2009 December LaVoz

December 2009

a L

Z o V The MUTUAL BENEFITS PROGRAM "The Voice" of Independent Agents since 1934

SM

Five Reasons to Choose New Mexico Mutual

1 2 3 4 5

New Mexicos Experts in Workers’ Compensation Insurance CREATED FOR NEW MEXICO BUSINESSES

Created by New Mexicans for New Mexicans, we are a New Mexico business ourselves and understand the diverse operations of our state’s workforce. By placing your business with our company, your premium dollars stay in New Mexico.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES, SECURITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS,

We ensure that your business investment is protected from the costs of an accidental injury as well a provide services and programs to keep your employees safe at work and rehabilitate those who may suffer a workplace injury.

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

We are a local company that understands the state and your specific needs, not a faceless 800 number. Our local team of loss prevention and claims professionals know how to take care of injured workers and provide useful and practical information to keep your workplace safe.

LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY FOR NEW MEXICO BUSINESSES

We are an industry leader in providing workers’ compensation data to the state of New Mexico. We represent our clients in Santa Fe by advocating legislation that protects businesses and workers, while keeping the cost of workers’ compensation insurance to a minimum.

INTEGRITY

New Mexico Mutual is recognized as one of the most ethical companies in New Mexico and we’ve earned that designation by being forthright and respecting the relationships we’ve built with our agents, clients and injured workers, We are financially strong and will be here to back your business when you need us most.

SM

3900 Singer Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87109 505.345.7260 or 800.788.8851

www.NewMexicoMutual.com

IIANM Announces the

Mutual Benefits Program!

S

tarting December 1, you can benefit by submitting applications for new business with New Mexico Mutual and receive even more by putting that business with them. IIANM is pleased to offer this Visa gift card program that can benefit you and New Mexico Mutual, the largest financial supporter of IIANM. New Mexico Mutual had rates approved for their three new companies October 1 and wants you to take a look at what they can do for your customers. The Mutual Benefits program is designed to benefit you when you submit an application for new business. Even better, you’ll receive an even larger benefit when you bind that new business with New Mexico Mutual in any of their companies.

The benefits will be distributed as Visa gift cards that you can use yourself, give to your family or anyone else you choose!

Qualifications: • CSR receives $10.00 gift card for any new application submitted to and quoted by underwriting • For a bound policy with premium up to $4,999.00, CSR receives a $10.00 gift card • For a bound policy with premium from $5000. to $24,999., CSR receives a $25.00 gift card • For a bound policy with premium from $25,000 to $49,999, the CSR and agent each receive a $50.00 gift card • For a bound policy with premium over $50,000 the CSR and the agent each receive a $100.00 gift card.

• Program will run from December 1, 2009 thru February 1, 2010.

• Must be a member of IIANM to participate.

www.scottsdale.burnsandwilcox.com

Who has the ability to handle all your specialty insurance needs?

The

Answer is Your Specialty Insurance Professionals

Professional Liability Umbrella & Excess Employment Practices Commercial Property Products Liability General Liability Commercial Auto Personal Lines

Global Resources. Local Relationships.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

(866) 643-8538 / (505) 822-0018 / fax (505) 822-0092 scottsdale.burnsandwilcox.com

www.scottsdale.burnsandwilcox.com

“La Voz� is the official monthly publication of the

La Voz

Independent Insurance Agents of NM 1511 University Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102.

(505) 843-7231. Fax (505) 243-3367.

Web site www.iianm.org.

This publication is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered, but is distributed with the understanding that neither IIANM, nor any contributing author, publisher, contributor or advertiser is rendering legal, accounting or any other professional service and assume no liability whatsoever in connection with its use. Further, the electronic links to our advertisers and/or contributors found in this publication are provided as a courtesy to our readers and do not necessarily indicate an endorsement by IIANM. News items from members of Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico and the general insurance industry are encouraged. The advertising deadline is the fifteenth day of the month, preceding publication.

Advertising rates are available upon request.

Please contact Rachel Sheffield at rachel@iianm.org for details

IIANM Staff President/CEO Thom Turbett, CIC VP Of Membership Services Lorri Gaffney

"The Voice" of Independent Agents since 1934

Features IIANM's Mutual Benefits Program

03

Improving Commercial Lines Account Marketing

09

Agents Dominate Worker's Compensation Marketplace

11

L&H Trends - Paying for Deficits

13

Business As Usual

15

Red Flag Rule Enforcement Delayed Until June 1st; Lawyers Exempt

16

Consumers Cite Agents As Most Credible Insurance Resource

17

P&C Contingent Commissions Make News

19

Extortion Incidences on the Rise

21

IIANM Holiday Party Invite

22

Consumers Don't Connect Coverage Discounts

23

IIANM's 2010 Calendar of Events

24

In Every Issue Tech Talk

06

Education Edge

26

Director Of Insurance Programs Carmen Reese Porter, ACSR, CISR

December's Clickable Calendar

27

Odds n Ends

29

Director Of Education Jeff Straight, CIC, LUTCF, AAI

IIANM's Partners Program

30

Director Of Communications Rachel Sheffield

Receptionist / Member Services Associate Renee Trujillo

2009-2010 Officers

Advertiser Index Acuity

18

Allstate Workplace Division

10

American Mining Insurance Company

17

Vice-Chair Kathy Yeager

Burns & Wilcox

04

Colonial General Insurance Agency, Inc.

12

Secretary/Treasurer Scott Jones

Cresta

23

National Director Sam Conlee

Litchfield Special Risks, Inc.

20

Market Finders, Inc.

08

New Mexico Mutual

02

Risk Placement Services

14

Chair Alma Franzoy-Capron

Immediate Past Chair Angela Vasquez

Source: The Anderson Agency Report

The new filing cabinet My current favorite replacement for a piece of office equipment cuts down on the need for that old metal filing cabinet.

Because our client files are 100% digital (primary .pdf and .tiff files) we have a variety of options for storing and backing them up. As a direct result of an article by Barry Klein (March 2009 LaVoz), we now store all of our client data in the very lightweight filing cabinet called Dropbox.

by Roper DeGarmo

I

(An Agency is An Agency)

n the tremendously popular AMC television series Mad Men, viewers are whisked back in time to 1960. With incredible attention to detail, the show's creators give us a peek into the world of ad agencies in an era of business that is intended to shock us with how strikingly different it appears compared to the office environment of today. Aside from the copious drinking and smoking in the office, what strikes me is how little things have changed between the ad agency of 1960 and the insurance industry's agency system I joined straight out of college in the spring of 2000.

