All users of ACORD Forms must be properly licensed through ACORD.
Agents accessing ACORD Forms through their agency management system or other third-party software are required to claim a license annually .
PIA
Did you know that PIA’s company council, The PIA Partnership, has conducted nationwide research about the insurance buying preferences of small business owners?
The research is encouraging because it found that small business owners strongly prefer independent insurance agents as they make choices in today’s online world.
However, the results also serve as a wake-up call that agents must take steps to continue to demonstrate their value and also be more engaged online.
PIA and the companies belonging to The PIA Partnership have created a public website that helps agents understand PIA’s findings.
PIA members also have access to a private website containing a series of strategies and tools to help them stay ahead of online competition in commercial lines.
To access the newest PIA Partnership project, Small Business Insurance & The Internet — The Voice of the Commercial Lines Customer.
If you are not a PIA member and want to access all of the tools available through this program, contact us for a membership application or visit us online at www.pianational.org/header-utility-items/join/Join-PIA
N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2353 www.pianet.com | membership@pianet.org | (703) 836-9340
NAIC & PIA Agree: Do Away with the Federal Insurance Office | 7
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has put out its 2025 federal legislative and regulatory priorities. So has PIA National.
New Mexico Governor Wants
State Run Homeowners Insurance | 8
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to set up a state-run homeowners insurance department to write fire-only insurance.
Oregon’s SAIF CEO has Home Riddled with Bullets | 9
Hopefully, this will not become a common occurrence. The head of Oregon’s workers’ compensation insurer, SAIF had his home riddled with bullets two weeks ago.
Fatal Accidents | 10
The states of West Virginia 141.48, New Mexico 126.73, Louisiana 114.29, Tennessee 112.87 and Alaska 110.06 lead the nation in fatal accidents per 100,000 people.
Culture, Flexibility, and Growth Major Factors In Motivating Gen Z Agents | 11
What do Gen Z employees and prospects want? Here’s a hint: providing a competitive salary and benefits are good, but just the start.
Employees & Chronic Conditions: A Hidden Workplace Problem | 12
A new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation says chronic conditions that employers are unaware of are harming productivity, job satisfaction and employee well-being.
Wildfire: $2 Trillion US Homes At Risk | 14
ZestiAI did some research on homes in the U.S. with wildfire exposure. The property risk
assessing company used artificial intelligence to show that many millions of homes are at risk for wildfire damage and destruction.
Flood Insurance: A Growing, but Unnoticed, Need | 16
Flooding is becoming an increasing issue in the U.S. and too many people don’t know it.
Not so Safeco:
Liberty Mutual to Drop the Brand | 17
Liberty Mutual purchased Safeco in 2008. It has been the insurer’s independent agent outlet for the sales of home, auto and specialty insurance.
Wonder What Consumers Wonder about Insurance? A Google Survey Reveals All | 24 Google gets lots of questions about lots of different subjects. One of them is insurance.
Special Report:
Ransomware & Scams in 2024 | 25
Travelers Insurance said the fourth quarter of 2024 saw at least 1,663 ransomware attacks.
PIA NE IA EVENTS
Upcoming Events Calendar 2024 | 18
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PIA FOR NEBRASKA AND IOWA
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NAIC & PIA AGREE
Do Away with the Federal Insurance Office
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has put out its 2025 federal legislative and regulatory priorities. So has PIA National. At the top of both lists is giving more strength in the nation’s state-based insurance regulatory system.
The NAIC’s legislative priority news release said the association wants the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) dissolved. “Ensuring the future success of the U.S. state-based system of insurance regulation demands constructive coordination with our federal peers and appropriate deference and independence of the regulatory system from federal intrusion,” the NAIC said. “For this reason, NAIC Members call for the elimination of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office, as FIO stands in direct conflict with the states' role as primary regulators, complicates the states’ engagement with fellow insurance regulators globally, duplicates confidential data collection from the insurance industry, and blurs the line that separates Treasury from independent financial regulators.”
PIA National agrees. In its 2025 policy priorities, the PIA has called for the elimination of the FIO.
