Texas PIA's Texas Connection

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Texas Connection 8 Ways to Make Your Website Compelling In this edition 8 W AYS TO M AKE YOUR WEBSITE COMPELLING.................................. 1 YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: BE NICE .............................................. 4 THE TOP FIVE SALES MYTHS .......... 6 LIMRA: AMERICANS HAVE RUDIMENTARY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE........................... 10 7 W AYS TO KILL YOUR LOCAL SEARCH RANKINGS WITHOUT TOUCHING A COMPUTER ............... 12 QUESTIONS

ABOUT VACANT OR UNOCCUPIED HOMEOWNER DWELLINGS.................................. 16

VALUATION FORMULAS FOR AGENCY PURCHASES AND START UPS ....... 23 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE................ 29

The editorial content is valuable information but as always you should do your own due diligence and evaluation. The content is meant to be for informational purposes only and does NOT warrant an endorsement by the Texas Professional Insurance Agents in any form or fashion

by Steve Anderson Your insurance organization's website is your electronic “storefront.” It is an important foundation for maximizing your Internet presence. As you develop your online marketing presence, you will likely send prospects to your website. Your website needs to be designed to provide prospects and customers with the information they want so you can keep them coming back for more.

So take a look at your existing website and ask yourself a few questions:

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

1) Where do your eyes go first?

You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of people who come to your site. Make sure they're seeing something relevant and important to them.

2) Can they tell what your website is about?

If you are using various marketing methods (Google Places, Facebook Pages and Ads, emails, updated content) to bring people to your site, you need to make your site is very clear on what you want them to do there.

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February, 2013

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8 Ways to make your Website compelling

Providing links to different social platforms where the agency has a presence gives your potential new customer another glimpse into your agency. And hopefully you have included some testimonials from satisfied customers.

Continued from page 1 Again, you only have a few seconds to communicate what makes you different than anyone else, so be clear and compelling.

Ask different people their opinion. Ask staff for their input as well as clients and friends and family. You may not be able to see flaws in your agency website that others will highlight.

3) Is important information above the fold?

“Above the fold” is an old newspaper term that references information that is on the top half of the page.

Use the same principle on your agency website. Make the important information that will grab your visitors attention is viewable without needing to scroll down the page. And make sure you are using this space wisely.

Do you really want to waste this valuable space with a big picture?

Once you determine a few areas where you can improve, develop a plan to start implementing changes.

You don't have to do them all at once—just do a few at a time until you have a website that really works.

Steve Anderson is the leading authority on insurance agency technology. He is a prolific writer known for his knack for translating “geek speak” into easily understood concepts. Check out his free weekly newsletter “TechTips” and other resources for the insurance industry on his website.

4) Are the benefits highlighted?

Your website visitors want to quickly learn “what's in it for them.” Spell out the benefits of the products and services you offer clearly on the website homepage.

5) Does the prospect know what to do next?

In direct response marketing terms this is a “call to action.” If you have piqued the visitor's interest and they want more information, or if they want a quote, or maybe they want to sign-up for your newsletter -- is it crystal clear what they should do next? It could be to fill out a simple form to subscribe to the agency newsletter, or simply download your special report on "5 Ways to Save Money on Your Insurance".

6) Are the colors and font distracting?

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Jarring colors, quick animation, and gaudy fonts can really be distracting. And if your visitors are distracted, they'll quickly click away. Be especially careful of audio or video content that automatically starts playing when they come to the site. This is the fastest way to get them to leave.

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7) Do they feel personally connected?

People buy from people they like, not machines or websites. Connect with your prospects by being honest, straightforward, and using a conversational style. Show some personality and that insurance doesn’t have to be boring.

• A full diagnostic opportunities to improve

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8) Are there links to social platforms?

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Many prospects will want to do more research about you and your agency before taking the next step.

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Marketing

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February, 2013

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The Shepard Letter Your Competitive Advantage: Be Nice A Common Sense Customer Service Tactic The other night I did a speech that was more about motivation than it was about business and customer service. The audience included college students in their teens and 20’s, people in the prime of their business careers and retired people. The client asked me to deliver a simple message about going from being average to being amazing.

If you’ve been reading my customer service articles or watching my weekly videos on YouTube, then you know my definition of being amazing is about consistently being better than average. And above average means exactly that.

You don’t have to be over-the-top amazing. No, you just have to be a little better than average. The key is to be better than average, all of the time. That’s what amazement is about. It is consistency that makes being above average, even just a little above average, amazing.

So, I shared five amazement tactics, and it was the fifth and final tactic that created a surprising response, and the subject of this article. And, it was simple: Be nice.

The reaction from the audience was surprising. They unexpectedly applauded. I wondered why they would applaud at something so simple – something that seemed like just common sense. More on that in just a moment.

That started when my mom made me write thank you notes to anyone that gave me a gift. That was a great lesson, taught at a very young age, about doing the right thing; being nice and showing appreciation to people who are nice to you.

After the speech I asked my wife, who was in the audience, why she thought the audience applauded.

She said that so many people aren’t nice. It’s not that they are rude or mean, although sometimes they are.

No, they just don’t smile and say thank you. And, when you encounter someone who is nice, you feel so much better about doing business with them.

In business, being nice is part of delivering customer service. It’s the positive attitude, the respect you show to the customer, and the way you make them feel appreciated. It’s an essential part of any customer service strategy. The best system isn’t complete without the positive feelings the customer experiences from doing business with you.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314) 692-2200 or http://www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to http://www.thecustomerfocus.com/. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken (Copyright © MMXII, Shep Hyken)

I went on to explain what it took to be nice. I’ve written about this type of thing before, but here is the spin. Nice people do a number of things: They are respectful of others.

They do what they say they are going to do.

You can count on them.

They show up on time, respecting the time of

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They are polite. They say, please and thank

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others. you.

And, speaking of thank you, they write thank you notes.

That last point, writing thank you notes, was a callback to the beginning of the speech when I talked about how my parents taught me to do the right thing.

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It's 2 days of non-stop action and education designed especially for the Professional Insurance Agent Industry.

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The Top Five Sales Myths

Sales Myth #2: Cold calling is a waste of time and doesn’t work.

by John Chapin

In over 24+ years I’ve built four different businesses primarily through cold calling. Cold calling is simply the fastest, most pro-active way to get leads. The reality is: if you are new in business or struggling, it’s more than likely you don’t have enough leads and you’re not getting enough through networking, referrals, and other sources... Time to cold call. Yes, cold calling is the most difficult, most time consuming task you can do, yet unless you have millions of dollars to spend on marketing campaigns, cold calling yields results like no other prospecting method.

As someone who has been in sales for over 24 years, and now as a sales trainer, speaker and coach, I continually hear debate over the following five sales myths. In this article I will expose and throw light on these top sales fairy tales.

The Top Five Sales Myths Debunked Sales Myth #1: Sales is NOT a numbers game.