By using Dropbox, we store all client files in a very simple and flexible folder on a local machine. Dropbox then synchronizes client folders to a cloud version of this "filing cabinet," giving us both a local copy, and a copy that is accessible over the Internet from any browser. Having an exact replica of our "large metal filing cabinet" stored offsite and backed up in real time is a great benefit, but this filing cabinet goes one step further. With very simple setup, my team members can have a copy of this filing cabinet downloaded and kept up to date on their local machines as well. In fact, the sync is so quick and efficient it replaced my need for a network drive between my Macbook Pro and my Windows Vista PC. Rather than asking the Mac OS to share a drive with the Windows OS, I simply send the data to Dropbox and it bounces back to the other machine connected to the same router and ISP. (Side note: I had previously set up file sharing between the two systems but it worked a little bit like an organ transplant. The host could see and work with the donor folder, but it was a constant battle to keep them from rejecting each other.) With Dropbox, my virtual metal filing cabinet is backed up, duplicated, and shared over hundreds and thousands of miles instantly.

The new receptionist

Maybe it's a testament to the quality and longevity of office equipment in general, but the average insurance agency today has much in common with the Mad Men agency of the 1960s.

In fact, in many offices, it wouldn't take long to locate an actual piece of furniture from the 1960s, whether it's a chair, a desk, or that ever-present piece of equipment with a 100-year halflife: the Metal Filing Cabinet. Fortunately for the agencies of today, if we ever do need to replace our aging office equipment, most (if not all) of it can be rolled out on a hand truck. In just a few keystrokes, its replacement is available over the Web.

Another staple of the 1960s office was the receptionist. I must say I am struck with the quality and efficiency shown by the Mad Men switchboard operators of that era. As impressive as it is to see three women directing dozens of calls per minute, this is a place where automation shines. Currently, each member of my team is given a common main line phone number and extension through Aptela.com. Aptela is one of many hosted VoIP (Voice Over IP) phone systems available today.

We use Aptela mostly because it was the first VoIP system we found, and over the past few years their quality has improved dramatically. If you call Signature's main line, 913-904-1881 you are greeted by a digital receptionist. As would be the case at a larger agency, you are given the option to dial your party's direct extension, dial by name, or press 9 to be routed to the first available staff person.

In fact, my agency, Signature Personal Insurance, is operating as a fully virtual insurance agency. It's important to define the term "virtual," as it means different things to different people.

For us, it means that we operate as a six-person team without a common physical location, office, or address. Each member of the Signature team works from his or her own home or office. By efficiently leveraging technology, we have built an agency that allows us to share everything—well, everything "but" secondhand smoke from that era gone by.

This system has served us well for the past few years, and with the launch of Google Voice we are testing tools that could give us the same functionality without the digital receptionist. If a caller chooses not to dial a direct extension, we can transfer the call to Google Voice, where it will be routed to the appropriate party with no extensions, receptionists, or selecting of options by callers. By recognizing the caller by their number, Google Voice can route a call to the appropriate agent or service person with no other input needed.

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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Google Voice uses "Groups," whereby it checks the known numbers and routes the caller based on predetermined rules established by the administrator. If it's a first-time caller, the person can be routed to a service person who can set up Google Voice to auto-route that number in the future. This technology will mean important clients get right to your cell phone and "that client" who is costing your agency money every time they call can go straight to voicemail. The ability to prioritize clients and how their calls are routed could be a very powerful tool.

Google used its knowledge of search and indexing to give users quick and easy access to old correspondence in an efficient manner. What this means for my agency is that if we e-mail a client, or even about a client and use their name, policy number, or even just a case number we assign each endorsement for tracking in Salesforce, we can find that e-mail or string of e-mails as documentation of the correspondence. The best part is that when the client calls and asks for Auto ID cards for the second time in the same policy term, we simply forward them the same e-mail we sent them some four months prior.

The new intercom Google Apps Premier also replaces the 1960-era office intercom. (A little side note here: I used a form of crowd sourcing to figure out what to call that "little box" on a desk that was once used by the secretary to let the other party know who was on the phone. I'll explain what I mean by crowd sourcing.)

The new conference room The Agency Management System of 1960 probably consisted of a conference room with all the decision makers and accountants present. Perhaps this is directly linked to the copious drinking and smoking we see in the show Mad Men, but today many of the functions of an agency management system can be accomplished through the Salesforce.com platform.

We use Salesforce for both new business pipeline management and current/renewal client servicing. By customizing forms and fields we can collect, manage, and distribute all the information that is pertinent to us and our carriers. Salesforce thrives as a sales management tool but its "anywhere access" to client information and history means that my team is fully functional with nothing more than a browser and Internet access.

The new manila envelope It is difficult to think of a 1960's equivalent of e-mail, but perhaps the intraoffice manila envelope is about as good as it gets. E-mail in general, and the iteration we use through Google Apps Premier, puts intraoffice memos to shame.

In 2004, shortly after the founding of Signature Personal Insurance, I started using Google's free "Gmail" service. Google said Gmail would remove the need to delete any e-mail... ever!

This was so key to their vision that Google launched Gmail without giving the user a delete button at all. Google's intent was (and is) for users to archive all correspondence, making it available for later search and recovery.

As a part of Google Apps Premier, each user is given access to Google Talk. Google Talk is a simple Instant Messenger application that allows for quick and simple text messages between users. It's not quite "instant," as you have to wait for the other party to press enter to see what they are typing, but for short simple questions it is timelier than e-mail and much more efficient than a phone call. The built-in video and voice features allow my team and me to collaborate on anything from accounts to this specific article.

Back to crowd sourcing. When I was trying to remember what to call the "little box," I sent a group chat to three team members and got an immediate response: "Intercom, dummy." For us, a group chat is automation that replaces talking over the top of the cubicles, or poking your head in a colleague's office for a quick question.

