPONSOR: $5,000  Six Gala tickets  Silver full-page advertisement in Commemorative CD Journal  Name in LI Business News, Insurance Advocate & on LIIC web site with hyperlink  Company Name on all event related printed materials  Recognition in United Way of Long Island Annual Report BRONZE SPONSOR: $2,500  Three Gala tickets  Full-page advertisement in Commemorative CD Journal  Name in LI Business News, Insurance Advocate & on LIIC web site with hyperlink  Company Name on all event related printed materials  Recognition in United Way of Long Island Annual Report JOURNAL ADS (journal will be in CD format) (Must be received by August 24 2012)  Gold Page (7x10) $1,500  Silver Page (7x10) $1,250  Full page (7x10) $1,000  Half Page (7x4) $500  Quarter Page (3x4) $300  Business Card or Company Name, address and phone number $200 TICKETS  Individual Ticket $250

For more information contact Lois Grant, 631-940-3746 or lgrant@unitedwayli.org

I’d like to support the Long Island Insurance Community 18th Annual Gala Journal material deadline August 24, 2012 (Ads not received by August 24, 2012 will default to standard ad selected by LIIC) SPONSORSHIP □ Platinum Sponsor $10,000 □ Gold Sponsor $7,500 □ Silver Sponsor $5,000 □ Bronze Sponsor $2,500

JOURNAL □ Gold Page $1,500 □ Silver Page $1,250 □ Full Page $1,000 □ Half Page $500 □ Quarter Page $300 □ Business Card $200

TICKETS □ $250 _______

FOR JOURNAL ADS Files must be PDF with fonts embedded, Quark Ex-­ press 5 files, EPS Files with fonts outlined, JPEG or Tiff at full size and 300 dpi.

CONTACT INFORMATION Name ____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone _________________________________Email _____________________________________________ Company__________________________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________________ State ______ Zip___________________________________ METHOD OF PAYMENT □ Check enclosed in the amount of $_____________(make check payable to United Way of Long Island with LIIC in the memo, 819 Grand Blvd., Deer Park, NY 11729, email: lgrant@unitedwayli.org or fax: 631-940-2554) □ MasterCard

□ Visa

□ AMEX

Name on Card ________________________________________________________________________________ Credit Card # ________________________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date _______________________ Signature____________________________________________________

EVENT ATTENDEES: 1._____________________________________________ 7. __________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________

8.__________________________________________

3._____________________________________________ 9.__________________________________________ 4._____________________________________________ 10._________________________________________ 5._____________________________________________ 11._________________________________________ 6._____________________________________________ 12._________________________________________

Hallock (Bud) Luce 3rd, 90 Hallock (Bud) Luce 3rd of Riverhead died April 18, 2012. He was 90 years old.

Born in Jamesport May 7, 1921, he was the son of Mary Alice (Pratt) and Dr. Hallock Luce 2nd.

Luce had a long and distinguished career in the insurance business. He joined the Lupton Insurance Agency in 1947 and was so successful the agency founder Edmond Lupton made him a partner three years later, and the agency became Lupton & Luce Inc. Luce was a 64-year member of the Rotary Club of Riverhead, where he had perfect attendance for every one of those 64 years.

"Bud exemplified Rotary's motto of 'Service Above Self' in all he did for the club and for the community at large," Riverhead Rotary president Ronald Farnworth said.

Predeceased by his wife Arlene is 2000, Luce is survived by his son Hallock 4th; his daughters, Linda Swiatocha and Karen Paulick; his sister Hope Bradbury; and by five grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to First Congregational Church of Riverhead, 103 First St., Riverhead, NY 11901 or Riverhead Rotary Charities, Inc., P.O. Box 518, Riverhead, NY 11901.

CE Summer School – Need to Catch Up on Credits?

July and August webinars from IIABNY offer a great opportunity to earn CE credits, fulfill your NYAIP requirements, and well‌ learn! Topics range from Enterprise Risk Management to International Insurance, NYAIP Certification, and more. Check our Webinars & Web CE calendar for a full listing.

Note your calendar now to attend this big event. ********************************** Downstate’s Legislative Forum will be held on Wednesday, October 30th, 2012 at the beautiful Chateau Briand in Carle Place Details to follow shortly For event details, contact Pat Calvert 516-621-2209 or email calvertpc@aol.com For registration and sponsorship information, contact Jeanne Abatelli 516-681-6265 or email Injeanious1@mac.com

Affiliated with IIABA Young Agents The IIABNY Next Generation Insurance Professionals (Next Gen) sponsors training, seminars, and conferences across the state.

Our members also have the opportunity to participate in national Big “I� Young Agents events.