The more people you talk to, the more business you will do, even a blind squirrel finds a nut if it keeps looking. Granted, you want quality behind the numbers and, depending upon your business, it may be helpful to do some research on the person you’re calling before you call. That said, in order to be successful in sales you need lots of good solid relationships and the only way to get those relationships is to go out and talk to lots of people. The bottom line is: if you talk to enough people during the day, you will eventually run into someone who says, “I need what you have” or “I know someone who needs what you have.” Know the number of people you need to talk to during the day in order to be successful and then go out and talk to that many people and more.

Also, cold calling builds character and keeps you grounded. The reality is: if you can cold call effectively and with confidence, nothing will stop you, you will be able to do any other sales task you need to do in order to be successful. That is why I recommend you never stop cold calling even when you are extremely successful. Granted, you may only make one or two cold calls a week at that point, but this will keep you sharp and on your toes.

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For access to John's free monthly newsletter and white paper on what it takes to be successful in sales, visit John's website at http://www.completeselling.com

The Top Five Sales Myths Sales Myth #3: Friday afternoon is a bad time to call on prospects and clients.

Have a sales question? E-mail John at johnchapin@completeselling.com John Chapin’s specialty is helping salespeople and sales teams double sales in 12 months. He is an award-winning sales speaker, trainer and coach, a number one sales rep in three industries, and the primary author of the goldmedal winning "Sales Encyclopedia". In his 24+ years of sales, customer service and management experience, he has thrived in some of the toughest markets and economies.

Most salespeople believe that prospects either take Friday afternoons off or, if they do work, that they don’t want to be bothered by salespeople at this time. This is simply not true. Not only do most prospects work on Friday afternoons, they are also in a better mood at this time than at any other time during the week. As a result, Friday afternoon is a great time to prospect and close business. In addition, because most salespeople don’t make calls at this time, you will stand out as someone who is dedicated and hard-working. The bottom line is: Friday afternoon is one of the best times to prospect and close business.

For permission to reprint, or to reach John, email him at johnchapin@completeselling.com.

Sales Myth #4: A good salesperson can sell ice to Eskimos.

John Chapin

The premise here is that a good salesperson could sell someone on something that is so obviously not needed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Top salespeople, over the long haul, don’t take advantage of people by selling them something they don’t need. Top salespeople make it all about the other person and they always do what is best for them, even to the point of sending someone to the competition on rare occasions.

Helping you find and get all the business you want

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Cell: 508-243-7359 johnchapin@completeselling.com www.completeselling.com LINKEDIN: johnchapin1

That said, are their some “temporary” sales successes who take advantage of people and make lots of sales by selling them items they don’t need? Yes. But in the long-term those people get caught, burn out, find that their personal lives in shambles, or a combination of all of these. The bottom line is: you can’t take advantage of people for long and live a happy, fulfilling, successful life. The top salespeople are honest, have integrity, and focus completely on the other person. They only make the sale if it is a win-win.

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FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/johnjchapin TWITTER: http://twitter.com/johnjchapin # 1 Sales Rep in 3 industries, Author of the goldmedal winning SALES ENCYCLOPEDIA - The most comprehensive "how-to" guide on selling.

Setting Realistic Goals for CSRs

Sales Myth #5: The customer ISN’T always right.

Salespeople I’ve seen with this attitude seem to have a chip on their shoulder. It’s an attitude of arrogance in which they seem to believe the customer should be privileged to be doing business with them as opposed to the other way around. If you have a mindset that the customer isn’t always right, chances are great that you will not go above and beyond, you will not do more than expected, and you will not deliver top-notch, second-tonone follow-up and service after the sale.

If you do not do everything within your power to ensure the customer has a great experience, odds are they will have a mediocre experience at best and you will never stand out. That said, is the customer always right?

No, but you’d better walk into that conversation convinced they are, or they will pick up on your suspicion and indifference quickly and as opposed to running into that 1% of unreasonable people, you’ll find the number closer to 50%.

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“One of the top reasons consumers give about why they don’t buy life insurance is because it is ‘too confusing,’” noted Douglas. “The study shows that consumers with a better understanding of life insurance have a higher level of confidence in insurance companies than those less knowledgeable about life insurance. The study offers companies an in-depth view on what consumers know and the factors that contribute to better understanding of life insurance, helping them take the right steps to increase Americans’ comfort level with the industry and its products.”

LIMRA: Americans Have Rudimentary Knowledge about Life Insurance LIMRA Researchers Test Americans’ Life Insurance IQ – 70 Percent Fail WINDSOR, Conn., Jan. 17, 2012—Recently, LIMRA provided a life insurance IQ test to 4,000 Americans to gauge their knowledge and understanding of life insurance. Less than a third (1,200) passed the 10question exam and the majority (55 percent) answered fewer than five questions correctly.

Please feel free to share the link to our quiz with your readers: www.limra.com/NewsCenter/LIIQ.

“In addition to identifying the aspects of life insurance that consumers understand and where consumers admit to being in the dark, the study also shed light on some widespread misperceptions,” said Jennifer Douglas, LIMRA associate research director for strategic and developmental research. “With life insurance ownership at an all-time low, it is important that the industry not only overcome consumers’ lack of knowledge about life insurance but address the misinformation that is out there confusing them and possibly having a negative impact on their image of the industry.”

LIMRA, a worldwide research, consulting and professional development organization, is the trusted source of industry knowledge; helping more than 850 insurance and financial services companies in 73 countries increase their marketing and distribution effectiveness. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

Catherine Theroux | Director | Public Relations | LIMRA | 300 Day Hill Road | Windsor, CT 06095 | Office: 860-285-7787| Cell: 703-447-3257

LIMRA researchers identified a number of factors that were associated with higher life insurance IQs among the survey respondents: • If the person cited multiple sources of information attributing to their understanding of life insurance •

If the person owns individual life coverage

• If the person’s primary source of information is through their occupation, some sort of seminar, or a financial planner •

If the person is older

• If the person has a higher degree of confidence in the life insurance industry HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU HAVE LEFT?!

•

If the person has a higher level of education

• assets

If the person has higher household investible

Watch your age in the upper right corner as you progress through the questions!

•

If the person is male

•

If the person views life insurance as important

It’s kinda fun to watch your age go up and down as you answer the questions.

Less than one percent of those surveyed answered all ten questions correctly. (Take the quiz and compare your knowledge).

What does this mean for the industry?

Now this is interesting, give it a try....

How long will you live? This is a calculator that estimates your life expectancy.

It was developed by Northwestern Mutual Life. It's interesting that there are only 13 questions. Yet, they can predict how long you're likely to live. http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan

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Facts from LIMRA Americans Know they Need Life Insurance – the Trick Is Getting Them to Buy According to LIMRA’s research, almost 9 in 10 Americans view life insurance as a necessity. In addition, life insurance beat out all other sources of financial assets or income that Americans expect to use to help pay bills, and to maintain their lifestyle if the primary wage earner dies.