The new office The most expensive item we have replaced with technology is the actual office itself with our simple but clear marketing Web site. Brick and mortar buildings are expensive to build or lease, and after years of meeting clients at their homes or coffee shops and restaurants, I realized that the physical office had become less necessary. Now that we do business literally coast to coast, our clients don't expect to visit our office, and the cost to fly from Florida or California makes the whole idea seem absurd.

Our replacement for a 1960's office building is a simple URL: www.SignaturePersonalInsurance.com. No doubt, nearly every reader of La Voz will have a Web site that does far more than Signature's Web site. Even so, the critical goal of our Web site is to replace the big letter sign many agencies have on the front of their buildings. If the marketing message of our Web page makes it clear that we do high net worth personal insurance and we are good at it, then we have successfully replaced the high-rise building generally considered necessary for being a national insurance agency.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 7

www.marketfindersnm.com

Phone: (505) 822-8711 Fax: (505) 822-1165 Toll Free: (800) 530-8711

New Mexico’s Locally Owned Managing General Agency Since 1977 Representing some of the most financially strong and innovative insurance companies in the specialty marketplace!

Top-Tier Markets For:

Commercial / Public Auto General Liability Property / Vacants Garage / Dealers Liquor Liability Special Events Inland Marine Directors & Officers Liability Professional Liability / E&O Commercial Umbrella Watercraft / Motorcycles / ATVs Personal Umbrellas Homeowners Mobile Homes Dwelling Fire / Vacants At Market Finders, Inc., our mission is to professionally provide quality specialty markets and service to the Agents of New Mexico.

Market Finders, Inc.

4910 Alameda Blvd NE - P.O. Box 90280 Albuquerque, NM 87199

Page 8 Page 20

www.marketfindersnm.com

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009 Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2008

Agency Management

Improving Commercial Lines Account Marketing: Organizing agency operations is the first step to staying Getting Started

I

on top of renewals.

by Kel Plasket

n the commercial lines arena, many agencies rush

to send incomplete renewal applications to numerous

• Re-market only those accounts where the premiums and/or coverages can truly be improved.

carriers to block the competition from quoting. Thus begins

• Evaluate the true need for spending significant time quoting

the time-consuming process of attempting to piece together

multiple markets.

a viable submission to get an accurate quote. Analyzing the

• Work on building a stronger client relationship in order to

causes of renewal problems and creating a dedicated timeline

minimize the time spent remarketing with numerous carriers

can help agencies avoid this stressful and inefficient process.

over and over again.

The following are some underlying reasons behind most of

Agencies should also consider developing a stewardship pro-

the problems surrounding the marketing of renewals: Lack of ownership of the renewal process; absence of a strict renewal timeline; inconsistencies in how accounts are handled and who handles them; limited accountability; poor data integrity, where the staff does not trust the data on the agency management system; client underwriting information is stored in numerous

gram for larger accounts. This will enable the agency to stay in contact with the client more consistently throughout the year and will make the renewal process less of a burden. It also places an emphasis on the client relationship and redirects the focus away from renewal dates and anticipated price increases.

places; multiple carrier submissions sent with the prospect

Agencies can also create a renewal timeline that identifies

of only receiving a minimal number of quotes; proposals not

specific tasks, responsibilities and roles. Organize the best use

adequately pre-filled from the database; and paper processing

of the staff’s time throughout the year to maximize productivity

backlog continuing to increase.

and growth opportunities. The appropriate renewal timeline for

Staff members tend to blame the carriers for delays but in truth, the agency can be in total control of every piece of the renewal process except the time frame for receiving quotes from the carriers and receiving the actual renewal policy.

The account managers need to own the renewal process and must control, complete and/or delegate each task to ensure specific timeframes are met. Having one individual assume responsibility for making sure everything comes together when

an agency should be created by looking at the renewal process in reverse order. Decide when to receive renewal policies from the carriers and work backwards to determine when to bind coverage, put a proposal together, have quotes from carriers and when the submission must be sent. In addition, determine when to collect updated renewal information from the client, when to hold a renewal strategy meeting and when to run the expiration list so everything falls within the set timeline.

it’s supposed to assigns accountability and eliminates overlap-

As information is received, the account manager should

ping of roles among producers, marketers, account managers

update the agency management system immediately to make

and account assistants. The account manager (or delegated

the submission process an easier task. The underwriters

individual) should:

will look forward to receiving timely, complete and accurate

• Send submissions to only the carriers that can be responsive to the clients’ coverage needs.

submissions, and eventually the agency will begin to receive quotes sooner.

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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Agents Dominate Workers’ Compensation Marketplace

by Veronica DeVore

W

Majority of small business clients prefer to purchase coverage through an independent agent.

hile personal lines customers often turn to the Internet for their insurance needs, small business owners clearly prefer working directly with an agent to purchase workers’ compensation coverage.

A recent survey from EMPLOYERS, a specialty provider of workers’ compensation insurance, reveals that 69% of small business owners who have workers’ compensation coverage will purchase it through an agent in the future. In addition, 45% of the 500 small business owners surveyed are combining workers’ compensation with other coverages such as payroll, health care and general liability. “(Combining coverages) is convenient if you think about all the things a small business owner has to deal with every day,” says Martin Welch, president and chief operating officer of EMPLOYERS. “If you can lump everything into a single transaction, it’s easier and agents have picked up on that.”

Nine percent of the small business owners surveyed said they currently combine workers’ compensation with health coverage for their employees, and 16% said they plan to do so in the future. Twelve percent currently combine payroll with workers’ compensation, while 14% expect to do so at their next renewal.

For Gail Bortolotti, commercial lines manager at Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency in Taunton, Mass., providing workers’ compensation coverage is just a starting point for addressing all of her small business clients’ insurance needs. Attracting new clients is a highly personal matter–the agency relies on referrals, phone calls and letters to get the word out. The Web site provides generic quotes, but clients call or visit the agency to change or renew policies.

While this personal touch is clearly valued among commercial insureds, EMPLOYERS has identified a gradual shift in how customers plan to service and perhaps even purchase policies in the future. The survey reports that the Internet’s role in workers’ compensation purchases will increase from 11% to 17% in the next 12 months, and many respondents plan to go online for information and quotes at their next renewal.