“The mandate of the FIO was substantially expanded by the Biden administration’s 2021 Executive Order (EO) on Climate-Related Financial Risk. In 2022, the Treasury Secretary issued a notice and request for comment on a proposed “climate-related financial risk data collection,” the PIA noted. “PIA registered its objections to this proposal, noting its potential to unnecessarily duplicate state-based regulatory data collection and the burdensome nature of its unusual level of granularity. Fortunately, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has assumed responsibility for the data
call and rendered it more circumscribed than it was when FIO was handling it in the absence of state insurance commissioners.”
In today’s political climate, the PIA hopes the FIO will be one of the federal offices eliminated.
“The FIO remains a perpetual threat to the primacy of state-based insurance regulation, and the continued expansion of its authority must be stopped,” the PIA continued in its 2025 policy priorities. “To prevent its further intrusion on states’ power to regulate the business of insurance, PIA supports the FIO Elimination Act H.R. 643, which would fully repeal the office.”
The PIA also wants the Insurance Data Protection Act to be passed. It hasn’t been introduced in the 119th Congress but when it is, and if it passes, the reforms will significantly narrow the scope of the FIO’s power by taking way the FIO’s subpoena power.
Sources: NAIC and PIA National
NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR
WANTS STATE RUN HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to set up a state-run homeowners insurance department to write fire-only insurance. Her push hasn’t gotten very far in the New Mexico Legislature, so Lujan Grisham is asking for a commission to study the idea.
In her state-of-the-state address last week, Lujan Grisham said New Mexico is facing a fire insurance crisis because of the wildfires
CULTURE, FLEXIBILITY, AND GROWTH MAJOR FACTORS IN MOTIVATING GEN Z AGENTS
What do Gen Z employees and prospects want? Here’s a hint: providing a competitive salary and benefits are good, but just the start. Culture, flexibility, and job growth are some of the most important factors, according to Winning@Work, a new report from The PIA Partnership and the PIA Young Agents Committee.
The insurance sector is facing a talent shortage, and it’s critical for agencies to understand what younger workers, especially Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), want in their jobs. This report identifies five key areas that are important to Gen Z employees:
CULTURE: They want the organization to have a clear mission, vision and values, ability to perform fulfilling work, and opportunities to give back.
GROWTH: Gen Z employees want to work for a business that help them learn, develop, and advance in their careers.
FLEXIBILITY: The choice for remote work is only part of it. Job responsibilities, dress codes, office culture, and goals also contribute to whether or not an agency is flexible.
MENTORS: Mentors are no longer always represented by career-long relationships. Many Gen Zs turn to mentors of the moment, connections who are in the right place at the right time to provide relevant and timely advice.
TECHNOLOGY: Videoconferencing, collaboration tools and tracking software are solutions that can help advance agency culture, improve professional development, and increase flexibility.
For the full Winning@Work report: www.pianational.org/winningatwork
WILDFIRE: $2 TRILLION US HOMES AT RISK
ZestiAI did some research on homes in the U.S. with wildfire exposure. The property risk assessing company used artificial intelligence to show that many millions of homes are at risk for wildfire damage and destruction.
Today there is $2.15 trillion of exposure in the U.S. involving 126 million properties. ZestiAI CEO Attila Toth said of the 126 million, 4.3 million are private homes.
“Wildfires are threatening more properties than ever before, with billions of dollars in exposure even in areas many people don’t associate with fire risk,” he said.
To come to its conclusions, ZestiAi used AI models and explored over 2,000 wildfires from the last couple of decades and mapped exposure. To do that, it integrated satellite and aerial images with topography and the characteristics of various structures.
What was most apparent is the number of homes now butting up against the wildlifeurban interface
To no one’s surprise, the state of California has the most exposure to potential wildfire damage and has over 1.54 million homes and $1.21 trillion in total exposure. The Golden State is
NOT SO SAFECO Liberty Mutual to Drop the Brand
Liberty Mutual purchased Safeco in 2008. It has been the insurer’s independent agent outlet for the sales of home, auto and specialty insurance.
