The Tennessee Insuror Jul/Aug 2017

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR July/August 2017

Vol. 28 No. 4

www.insurors.org

How to Maximize the Value of Your Agency

6 10 12

2017 Titans Have Fans Saying "We" Again

Creating Security, Productivity and Efficiency for Business The Scary Truth About How to Find a CSR That Sticks

Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Expect to save a third of your clients 30% or more. Most classes approved, nationwide.

For information call (877) 234-4450 or visit auw.com/us. Follow us at bigdoghq.com. Š2017 Applied Underwriters, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best.

2Insurance plans protected U.S. Patent No. 7,908,157.

The Tennessee Insuror

contents

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR Vol. XXVIII, Number 4 July/August 2017

features

Phone (615) 385-1898 Toll Free: 1-800-264-1898 Email: info@insurors.org Editor: Charles T. Bidek, CPCU Publisher: Daniel D. Smith Jr., CAE

4 How to Maximize the...

INSURORS OFFICERS

President ................................................. John McInturff III, ARM Immediate Past President .. Christie Reeves, CIC, CPCU, CPIW IIABA National Director ......................................... Lou Moran III VP, Region I and President Elect ..................... Chris Allison, CIC Vice President, Region II ................................................... Joe Hunt Vice Preisdent, Region III .......................................... Bob McIntire Treasurer .............................................. Battle Bagley III, CIC, CPA Secretary ................................................................. Steve Copeland Director, Region I ....................................................... Portis Tanner Director, Region I ............................................ Stephen Masterson Director, Region I .................................................... Tommy Allmon Director, Region II ....................................................... Chip Fridrich Director, Region II ................................. Matt Swallows, CIC, CRM Director, Region II .................................. Christy Jones, CISR, CAPI Director, Region III ............................................................ Tim Witt Director, Region III .................... Kym Clevenger, CPCU, CACW Director, Region III .................................................. Eric Campbell Young Agents Chairperson ............................. Tim Treadwell V

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INSURORS OF TENNESSEE 2500 21st Avenue South, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212-0539 www.insurors.org

...Value of Your Agency

6

2017 Titans Have Fans Saying "We" Again

10

Creating Security, Productivity and Efficiency for Business

12 The Scary Truth About How to Find a CSR That Sticks

14 Daniel Learns About Ins.: The Big Picture on Insuring Films

Mistakes on These Policies May Not Get a Second Take 34

Threadgill Named CSR of the Year

departments 21

From Your President

Insurors Convention: Why Do I Keep Going?

23

From Your National Director

25

From Your CEO

29

Education Calendar

31

Government and Legal Affairs

37

Program Spotlight

Why Do Your Clients Need an Independent Agent?

Your Agency Can Win with the Titans

Tennessee Court Opinions That May Affect Your Clients KnK Compliance Services

39 Company Spotlight

Markel Specialty 51 Meetings 53

Member Tips

Managing Multigenerational Teams

3

How to Maximize the Value of Your Agency written by Stuart Ganis

This article originally appeared on May 15, 2015 as a story for Property Casualty 360° and is reprinted with the author's permission.

There’s going to come a time where you will consider selling your agency. However, most agencies don’t have a perpetuation plan.

Some of the toughest situations occur when an agency owner has poor health and is unable to sell on his or her own terms.

Maybe the children are interested in the business, but don’t have the money. Or the kids have no interest in insurance and the owner has to sell in order to support him or herself in retirement.

sure you get the most out of your agency when you sell: Data: You need accurate data in order to pass the "smell" test.

This includes downloads, management system usage, email addresses, client documentation and other forms of data.

Accounting: This is the biggest pain point for buyers and sellers. Your P&L should match your commission statements to the penny. Your expenses should be clear and concise and match your corporate taxes. I’m a big fan of saving trees, but printing commission statements and filing monthly by carrier in bankers boxes will help when it comes time for due diligence.

When an agency owner has to sell, they’re usually not prepared. This gives buyers most of the leverage to negotiate, and worst of all gives you less of a payout than what you deserve.

Marketing: Nobody wants to pay top dollar for a declining business with no strategy in place to grow. Investing time and money into building a sales machine will go a long way in not only increasing the value of your agency, but also earn you more money while you are in business.

There are several myths in agency acquisitions, one of them being that agency value is determined by the blood, sweat and tears you invested over the years. Insurance agencies are worth the cash flow available to the buyer when the current owner leaves. It’s not based on a multiple of revenue, how hard you’ve worked or anything else. The cash flow multiple is adjusted up or down based on several factors--and that’s where you can maximize value. Here are a few tips to make

People: Is there someone in your organization who can run the agency for a new owner? Chances are the buyer has other locations or isn’t involved in daily management. Do you have someone there that can manage the day-to-day operations?

That’s valuable to a buyer, because when you leave, your salary and expenses go to the bottom line as the buyer won't have to hire a manager to run the agency. The additional cash flow will make a huge impact on your valuation.

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The Tennessee Insuror

Run Your Agency Like it's For Sale There are obviously other ways to increase value, but you need to cover the basics before anything else. First and foremost: Treat your agency like it’s for sale today. When you create a process, take on a new carrier or invest in technology, ask if it’s adding value to the agency.

Most agency owners sell a business once, but agency buyers have purchased several. This puts the seller at a disadvantage due to the lack of experience, so hire a professional. When we sell our homes, we hire a Realtor. M&A brokers that specialize in the insurance industry will always net you more from the sale then you will on your own. These brokers have experienced multiple deals, different structures and can ask buyers tough questions that you can’t. They usually have a network of qualified buyers so you don’t have to sift through the real buyers and dreamers.

Selling your agency should be a joyous occasion if done properly. Make sure you’re prepared and avoid waiting for hard times to sell.

About the Author Stuart Ganis started his career as a producer in 1989 and later co-founded an independent insurance agency with his wife Mary, that grew to 20 million in premium volume within 3.5 years. After the sale of the agency, He launched Ganis consulting, a firm serving local insurance agents in the areas of sales, marketing, operations and M&A advisory services with emphasis on seller representation.

Gain More Insight from Stuart at the Convention Stuart Ganis will also be our guest speaker at the Monday General Session of the Insurors of Tennessee 124th Annual Convention, taking place October 14-17 at The Peabody in Memphis.

His session will delve further into the topic, "Run Your Agency Like it's For Sale."

YOUR CUSTOMERS. OUR PROMISE. FCCI Insurance Group has been insuring businesses and doing what we say we’ll do for more than 58 years. We partner with our agents to provide expertise in underwriting, risk management and claims handling that help businesses thrive and face the future with confidence.

Tiffany Hawkins Regional Vice President Gulf Coast Region FCCI Insurance Group

Stuart 's firm, Ganis Consulting, provides agents with coaching and education on working with partners, developing plans of action, addressing issues with your current operation. This session will cover the initial planning and discussion that needs to take place for your agency to be able to operate at maximum value. You will also hear questions that you might be asked if your agency was in a position to sell, and discuss what those answers need to look like. The answers may reveal some of the operation issues you need to address.

Get more information on the convention, view the full schedule, or register online now by visiting www.insurors.org today. u The Tennessee Insuror

General liability • Auto • Property Crime • Workers’ compensation Umbrella • Inland marine Agribusiness • Surety Coverage available in 18 states and D.C. © 2017 FCCI

5

2017 Titans Have Fans Saying "We" Again

written by Mike Keith, Voice of the Titans

WILLIAMSON

CASEY MURRAY

WALKER MARIOTA

As I traveled the roads of Tennessee for my 20th off-season as an employee of the state’s NFL team, I couldn’t help but reflect on the first time that I did the same, back in the summer of 1998.

Tennessee Oilers Radio Network executive producer Larry Stone and I hit highways, state roads and even some paths where our car traveled on simple gravel or dirt, as we looked for radio stations that would air our games. Although 1998 wasn’t pre-internet, it was in the early stages, so we relied mostly on our sense of sight rather than Google to find these stations. That’s right – sight.