“Agents have to earn their role (as an advisor) by delivering more and more value,” says Welch. “They can do so with Internet sites of their own to help the insured obtain information.”

One agency has done just that by creating a separate Web site only for workers’ compensation needs. Drew Roberts, an account executive at Black Bear Insurance Agency in Longwood, Fla., says that while agents are still at the heart of selling workers’ compensation coverage at his agency, the Web site simplifies the process by answering customer questions in detail and by allowing quotes to be submitted electronically.

Roberts adds that busy small business owners like to be able to read about coverage and complete quote forms “at midnight” if they want to, and he and his fellow agents like the time they save by directing customers to the Web site when questions arise. The agency plans to add a blog section to address even more customer concerns in an online format.

“It’s a way for us to provide general information and an introduction (to workers’ compensation coverage),” Roberts says.

“We don’t have to answer questions multiple times and we can answer them more thoroughly by using the Web site.”

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 11

Colonial General Insurance Agency

Commercial Lines/Brokerage Department Founded in 1985, Colonial General Insurance Agency, Inc. is a wholesale General Agency providing quality insurance products to the Independent Insurance Agent.

Colonial General specializes in both standard and non-standard business. Our Property and Casualty business includes:

♦

Preferred BOP

♦

Property

♦

Inland Marine

♦

Professional Liability

♦

Commercial Liability

♦

Workers Compensation

Avoid monthly or annual membership fees, use Colonial General for your Preferred Business Owners Policies. We have several markets available to give you the best quote possible.

For additional information contact your underwriter.

Transportation Department

♦

Commercial Auto

♦

Truckers

♦

Physical Damage

♦

Commercial Contract

♦

NB Mexican Truckers

♦

Local Radius

♦

Personal Lines

♦

Garage

♦

Intermediate Radius

♦

Professional Liability

With 2,500 active producers under contract, Colonial General operates in eight states throughout the South-West. Our offices are located in Murray, Utah and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Most of all, we pride ourselves in our friendly customer service and our ability to help our producing agents with their many insurance needs.

Please contact our Utah office for all your Transportation needs!

P.O. Box 571770, Murray, Utah 84157 Phone: (801) 562-1188 Wats: (800) 594-8900 Fax: (801) 562-2218 Toll Free Fax: (800) 332-9285

Personal Lines Department ♦

Masterpiece Company

♦

Standard Company

♦

Umbrellas

♦

Stand-alone Liability

♦

Vacant

♦

Seasonal

♦

Dwelling Fire

♦

Homeowners

Preferred Commercial Lines Division P.O. Box 14770 Scottsdale, AZ 85267 8475 E. Hartford Drive, Suite #100 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Phone: (480) 991-7889 Wats: (800) 848-8860 Fax: (480) 948-1394 www.colonialgeneral.com

You will never pay a fee to access our companies.

No volume or binding contracts.

L&H Trends

L

Paying for Deficits Help prepare clients for rising taxes.

by Dave Evans

ately, the burgeoning federal deficit has prompted

people consider this problem a long way off, the reality is that

a lot of discussion. When the economy ran into

the problem will have a financial impact in 2010. The Congres-

severe problems in 2008, the Federal Reserve System, the

sional Budget Office (CBO) is projecting that Social Security

U.S. Department of the Treasury and the federal government

will pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2010

intervened in the face of potential cataclysmic consequences.

and 2011, a phenomenon not seen for more than 25 years.

Whether this intervention was warranted is still being debated,

This means that for the next two years, the current pay-as-you-

and the financial consequences of the spending will be felt for

go surplus that the federal government receives from payroll

years due to the massive deficit spending that resulted from

taxes will actually be a deficit of approximately $10 billion. This

the stimulus legislation. However, massive federal deficits are

spike in Social Security benefit payments is attributable to the

looming regardless of the recent economic trauma.

anemic state of the economy, which has led more people than usual to apply for Social Security payments.

In the private sector, organizations that provide a monthly benefit through defined benefit pension plans are required to

So how will the government fund these burgeoning deficits?

fund their plan according to prescribed methods allowed by

The answer is by raising taxes—but who will be affected and

the Internal Revenue Service. Social Security is very similar to

how much taxes will go up remains open to debate. While

a defined benefit pension in that it provides a monthly benefit.

income taxes will increase in 2011, there are number of mea-

It also includes a cost of living adjustment (COLA) based on

sures also being contemplated to close the deficit. One pro-

increases on the consumer price index (CPI). Even though

posal to pay for health care reform under Sen. Max Baucus’s

employers and employees contribute to Social Security, there

(D-Mont.) plan in the Senate is a $2,500 annual cap on flexible

is one major difference between the two plans: funding. Social

spending account contributions. This would be detrimental to

Security benefits represent a promise to pay because the ben-

people who incur anticipated uncovered health expenses, such

efits are not currently funded. In fact a trust fund was created

as orthodontia. A different tax proposal involves limiting the

in 1983 to ensure that the monies would be there to provide for

level of tax deduction to the current tax rate of 35%. In other

the benefit payments of future retirees. Yet, even after more

words, should income tax rates increase from 35% to 39.6%,

than 25 years of payroll tax increases, representing some $2.5

charitable contributions will be deductible at the 35% rate

trillion in contributions, no actual funding has been set aside.

instead of the 39.6% rate. Aside from the complexity of the

Instead, the debt consists of IOUs from the federal government

calculation, charities are concerned that the measures could

for future generations to pay.

limit the deductibility of charitable contributions.

Much like an individual who applies for more credit cards and

Independent insurance agents should become aware of these

needs a credit limit increase, the federal government is amass-

proposals and the remaining avenues available to customers

ing huge debt obligations that are coming due. While most

for lowering their tax bills.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 13

www.RPSins.com/scottsdale

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Underwriting and Brokering from our five locations (Casper, Boise, Denver, Scottsdale and Seattle)

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Accounting and Claims handled from our Scottsdale location

CO

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Proud Members of AAMGA, NAPLSO, PLUS and Various State Independent Agency Associations

NM

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Excellence in Service

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Relationship Driven

OR

ID NV

WY

UT

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Programs

General Liability

Excess & Umbrella Personal Lines

Transportation

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Garage Liability & Physical Damage AND MORE!