Yet, in 2011 only 59 percent of individuals LIMRA surveyed said they actually own some sort of life insurance and half of American households said they needed more life insurance.

How does the industry bridge this gap and help people protect their loved ones?

Over the past two years, only 22 percent of U.S. households seriously shopped for life insurance. Of those, 41 percent said life triggers — getting married, buying a home, having or adopting a baby, receiving substantial assets, or experiencing the death of a relative or close friend — were the reasons they began to shop for life insurance. But even life events only propelled a little more than half of those who shopped to buy.

Why aren’t these people buying life insurance they feel they need?

Many don’t know how much life insurance or what kind to buy. LIMRA has found that this indecision leads consumers to procrastination.

LIMRA research has revealed four things producers can do to help shoppers become buyers: 

  

Conduct a needs analysis with clients and prospects. Consumers who get one are “considerably more likely to buy” than consumers who don’t. What’s more, producers who recommend an amount of insurance to buy ultimately sell more policies, at a 60 percent higher coverage level.

Meet directly with clients. Clients who meet with producers face-to-face buy policies70 percent of the time.

Raise the issue. One-quarter of life insurance shoppers consider life insurance only after an agent or advisor initiated the discussion.

Be persistent with follow-up. More than one-third of shoppers said the producer should have followed up with them while they were still deciding whether to buy.

Buying life insurance is an act of love. Make sure your clients protect the ones they love by ensuring they have the appropriate amount of life insurance.

All facts are from LIMRA’s life insurance consumer studies.

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7 Ways to Kill Your Local Search Rankings without Touching a Computer There are a million online misadventures that can snuff out your business’s rankings in local search – in the Google+Local (AKA Google Places) search results and everywhere else.

Attempts to spam or deceive Google usually backfire.

You can also destroy your rankings through sheer laziness – like if you never update any of your business information or never bother to understand Google’s quality guidelines.

You may be aware of what online actions can hurt your local rankings. Maybe you’ve learned the hard way.

But there also are offline ways you can kill your local rankings. Simply not doing anything stupid or naughty in your local SEO campaign isn’t enough. You can lose local visibility and local customers without ever touching your computer (or smartphone or iPad). To be more precise, I can think of 7 ways:

Offline Way to Die Online #1: Relocate, rename, or use a new phone number without updating your Google+Local page or other business listings to reflect the change(s).

By “update” I mean you must do two things: (1) update all your business listings with the new info, and (2) scour the web for listings (AKA citations) that list your old info. (By the way, doing a free GetListed.org scan can be a huge help when you get to this step.)

If you fail to do the above, you may be OK…for a little while. After some months a major third-party data source (most likely InfoGroup) will catch wind of the change and create new listings for your business with the new info.

This will cause your business to have inconsistent info spread all over the web – which itself is a rankingskiller – and may cause Google to create unwanted and inaccurate Google+Local pages for your business (another rankings killer).

Offline Way to Die Online #2: Get a phony address, like a PO Box, UPS box, or virtual office.

Eventually your fake-o address will enter the localsearch “ecosystem” (in the way I described above) and you’ll end up with inconsistent business info all over the web, penalties from Google, or both.

(It’s likely that the only reason you’d want a phony address in the first place is so you can try to game Google – so it’s likely your rankings won’t die with you unplugged. More likely, you’ll try to update your listing(s)

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with the fake address and end up getting flagged by a competitor or “good citizen.”)

Offline Way to Die Online #3: Mistreat your customers and get slammed with bad reviews. This probably won’t have a direct effect on your rankings unless you have dozens or hundreds of scathing reviews, BUT it may affect your rankings indirectly.

For instance, nobody knows for sure whether clickthrough rate (i.e. the percentage of people who see your business listed in Google and click on it) is a factor that Google takes into account when sorting out the local rankings. But Google does “know” a bunch of userengagement stats. If people simply don’t click on your listing because they see a 10/30 average Google rating, or if nobody clicks your link from (say) your Yelp listing because you have a 1-star average, Google may very well take your rankings down a peg.

Also, although “social signals” like Facebook shares, tweets, and Google +1s don’t seem to affect your local ranking much or at all as of this writing, they most likely will become a stronger ranking factor in the future. If potential customers are scared off by bad reviews, you’ve got fewer opportunities to get social shares.

Most of all, at the end of the day, it’s about getting people to pick up the phone. You can’t do that very easily if nobody clicks on your Google+Local page or website because your reviews/ratings are so dismal.

By the way, you get bonus idiot points if you get hammered with bad reviews but don’t write thoughtful “replies from the owner” because you never check up on the sites where you’re listed or simply don’t care.

Offline Way to Die Online #4: Hire and fire an unethical SEO. He or she has access to your Google+Local page or other listings (and maybe even your website), and may do something nefarious or simply not hand over your command codes.

Offline Way to Die Online #5: Let your domain name or hosting expire (thanks to Chris Silver Smith for this one). True, technically you don’t need a website to rank in the Google+Local or other search results. But if you don’t have one, you’re shooting yourself in the foot, because many local-search ranking factors depend on your website.

If you’re in a competitive local market, forget it: without a site you’ll fare about as well as Lance Armstrong in a polygraph test.

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February, 2013

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7 Ways to Kill Your Local Search Rankings Continued from page 12

Offline Way to Die Online #6: Never grow your site. No, I’m not talking about updating the copyright at the bottom of your website so that it no longer reads “© 2002.” I’m talking about keeping a “static” website to which you rarely or never add useful, non-promotional info that might cause a potential customer to think “Hey, that was handy.”

Things will happen to your online local presence, whether you know it or not – and probably not all of those things will be good. Sometimes you’ll need to fix or remove inaccurate info on your listings, respond to reviews, or double-check your Google+Local page or website is compliant with the Google update du jour.

But you can’t fix any problems if you never know about them.

Not only does Google know when a website is an online paperweight and reflect that fact in your rankings, but if your site is devoid of fresh, helpful info, nobody will link to you, share your site, or give you a juicy unstructured citation or review.

By the way, there’s no offline way to fix most of the above problems, if they become problems for you. The solutions involve getting with the times, getting on the computer (or tablet), learning a little bit of local SEO (as you’re doing now!), and getting your hands a little dirty.

That will help you get or stay visible to local customers and to keep the phone ringing.

If you’re going to rank well, your site needs to show signs of life.

Any other offline “ways to die” you can think of? Any questions or general suggestions?

Offline Way to Die Online #7: Never check your Google+Local page and other listings. They say a watched pot never boils. The corollary is that an unwatched pot can eventually boil over or boil until there’s no water left.

Phil www.localvisibilitysystem.com

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Wayne Hooper Reports …

Questions about vacant or unoccupied Homeowner Dwellings The "Independent Insurance Agents and Broker of America" virtual online University put out a 29 page white paper on the Homeowner 3's wording where the policy use of the words "you" and "residence" are explored in detail, with court case references. This paragraph from that paper best defines that article.