We would see a radio tower and then we would go call on the radio station. We were traveling salesmen, peddling a football future that we both considered bright, but most others hadn’t much considered. Our lines were simplistic because both of us were “college football guys,” but they were the reasons that we were excited to be working for the Tennessee Oilers Radio Network.

“It’s the NFL---that’s the Steelers, the Packers, the Cowboys, the Super Bowl, John Madden, etc. Tennessee will now be part of all of that!”

“We have Steve McNair and Eddie George, two of the brightest young stars in the game!”

“We will be changing the name to something that belongs to Tennessee---and getting new uniforms and a new logo!”

“The new stadium in Nashville will be awesome!”

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“Jeff Fisher is a great young coach. Floyd Reese is an outstanding general manager. And we have a team that is going to be really good once all of the pieces are in place!”

But after a disappointing 8-8 season in 1998 where Vanderbilt Stadium was rarely full and people got very little of the true NFL experience, Larry and I experienced a different off-season in the spring and summer of 1999. People were downright skeptical. The new nickname, “Titans”, was wellreceived overall, as were the new uniforms and fireball logo.

First-round pick, Jevon Kearse, was an SEC guy from Florida, so the fans liked that.

The positive comments stopped there. The team wasn’t very exciting. It was time for McNair to produce at quarterback.

Eddie George was "slow." There weren’t enough University of Tennessee players on the team. The new stadium had BETTER BE an upgrade over Vanderbilt. Tickets are expensive. There were too many opposing fans at the games. The list didn’t end there, but you get the idea. We had a long, long way to go.

In late August, 1999, our staff was moving out of the trailers which served as our temporary offices, when some of our staff sat together for a rare time. Our boss, Don MacLachlan, casually discussed three basic goals for the 1999 season: 1. Sell out all of the games 2. Make the playoffs 3. Host a playoff game The Tennessee Insuror

Those three things would solve all of our immediate problems. At that moment in late August ’99, all seemed attainable, and Don’s belief helped us to believe, too. You know the rest.

nessee was not an easy thing to do, especially since Larry Stone departed to found highly-successful Stonecom Radio in Cookeville. It was just me and I didn’t have a lot of answers.

Until I saw Marcus Mariota.

Steve McNair turned out to be a great quarterback. Eddie George was the Titans heart and soul and became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. Jevon Kearse led a defense which became one of the NFL’s most dominant, and eventually included a Tennessee Volunteer, Albert Haynesworth, as one of its best players.

The Tennessee Titans were going nowhere without a quarterback and the team’s turnaround began in 2015 when the Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon was selected with the #2 overall pick. A special player and a special person, Mariota was the perfect guy to lead the Titans back into contention. We knew it right away, even as Mariota endured a tough rookie season.

In 1999, the Tennessee Titans sold out every game, made the playoffs, hosted the Buffalo Bills in what turned out to be the “Music City Miracle” game, made an incredible playoff run and went to Super Bowl XIV. The fans responded wildly.

We saw 10,000 people inside Nashville International Airport after a playoff win in Indianapolis. There were 40,000 that sat in the cold and waited for the AFC Champions to return from Jacksonville. More than 60,000 lined the streets of downtown for a post-Super Bowl parade. The NFL party in Tennessee continued into the new millennium.

From 1999-2003, the Titans won 61 games, went to the playoffs four times, had the best record in football in 2000, went to two AFC Championship games and sold out every single game. And then, after rebuilding the team following a salarycap purge, the Titans went back to the playoffs in 2007-08, with the 2008 team starting a franchise-best 10-0 and finishing as AFC South champions.

The best part? When Titans fans talked about the team, they referred to them in the familiar “Tennessee We.” When a fan in this state refers to their team as “We,” they have bought in for certain. It is the ultimate compliment.

In those days, Larry Stone and I didn’t have nearly as much selling to do. People knew the Tennessee Titans and understood the passionate following that had developed in a decade of the NFL in Nashville. Titans Radio became the NFL’s largest radio network.

Larry and I were both pleased with the progress, but often wondered what would happen if the team fell off. Unfortunately, over the next few years, we got our answer.

From 2009-2015, Titans’ fans experienced a long, cold football winter. Many of our favorite faces departed and the replacements did not meet their standards. Changes became almost as commonplace as wins, as the Titans seemed to be frequently searching for a new answer. The team’s one constant – the best homefield advantage in the NFL – disappeared with defeat after defeat. And when I talked with fans about the team, the Titans were referred to as “We” much less often.

That hurt, but I understood.

Explaining those years on off-season journeys around TenThe Tennessee Insuror

Another important pick-up just days before the 2015 draft – Amy Adams Strunk as the franchise’s new controlling owner.

Showing the “lets-get-it-done-now” personality of her late father, Titans founder Bud Adams, but also understanding the realities of owning a football team in 2015, Amy Adams Strunk made changes where they needed to be made, left things alone that were working and pumped major resources into the entire organization. By early 2016, she started to make herself known to Titans fans, who immediately responded to her passion and her connection.

Things felt good entering the 2016 season and fans sensed it.

They still wanted to see it before they believed it. They had not quit even though things had been tough. They simply needed to see the Titans to do something on the field to light the spark.

Last season, it happened. A winning season. A four-game home win streak to end the year at Nissan Stadium. A powerful running game. A quarterback who was playing well, but only seemed to be scratching the surface of his abilities. A defense that left opposing quarterbacks queasy.

The 2016 season will always be a favorite of mine because of what it meant to Tennessee Titans fans. They got to enjoy NFL football in Nashville once again and showed the rest of the NFL that, when the Titans are rolling, there is no place like Nissan Stadium. In short, the year was fun. Finally fun.

So this off-season, as I have driven to spots near and far, early in the morning and late at night, the memories come flooding back of searching for radio towers in 1998 and trying to convince people that the new Tennessee Titans would be a big deal in 1999. The main difference this off-season is what people say to me…

“We have the best young quarterback in the game!”

“Nobody has two better running backs than we do!”

“With all of the new pickups in the secondary, our defense is going to be awesome!”

“Mike Mularkey is a really good coach. Jon Robinson is a great GM. We have plenty of (salary) cap room. We will be a playoff team for years to come!”

I smile when I hear it all, because 20 years provides prospec7

tive. I believe all of the same things and think that 2017 could be a special year for the Tennessee Titans. The NFL is so competitive, one never knows for sure, but the Titans have more players than they have in a long, long time. There is reason for enthusiasm, no doubt.

But what excites me most?

Tennessee Titans fans are saying “We” again.

About the Author Mike Keith is a native of Franklin, and is known as the "Voice of the Titans" in his role as the team's radio play-by-play voice. He is a multiple winner of the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year award, and brings you every moment of Titans football every week. Mike paints the picture home and away on your local Titans Radio partner. He began working with the Titans organization in 1996, and after working with Insurors of Tennessee for over 18 years, Mike is a valued partner of our Association.

2017-18 SCHEDULE

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�ou’re caught up in the day�to�day shuf�le, working hard to to get and keep business. But if you don’t step back and assess your agency procedures, you can walk right off a risk management cliff, landing your agency in court facing a professional liability lawsuit that may have been avoided.

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The Tennessee Insuror

Doing The Right Thing Since 1964 Standing Tall

Mark Maucere, Andy Roe, Jim Roe, Chad Trainor, Janet Phillips and Jim Eades

Ready to stand out?

We’ll stand with you.

To keep your agency relevant, you need the right products, partners and people. Our team of dedicated and responsive professionals can help you fill the gaps in your insurance offerings, providing more unique opportunities for you to meet the needs of your clients. The more you get to know us, the more you’ll see the possibilities.