For information about becoming an RPS broker call our Marketing Directors at

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8700 East Northsight Blvd., Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-3671 Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 14

Please visit us at www.RPSins.com/scottsdale

Business as Usual Agencies need to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation, customer demands.

T

he pace of innovation continues to evolve and grow, and while many businesses may pass off some of the emerging social networking trends such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter as fads, the reality is that independent agents need to understand these capabilities in order to ensure the future viability of their businesses. Many agency principals’ first reaction to these new tools is that their agency has been on Main Street in their community for 100 years and that face-to-face relationships can never be replaced. While personal relationships will always be important, there is a wave of people both young and old who are utilizing these tools in their daily lives.

Consider the plight of many travel agencies in the late 1990s that had been in business for many years with a lot of goodwill. While some still survive today by focusing on travel packages, there is little doubt that Web sites like Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity and Orbitz have changed how people book their airlines and hotels for basic travel.

In fact, Priceline currently has a market capitalization of $3.7 billion. As a result, many travel agencies have gone out of business.

The explosion in online travel booking was made possible by technology and consumers embracing online business transactions. Of course, purchasing insurance is much more complicated than booking a trip. However, as direct writers like GEICO partner with major homeowners carriers to provide one-stop auto and homeowners insurance, direct writers’ personal lines market niche can be expected to grow.

Travel agencies are not an isolated example. The Wall Street Journal reports that e-books are gaining market share. Imagine the potential impact on independent book stores that already have to compete with the big box stores and are greatly dependent on their regular readers.

Now, Amazon's e-book, the Kindle, enables readers to not just to read an entire book online, but also allows the customer to easily browse thousands of book offerings. As more books are offered, and people become comfortable with the technology, digital reading will become a burgeoning market niche.

So, what are the implications of rapidly evolving technology for independent agencies? Technology is not the enemy and that online competitors don't have to result in lost personal lines market share. However, agencies need to embrace technology and social networking to allow them to convey important information to current and potential customers.

Agencies already On one agency’s web site, use agency management you’ll see a little box that says, systems to run their “Find us on Facebook.” You’ll agencies more also see another box visitors efficiently. can click to chat in real time Companies now offer agencies with someone at the agency. the opportunity to provide 24/7 service to their customers, provide real-time certificates of insurance, allow customers to update information and provide comparative rate quotes and search engine optimization (SEO) services. The Big “I” Agents Council for Technology (www.independentagent.com/act) has published a plethora of helpful information that agents can use to utilize technology to advance their business objectives.

Over time, consumers will continue to evolve in their purchasing habits, so agencies will need to use ever-evolving technology tools to win. Embrace technology to meet and exceed your customers’ needs.

For more information on how Web 2.0 technologies can benefit your agency, read “Find Us on Facebook” in IA magazine.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 15

Legal Advocacy

Red Flags Rule Enforcement Delayed to June 1; Judge Rules Lawyers Are Exempt

T

Judge’s decision to reject FTC’s broad definition of “creditors” may affect agents.

he Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lost round one against the American Bar Association (ABA), which filed a lawsuit in late August challenging the FTC’s expansive definition of “creditors” as including lawyers under the identitytheft regulations commonly known as the Red Flags Rule. The rule is designed to fight identity theft by requiring creditors with certain kinds of accounts to implement compliance programs to detect and prevent identity theft. A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decided on Oct. 30 that the rule does not apply to lawyers, giving law firms a reprieve from creating compliance programs required of creditors subject to the rule.

The FTC also announced on Oct. 30 that it is further delaying enforcement of the Red Flags Rule until June 1, 2010. After several earlier delays, enforcement by the FTC was to have begun on Nov. 1. However, several members of Congress requested the further delay so that Congress could work on legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month to refine the Rule. The Big “I” will continue to monitor the progress of that legislation and will report on any changes enacted into law.

In issuing his opinion in the ABA case, the judge rejected the FTC’s view that charging clients monthly fees for services rendered (rather than having clients pay in advance) made lawyers into creditors.

He commented that under the FTC’s interpretation, a plumber who works for two days to repair a broken toilet would also be a creditor – a result the judge thought inconsistent with the intent of the law. The judge also said, "I have a real problem with concluding that Congress intended to regulate lawyers when these statutes were enacted." The judge delivered the order Page16

by Scott Kneeland

from the bench, and a written opinion explaining the decision is expected to be issued by the court within 30 days.

It is uncertain at this time whether the FTC will appeal the decision. An FTC attorney said the commission “is going to consider its options very seriously.”

The legal community has been watching this case closely, not only because of its impact on law firms but also because of the insight it may provide as to how the rule may apply – or not apply – to the other professions and industries they counsel, such as insurance agents.

The FTC has not specifically listed everyone it considers subject to the rule, but it has broadly interpreted the term “creditors” who are subject to the rule to include many professions typically not considered creditors, such as doctors, accountants and, in this case, lawyers. The similarities between insurance agents and some of the other professions make the arguments in the ABA lawsuit of interest to insurance agents concerned about whether the FTC will construe the rule as extending to their activities.

As noted in prior articles, each insurance agency operates differently and thus needs to assess the definitions under the rule carefully to determine if it must comply. The Big “I” summary of the rule can be viewed in a memo titled, “Overview of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, and the Drivers Privacy Protection Act,” starting on page 10 at letter G. This memo is available to Big “I” members who log on to www.independentagent.com and select Legal Advocacy, under Memoranda and FAQs. The Big “I” will continue to monitor developments about the case and any other lawsuits/regulatory actions filed about the application of the rule and will report on anything that may affect its application to independent insurance agencies.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Consumers Cite Agents as Most Credible Insurance Resource Survey finds agents rank above newspapers, Congress and the President as reliable source of information about insurance industry issues.

D

espite the fact that the media is filled with members of Congress, President Barack Obama and pundits talking about insurance every day, consumers are more likely to trust what they hear from their local insurance agent. More than 64% of respondents in a recent study said they trusted their insurance agent for credible information about insurance industry issues – the highest ranking in the survey.

The study, recently conducted by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), looked at the attitudes of registered voters and opinion elite (30+, college degree, household income of more than $50,000 and significant consumers of news) on the financial crisis and insurance-related topics.