Luke Bills is Liberty Mutual’s president of independent agent distribution said the company is going to retire the Safeco name in 2026. He says nothing will change for the independent insurance agent and agencies.
“The Safeco legacy is one of strength, partnership and an unwavering commitment to independent agents,” Bills said. “We will carry that legacy forward and will bring our agents even greater value with this brand change.”
Taking its place will be Liberty Mutual’s personal and specialty lines, the ones pushed by Doug and Limu the Emu. Policyholders will not be impacted and Bills said they will be able to keep the relationship with their independent agent.
Tyler Asher heads Liberty Mutual’s distribution and marketing. He said the transition away from Safeco will “fully harness the Liberty Mutual brand value for all of our customers, agents and partners, across all distribution channels.”
Asher said there will be no distribution changes for consumers or agents.
“Importantly, this will significantly simplify our business, allow us to dedicate our considerable marketing power behind a single brand, and enable us to leverage and scale our technology to deliver unified but differentiated products and experiences across channels,” Asher continued.
The 22,000 independent agents Safeco used helped the company’s income to grow to $13 billion in annual premiums. Adding to Safeco’s success is Liberty Mutual stepping in once in awhile to purchase the books of business from other insurers and pushing them to Safeco.
The purchase of Main Street America in 2024 saw that book of personal auto and umbrella lines sent to Safeco.
Source: Insurance Journal
May 13, 2025 Liar!: An Agent's Role in Identifying & Handling Fraud
May 15, 2025 Just Use Mine: Home, Vehicle and Other Sharing Exposures Insurance Doesn’t Like
May 21, 2025 Reasons Personal Lines are Broken (and What to Do About It)
May 22, 2025 Homeowners Endorsements Insureds Don't Want (But Do Need)
May 22, 2025 An Hour with Nicole: Personal Lines: Read the %^&* Form! NE/IA
May 29-30, 2025 Ruble Graduate Seminar
June 4-5, 2025 CIC: Commercial Property Institute
June 4-5, 2025 CIC: Commercial Property Institute
June 10, 2025 CISR: Elements of Risk Management
June 10, 2025 Definition of Insanity: Common Home and Auto Exposures We Know Are There & Do Nothing About
June 10, 2025 Stinkin Rich, Insurance Poor: P&C Coverage Challenges for High-Net-Worth Individuals
June 12, 2025 Eroding: The Personal Lines Implosion and What Happens Next
12,
June 17, 2025 Why Inadequate EPLI Will Close Your Business (and What to Do About It)
June 17, 2025 An Hour with Cathy: Understanding (Finally!) How Claims Made Policies Work
June 19, 2025 Commercial Property: Claims, Coverages, Consequences
June 24, 2025 Social Security and Medicare: Your Questions Answered
June 25, 2025 An Hour with Dave: Rental Cars: Issues, Answers, Horror Stories
June 26, 2025 Name That Endorsement: Business Auto and Commercial Property Edition NE/IA
June 26, 2025 Ethics, Diligence, Success: What Agencies Need to Know NE/IA
July 22-23, 2025 CIC: Personal Lines
October
November
December
December
Most consumers got the cash for these investments from bank transfers or cryptocurrency.
A lot of fraud is done online. The IT and cyber security firm, Next Perimeter looked at data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. It said the states ranking 1, 2, and 3, Nevada, California, and New Jersey, were hit hardest last year, followed by the states of Alaska, Arizona, Montana, South Dakota, New York, Utah, and Florida.
Next Perimeter chief information officer, Michael Moore said the highest losses per capita are from Nevada at $62.60 per person.
California had the highest overall total losses. That figure is $2.16 billion, or $55.53 per capita. Kentucky had the lowest financial losses at $10.74 per capita.
“Digital fraud patterns tell us something important about cybersecurity in America today,” Moore said. “Areas with higher levels of digital transactions and technological integration face greater risks from online fraud. This points to a key challenge — the same digital infrastructure that drives economic growth can create opportunities for cybercriminals.”
Sources: PropertyCasualty360.com, Insurance Journal and PropertyCasualty360.com