"According to some interpretations and courts, if ‘you’ no longer reside in the dwelling, coverage on that structure immediately terminates. If you never resided in the dwelling, coverage may never have attached. This gives rise to a number of circumstances that, if this school of thought is correct, may lead to a catastrophic coverage gap for such homeowners. This is evidenced by both court decisions and real life insurance claim denials."

I referred this article to the underwriting department of at least three major Homeowner carriers, specifically asking if a named insured (You) was suddenly hospitalized and unable to return home did they retain their coverage. All of the carriers declined to go on record or put their comments in writing but all said the coverage would be "determined by the claims adjustor" who would look into the circumstances before determining coverage. .

I did get a reply from David Helms, CPCU, CLU, a longtime friend and former colleague whom I thought was worth sharing on this subject. .

"As an individual not speaking for the organization, I find this question to be interesting and it raises a number of issues in terms of the contractual language and potential adverse impact on unwary policyholders.

If we examine the ISO HO-3 2000 edition as a sample, you are correct in that “residence premises” can be interpreted to mean the one family dwelling shown in the declarations where you reside. The term “you” refers to the named insured shown in the declarations or resident spouse.

Since this is a dwelling coverage issue we then look to the following: Section I – Property Coverages A. Coverage A – Dwelling 1. We cover: a. The dwelling on the “residence premises” shown in the declarations, including structures attached to the dwelling.

As you can see, it appears that coverage for the dwelling is contingent upon it being located on a parcel of land meeting the definition of “residence premises.”

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If neither the named insured shown in the declarations or resident spouse reside there, I do not see that the dwelling can be located on the “residence premises.”

Although the ISO HO eligibility guidelines intend for owner-occupancy of such dwellings in question, we both know that eligibility guidelines are not incorporated into the insurance contract.

In a contract of adhesion, we construe any ambiguities in favor of the insured (contra proferentem.)

As such, how we define the term reside would also have to be considered.

In addition, how a “you” not residing in the dwelling affects the risk should be measured. Does this present a material increase in the risk or is it just incidental?

Tenant occupancy will generally increase the hazard, but what about a responsible house sitter occupying the dwelling over an extended period of time?

Finally, in some states the courts recognize the Doctrine of Reasonable Expectations which can reform insurance contracts to provide coverage although the literal language of the form provides none.

“Just some random thoughts of an insurance guy."

David's comments track the points made in the white paper, which argues both sides of the question without a definitive answer citing court cases going each way. I found the problem on reading the referenced court cases' which stretched from 1894 to present, is the definitions changed over the years. The wording of who is the NAMED INSURED has changed to YOU in recent years, that simple change cut out family members who counted for occupancy in the past.

To avoid coverage questions, make sure the Named Insured (YOU) understands that any change in his or her residency may void the coverage unless agreed to “In Writing" by the carrier, otherwise it becomes a questionable coverage situation which is best avoided.

I feel the more agents bring the questionable underwriting procedures to light in the Homeowner's and Auto market the better our industry will be served. Many underwriters think that because it is "our company's procedure", it's OK; there will not be legal issues.

Carriers often make panicky market decisions based on faulty information. I worked with a direct writing carrier in the 70's who terminated all customers with At Fault or Not At Fault accidents within three years because of a down turn in the stock market wiped out their investment income. (25% of their total book was terminated) They fired all of their sales staff with less than 5 years’ service. A year later we accepted those same risks with At Fault accidents trying to build market share again once the stock market recovered.

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February, 2013

Sell More. Renew More. ProďŹ t More.

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More “Information, Entertainment & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.PIATX.org

Wayne Hooper Reports …

This gives rise to a number of circumstances that, if this school of thought is correct, may lead to a catastrophic coverage gap for such homeowners. This is evidenced by both court decisions and real life insurance claim denials.

Continued from page 16 I learned then it's all about profit. If the carrier is profitable, all is right with the world! If that profitability slips then the blame game begins. It must be the insured's or the agent's fault is the simple solution to a complex problem.

For example, an elderly widow was admitted to a convalescence home to recuperate from some health problems in order to be able to return home and to selfsufficiency. Her home remained her legal address and her nonresident children cared for the home, though no one lived there during her presumably temporary stay at the health care facility. After a few months, her home was totally destroyed by fire. The insurance company denied the claim on the house on the basis that she did not reside there at the time of loss.

I think agency underwriting is the most bogus form of redlining a carrier can do! If a risk fits the carriers guidelines, reports are ordered and approved, then it cannot be the agent's fault if that line of business is unprofitable. The "Law of large numbers" requires the carrier to measure results at a statistic relevant level.

It cannot be done at the agency level, the numbers are simply too small to be valid.

As another example, a home was damaged by Hurricane Gustav. The homeowners had temporarily vacated the premises during remodeling though they visited the premises daily. The insurer denied the claim because the insureds were not residing there at the time of loss.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

Wayne Hooper - Industry Editor Questions, comments or suggestions for future topics? Send them to wayne@fyiexpress.com

In one other example, the purchaser of a home renovated it before moving in. During the renovations, the house suffered a six-figure fire loss. The insurance company denied the claim because the insured had never resided in the house prior to the loss.

Where You Reside Catastrophic Homeowners Policy ‘Exclusion’ You may wish to read the entire white paper at http://www.independentagent.com/Education/VU/Pages/f eatured-resources/reside/where-you-reside.aspx We encourage the use of this information to inform agents, insurers, regulators, media, and consumers, and, as warranted, to seek resolution of this potential problem.

Most homeowner’s policies provide coverage for the dwelling on the “residence premises.” The term “residence premises” is typically defined to include the dwelling “where you reside.” The question is, what happens if you no longer (or never) reside(d) there?

The cost to rebuild the average home in the United States is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000.

For most Americans, this is by far their most valuable asset. In order to protect that asset from loss, most consumers insure the replacement cost of their homes with a homeowner’s policy. Most homeowners policies cover the dwelling “where ‘you’ reside.”

According to some interpretations and courts, if ‘you’ no longer reside in the dwelling, coverage on that structure immediately terminates. If you never resided in the dwelling, coverage may never have attached.

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

Each of these is a real-life claim where losses to homes were denied based on a lack of residency, to the complete surprise to the insured and the agent. There is no specific exclusion for damage to a home in most homeowner’s policies due to a lack of residency, yet there have been court cases where such denials were upheld. Our research has uncovered nine court cases that have concurred with similar claim denials (along with an equal number of judicial decisions overturning claim denials).

A nonresidency situation can arise unexpectedly due to illness or death, military deployment, foreclosures, relocations, etc. Even when it arises due to a routine sale, temporary rental, occupancy by a family member, divorce or separation, or transfer of ownership to a trust, given that there is no clear exclusion for most losses in most homeowner’s policies, most agents and virtually all insureds presume there is no coverage problem.

The purpose of the full white paper is to explore sixteen (16) very common “nonresidency” situations, the rationale for/against coverage, and potential solutions in jurisdictions where a coverage gap is presented. It is up to the reader to decide the best course of action in remedying these types of situations.