Agents topped the field of sources that consumers trust most for insurance information, followed by insurance companies (61%), local newspapers (52%) and President Barack Obama (51%). Members of Congress and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner ranked at the bottom of the list at 39% and 37% respectively.

by Katie Butler Although the survey found property-casualty companies are less likely than others to receive blame for the financial crisis, significant numbers do believe home/auto and commercial carriers played a major role. For example, 87% of national survey participants thought mortgage lending companies played a “major role” in the crisis, while 46% thought commercial insurance companies played a major role. Interestingly, respondents said home and auto carriers, at 29%, ranked below consumers themselves (38%) as a source of blame. Many focus group respondents lumped banks, mortgage lenders, insurance companies and other bad actors (such as Bernie Madoff) together in their views on the economic crisis.

To prevent a future economic crisis, 61% said “determining which sectors of the marketplace caused the financial crisis and fix the gaps in federal oversight” was the solution, rather than imposing comprehensive regulation on the entire sector.

Study participants stressed the importance of enforcing regulations already in place. While the focus groups were largely unaware of how P&C companies were regulated, 57% thought P&C companies should be regulated at the state level.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 17

P&C Contingent Commissions Make News What will happen to incentives and loss ratios as big

O

brokers seek to eliminate contingencies bans?

n Sept.19, the Wall Street Journal reported that mega-brokers Aon Corp., Marsh & McLennan Cos. and Willis Group Holdings are seeking reinstated contingent commissions that were lost in the wake of the Elliot Spitzer investigation. This report comes on the heels of the fourth largest broker, Arthur J. Gallagher, winning the right to end its ban on contingents. The WSJ estimates that all of these events will result in about $350 million in contingent commissions per year for the four largest brokers. How does that figure relate to the total contingencies paid in the property-casualty industry?

by Paul Buse It is difficult to predict, but there is no doubt that the big brokers’ decision to again accept contingents will have an impact on the total amount of contingencies that are paid out. It is likely, however, that it will have less of an impact on the overall numbers than it did earlier in the decade.

With the attention paid to contingents by groups like the Risk & Insurance Management Society and others, it may not be as easy for the big brokers to obtain and keep these payments. The WSJ article cited predictions that total contingents to the “big four” will be less than $500 million in 2011, which stands in stark contrast to the $845 million in contingents collected by Marsh alone in 2003.

Recently, A.M. Best published Aggregates & Averages, its compendium of p-c industry data for 2008. That data includes aggregated contingent payments made by insurers to both mega-brokers and independent agents. The chart below shows there was a dramatic increase in contingents paid to agents and brokers starting around 2001. Contingency payments increased from about $2 billion annually and .65% (65 basis points) of written premium to a high in 2006 of more than $4.5 billion and more than 1% of written premiums. In addition, the run up of contingents was met near its zenith by Spitzer‘s investigation and subsequent suit against Marsh McLennan. After Spitzer’s suit, first Gallagher and then Aon, Marsh and Willis together eschewed contingent commissions, resulting in a drop in both total dollars and the percentage of contingents that is almost as steep as the run-up (see the years 2006 through 2008).

Because A.J. Gallagher was the first to move away from contingents, it is perhaps telling that in mid-summer of 2009, after several years of meeting with the Illinois insurance regulators, the company announced it had amended its settlement agreement surrounding contingency fees to again accept them. The agreement with the state Attorney General and Illinois Department of Insurance was announced in late July. Then came the WSJ’s report that Aon, Marsh and Willis are again pining for the receipt of contingent commissions. Where will the green line of contingents fall for 2009 and going forward into 2010 and 2011?

Another impact on total contingent commissions paid out is industry loss ratios. Contingent commissions reward intermediaries for providing insurers with books of business that have better-than-average loss ratios. The payments provide incentives for “field underwriting” and encourage risk management. When the big brokers abandoned contingent commissions, it negatively affected the total contingents paid from 2006 onward. The industry’s loss ratio also became worse. Charting the two figures together can provide valuable insights.

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 19

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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Pulse on the Markets

Extortion Incidences on the Rise

Potential prospect pool expands as even smaller companies may need coverage.

K

by Veronica DeVore

idnap, ransom and extortion (KRE) insurance is often regarded as necessary only for large, multinational corporations and individuals who frequently travel abroad. While these entities certainly require coverage, domestic extortion incidences are also on the rise and have heightened interest in KRE insurance among smaller companies and individuals.

Greg Bangs, vice president of Chubb specialty insurance and product manager for crime, kidnap and ransom and workplace violence insurance, says there are 12 times as many extortion-related incidents as kidnappings, and certain types of extortion have become especially common in recent years.

“Agents have to recognize that it’s not just clients with international exposure who need coverage,” says Bangs.

“Cyber extortion has opened a whole area of exposures where hackers say to a company, ‘pay me or I’ll hack into your system, put in a virus or steal vital information.’”

Product contamination extortion is also on the rise, wherein extortionists threaten to contaminate food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other products that come in contact with the human body. According to Bangs, smaller manufacturers specializing in a single product have experienced an uptick in threats of product contamination and should not go without KRE coverage.

Kidnapping has also become more prevalent, and insurers who provide KRE coverage encourage clients to exercise caution when traveling abroad. Bangs says the most effective risk management techniques are unpredictability and

anonymity: insureds are encouraged to vary their routines while traveling and keep a low profile. This could involve dressing anonymously, taking different routes to and from regular engagements and being sure to take only licensed taxis and reliable forms of transportation.

While kidnapping and extortion exposures have certainly increased in the past five to 10 years, Bangs says pricing has not followed suit; policies remain relatively inexpensive for the amount of coverage provided. Susan Horsfall, an account executive at Berends Hendricks Stuit Agency in Grandville, Mich., says coverage usually extends to family members, household help and any guests the insured may host. The insured is covered during both personal and business trips, policies are generally written on a three year term basis and limits can vary significantly, from $1 million to $50 million. In addition, most policies offer added benefits such as a hotline insureds can call in case of a kidnapping incident.

“Every carrier works with a third party organization that specializes in hostage, kidnap and ransom situations,” says Horsfall. “They provide 24-hour-a-day expertise, which is an added benefit of the policy.”

KRE policies are also unique in that their limits are often kept under wraps, with only a few parties within a company aware of the policy details. Highly insured individuals are prime targets for kidnappers and extortionists, and Horsfall says the training her agency provides to covered companies reflects the necessary precautions.