Let us help you find the right solutions. ®

The Tennessee Insuror

800.878.9891 ArlingtonRoe.com Aviation | Bonds | Brokerage | Commercial Lines | Farm | Medical Professional Personal Lines | Professional Liability | Transportation | Workers’ Compensation

9

Creating Security, Productivity and Efficiency for Business

written by Lauren Cannon, INSBANK

In a world that’s become so technologically advanced, it’s important that businesses are able to easily identify and respond to potential threats. The problem is serious and should not be taken lightly. No company ever anticipates becoming a victim of fraud, but every company has what the bad guys want – money, access to bank accounts, access to email contacts, human resources records, intellectual property and even your brand.

How Has Technology Affected the Banking Industry?

Electronic and mobile banking has given customers the ability to initiate banking transactions electronically. Technology has definitely enhanced the banking industry over the past several years and taken the industry to new heights. With the continued evolution, many more risks have emerged and it requires banks to re-evaluate internal processes, procedures and product offerings on an ongoing basis.

All of the enhancements in technology should be conveniences and advancements for banking and its customers. Instead, fraud and most specifically cyber fraud have undermined the technology by taking over customers email accounts in order to create requests internally within a business, providing those in control of initiating the transaction electronically a false sense of security. The banking industry has been most tested by these fraudsters and have been forced to implement new processes and follow procedures to protect the institution and also educate its customers. The bottom line is taking a holistic approach on educating businesses on all of the risks that exists, while implementing internal processes and procedures to help keep companies safe.

What to Know As a Business Owner Email hacking: A business owner’s hacked email provides the fraudster the ability to make what appears to be legitimate requests via email to wire transfer funds. Trusting email as a safe source of instruction, the business’ accounting staff may initiate the transfer in full faith. The breakdown occurs with the business trusting an email as a secure means of making a request on its own.

Proper management of the company’s cash: It is important to establish a tailored, cash management platform to give you and authorized users of the company the ability to access account

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information online or through a mobile device to initiate transactions, make payments and deposit checks electronically.

Proper training and due diligence: Once your company has determined the appropriate products and tools, it is important that they follow proper procedures to protect you and your business. Due diligence is an important element and clear communication of protocols is crucial. Additionally, the company’s representative should also reach out to the owner of the account to provide additional validation.

How Banks Are Providing Additional Protection More Internal Bank Procedures: If a customer makes a request via email, a bank's standard procedure requires a bank employee to reach out to the authorized customer to approve the transaction and confirm that it is legitimate.

Lockbox Solutions: Not only does this service accelerate the collection of a company’s remittances, enabling them to manage their account receivables more effectively, but it also delivers them securely to a local P.O. Box, and if medically related, meets all HIPAA compliance standards.

Treasury Management Products: ACH Module - Improves the receivables and payables process and timeline, while reducing transaction costs with electronic credits and debits allowing a business to collect and pay dues and payments with the click of a mouse.

Cash Solutions - A smart safe is a viable solution to provide accurate and secure cash-handling, and expedited depositing.

Wire Module - Allows the generation of domestic and international wire transfers at the comfort and security of your own office with appropriate authentication.

Positive Pay - Provides an automatic reconciliation process to validate payments with proven fraud protection to combat check fraud.

About the Author Lauren Cannon serves as Vice President/Director of Treasury & Deposit Services for INSBANK. Her role includes expanding existing treasury clients and growing the bank's commercial deposits. She may be contacted at lcannon@insbanktn.com. u

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The Scary Truth About How to Find a CSR That Sticks written by Tracy Cotton for Agency Nation

What’s your first reaction when you get the resignation letter from one of your customer service representatives? Do you reach for the antacid to fight off the anticipated heartburn of the whole hiring process? Have you gone through the time and effort to hire a CSR and then had them quit or have to fire them within the first year? First 90 days? Are you struggling to just find a job seeker with a pulse?

You are not alone.

With unemployment at the lowest levels currently since 2001, and hourly earnings 2.5% higher in 2017 than the prior 12 months*, the ability to find and keep good employees is a challenge. Fewer candidates are looking and possibly happier where they are. A new hire doesn’t have to stick around when it’s a job seekers market. Or they may be less motivated to work hard if they can find a new job tomorrow.

I’m going to challenge you by saying I don’t think the real problem is the job market. I think the problem is us.

I think most of us are looking in the wrong places, asking the wrong questions, and failing new hires with unclear expectations and lousy on boarding.

that will stick – and twice as many solutions to fix them:

Reason #1: We're Hiring Other Agencies' Rejects You’ve seen the resume – the CSR candidate you’re considering has worked for all the biggest and best insurance agencies around. Maybe that impresses you because that means you won’t have to train them on your agency management system, since they’ve worked with all of them. Maybe they’ve got both personal and commercial CSR experience and you’re a small agency that needs that versatility.

There can be a lot of appeal to hiring an experienced CSR. You just need to be extra cautious because of the baggage this brings.

Warning Signs a CSR Won't "Stick" When you ask about the reasons for joining or leaving each agency, they could have really good explanations. However if they cite that each of their former employers were a bad fit, in whatever terms they describe, the reality could be that the common denominator is actually the person.

These issues aren’t necessarily unique to insurance agencies.

And yet if we admit that as an industry that many of our agencies are suffering from “business as usual” struggles in the marketing and sales departments there is certainly bleed over into human resource functions. We are still hiring and onboarding like we did ten and twenty years ago.

Another concern of hiring a CSR that has worked for a host of other agencies is that it’s possible they will have picked up less than desirable work habits or assumptions along the way.

I once hired a CSR who had been taught by a former employer that earthquake insurance was expensive and unnecessary so she had talked several clients out of considering before I overheard her.

Here are the three reasons we are not hiring the right CSRs

continued on page 46...

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PERSONAL COVERAGE IS OUR MIDDLE NAME. Only Burns & Wilcox has the depth and breadth of experience to deliver the right solutions right away.

burnsandwilcox.com

Nashville, Tennessee | 615.251.1297 Fax 615.251.4348

Commercial | Professional | Personal | Brokerage | Binding | Risk Management Services The Tennessee Insuror

13

Daniel Learns About Insurance: The Big Picture on Insuring Films Mistakes on These Policies May Not Get a Second Take

Insurors Director of Communications Daniel Smith is far from an insurance expert, but he is trying to learn! In this series he will look into insurance industry and coverage questions he has about popular trends in day-to-day life.

I watch a lot of movies. In fact, since 2001 I've rated over 1,300 films on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). My favorite movies of all time include Inception, The Godfather, Tombstone, Rear Window, Stargate, Memento and 12 Angry Men. The worst movie I've ever seen is Battlefield Earth.

A lot goes into making a major motion picture, even if it's a bad one. Lights, camera, action is quite the understatement.

A script, casting, preproduction, costumes, locations, sets, equipment, filming, sound, editing and marketing are just some of the many aspects involved. The average production cost of a studio film in 2016 was over $100 million. Spending money doesn't always guarantee success, however, as The Lone Ranger cost over $300 million to produce in 2013, and lost over $125 million after a terrible performance at the box office. Conversely, Grease cost $6 million to produce in 1978 and has made over $400 million in worldwide box office and video sales.1 As we all know, anytime money can be made or lost, it is likely that insurance is involved. Covering equipment, actors, stunts, production delays and revenue are all critical aspects of insuring film production. Production delays often result in the highest risk for an insurer. In fact, the largest insurance claim in Hollywood history happned after actor Paul Walker

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written by Daniel Smith, CAE

passed away in a car accident off set during filming. The death led to "shooting delays that lasted weeks, significant script rewrites and the use of expensive face-replacement technology."2 The films insurer, Fireman's Fund, faced a claim that is now estimated to be above $50 million.

Inanimate objects are also a concern for film insurers. In Quentin Tarantino's Hateful Eight, actor Kurt Russell accidently smashed a priceless guitar instead of the prop guitar that was supposed to take its place. The 1870s Martin Acoustic Guitar was insured for its last purchase price of $40,000, but cannot be replaced as so few (if any of that quality) exist in the world.