We encourage the use of this information to inform agents, insurers, regulators, media, and consumers, and, as warranted, to seek resolution of this potential problem.

Page 18

February, 2013

More “Information, Entertainment & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.PIATX.org

What is the difference between a seasoned insurance agent and mortgage broker? The agent works and the mortgage broker thinks he does!

There's a lot to be said for this stupid joke because it holds a bit of truth and exposes the true value of you as a seasoned insurance professional. I'm assuming you consider yourself one - heeeehee. Clients come to you not only to offer good pricing but have to know about numerous coverages, exclusions and the true needs to your client. Understanding policy forms, client coverage needs and the applicable policies is part of our everyday life in the office. Quite a few formers agents and brokers who didn't cut in our business migrated there because they thought it would be easy money and it can be but how much training do you really need to tell clients what the current interest rate is?

Membership & General Information Rebecca Ellis Executive Director Toll Free: 1-800-829-9838

In my opinion, the insurance agent provides much, much more of a service than mortgage brokers and realtors and this is the reason why clients will stick with an agency for decades. They know they can get solid advice and pricing from an independent agency who employees licensed, bonded and well trained insurance pros.

Recently, I have had some clients refinance their homes with a company called Cash Call and I updated their homeowners’ policies accordingly. The one thing that these customers had in common with Cash Call was their complaints on how bad the service was. I suppose you get what you pay for. Mortgages are a necessity but it's not an industry that requires a whole lot of business savvy.

Basically, a cheap rate is teased for the best credit scoring clients and this entices customers to call. I wish insurance was that easy but it's not. If you are representing viable and long term clients who have assets, your expertise is required and you have to know what you're doing or somebody will be representing your clients instead of you. So many people came into our industry when the broker fees were easy to collect and now that trend has faded.

TEL: 512-301-0226

FAX: 512-301-0265

Rebecca@piatx.org

PIA@piatx.org

PIA National

www.pianet.com

Main Office: 703-836-9340

E&O Solutions Renewing your E&O every year isn’t much fun, is it?

Don’t you want to make sure that you’re getting the best price for the best coverage you can get on your renewal?

Why not compare with another company for your peace of mind?

It costs you nothing and you don’t have to be a member of PIA of Texas to move your coverage. Go to the E&O Program link at www.PIATX.org and print the applicable application and e-mail or fax it to us.

Do you want higher E&O limits but your carrier won’t quote what you want? That’s not a problem. Go to the E&O Program at www.PIATX.org and print the umbrella application from the link shown. Fill out the application and send it to us.

Many of those same people realized the party was over and were looking for other easy, get-paid-quick occupations and they either end up being mortgage brokers or realtors.

I take a lot of pride in the industry we all call our occupations. Commercial producers have a particularly difficult task when they insure a client. You can have 2 cabinet shops with the same gross income per year and their premiums could be thousands of dollars different.

E&O Contacts

E&O Contacts

Houston area

Dallas area

Bob Dixon

Ray Reyes

bdixon@piatx.org

ray@piatx.org

866-577-7428

214-618-2365

832-375-0787

Continued on page 22 Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

Page 20

February, 2013

More “Information, Entertainment & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.PIATX.org

Millions of people are using mobile devices to get online every day.

Does your agency have a mobile-friendly site or an app?

If not, you’ve come to the right place to get started.

What is a mobile site and why do you need one?

Just because you can access your desktop site on a mobile phone doesn’t mean it’s mobile-friendly. Your mobile efforts should reflect the unique navigation capabilities and limitations of mobile devices. A mobile-friendly site and mobile app can help your business connect with customers and drive conversions.

 If customers can’t find or easily access your mobile content or services, you’ve lost their business.  Mobile users want to connect with the businesses in their local area.  Your competitors’ mobile performance influences your customers’ expectations.

Why does mobile matter? 

Where do I start?

Your customers are already mobile. Are you?

 Customers want to access your agency in their real world – anyplace, anytime.  Users expect their mobile experience to be as good as their desktop experience.

We know that starting to develop a mobile strategy can be an overwhelming task. Many questions can arise, leaving you anxiously contemplating which to concentrate on first.



Who is your target audience?

 Are you targeting an audience using multiple devices? 

Which platforms will you

utilize?

 What are your primary goals for the mobile site or app? 

What do your customers

want?

 How are you going to measure success?

Go to www.AgencyThrive.com for the answers!

Whether you need significant direction, or a few questions answered, AgencyThrive will help develop your mobile strategy so you can see it thrive in the market!

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

Page 21

February, 2013

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.fyigeorgiaviews.com

The True Value Continued from page 20 Some shops assemble and manufacture on the premises in additional to milling the wood and they may have other operations within the business that presents another risk factor which changes the premium dramatically. These are the real professionals of our industry and those who handle clients with numerous real estate holdings and assets. It's your job to continuously monitor their needs.

Slamming a loan together is a wham bam thank you mam one shot and after it closes, the client is often forgotten unless they need another loan. I'm trying to find some value in that line of work but it is very similar to selling used cars. The relationship often ends after the loan is funded and the broker makes his commission.

Advertise in the Texas Connection Attention: Insurance Companies, MGA’s, Premium Finance Companies & Insurance Industry Vendors:

Health and life agents and brokers have even more difficult tasks in keeping up with all the current rules and regulations within their field of expertise; as a matter of fact, noncompliance in some situations can lead to huge fines! How do you like that incentive to be current?

Check out the rates for the most cost effective method of keeping your message in front of your customers …

Texas Independent Insurance Agents.

Your P&C and Life/Health licenses allow you to explore many avenues and when you do it right, you're rewarded with not only that business but inevitably they ask you to help them with other policies. After writing thousands of policies in the preferred tier, at this point I have well over 2300 clients and most of them have multiple policies. It's like having a pot of gold in a filing cabinet and these clients religiously renew every year.

Now published monthly and available for all agents online in PDF at www.PIATX.org

But then again, I am easy to find especially by email.

You'll find that today's technological level of communication has changed purchasing habits tremendously. Being quick, thorough and reachable is the key. Are you waiting till tomorrow to check that voice mail? WRONG! Waiting to call that client back to give them a quote in a day or two? WRONG. The faster you email them a formatted and complete quote with stylish fonts and easy to read explanations, the faster you will see that book grow. Perspective clients are very much impressed with speed service.

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We hear it all the time how great a company’s service is and then you test them only to find them falling short of your expectations. We are living in a world of nanoseconds and getting things done yesterday. That's what it takes these days.

(3.75” x 2.5”) Questions? Contact Eddie K. Emmett at eddie@piatx.org or (770) 312-2342.

Many of us get it but there are still those who stare at the phone expecting their lame yellow page ad to pay for itself. Hah....wake up. We're passing you by Mr. Oldschool -I'll always have a double truck ad" dinosaur.