“When we’re putting together a schedule of insurance for a company, we usually leave (KRE) off the list,” she says.

“Companies never let an employee know how much coverage is out there, and when we train about crises, such bank robberies, holdups or kidnappings, we call it crisis management training. We say the company has made provisions but don’t mention the insurance.”

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 21

Consumers Don’t Connect Coverage

DISCOUNTS

Y

Study finds 53 million U.S. households are unaware or not using available discounts on homeowners and auto insurance.

The Shortest Distance Between You And Quality Property/Casualty Insurance Products And Services

by Margarita Tapia

our personal lines customer has home and auto coverage with

Cresta gives you access to:

the same carrier, is a safe driver and has been claims-free for 10

years. Do they know how much money they’re saving in coverage discounts? Maybe not.

As millions of Americans look for ways to stretch their budgets in tough economic times, too many are not utilizing all of the discounts that may be

• Customized Packages for financial institutions, technology firms, health & life science companies and more

new national survey conducted for Trusted Choice® and the Big “I”.

• Commercial auto, including trucking, heavy equipment transportation and nonemergency medical transport

The survey asked home and auto owners if they believed they are taking

• Contractors

available to them in their homeowner and auto insurance, according to a

full advantage of all the discounts they qualified for on their homeowners and auto insurance policies. More than 34% of respondents, representing

• Energy

53 million households, admitted they are probably not taking advantage of

• Environmental Liability

all homeowners insurance discounts or said that they simply didn’t know.

• Health Care

Regarding auto coverage, more than 20% of car owners either didn’t know

• Professional Liability/ Specialty Lines

or said they were not maximizing all the car insurance discounts available to them.

And those who stand to benefit most from the discounts are often those

• High Net Worth Individual Personal Lines • Umbrella & Excess Liability

who aren’t taking advantage of them: nearly 38% of respondents with a

• Workers Compensation

household income of less than $25,000 said they weren’t taking advan-

• And more...

tage of all possible homeowners discounts or said they didn’t know.

The survey also found that the largest percentage of respondents, about 26%, estimated they save 6-10% on their insurance premiums by using discounts. In reality, many consumers could be saving significantly more — as much as 30%.

Competitive commissions.

Responsive service. No monthly access fees. For more information on what we can do for you, call Bob Rich at 303.691.8540.

To help educate consumers on possible savings, click here for customer tip sheets on homeowners, auto and general coverage discounts.

www.CrestaIns.com Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

Page 23

17th

Life & Health License Exam Review

July

Office Closed -

5th

Bob Ouellette

IIANM

Independence Day (Sunday)

6

ACSR #9 - Commercial Lines Related Coverages (8 CE hours) Manny Mansour

IIANM

8th

AAI 82B - Commercial Lines (8 CE hours)

Bob Zettel

IIANM

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Jack Cleary

IIANM

Life & Health Licsense Exam Review

Manny Mansour

th

13 & 14 th

15

th

th

IIANM

21st & 22nd

Tentative Date for 16th Annual Southern Seminar (15 CE hours)

21st & 22nd

Tentative Date for Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Kitty Leslie

Las Cruces

28th

E&O Workshop (8 CE hours)

Jack Cleary

IIANM

Las Cruces

August 3rd

ACSR #5 - Professinal Development (8 CE hours)

Genevieve Kluckman

IIANM

4th

2010 ACSR Update (8 CE hours)

Jack Cleary

IIANM

3rd

ACSR #4 - E&O/Loss Control (8 CE hours)

Manny Mansour

Roswell

4

ACSR #9 - Commercial Lines Related Coverages (8 CE hours) Manny Mansour

Roswell

AAI 82C - Specialized Commercial Lines (8 CE hours)

Jeff Straight

IIANM

10 & 11

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Kitty Leslie

IIANM

12th

Life & Health License Exam Review

Bob Ouellette

IIANM

th

5th th

th

Tentative Date for 21 Annual Last Chance Seminar (15 CE hours)

25 & 26 th

th

st

September 6th

Office Closed -

Labor Day

Tentative Date for Convention

15 & 16 th

Albuquerque

th

21 & 22

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Jack Cleary

IIANM

23rd

Life & Health License Exam Review

Manny Mansour

IIANM

12th & 13th

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Kitty Leslie

IIANM

14

Life & Health License Exam Review

Bob Ouellette

IIANM

E&O Workshop (8 CE hours)

Jack Cleary

IIANM

9th & 10th

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Jack Cleary

IIANM

11th

Life & Health License Exam Review

Manny Mansour

IIANM

st

nd

October th

20th

November

25 & 26 th

th

December

Office Closed -

Thanksgiving

7th & 8th

Property & Casualty License Exam Review

Jack Cleary

IIANM

9

Life & Health License Exam Review

Bob Oellette

IIANM

th

24th 31st

Office Closed Office Closed -

Christmas Eve New Years Eve

IIANM’s

EducationEDGE Insurance Education Programs in New Mexico are critical to a successful and profitable career in the insurance industry. Every year, we offer exciting opportunities to expand your professional horizons.

All of these education programs are designed to help insurance agents thrive in the most competitive of marketplaces.

The pre-licensing classes are designed to be a review for the state licensing examination.

We recommend that students be familiar with the study material prior to attending class.

Pre-Licensing Study Materials

Pre-Licensing Classes

To see a list of what is available and to purchase your study materials online, click here.

Study materials are NOT included in class prices.

Property & Casualty Review Class (2 days)

Life & Health Review Class (1 day)

Regular Price: $150 Member Price: $120

Regular Price: $115 Member Price: $90

Instructor: Instructor:

Jack Cleary Kitty Leslie

- December 9 - 10 8am - 5pm - January 12 - 13 8am - 5pm

Instructor: Instructor:

Click here for a full listing of our education program.

Bob Ouellette - December 7 8am - 5pm Manny Mansour - January 14 8am - 5pm

The FINE PRINT: IIANM reserves the right to cancel/reschedule classes. Please call ahead to verify when classes will run. Decisions will be made three days prior to class. Cancellations received after 5 business days, will be assessed a $50.00 cancellation fee. Cancellations received on or after deadline and ‘no shows’ will forfeit the registration fee altogether. A substitute is always welcome, with no extra fee, but prior notification would be appreciated.