Covering the Production As illustrated by these examples, film production has many caveats. A GL policy and workers' compensation are some of the basics before a film can even start production, and many of those are regulated by unions like the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Then there are additional concerns that may be addressed by policies including equipment rental, home/venue rental, boat rental, personal articles/valuables, foreign production, weather delay, drone/UAV, cast/crew coverage, nonappearance coverage, kidnap & ransom and many more.

Equipment is probably the most obvious coverage on film production. Much of the equipment used can be very expensive, and is often times rented and not owned. For example, an IMAX camera costs around $15,000 per week to rent, and has an insurance value of around $500,000.3 Insurance costs

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on rental equipment are often around 10% above the rental cost. That can add up quickly once you consider the many pieces of equipment that are involved on most productions, including expensive microphones, cameras, drones, lighting and sound equipment.

Another common insurance issue relates to stunts. Stunts that are insured usually require prior approval from an underwriter and often with additional premium. Some stunts can even prove to be an impasse between the carrier and the producers. In the 2011 film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise insisted on performing his own stunt for a scene where he scaled the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

The insurer demanded a stunt double be used, but Cruise and the production team refused and ended up firing that insurer and finding another carrier who would write it.

Another facet of insuring films that cannot be overlooked is E&O coverage. Having professional liability coverage for a movie is critical, as it can protect against lawsuits alleging unauthorized usage of titles, copyrighted materials, ideas, formats, characters, plots, plagiarism, unfair competition, defamation and invasion of privacy. This often goes hand in hand with the film's legal team, who will likely be reviewing contracts, scripts and releases to try to catch any issues before they occur.

are covered by an annual GL policy that will cover the filmmaking activities for one year. Other types of filming, such as a commercial, may be under a short-term, single production policy. Long-term policies may be issued on projects that are ongoing, such as a documentary. Short-term policies may be issued in as little as a day, while long-term policies with heavy underwriting may take weeks to before they are ready to be bound.

Need to do some more research? Check out this list of 25 of the "Best" insurance movies: www.propertycasualty360. com/2015/11/04/25-of-the-best-insurance-movies Aaaaaand scene.

1-Per "Movie Budget and Financial Performance Records" at http://www. the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/ 2-Per "7 riskiest movies ever made" via http://www.propertycasualty360. com/2017/06/05/7-riskiest-movies-ever-made 3- Per "You Can’t Afford This Expensive Hollywood Camera Gear" via https:// www.premiumbeat.com/blog/you-cant-afford-this-expensive-hollywoodcamera-gear/

About the Author Daniel Smith serves as the Director of Communications for Insurors of Tennessee. He has a Bachelors degree in Marketing with a minor in Graphic Design from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

He may be contacted at dsmith@insurors.org. u

The type of production also makes a difference. Most films

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"32

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Professional Liability • Management Liability • Data Privacy & Security Liability 16

The Tennessee Insuror

The more coverage clients have with you, the less likely they are to switch agents. EMC National Life is committed to making life sales simple with easy-to-understand products and online services to speed the sales process. It’s just one of the many reasons policyholders Count on EMC ®.

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www.emcins.com ©Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2016. All rights reserved.

17

Future Leaders Spotlight

presented by

Chase Miller • The Crichton Group - Nashville I was born and raised in Nashville. I attended the University of Mississippi and love going back to visit for football and baseball games.

I recently married Natalie Coleman in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama. We are both involved in volunteering with Preston Taylor Ministries.

Chase Miller of The Crichton Group

I am also involved with The Insurors of Nashville local board and was recently elected as President Elect for the coming year. I enjoy playing golf, going to concerts and traveling with my wife.

The Insuror: Can you tell us a little about your current job title and responsibilities?

Chase: I am a producer at The Crichton Group, middle Tennessee's largest independent insurance agency. I am responsible for sourcing new clients, reviewing their exposures and assisting them to either mitigate or transfer risk to an insurance carrier.

The Insuror: What can you tell us about your educational background?

Chase: I graduated from the University of Mississippi and received a Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management and Insurance. I was a participant in the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program at the 2012 RIMS Conference; President of the University of Mississippi Insurance and Risk Management Society and won the 2012 Student Leadership Award for the Risk Management and Insurance Program.

The Insuror: How and why did you get your career in the insurance industry started?

Chase: My father is a producer at Willis Towers Watson.

Growing up, I did not fully understand what he did until my Sophomore year of college. I took a course on risk management insurance and became interested in the insurance industry.

In the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to visit Lloyd's of London and participate in an internship in Los Angeles. I connected with Bob Jackson and Cooper Jones at a career fair at Ole Miss and have now been at The Crichton Group for five years.

18

The Insuror: Do you have any influences/role models in the industry?

Chase: When I think about role models and influences, two significant family members come to mind. First, my grandfather Richard Miller, who passed away this year, was someone I have always admired. He always persisted in telling me, "Make sure to sell something every day, regardless of the size."

My father is my next influence. He has had a huge impact in all aspects of my life, especially my career. Over the past five years, I have really grown to appreciate all of his support and enjoy talking with him about the insurance industry. He has always been there to offer advice and help me every step of the way. Finally, within The Crichton Group, Cooper Jones and Rob Sentell are constantly mentoring me and provide me with guidance on a daily basis.

The Insuror: Is there any advice you could offer Young Agents or others in the industry to achieve success?

Chase: Cooper often tells us, "Focus on the problem of the customer, not the commission." If you focus on the commission you will get stuck on the commission. However, if you focus on the problem at hand, you will likely have a customer for life.

The Insuror: As an independent agent, you have many partners in this industry, including carriers, MGAs and many more. How do you determine which ones are the right relationships?

Chase: Business is good in Tennessee and numerous carriers want to write business in our state. With that being said, most carriers are coming to independent agencies to sell their products. Rather than focusing on comparing lower prices, we like to emphasize on the claim service. In an event of a claim, we believe the way a client is treated takes priority and that is where the rubber meets the road.

The Insuror: Thank you for giving us your time, Chase, we appreciate it and wish you continued success in your career.

Chase: Thank you for allowing me to participate in the "Future Leaders" article. I appreciate all that Insurors does for independent agents. u The Tennessee Insuror

Young Agents ‘17

Upcoming Events and Information

Our Young Agents Committee strives to offer young insurance professionals with opportunities to network and develop in the industry. We accomplish this by hosting networking and educational events throughout the year in various Tennessee markets. The following is the current schedule of events for 2017, please contact Insurors or your Region representative for more info on these meetings or to RSVP for a specific event: October 15 - Insurors Convention Young Agents After Party B.B. Kings Beale Street • 8-10 pm CST • Memphis

Young Agents Committee Tim Treadwell V - Chair Account Executive Boyle Insurance Agency Memphis timt@boyle.com Brent Chance - Immediate Past Chair Principal Agent/Owner Ivy Insurance Brentwood bchance@ivy-insurance.com Cy Young - Region I President Young-Hughes Insurance Alamo cy@younghughesinsurance.com Alan Sisk, AU, AINS - Region II Producer Geny Insurance Nashville alan@genyinsurance.com David Allen, CIC, CRM - Region III Principal Agent RSS Insurance Chattanooga dallen@rssins.com For more info, or questions on the Young Agents program, please email dsmith@insurors.org or call 615.515.2601. u The Tennessee Insuror

INTRODUCING

Exceptional Agents Berkley Southeast Insurance Group recognizes the need to mentor the growth of new talent and to perpetuate the Independent Agency System, as well as provide young agents with a competitive advantage. Tennessee’s Young Agents are the future of our business. That’s why we are working together for success.

