Calendar

Webcasts

E&O Risk Management

Click above for schedule Available on Demand

Ethics

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Flood

Click above for schedule Available on Demand

2020 Webinar Calendar

Commercial & Personal Lines Courses

Click above for courses & dates for 2020

Webinars

VU Cram Sessions

Dates: September 24, October 26, October 27, November 17, December 14

5 Contractor Coverage Concepts Every Agent Must Understand

9 Rules for Reading an Insurance Policy Based on the Laws of Insurance Contracts

Condominiums and How to Insure Them

3 Keys to Getting the Named Insured Correct

4 Key PL & CL Exposures Every Agent Must Understand

VU Cram Sessions

Dates: September 25, October 27, November 18, December 15

How to Understand Commercial Property Underwriting & COPE

Workers' Compensation: 5 Mistakes Every Agent Makes

Condominiums and How to Insure Them

Rules for Developing the Correct Premium

Why Certificates of Insurance - Just Why? Each of the courses in the VU Cram Session is approved for 2 hours CE.

Earn 10 hours CE in one day. Check out all 19 courses that the VU Cram Session offers through 2020

Events

To be Announced

As we embark upon a pivotal moment in our country’s history, national, state & local governments have issued shelter-in-place orders around our nation. Consequently, this has forced various industries and individuals, including our own, the insurance industry, to become even more streamlined than it already was and to be more technologically savvy doing so. Teleconferences, online rating, internet web meetings, ACH payments and E-signatures have now become the “new normal” in our daily lives. Let us take a look to see how it will affect the insurance sector, clients & new business prospects in the future.

Staying connected throughout the business relationship is paramount to any successful operation. This is all the more apparent with the unprecedented period we are undergoing currently from the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology has been instrumental and the “glue” that makes this all possible. From online faxing to emailed policy delivery, online payment methods, DocuSign, and remote workstations, this would not be possible if it were not for the strides made in technology.

Even though we must remain isolated, this brings the more intimate & personal connection with our clientele in a time when people most need our assistance or simply an ear to speak to as insurance professionals.

Just like the changes happening daily in our personal lives, the insurance industry is constantly evolving due to agency acquisitions & carrier mergers. This in itself can change a customer’s perception. Customers have to adapt to new systems being implemented from new management or ownership, which can lead to skepticism of simply becoming a “number” within the new business model. A breakdown of personal interactions and service can also happen, which small agencies or companies thrive on. Although acquisitions can have its negatives, it can also be a great thing for growth goals within an agency or carrier who is struggling/ unproductive, looking to sell their book of busi-

ness. It can also bring continuity, should the purchasing company elect to keep the same personnel for its existing accounts.

The rapid growth of social media has also strengthened the knowledge base & professional relationships between peers in the insurance arena. We are able to bounce ideas & scenarios off of one another through engines such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Online continuing education through vehicles such as the National Alliance & The Institutes afford constant updates of the current trends within the field as well as connectivity to new & more effective coverages being revealed daily. Regulatory entities &government are also using technology to efficiently provide services & resources to the public & insurance industry for updates. More & more businesses uses these media outlets for researching & background vetting potential hires than ever before.

Client expectations are evolving also. We know that communication is the key to success or failure when dealing with our customers. When relationships are respected & have been proven to withstand the down turns of the economic climates, losses, or disasters, that is when the true value is seen by your customers. Trust is one aspect you must obtain to last through this. Then, in the eyes of not only customers but other agents & carriers, respect is garnered and your value to the overall insurance profession is recognized.

The future is bright for insurance professionals. We are essential to the well being of not only this country’s innovative, talented & entrepreneurial fortitude but the global community as well. By using the technology available to us, we can make the world a safer & more efficient place for businesses & individuals alike for years to come (God willing).

Brandon Hamilton IIAGNO 2016 Scholarship Recipient

Website: For consumers: https://floodsmart.gov Website: For insurance agents: https:// agents.floodsmart.gov Handbook: For insurance commissioners and others: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/ files/2020-05/ NFIPDeskReferencev18_508_V4.1.pdf Fact Sheet: For real estate agents: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/F435_508_01Dec17.pdf

Before a storm:

Website: What To Do Before A Flood: https:// www.floodsmart.gov/community Website: Information on reducing/avoiding flood damage: https://agents.floodsmart.gov/ index.php/client-support/prepare

Fact Sheet: Flood Loss Avoidance: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/ Loss_Avoidance_Fact_Sheet_Consumers_508.pdf

Fact Sheet: Flood Loss Avoidance in Spanish: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020- 07/fema_nfip_understanding-flood-lossavoidance_policyholders_spanish.pdf

Fact Sheet: Understanding Flood Loss Avoidance for Agents: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/ files/2020-07/fema_nfip_understanding-flood-loss -avoidance_agents.pdf

Infographic: Flood Loss Avoidance: https:// www.fema.gov/media-librarydata/1591371468334- ccb9a322b8179c5e94bc31107d7baf65/101927- 002_FEMA_FloodAvoidance_infographic_May2020_r8_508.pdf

Tool Kit: General flood safety social media from Ready.gov: https://www.ready.gov/flood-toolkit

Video: Flood Loss Avoidance: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xho8p76t8M

Video: Flood Loss Avoidance in Spanish: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXUvBLuD5a8

Video: Securing Documents In Preparation for a Flood: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Hv72vbKmRzc Video: Securing Documents In Preparation for a Flood in Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BE-wOm6GkN8

Library: NFIP Marketing Resource Library with hundreds of assets including social media posts, videos, fact sheets, templated letters to potential customers and other products for you to communicate the value of flood insurance: https:// agents.floodsmart.gov/marketing/resource-library

Filing Your Claim:

Website: How To Start Filing Your Claim: https:// www.floodsmart.gov/index.php/start Fact Sheet: How To File Your Flood Insurance Claim: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/ files/2020-07/fema_nfip_how-to-file-floodinsurance-claim.pdf

Fact Sheet: How To File Your Flood Insurance Claim in Spanish: https://www.fema.gov/sites/ default/files/2020-07/fema_nfip_how-to-file-flood -insurance-claim_spanish.pdf

Fact Sheet: Starting Your Recovery: FEMA’s Flood Insurance Claims Process: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/ fema_nfip_Starting-Your-Recovery_2020.pdf

Fact Sheet: Starting Your Recovery: FEMA’s Flood Insurance Claims Process in Spanish: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/ fema_nfip_Starting-Your-RecoverySpanish_2020.pdf

Graphic: Who’s Knocking At Your Door: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/ fema_nfip_who-knocking-your-door.pdf

Video: How To Document Damage: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAAtqAIKY2I

Graphic: Who’s Knocking At Your Door in Spanish: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/ files/2020-07/fema_nfip_who-knocking-yourdoor_spanish.pdf

Recovering from a flood:

Website: How To Document Damage And Begin Clean-Up: https://www.floodsmart.gov/ index.php/flood/document-damage Handbook: NFIP Claims Handbook: https:// www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/ FINAL_ClaimsHandbook_10252017.pdf