Class Name/Date: Full Name:

Method of Payment:  Bill Agency (Members Only)

First Name for Badge:

 Check Enclosed (Payable to IIANM)

Agency / Company:

 M/C  Visa  Disc  Amex

Address:

Amount:

(all prices include tax)

Card No:

City, State, Zip:

Exp. Date:

Telephone: ( Fax: (

)

Signature:

E-Mail:

)

Send in your registration:

Page 26

Go on-line: www.iianm.org or E-mail: jeff@iianm.org

Give us a call: (505) 843-7231 (800) 621-3978

Mail in: 1511 University Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102

Fax in: (505) 243-3367

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

December's Clickable Calendar - Click on a class to register online -

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

CE = continuing education hours

Wednesday

Thursday

H Paroliday ty

Friday

Saturday

IIANM’s

1 L&H Pre-licensing Class

NMSLBA Meeting 2pm

2 P&C Pre-licensing Class

3

4

5

P&C Pre-licensing Class

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

20

21

22

ce i ce f f i f f O ed O sed s Clo Clo 23 24 25

19

27

28

29

30

Classifieds

6

31

Where Will You Find Your Next Great Hire?

Looking to fill a position within your agency? Trying to find a job but don’t know where to look?

Whether you are looking for somewhere new to share your special skills or an employer looking for quality, professional employees, we are there to lend a helping hand.

The staff at IIANM knows that “Teamwork Makes Us Stronger” and we want to help all interested individuals find that perfect fit.

Click here to take advantage of IIANM’s Job Bank.

Do you have an agency you’re trying to sell, or in the market to buy one? Check out our Classifieds!

Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2009

26

Page 27

Are you taking

advantage

of Big “I” Retirement Services

?

Big “I” Retirement Services... a. b. c. d. e.

Has the lowest administrative fees Designs custom retirement plans Offers no-pressure consultation Caters exclusively to independent agents All of the above

~ Christine M. Munoz

Manager , Employee Benefits christine.munoz@iiaba.net 800.848.4401

Big “I” Advantage

~ For more information, contact Christine Munoz at christine.munoz@iiaba.net or (800) 848-4401 today. www.independentagent.com/Retirement

IIAA Agency Administrative Services, Inc. IIAA Membership Services, Inc.

Fax 703.783.8292 127 South Peyton Street Alexandria, VA 22314-2803 www.independentagent.com

New Mexico’s State Cookie

O

6 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups lard 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons anise seed 2 eggs 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

d

In 1989 New Mexico House Bill 406 declared the bizcochito as New Mexico's Official State Cookie. The battle over the state cookie was not about adopting it but how to spell it.

Several lawmakers got on the House floor to press for the "s" or"z".

Eventually the Senate returned it as "bizcochito". To this day the Senate version prevails, but as we all know, it's the taste that gives a bizcochito the name, no matter how you wish to say it.

n-Ends s d

The

o t i h iB zcoc

Create beautiful, homemade Christmas cards this holiday season! www.kaboose.com/holidays/christmas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the lard and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Mix in the anise seed, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the sifted ingredients and brandy, and stir until well blended.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. The traditional is fleur-de-lis.

Place cookies onto baking sheets. Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops of the cookies.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Christmas Magic in New Mexico!

Although New Mexico is usually thought of as a top summer vacation destination, it also makes Christmas bright with thousands of "luminarias" (in Santa Fe, farolitos) that quite literally light up the season.

Epecially in northern New Mexico, luminarias help to light the way for Las Posadas ("the lodgings"), a nine-day Christmas celebration that reenacts Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Bethlehem.

River of Lights - Rio Grande Botanic Garden - Enjoy thousands of twinkling lights and holiday displays at Albuquerque's dazzling walk-through light show, with information on dates and times, admission fees.

Christmas in Santa Fe - What's happening around town for the holidays including information on Los Pasados celebrations, the winter Spanish market, Christmas at the Palace, and more.

Santa Fe Southern Railroad Christmas Trains - Ride through the scenic New Mexico countryside on board the Polar Express and other holiday theme excursions scheduled throughout December.

Christmas On The Pecos was voted as the Outstanding Event of the Year 2007 by the New Mexico Tourism Association. Come experience a truly unique holiday experience in New Mexico. Voted by American Bus Association as a top 100 “must see” events in North America 14 years in a row Lighting of Ledoux Street - There's Christmas magic afoot as this historic Taos street is illuminated with hundreds of farolitos and luminarias centering around the Harwood Museum and surrounding shops in a traditional holiday night out.

Bugg Light Display - This holiday season Menaul School (Alb) will be hosting the display. It’s free!

a very special thank you to iianm’s partners The following companies have committed to support IIANM events throughout the year:

Diamond New Mexico Mutual is the state’s expert in workers’ compensation insurance and the preferred provider of the Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico. New Mexico Mutual is recognized as an industry leader in customer service, advocacy, and integrity; providing protection for employees and security for New Mexico’s businesses. Adding three new companies in 2009 to the Group, New Mexico Mutual provides agents a comprehensive portfolio to meet your customers’ workers’ compensation insurance needs.

Gold ACUITY, headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is a property and casualty insurer that operates in nineteen states, writes $750 million in premium through over 900 independent agencies, and manages $2 billion in assets. The only company in the nation to be named six consecutive years to the Great Place to Work Institute’s top five mid-sized companies, ACUITY employs 850 people.

Builders Trust has been offering quality residential and light commercial workers’ compensation coverage since 1987 as a proud affiliate of New Mexico Home Builders Association. We offer many services designed specifically for New Mexico Contractors right here in your backyard. Participants in the Fund are owners and they can rest assured that their premium dollars are pooled for New Mexico injured workers.

At Mountain States, we are dedicated to helping protect the assets of our policyholders by providing them with sound, affordable insurance products. We do this through an expanding network of professional independent agents. We believe in sustaining a strong chemistry with our agents and policyholders. It is our prime reason for narrowing our focus to the Mountain States/ Southwest region.

Silver

Bronze

More information can be found about IIANM’s Partner Program by visiting our website at iianm.org or calling Lorri Gaffney at (505) 999-5805.