Congratulations Exceptional Agents 2016 Aaron Jensen Adam Reeves Andrew Powers Blake Dickens Brandon Patterson Chad Richardson Chad Snider Charlie Taylor Clement Ledbetter Cooper Permenter David Allen David Clark David Evans Jamie Williams Jared Smith Jason Teague John Brock John Fritts Josh Witt KC Covington Kevin Lockmiller Kevin Ownby Matt Spellings Michael Greer Michael Novarese Mike Thomas Neil Scott Paul Steele Preston Martin Ramsey Brock Robert Harris Stacy Woodard Stuart Oakes Taylor Ragan Taylor Walker Tim Treadwell Trey Powell Will Webb

Shafer Insurance Agency, Knoxville Union City Insurance Agency, Union City Burke, Powers, and Harty Insurance, Bristol Harris, Madden and Powell, Memphis Ownby Insurance Services, Sevierville Swallows-Newman Insurance, Cookeville Westan Insurance Group, Martin Burke, Powers, and Harty Insurance, Bristol Battle Page Insurance, Franklin Harris, Madden and Powell, Memphis RSS Insurance, Chattanooga RSS Insurance, Chattanooga The Insurance, Group, Inc., Knoxville Hardin County Bank Ins. Agcy., Savannah TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville Watauga Insurance, Johnson City Heritage Brock Insurance, Chattanooga TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville The Insurance Group, Inc., Knoxville Carroll Insurance Agency McKenzie V.R. Williams & Company, Winchester Ownby Insurance Services, Sevierville Consolidated Insurance Agency, Paris V.R. Williams & Company, Winchester McDaniel-Whitley, Inc Insurance, Inc., Nashville Insurity Group, Chattanooga Martin & Zerfoss Insurance, Nashville Union City Insurance Agency, Union City Brock Insurance, Chattanooga Tigrett & Pennington, Nashville Shafer Insurance Agency, Knoxville TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville Martin & Zerfoss Insurance, Nashville Thompson & Smith Insuance, Jackson Boyle Insurance, Memphis RSS Insurance, Chattanooga Battle Page Insurance, Franklin

berkleysig.com local people helping agents professionally serve clients

19

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the news?

we have a new regional vice president!

We are are pleased pleased to to announce announce our our new new Regional Regional Vice Vice We President of the Nashville Region, Bill Vanderslice.

President of the Nashville Region, Bill Vanderslice.

Bill is is an an experienced experienced leader leader in in the the industry, industry, and and is is well well known known in in the the Tennessee Tennessee territory. territory. Bill Bill is is committed committed to to Bill continuing to provide our independent agents and policyholders with an exceptional level of products and services, continuing to provide our independent agents and policyholders with an exceptional level of products and services, as our our Nashville Nashville based based staff staff remains remains unchanged. unchanged. as

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Are your your small small commercial commercial customers customers in in need need of of superior superior Are service and and flexible flexible coverage? coverage? service Our Advantage Advantage product product is is exposure exposure based, based, so so in in many many cases, cases, Our we can cover exposures with property values up to $15 Million, we can cover exposures with property values up to $15 Million, sales up up to to $10 $10 Million Million and and payrolls payrolls up up to to $5 $5 Million.

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We are are committed committed to to providing providing We superior claim claim service service and and to to getting getting superior our customers customers back-in-business back-in-business when when our claim does does occur, occur, earning earning us us aa aa claim 97.6% customer customer satisfaction satisfaction score score 97.6% in 2016.

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Want to to Know Know More?

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Please contact: contact: Please Andy Wilder Wilder .. Territory Territory Manager Manager Andy 615-406-6328 615-406-6328 Jennifer Hubbard Hubbard .. Territory Territory Manager Manager Jennifer 865-322-3332 865-322-3332 Bill Vanderslice Vanderslice .. RVP RVP Bill 615-932-5508 615-932-5508

berkleysig.com Your Back-in-Business Back-in-Business Insurance Insurance Company™ Company™ Your Berkley Southeast Southeast Insurance Insurance Group Group is is aa member member company company of of W. W. R. R. Berkley Berkley Corporation, Corporation, whose whose insurance insurance company company Berkley subsidiaries are are rated rated A+ A+ (Superior) (Superior) by

by A.M.Best.

A.M.Best. subsidiaries Products and and services services are are provided provided by by one one or or more more insurance insurance company company subsidiaries subsidiaries of of W. W. R. R. Berkley Berkley Corporation.

Corporation. Not Not all all products products and and services services Products are available available in in every every jurisdiction, jurisdiction, and and the the precise precise coverage coverage afforded afforded by by any any insurer insurer is is subject subject to to the the actual actual terms terms and and conditions conditions are 20 The Tennessee Insuror of the the policies policies as as issued. issued. of ©2017 Berkley Southeast Insurance Group. All rights reserved. ©2017 Berkley Southeast Insurance Group. All rights reserved.

From Your President

Insurors Convention: Why do I Keep Going?

I've been going to the Insurors Annual Convention since I was a kid. Why do I keep going back? Why did I start going to begin with?

When I entered the insurance industry I had already been to Insurors conventions, because often times our family would plan trips around the event while my Dad attended. It was almost natural for me to attend, but now I had a different purpose.

I already knew a lot of the names and faces I saw at those conventions, but now that I was in the industry, some of the conversation changed. I began to learn that the convention could be sounding board for me to talk to other agents, underwriters, marketing reps, brokers and more. It helped me solve problems, figure things out and learn about things I may have otherwise missed out on.

That's why I keep going. Year after year, I know that in October I'll be heading to another convention. And each year I meet someone or learn something that helps my business. And I want you to do the same. I want you to join us at the Insurors 124th Annual Convention, and help your business.

Here are some of the highlights that I am looking forward to this year:

Games and Tailgates Although I bleed orange, I know there are some Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Memphis and Navy alumni and fans out there. The timing has landed just right, and we have two great games on Saturday, October 14th for attendees to enjoy. The Tigers take on the Midshipmen, and the Rebels will tangle with the Commodores. Should be fun!

Annual Trade Show This is really the place to make connections.

Already have the carriers you need? Great, but we all know how quickly that can change. Only work with a few brokers? That's okay, but there is probably a specialist out there that you're missing out on. Need more contact for agency technology, management systems, premium finance, restoration and more? This is the place for you.

We'll have over 80 exhibitors on hand, as well as our Business Connection Lounge and our Monday morning breakfast buffet (with Bloody Mary bar).

General Sessions The Convention General Sessions provide attendees with an opportunity to hear about what is going on in the industry, and what to watch for ahead. On Monday, our guest speaker Stuart Ganis will be providing some great info in his session, "Run Your Agency Like it's for Sale." On Tuesday, we'll hear about what the State and National Associations are working on for our industry.

This is Your Invitation

“T h i s i s t h e place for you.�

I hope you'll join me at this year's event, and you can register now or get more information at insurors.org. My wife Tonya and I will be there looking for new faces, but please introduce yourself if you see the opportunity.

After all, meeting people at the convention is one of the main reason I keep going back. u

John McInturff III, ARM The Tennessee Insuror

21

22

The Tennessee Insuror

From Your IIABA National Director Why do Your Clients Need an Independent Agent?

As we all know, insurance is a complicated subject. It's an agent's business to understand it, and communicate it to a client so that understand it as well. In almost all cases an ordinary consumer will benefit from having someone who deals with this subject for a living advise them on a 50+ page contract. If there are any hidden surprises, a licensed agent is the one equipped to know where they are.

Even consumers who understand insurance thoroughly can get tripped up. The industry is regulated on a state-by-state basis. Move from one state to another and you'll find that the coverages may look the same at first glance, but on closer examination things work a bit differently depending on where the risk is located.

And coverages don't just vary from state to state – they vary from company to company within the same state. Many companies use s "manuscript" policy forms. These forms don't necessarily use industry-standard wording and may contain altered provisions that materially affect an insured in some way. And this way may be unknown if they don't have an expert advisor who is already familiar with a particular policy's quirks.

The Power of Choice We need to help our current and potential clients understand that independent insurance agents are a one-stop-shop for all of their insurance needs. An independent insurance agent typically doesn't sell just auto insurance. They also sell homeowners, renters, health and life insurance, business insurance, etc. Clients can use them at no additional cost to yourself to handle all of your insurance in one place.