Yep...there are still a few of these hanging by their teeth and the slow, financially painful regression continues until I eventually hear about them being for sale.

It's a story much like Groundhog Day...Groundhog Day....Groundhog Day. Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

Page 22

February, 2013

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877-TAPCO-99 www.gotapco.com

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.fyigeorgiaviews.com

Valuation Formulas for Agency Purchases and Start Ups

In a very short period of time, things have changed and a few of those aggregators have, in turn, sold off what they purchased. Brokers’ fees are minimal in most cases and the general public is much more aware of getting the best deal with many agencies charging NO fees at all. The cash flow chart went from a money maker to a break even scenario and the attraction was gone. Why else would anybody purchase large books of low-retention policies? It' all about the cash flow and growth. The product could be anything and all these investing groups care about is that they are making money - not breaking even or losing money. So what is the current valuation of a nonstandard auto agency? It's whatever somebody is willing to pay but when it comes down to it, an owner is lucky to get 1X the commissions for 1 year. Broker fees are not normally included in the formula since they can't be depended on to remain level - they have been shrinking.

Inevitably, some producers decide to quite their job at the agency and decide that they can open their own. They think it’s just about renting a space and getting a catchy agency name and phone numbers and the money will start rolling in. I would have to agree..........if it was 1993!! For you marketing representatives or producers who think this is the time to spin off and open your open business, I would like to give you a bit of a reality check and this is coming from somebody who did it but also sees and hears what is happening now with new business startups. If you have business knowledge or education, some money socked away and fiercely driven, I encourage you to go for it. I will assume you are personally good at sales and not planning on hiring anybody initially except for a part-time CSR. I will also assume you have previous experience in obtaining new business in something other than nonstandard auto insurance.

So why all the assumptions? This market is NOT for the inexperienced dreamers at all. It is a completed waste of their money and time and the insurance companies and general agencies that are considering appointments. The success stories that I have heard of and there are very few come from producers who have been in the business for at least 5 years or so and write multiple lines of insurance and they have a niche or a healthy marketing plan to attract new clients. They either buy leads, market specific affinity groups or advertise in key markets that they specialize in. Their success is almost a guarantee because they are opening a new business as a continuation of something they have already started. In a few cases, the agent owned her own book of business and was tired of working under the tight corporate umbrella of rules, expectations and production requirements. In another case, the producer worked with Golden 1 Credit Union members directly and had a healthy referral base. There aren't too many individuals out there that are this lucky but they are out there and coming into the market.

Lately, there has been a rash of 2-4 year old agency owners who want to sell off their relatively small book of nonstandard auto business and are surprised when they hear about the current valuations for their agency business. Several years ago when a few large broker fee bandit bucket shops sold their locations and books, they made a very good profit. The valuations and marketing outlook were much more positive then now and they were snapped up by a few aggregator companies who were building up their premium levels into the 10s of millions of dollars.

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

I know...I hear you. There are still some agencies that are collecting broker and service fees regularly but it is not something that can be relied on. Eventually, customers get tired of paying the fees and move over to more reputable and non-fee charging agencies. This has been the trend and will continue to be. I wish it was like it was in the old days. All you had to do was place a yellow page ad and the phones would ring and ring. This is now a market for the strong willed, computer savvy and clever producers and principals. We utilize email the way we used to use the phone. We respond in a matter of minutes instead of hours to our clients’ needs and their quote requests and we rarely use a fax anymore. We use PDF files and scanners. Paper checks are rarely needed anymore because most insurers offer E-checks and credit card options. The better clients don't want to pay high billing fees and have much better retention.

EFT clients are much better as well. As a matter of fact, when somebody offers to pay with a check, I'm leery especially when I tell them that we will use an E-Check program that will sweep the money out of their account and they tell me they will call back. There are still a few people who like to use paper checks but that's quickly disappearing. The best way to sum this up is that your future customers want their insurance needs taken care of with precision and with little or no issues. Those who deliver this with efficiency, professionalism and speed will own the market in 2013. If your agency is still hanging on to old methods, your future is much more uncertain than the rest of us who have morphed into TECHNOSTUDS. You gotta get on board or it’s all gonna pass you buy......in the fast lane.

Make plans to attend “How to Evaluate, Buy & Sell Insurance Agencies” seminar at this year’s conventions.

Info at www.AccuAgents.com, www.PIATX.org and www.FYIGeorgiaViews.com.

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February, 2013

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518 Peoples St Corpus Christi, TX 78401 www.cmlpins.com Phone: 512-377-1757 Fax: 512-628-3373 info@cmlpins.com

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.fyigeorgiaviews.com

Paraprosdokians Paraprosdokians (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit... Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

9. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure...

14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now!

Page 26

February, 2013

8 Ways to Avoid Traffic Accidents and Tickets LegalShield lawyers provide great representation to members who receive traffic tickets. However, it is still much safer and easier on you if you do not get a ticket in the first place. These tips are designed to help you stay safe on the road and keep you out of the courthouse. If you have been involved in an accident or received a traffic ticket, call your LegalShield provider law firm today.

1.

Slow down. Driving too fast is one sure way to end up in an accident or with a ticket. In recent years, many states and provinces have tightened their laws on reckless driving particularly. If you are caught exceeding a threshold speed, you may be charged criminally, rather than with a simple traffic citation. The penalties for reckless driving may include substantial fines, license suspension and even jail time for repeat offenders.

2.

Don’t text or email while driving. Texting or using a smart phone while driving is now illegal in several states and many localities and may not only earn you a traffic ticket, but also injure or kill you. Numerous studies have shown that texting or using your smart phone while driving substantially increases your chance of injury or death. The number of injuries and deaths caused by distracted drivers has skyrocketed in recent years. Avoid serious injury and death (and tickets) by always safely pulling to the side of the road and stopping before texting or using your smart phone.

3.

Never drink and drive. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol puts your life and the lives of others in grave danger. Even blood alcohol levels below your state’s legal limit can impair your driving and increase your chance of injury or death in an accident. First offenses of DUI or DWI may land you in jail and leave you with a criminal record. The best way to avoid DUI or DWI accidents and criminal charges is to avoid drinking and driving all together.

4.

Think twice before running a light. Running a red light may save you a few seconds, but it puts you, your passengers and other drivers around you at risk of serious injury or death. Drivers running red lights cause nearly 1,000 deaths and 90,000 injuries each year in the United States. Red light traffic cameras are now used throughout the U.S. and Canada, so even if you escape injury, you may not escape a ticket.

5.

Follow at a safe distance. In ideal road conditions you should leave at least 3 seconds between you and the car in front of you. If you are hauling a heavy load or driving in wet or icy conditions, leave at least 7 or 8 seconds between you and the car ahead of you. Rear-enders cause nearly as many deaths and injuries per year as intersection collisions.

6.

Have your vehicle checked regularly. Defective equipment is no excuse for an accident. Make sure your lights, wipers, brakes, and other safety features are in proper working order. Also, frequently check your tire pressure and wear, especially when the outside temperatures fluctuate between seasons. Improper pressure and wear could lead to a dangerous blowout.