Exciting & innovative sales and marketing training

Management skills that allow your career to grow

Valuable leadership development

Networking & social events with other professionals

Next Gen is open to individuals under 40 years old or new to the insurance industry who are interested in becoming more innovative and effective salespeople, creating lasting business relationships, and joining the ranks of insurance industry leaders.

Membership is open to all individuals working in or supporting the Independent Agency System and actively developing a career in the insurance industry. It is not limited to agents only; it is open to any one involved in or supporting the insurance industry including all agency and company personnel.

Membership is Free! Join today by filling out the following form and returning it to: Kathy Lawler klawler@iiabny.org Fax: 888-432-0510

Monica Rayder mrayder@iiabny.org Fax: 888-432-0510

Name: _____________________________________________________ Agency: _________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Position: ___________________________________________________ Year Born: ________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Fax: __________________________

Are Business Cards Still Important?

Jeanne Abatelli

In todays world of online social networking are business cards still important? The answer is a resounding "YES."

Whether you are at a trade shows, business lunch, or even chance meeting, conversations only last a few moments and the only way to quickly exchange information is through business cards. We all know social networking sites like Facebook and Linkedin exist, but are you going to whip out your smartphone and look up someone's profile in a room full of people you need to network with? Your business card doesn't have to contain JUST a phone number and email address. You can also include URLs to your various social media profiles, such as Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Business cards are still in use. Nowadays, they are used to connect business people in the traditional sense, and they also help bridge the gap between paper and digital relationships.

IIABSC COMMITTEES 2011 – 2012

WE INVITE MEMBERS TO JOIN A COMMITTEE! Please Contact the committee chair or Pat Calvert for further information.

Audit Committee Budget & Finance Communications Committee

David H. Borg and John Stype.

Paulette Katz (Chair), Earl Eaton and Russ Vollmer.

Aaron Stein (Chair), Joanne Bentivegna, David H. Borg, Eric Keiffert and Jeanne Abatelli.

Sub-Committees

Downstate Representatives Scholarship

Public Relations Speakers Bureau Suffolk Big Eye Technology & Web site

Earl Eaton and Rich de la Sota.

Rich de la Sota (Chair)

Legislation/InsurPac

Joe Gundermann (Chair), John Stype, Tom Crowley, Don Hester and Jeff Rehm Coastal Task Force Legislative committee and Jim Sutton Meetings & Programs David M. Borg (Chair) + Communications Committee Meeting Reservations NextGen Disaster Preparedness Task Force Advertising & Sponsor Sales 2012 Golf Outing 2012 Installation

plus Jim Karras and Pat Calvert.

Jeanne Abatelli David H. Borg and Mickey Romeo (co-chairs) John Mulvey and Mike Romeo.

Jeanne Abatelli.

David M. Borg and Joe Gundermann (Co-chairs) Earl Eaton, David M. Borg, Jeanne Abatelli and Pat Calvert.

the Advertisers INSURANCE COMPANIES & MARKETS Excise Bond Underwriters John L. Comeau 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 800 New York, NY 10038 Tel: 212-363-2950 Fax: 212-425-2539 Magna Carta Companies Wanda Napolitano 1 Park Avenue New York, NY 10016 Toll Free: 1-888-ONE PARK Phone: 212-591-9500 Fax: 212-591-9621 NIF Group Michael Orlando, Nancy Williams 30 Park Avenue Manhasset, NY 11030 Phone: 516-365-7440 Fax: 516-496-7356 Email: nwilliams@nifgroup.com www.nifgroup.com Quaker Special Risk Camille Windler 226 5th Avenue, 4th Flr. New York, NY 10001 Phone: 516 428 0716.

Fax: 732-223-9072 Email: salesattkr@aol.com Brian Botwinick Eatontown, NJ Toll Free: 800-447-4180 Email: bbotwinick@qsr-insurance.com

INSURANCE SERVICES Pryor Personnel Agency Patricia Pryor Bonica 147 Old Country Road Hicksville, NY 11801 Phone: 516-935-0100 Fax: 516-931-7842 Email: ppryor1578@aol.com

RESTORATION SERVICES Belfor Property Restoration Gary J. Alexander 60 Raynor Ave. Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 Phones: 631-471-3131 x121 Fax: 631-471-2905

the Sponsors

April Meeting Sponsor Kingstone Insurance Company Total Restoration Inc. Please remember these companies support our association, please help support them whenever possible!

Kingstone Insurance Company John Reiersen, CPCU 15 Joys Lane Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: 845-340-8366 Fax: 845-340-8393 Email: jreiersen@kingstoneic.com

Total Restoration Dennis Lombardi 285 Post Avenue Westbury NY 11590 Phone: 516-333-5333 Fax: 516-333-5489 Email: dennis@totalrestorationinc.com

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SUFFOLK Big Eye INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY

IIABSC 150 Dartmouth Dr. Hicksville, NY 11801

Contact Us: info@suffolkagents.com