Independent Insurance Agents also have at their disposal the ability to quickly check prices and coverages with dozens if not hundreds of different insurance companies. Since rates vary widely an independent insurance agent can very likely get a potential insured a better deal than they can get on their own. And that includes the coverage itself, not just the price difference.

The Tennessee Insuror

Agents Provide More Than Just a Sale This brings us to another problem that customers face when they go direct. They have no licensed, regulated insured agent acting on their behalf. They are now taking full responsibility for their coverage decisions, and for any mistakes they may make. No more safety net.

Dealing with an independent insurance agent provides a client with certain services and protections that a direct-writer insurance company simply cannot provide.

Spread the Word of Independence Are we biased about independent insurance agents being the better path for consumers?

Sure we are! But the facts are there, and if you don't believe me, just ask product and service guide Consumer Reports, who recently recommended that consumers utilize a Trusted Choice agent in their article, "What You Don't Know About Homeowners Insurance Could Cost You." The article discussed 10 things that consumers don't typically know or understand about protecting their largest asset. This article is a must-read for all consumers that own a home and Consumer Reports is considered one of the most credible, non-biased consumer publications that exist today.

“Dealing w i t h a n independent insurance agent provides a client with certain services and protections...”

I would highly recommend that you view and share the article online now at http://www. consumerreports.org/homeowners-insurance/ what-you-dont-know-about-homeowners-insurance-could-cost-you/ Articles and information like this are critical as we fight for market share with the direct writers, captive agents and insurtech wannabes of the world. Let's band together as independent agents and helped spread the word of our competitive advantage (see our Trusted Choice ad from the Titans yearbook on the previous page).

And remember our brand's motto, Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents – Free to do what's right for you! u

Lou Moran III 23

Stepping Forward to Serve Clients MidSouth Mutual has provided quality Workers’ Compensation insurance and services to agents and their clients since 1995. Every step of the way, the company has moved forward to provide exceptional service and expanded coverage areas across the Southeast.

MidSouth Mutual provides strength, reliability and value to agents and their clients through quality products, forward-leaning loss control and superior claims services.

Examples of clients we serve include: HVAC Contractors Carpenters Building Suppliers Framers Dozing Services Dry Wallers Road Contractors Landscapers

Bricklayers Masonry Electricians Insulation Plumbers Cabinetry Painters Flooring

Contact Tom Perez at tom.perez@bwood.com or 615-379-8245 www.midsouthmutual.com

What’s New?

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Average annual growth in premium in excess of 25% per year for the past five.

Ongoing product and service enhancements to win renewals and keep a high retention ratio.

Broader appetite for select risks (including Total Insured Property Values as high as $50 million for certain industries and risks).

Our focus on being data-driven and using business intelligence to gain a competitive edge.

A superior combined ratio that (according to A.M. Best) outperforms our peers.

Our commitment to distribution through independent agents!

Higher A.M. Best financial size (i.e., “X”).

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24

The Tennessee Insuror

From Your CEO

Your Agency Can Win with the Titans

As football season gets underway we begin our affiliation with the Tennessee Titans though the Titans Radio Network for the 18th consecutive season! With the draft and scheduling adjustments the NFL does everything it can to assure that the games are extremely competitive.

Teams that are down go up and good teams turn into mediocre teams. Well, except for New England, they are an outlier.

After eight tough seasons, the Titans are poised for success and are predicted to continue improving to playoff status. That means all media listening and watching will continue to increase.

In that vein we have worked with Titans Radio to revamp our advertising strategy and create more opportunities for you to reach your community at an affordable cost – and with great return on investment. Nicely said – this is a good deal.

Since the program was created we have had three tiers of involvement. First and foremost, Insurors would run generic advertising during in-game advertising the premier spot with the most audience. The best example of this is our sponsorship of the coaches review. Each time the red flag is thrown by the head coach stopping play, Mike Keith does a “live read” suggesting that consumers have their insurance reviewed by a Trusted Choice Agent of the Insurors of Tennessee. This is the most coveted event in the game. Play is stopped and everybody is listening for the outcome. I know this is good spot, as I am continually asked by other advertisers and the team if I want to give it up. Mike only does insurance ads for this Association and the live read gives it added punch.

Thank you, Mike!

The second tier is insurance company involvement. We have continually sought out and partnered with carrier sponsors who usually advertise in the Pre- and Post- game time. These are "company" ads but they all mention a “partner” with the Insurors of Tennessee as tag at the end of the commercial. Some of the marketing is ads that reach to out to the public while others reach of to the company’s agencies by mentioning their names. Years ago this was a tremenThe Tennessee Insuror

dously difficult to achieve working with local stations and switching out agencies, name, ad copy, etc. Fortunately, the technology has improved making this model easier.

The third tier of our program is direct ads purchased by agents themselves by tying into the network via local stations. These stations have spots to run ads they have sold to local businesses. Mike Keith has helped by creating individual tapes (now emailed files) for member agencies.

These could even be used at other times out side of the games. For example, something like local high school games. However, the ad was done in Nashville and you made your own deal with the radio station. This was time consuming and confusing for many of our members, and also resulted in different levels of cost/value for our agencies.

We have been working for several months with Titans Radio towards a goal of improving our local member involvement by better use of technology. We can now run and manage your local ad from the Nashville parent radio signal and get it heard in your community for multiple times during the in-game broadcast of regular season games. Mike Keith can do the fifteen second ads for you. Your community will be impressed you have that much “pull” with the Titans.

“Nicely said – this is a g o o d d e a l .”

The downside of technology is that it costs money. No one agency would want to do this entire deal, but working together we can make it affordable. We have a firm date with the Titans Radio, and we need at least 18 agencies to commit by August 25th. That means money paid and short agreement signed. If we fail to reach that number, the deal cannot happen.

For participating agencies, we will also be holding a Suite Party during a regular season game.

Each participating agency will receive 2 tickets, pre-game field passes, and beverages. Participating in 2017 will give you priority to participate in 2018.

Please contact me if you would like more info, and help us field a winning team for this opportunity. I hope to hear from you, and go Titans! u

Chuck Bidek, CPCU 25

C AN ’ T H ANDLE THE HARD STUFF? L ET J IMCOR G IVE Y OU A H AND ! o

Nightclubs/Restaurants/Bars

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Environmental

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Monoline Liquor (Incl. AL)

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Professional Liability

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Vacant Property

o

Real Estate Schedules

o

Coastal Property

o

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Apartments/Motels

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Exporters/Importers/ Wholesalers

o

Tenant Dwellings (including large schedules) Manufactures/Distributors

o

Cyber Liability

*Admitted and Non-admitted

Taking care of your needs for 30 years!

Markets.

*Binding Authority and Brokerage Placements *Quick Turnaround and Personalized Service

Jimcor Agencies, Your MGA/Wholesaler of Choice!

Joe Geracie, CPCU, Regional Manager— 678-952-3023 ext. 1418 Jason Marshall, Underwriter— 678-952-3023 ext. 8001 Andrew Lanham, Underwriter— 678-952-3023 ext. 8002

Jimcor.com

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www.summitholdings.com Policies are underwritten by Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company and Bridgefield Employers Insurance Company, authorized insurers in AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and TX; BusinessFirst Insurance Company, authorized in FL, GA, KY, NC, SC and TN. ©2017 Summit Consulting LLC | 2310 Commerce Point Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801

26

The Tennessee Insuror

Education Calendar

2017 Continuing Education Chattanooga 4/4 CISR Agency Ops 10/5 CISR Commercial Casualty II

Memphis

Johnson City

3/1 CISR Commercial Casualty I

4/5 CISR Agency Ops 10/5 CISR Commercial Casualty II

3/15-17 CIC Commercial Multiline 6/14 CISR Personal Residential 11/8 CISR Personal Lines

The Insurors of Tennessee offers education opportunities to member agents across a wide range of insurance specialities that satisfy individuals at many different experience levels.