7.

Be prepared for difficult weather. If you are driving in wet or icy weather, allow yourself extra time and drive with caution. If you are particularly uncomfortable driving in bad weather, stay off the road until conditions improve.

8.

Make sure you have the right car seat for your child. It is extremely important to protect your children by ensuring they are in the appropriate car seat for their age and size. Most states and provinces have strict laws regarding child safety seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers a great resource to help parents ensure their children are protected. Click here to visit their website.

For more information on this valuable service or to learn how to become independently wealthy, contact Rick Pegram at www.rickrpegram.legalshield.com

What Debt Collectors Can and Cannot Do In the United States collection agents are limited in the methods they can use to collect personal debts by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Personal debts include credit card debt, auto loans, mortgage payments, medical bills and other family and household expenses not used for a business. Canadian debt collection regulations differ by province; however, there are some practices that are generally off limits to all debt collectors. If you are dealing with a debt collector or have any questions call your LegalShield provider law firm today.

Collection agents MUST: Contact you in writing, or attempt to do so, before taking any further action to collect a debt, including legal actions to secure payment of the debt; Identify themselves when contacting you about a collection matter; Provide information on the original creditor and amount owed. The original creditor is the company or institution to which the debt was owed before it was transferred to the collection agency.

Collection agents are NOT permitted to: Harass you or your family with threats of harm or violence, use of obscene language or by making calls at unreasonable times of day; Deceive you by providing inaccurate or misleading information; Send you false legal documents or threaten to take legal action they are not authorized or willing to take; Charge interest or other fees that are not authorized by law; Demand payment on an account that you have disputed without providing proof that the debt is legitimate; Contact your employer, relatives, friends and neighbors for anything other than your direct contact information. In some instances debt collectors may be permitted to contact employers to verify employment, job title and mailing address.

When you need assistance dealing with a debt collector, call your LegalShield provider law firm and speak with an attorney.

For more information on this valuable service or to learn how to become independently wealthy, contact Rick Pegram at www.rickrpegram.legalshield.com

9 Legal Tips Every Renter Should Know These tips were developed to help you understand your rights and obligations as a renter generally. Your rights and obligations are most often determined by the terms of your lease and laws that vary greatly among the states and provinces. Call your LegalShield provider law firm and speak with an experienced attorney who will review the lease document BEFORE you sign it and explain your rights and obligations.

1.

Understand the terms of your lease before you sign. One common mistake renters make is signing a lease without fully understanding their rights and responsibilities. As a LegalShield member you can have an attorney review your lease and discuss it with you before you sign.

2.

Purchase renters insurance. In the event of a disaster, your landlord’s insurance may only cover the property the landlord owns. Renters insurance is generally affordable and offers protection not only for your personal belongings, but also against many personal injury claims that occur on or near your rental property.

3.

Your landlord may be responsible for making repairs in a timely fashion and for keeping the premises safe and in compliance with health and other codes. However, the landlord’s responsibility varies depending on the terms of the lease and state or provincial laws. Always consult with your provider attorney and ask he or she to review the lease with you.

4.

In most cases a landlord must give you notice before entering your home. However, this may be subject to change depending upon the language of your lease or the local laws that apply to it.

5.

Never stop paying rent to settle a dispute with your landlord. If you believe that you have a claim against your landlord, you may not be entitled to withhold your rent. Always talk to your LegalShield provider law firm immediately if you have a dispute with your landlord. Even if you have a legitimate claim against your landlord, the landlord may still be entitled to evict you if you do not pay your rent.

6.

Under most circumstances, your landlord cannot take your property, change your locks or turn off your utilities merely because you failed to pay rent. However, the landlord may be able to file eviction proceedings against you in court. Call your LegalShield provider law firm if you have any dispute with your landlord.

7.

Do not break a lease without understanding your rights and responsibilities. In some rare instances tenants can break a lease without notice, but laws vary and it is important to understand the proper procedure for breaking your lease. If you need to get out of your lease before it expires, call your provider law firm first.

8.

Generally, the landlord’s cost for repairing normal wear and tear cannot be deducted from your security deposit. Before moving into and out of a rental property, take detailed pictures of each room. Before and after pictures may be helpful if the landlord claims damages you did not cause.

9.

Your landlord must return your deposit in a reasonable amount of time. Specific time frames may vary. If you need assistance with the return of a security deposit, your LegalShield provider law firm can help.

For more information on this valuable service or to learn how to become independently wealthy, contact Rick Pegram at www.rickrpegram.legalshield.com The content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. Readers should be aware that while certain principles outlined on this site may be similar to principles followed in their own state or province, laws can vary considerably. © Copyright 2012 Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. d/b/a LegalShield℠ One Pre-Paid Way, Ada, Oklahoma 74820 www.mylegalshield.com

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.fyigeorgiaviews.com

President’s Message From FACELIFT to FACETIME Last fall in one of the earlier newsletters I mentioned upcoming changes to the PIA Texas program in its Marketing, Branding efforts as well as it deliverables of services to Association members. I wanted to use this month’s message to update you on some of the progress we have made in these areas.

Another deliverable is our recent partnership with GoAgents.com. This program provides our members with additional non insurance related products and services to offer their individual customers. The program is a simple and effective way to add an additional revenue generating stream to your agency operations.

The beauty of it is that it application is simple and agents already have built-in prospecting pool within their current books of business.

GoAgents.com is overseen by agents like us and they are a member of the Texas PIA. They will provide our member agents with support and training on the products as well as their application. Be on the lookout for more information on them in the days ahead.

First of all let me talked about the first part of the Title “FaceLift”. In case you haven’t been to the Association’s website recently it has been completely given a Facelift and makeover. The old outdated website was out needed to be replaced with a newer fresher look and version of technology.

Last September we partnered with ITC to develop a more useful website which would ultimately allow the Association to grow its membership and support the membership with products and services. With the support of ITC we are now able to expand our marketing into a variety of different data bases which are just not exclusive to the insurance industry. It also gives us the capability to connect more frequently in the social networking sites, blogs and forums. This programming was long overdue and will now allow us to quickly catch up to the current methods of communicating in a variety of targeted and meaningful ways.

This first generation of the Website was launched in February. With the help of ITC we are also now positioned to assist our members with reduced cost agency website building. We can now link our members to our website. This will allow PIA Texas to launch an exclusive directory of member agencies that one day will allow us to drive consumers to our agencies through a series of online marketing campaigns hosted and managed by ITC. It will be a powerful tool in competing with our captive agent counterparts. The power of MANY has tremendous advantages in today’s world of online internet marketing.

We just concluded our first board meeting of 2013. I can assure you with great confidence that the Association’s Board of Directors, State Executive, Committees and Vendor partners are working hard on your behalf. These are just a couple of the projects that I wanted to let you know about. There are more things in store for me to share with the Members of PIA in the coming months leading into the Woodlands conference.

Moving in another direction for just moment I wanted to provide you with some insight as to the second part of the topic title “Facetime”. By that I mean we just wrapped up a trip to meet with Texas Congressional members as they opened the legislative session in Austin.

The good news is that there are no major legislative issues before this Session’s Insurance Committee.

However, not everything is sunny and bright. A major issue looming in the future is TWIA financial viability.

This is a real concern with no real solutions or answers on the table at this time.

While in Austin, we also took the opportunity to introduce our Association to State legislators. Some of them are in the Property & Casualty Insurance Industry as well as Health and Financial Services Industries.

Continued on page 32

I would encourage you to check it out further as to your agency participating in this exciting new program.

Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

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February, 2013

More “News, Satire & Opinions for Independent Agents from Independent Agents” at www.fyigeorgiaviews.com

President’s Message Continued from page 30 As we grow and become more involved it is nice to have some allies in the Texas Congress to assist us with some of these key issues going forward. Continuing along the political lines, the executive committee will travel to Washington DC in April for the National PIA annual legislative summit. While there we will be visiting our State Congressional Members to discuss insurance related issues that could have an impact on Independent Agents in Texas. This will be the second year that I have attended. I am very impressed with our National Organization and its work at the National level. As members at the local level you can also get involved by visiting the Congressional Members of your local district.

There are local offices that you can make an appointment and introduce yourself. Irrespective of who you might support, most all of our Congressional members in Washington are not well informed of insurance issues at the local level. It might be worth a look at your Congressman’s or Congresswoman’s voting record as it relates to issues of insurance. It may come as a surprise as to their attitude towards Main Street Independent Insurance Agents!

One last piece of business to wrap “Facetime” up with is that two of our Board Members, Tom Sorrels and Chuck McMillan have formed a two man exploratory committee in order to look at the possibility of setting up and Agent’s Advisory Council. The idea behind the Council is to establish a regular line of communication between the Board and its agent members. This council would be made up agent members that could meet and discuss local issues, needs and projects for the Association to look into supporting in some manner.

With many Associations facing the challenge of growing and maintaining their membership I happen to believe this is the life blood stream for the future of our Association. Regardless of the size of your agency or the time you have been in the insurance business we need a diversity of ideas and perspectives. If the Council is something that any agent would be interested in being a part of please contact Tom, Chuck or Myself.

As we March toward our Convention in June…. We continue our Commission and Mission to “Localize, Mobilize, Socialize” Carl Shockey, President

TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013 June 7 – 8, 2013 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center 1601 Lake Robbins Drive · The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Localize, Mobilize, Socialize Texas PIA’s Texas Connection

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February, 2013

TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013 June 7 – 8, 2013

The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center 1601 Lake Robbins Drive · The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Localize, Mobilize, Socialize Why Should You Attend?

It's 2 days of non-stop action and education designed especially for the Professional Insurance Agent Industry.

Get up to 10 hours “How To” Workshops!

Meet & Greet in the Trade Fairs on Friday & Saturday Free workshops for Texas PIA members and Producers of Workshop Sponsors All Marketing Reps for Sponsors & Exhibitors attend for free.

Non-Sponsor / Exhibitor Marketing Reps are Persona Non Grata.

Texas PIA Connections 2013 Invitation

Affordability The cost to both Exhibitors and Attendees is unmatched in this industry. Where else do you get so much for so little? We’ve balanced each day’s activities to allow anyone in the industry to attend for one or all both days and still be able to maximize the most from their time and money.

Exhibitor / Sponsor Online registration at http://piatx-rep-2013.eventbrite.com Agent / CSR Online Registration at http://piatx-agent-2013.eventbrite.com more info at www.PIATX.org

Texas PIA Connections 2013 Exhibitors / Sponsors Exhibit Booths cost as little as $495 for an 8' X 8' piped & draped booth, 6’ table, two chairs and wastebasket. Exhibitor / Sponsor Registration also includes up to 10 hours “How To” Workshops (if needed) for all Company Representatives.

Additional company personnel may attend and enjoy all activities for FREE! Persona Non Grata Please remember that NO COMPANY PERSONNEL will be allowed to attend any TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013 activities unless sponsoring or exhibiting.

Single Exhibit booth is $795.00 for non-Corporate members, $995.00 for double booth Electricity and Internet are extra No charge for additional reps for Exhibitors / Sponsors

VIRTUAL TRADE FAIR Each Sponsor / Exhibitor is entitled to a FREE hyperlink in the Virtual Trade Fair on the Texas PIA website leading up to the TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013.

YIP’s Pool Party (Bar Sponsorship available) Saturday from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Marketing Reps of unsupportive companies will invariably talk with attendees about their company (It’s their job!). It’s our position that it’s not fair to the companies who are paying for that privilege through their support of TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013.

If you do not care to Exhibit but do wish to share in TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013, please consider sponsoring an event. You can sponsor for as little as $250.00 toward refreshments.

This is in addition to your Company Rep Registration Fee: $99.00 for two days.

Exhibitors may attend workshops for FREE where space is available. And if you're still not convinced...

Best of all... The EXPO Money Back Guarantee!

Just to show you how successful I predict this year's EXPO will be ... if you feel like you did not get your money's worth at the end of TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013, simply come up to me and say so! I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is!

I'm offering a MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE to all th Exhibitors who register by May 7 .

Just come up to me after the TEXAS PIA CONNECTIONS 2013, and if you feel you didn't get your money's worth, I'll refund your Exhibitor's Fee on the spot ... no questions asked!

Trade Fair Trade Fair is open from 5:00 p.m.

– 7:00 p.m. on Friday & 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturday Free Admission to all Agents & CSRs No other activities during Trade Fair Single Exhibit booth is $495.00 for Texas PIA Corporate Members, $795.00 for double booth

Texas PIA Connections 2013 Invitation

The Young Insurance Professionals of Texas (YIPS) is an association committed to providing benefits and services that assist young professionals with career development.

YIPS is dedicated to: • Creating a network of young insurance professionals for the purpose of exchanging information and ideas.

• Providing timely information and promote quality education to foster the career development of the members.

• Enhancing the image of the young insurance professional through community involvement and consumer awareness efforts.

• Coordinating with the Texas PIA toward the fulfillment of mutual objectives.

•

Cultivating future leaders of the Texas PIA.

“How To Market & Sell” Seminars Users Conference: Texas PIA CONNECTIONS 2013 provides a fantastic opportunity for a company to host an “Invitation-only” Conference. You'll have plenty of time to demonstrate the latest developments at your company and treat them to the Trade Fair.

Seminar sponsorship is $150.00 for 1 hour time slot Seminar sponsorship is $350.00 for 3 hour time slot Seminar sponsorship is $500.00 for 5 hour time slot Seminar sponsors include, but are not limited to, Insurance Companies, MGAs, User Groups, Insurance Industry Organizations and Insurance Industry Vendors. more info at www.PIATX.org