If you are looking to further your career, seeking a professional designation, or need to satisfy continuing education requirements, check out the variety of courses available.

Nashville

2/28 CISR Commercial Casualty I 5/3-5 CIC Commercial Property 6/13 CISR Personal Residential 7/20-21 CIC Ruble 9/13-15 CIC Commercial Casualty 10/1-3 CIC Company Operations

Knoxville 4/6 CISR Agency Ops 8/16-18 Agency Management

Registration is fast and easy at www.insurors.org. More information about each class can also be found online.

10/3 CISR Personal Auto

10/8 CISR Personal Lines

Paving The Way

CISR 10/3 10/4 10/5 11/7 11/8

Fee: $186

CE: 7

Personal Auto Exposures Personal Auto Exposures Personal Auto Exposures Personal Lines - Miscellaneous Personal Lines - Miscellaneous

CIC

Knoxville Johnson City Chattanooga Nashville Memphis

Fee: $430

9/26-29 Practice of Risk Management*

Fee: $424 (Ruble $430)

CE: 24 (Ruble 16)

Knoxville Nashville Nashville

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba. org. Advanced Curriculum Rating = 20 CPE Credits. For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaint and refund, please contact our offices at 800-633-2165.

ABEN Webcasts (insurors.aben.tv) Hot Topics in Personal Lines NFIP Basic Flood Insurance Course Professional Ethics in Insurance Double Trouble - COIs and Biz Auto E&O - Consideration of Agency Ops E&O - Claim 360° View Those Kids and Their Cars!

E&O - Understanding Agent Duties E&O - Agency/Carrier Relationships Insuring Condominiums Cyber Gaps - UASs and TNCs Home-Based Business Exposures E&O - Claim 360° View E&O - Roadmap to Policy Analysis

CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $72 CE: 3 $60 CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $48 CE: 3 $48 CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $48 CE: 3 $48 CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $72 CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $48 CE: 3 $72

Nashville

Specialty Seminars 12/4-5 Dynamics of Selling

8/16-18 Agency Management Institute 9/13-15 Commercial Casualty Institute 11/1-3 Company Operations

8/4 8/4 8/7 8/14 8/15 8/15 8/16 8/16 8/16 8/16 8/17 8/23 8/23 8/23

CRM

Fee: Varies

Nashville

Online Courses (www.iiaba.net/vu) Available from IIABA Virtual University. Member pricing shown.

Ethics for Insurance Professionals How to Calc. Business Income in 5 Min. National Flood Insurance Program New Employee Training Course

CE: 3 CE: 3 CE: 6 CE: 9

$75 $50 $80 $100

*check VU site for current information on CE and pricing

Available from The National Alliance

(www.scic.com)

Legal & Ethical Requirments of Insurance CE: 4 Insuring Flood Exposures - NFIP Review CE: 4 Available from The Institutes

$75 $75

(insurors.ceu.com)

Insurance Principles and Policies CE: 7 Long Term Care CE: 24 Workers’ Compensation CE: 10 Employee Benefits for Small Companies CE: 4 Healthcare Reform and Affordable Care CE: 5 e-Coverage CE: 15 Fundamentals of Personal Auto Insurance CE: 3 Management Process for Ins. Professionals CE: 21 Intro to Flexible Spending Accounts CE: 4 Terrorism and Its Impact on Insurance CE: 4 Toxic Mold and Homeowners Insurance CE: 15 Understanding the Industry of Insurance CE: 5

$49 $99 $59 $39 $49 $79 $29 $89 $39 $39 $79 $39

Register Online at www.insurors.org

Indicates course is presented by The National Alliance. Register for these courses at www.thenationalalliance.com The Tennessee Insuror

27

INSURORS MEMBERS: THE PRODUCT VAULT IS OPEN

28

The Tennessee Insuror

MEMBER RESOURCES

BANKING

ERRORS & OMISSIONS COVERAGE

ESIGNATURE Big “I ”

MARKETS

EXCESS & SURPLUS LINES

FLOOD INSURANCE

PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICIES

PREMIUM FINANCE

STAFFING

WEBSITE DESIGN and ONLINE MARKETING

LICENSING AND TAX COMPLIANCE ...AND MUCH MORE GET MORE INFO AT INSURORS.ORG

You have goals.

Nationwide® has independent solutions to help you meet them.

Whether you’re looking to build, grow or sell your agency, Nationwide offers you choice when it comes to independent solutions and partnership opportunities.

Let’s start a conversation about your independent opportunities with Nationwide.

Dan Schilling Phone: (423)827-2060 d.schilling@nationwide.com

Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, Nationwide is On Your Side, and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2015 Nationwide NPO-0627AO (08/15)

30

The Tennessee Insuror

Government and Legal Affairs Tennessee Court Opinions That May Affect Your Clients

sures him of recovery when the other person does not have insurance.

Throughout the year Tennessee courts issue opinions that affect insurance agents. Below are three cases that have come out in the past year that may be relevant to your business.

The Court looked at Enterprise’s Certificate of self-insurance and found that Enterprise is self-insured against risks to which it could be held liable, not risks to which renters could be held liable. Therefore, the Court held that the rental car was an uninsured vehicle under the policy and the Plaintiff’s UM/UIM policy covered the injury.

Written by Ashley Gold, J.D., Insurors General Counsel

Tennessee Supreme Court Rental Car Case This case arose from an incident where a rental car driver intentionally hit another person causing bodily injury. The driver was intoxicated and was asked to leave the bar by Plaintiff. The plaintiff followed the driver out to the parking lot at which time the driver drove his Rental Car into Plaintiff injuring his knee.

Because the injury was intentional, the driver’s auto insurer denied the claim. The rental car company, Enterprise, was dismissed from the lawsuit, leaving only the Plaintiff’s auto insurer (IDS) through the uninsured motorist coverage policy.

The question before the court was whether the Rental Car qualified as an “uninsured motor vehicle” under the UM/UIM policy. IDS argued that the Rental Car was not an uninsured motor vehicle because Enterprise maintains a Certificate of Self-insurance with the state of Tennessee pursuant to the Financial Responsibility law. The UM/UIM policy specifically excludes vehicles owned or operated by a self-insurer.

The Court analyzed the term “self-insurer” since that term is not defined in the policy, and further looked at the language “any applicable motor vehicle law” and held that the self-insured provision of the policy is ambiguous. The Court held that the intent of the UM Act is to provide protection by making the carrier stand as the insurer of the uninsured motorist, in other words, the UM insurance does not actually insure the uninsured motorist, but it insured the insured driver and as-

The Tennessee Insuror

Tennessee Court of Appeals Uninsured Motorist Policy and Regular Use The plaintiff was involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist. He brought suit against his uninsured motorist carrier seeking coverage under his policy. The issue in this case arose because the plaintiff was driving a vehicle not listed on his policy but available for his regular use by his employer.

The UM/UIM policy clearly excluded any private passenger car not owned by the insured but available for regular use.

The Court acknowledged that Tennessee’s UM statutes are intended for the narrow purpose of covering the vehicle, not the individual driver. Additionally, there have been several cases over the last few years upholding this narrow policy.

With this background, the Court held that the plaintiff driver could not recover under his UM/UIM policy for a car not owned by him but regularly driven by him.

Life Insurance Claim In this case the decedent had a life insurance policy in which she divided the proceeds equally between her husband and her sister. After her death a dispute arose regarding her intentions in leaving half of her insurance proceeds to her sister.

The proof at trial seemed to show that her intention was for her sister to use the proceeds for the support and benefit of decedent’s son.

The court restated Tennessee law that it is only to look at the

31

four corners of the document when interpreting an insurance policy because “a party’s intent is irrelevant when the language of the policy is clear and unambiguous.” Prior Court decisions in Tennessee have held that beneficiary designations control who receives life insurance proceeds, and that even language in a will not deprive a named beneficiary of their rights to policy proceeds.

The court did acknowledge that a contract or court order could operate to establish that an individual has a vested interest in life insurance proceeds which would negate a beneficiary designation, however this was not the issue in the present case. Ultimately the court held that the sister had the right to the proceeds left to her under the terms of the life insurance policy to spend as she sees fit.

This case ultimately illustrates that the intentions of a life insurance policyholder should be determined and addressed appropriately to ensure that the policyholder’s wishes are met.

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About the Author Ashley Gold has served as the General Counsel of Insurors of Tennessee since 2007, and previously consulted for the Association on legal and government affairs matters. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and her Juris Doctor from Samford University. u

Visit the E&O Risk Management website at www.independentagent.com/eohappens

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The Tennessee Insuror

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33

Brighton – the South & Western mascot

Threadgill Named CSR of the Year Janet Threadgill, CIC, NcAM, NcIA, of Carnal Roberts Agency, Inc., in Lexington was named 2017 National Alliance Outstanding Customer Service Representative of the Year for Tennessee. Janet grew up in Lexington and has worked at the agency since graduating high school in 1977.

In her 40 years in the insurance industry, Janet has served in various roles, starting with Personal Lines and then moving into Commercial Lines. She is also in charge of keeping the agency up to date on technology. She attained her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 2012, the NetVu Certified Account Manager Certification (NcAM) in 2012, NetVu Educators Guild in 2014 and NetVu Certification of Insurance Accounting (NcIA) in 2015.

On the importance of earning her CIC designation, Janet says that, "I wanted to earn my CIC as a way to get my continuing education credits each year and to keep up to date of changes

in coverages each year. I feel the knowledge that I gain each year with my updates help me to stay on top of the problems and coverages my insureds need."

Janet was also awarded as the 2016 SecureRisk Agency Employee of the Year in March of 2017. She continues her education by serving on work groups for the agency's management system. When asked about being a CSR in today's industry, Janet says that, "In today’s insurance industry being a CSR means you must get to know your customer and meet their needs in a professional and friendly manner. You must always be able to answer their questions or know where to the find the answers."

Janet and her husband Steve have one son, Robert, and both father and son are auto mechanics. They spend a lot of time at large family gatherings, including spending Sunday lunches at Janet's parents' house. She also volunteers in her community for the Beech Lake Bikefest Committee which raises money for the Carl Perkins Center for Child Abuse.

She will now be placed in the competition for the National Outstanding Customer Service Representative of the Year. u

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The Tennessee Insuror

Association Update

Insurors Bulletin Named "Newsletter of the Year" by TNSAE The Insurors of Tennessee Bulletin was recently named as the Excellence Award winner for 2016 in the category of Newsletter by the Tennessee Society of Association Executives. The award is given to the association newsletter that has shown excellence in design, readership, content and technology.

Howell Promoted to SVP at Reliance Partners Reliance Partners, a leading commercial insurance agency has promoted Laura Ann Howell to the position of Senior Vice President. Prior to the promotion, Laura Ann began her career with Reliance Partners in 2015 as Vice President, overseeing HR and Finance.

She previously served as Vice President for Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods where she founded a trucking company and freight brokerage. Laura Ann is a graduate of the Risk Management & Insurance Program of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.

Moran Named to Big "I" Government Affairs Committee Former Insurors President and current IIABA National Director Lou Moran III, of Inter-Agency Insurance Services in Knoxville, has been named to the Government Affairs Committee. His term will commence on September 1st, and is an annual appointment. The Board of Trustees helps determine fundraising goals and reviews certain allocations for our national political action committee. Moran just completed a term of service on the Big "I" InsurPac National Board of Trustees.

Big "I" Announces Symington as Senior VP; Brandt as New Trusted Choice Exec. Director The Big "I" has announced that Charles E. Symington Jr. will now serve as the association’s senior vice president for external, industry and government affairs. In addition, Trusted Choice®, the consumer branding program for the Big “I”, has promoted Kevin Brandt as its next executive director. Dave The Tennessee Insuror

Evans had previously served in the role since 2006 and with the association since 1998.

Symington joined the Big “I” team in 2004 as vice president of federal government affairs and has risen through the ranks.

In addition to his new duties, he oversees federal and state government affairs, political affairs, grassroots, public relations and communications for the association.

Brandt joined the Big “I” team in 2003 as a software developer and has risen through the ranks. Since 2007, he has run the Trusted Choice® day-to-day business as director of operations. He previously worked for a think tank, World Webmasters, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Brandt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. He also holds a graduate certificate in eMarketing from the University of Virginia.

Morrison & Fuson Purchased by Morrisons Three members of the Fuson family have acquired the remaining ownership share of the Morrison & Fuson insurance agency in Dickson. Marshall, Tommy and Stephanie Fuson purchased the portion owned by Will Morrison, who will retire after 40 years of service to the agency.

The agency has been in constant operation since 1908, and is likely the oldest active business in Dickson County. The Fuson family has been involved in the agency through five generations.

McDaniel-Whitley Celebrates Ten Years McDaniel-Whitley Bonds & Insurance in Memphis recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of their agency. The agency was founded in 2007 and specializes in placing surety bonds and insurance for general contractors, trade contractors, high-hazard construction, and heavy/civil construction.

TIS Voted as a "Top Workplace" in East TN TIS Insurance Services, Inc. in Knoxville was recently voted a s a "Top Workplace in East Tennessee" for 2017 by the Knoxville News Sentinel. The award was based on scoring from surveys of employees completed by the Workplace Dynamics firm. u 35

“Exclusive member agencies, collaborating to bring the best insurance solutions to their clients.�

The Allison Insurance Group - Jackson Bagley & Bagley Insurance - Fayetteville Boyle Insurance Agency, Inc. - Memphis Burke, Powers & Harty - Bristol Carnal-Roberts Agency, Inc. - Lexington Cate-Russell Insurance, Inc. - Maryville Frank E. Neal & Company, Inc. - Nashville Goss Insurance - Hixson Inter-Agency Insurance Services - Knoxville

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Martin & Zerfoss, Inc. - Nashville McInturff, Milligan & Brooks - Greeneville Miller | Loughry | Beach Insurance Services - Murfreesboro Ownby Insurance Service, Inc. - Sevierville Smith-Berclair Insurance, Inc. - Memphis S.N. Anthony, Inc. - Ripley Tigrett & Pennington Inc. - Dyersburg V.R. Williams & Company - Winchester Watauga Insurance, Inc. - Johnson City

Get more information now at www.securerisk.com

The Tennessee Insuror

Program Spotlight

KnK Compliance Services, LLC Are you aware of the many requirements necessary for a non-resident license?

It’s not just as simple as completing an application and paying a fee, although most states will lead you to believe this is the case. Do you have time to research whether a registered agent is required, whether you must file with the Secretary of State, or whether you need to file with the Department of Revenue?

According to the NAIC’s 2016 Insurance Department Resources Report (June 2017) non-resident producers consisted of nearly 5.8 million individuals and 407,774 entities. Meanwhile, 7,735 fines were levied against insurance producers, 30,980 licenses were suspended and 1,572 licenses were revoked. These fines totaled $15,339,321. Were you one of the unlucky ones? Did you get fined, or worse, have a license suspended or revoked?

Just ten years ago, the number of nonresident producers consisted of 3 million individuals and 217,000 entities. That’s 93% and 88% growth respectively – in just 10 years. Think about how many non-resident licenses you had 10 years ago compared to how many you have today. To compete in today’s market, you need to be able to write business outside of your home state. Do you have the time to put the license puzzle together?

KnK Compliance Services, LLC was born to fill the void in the licensing process. KnK's team has over 17 years of experience with this puzzle; and has been doing the research and talking to insurance departments, Secretary of State Offices and Departments of Revenue. They have done the homework to prevent you from being one of the unlucky ones. They can help you determine the REAL cost of a nonresident license.

KnK is here to help agents put the The Tennessee Insuror

pieces of the licensing puzzle together.

Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they need these services until there is already a problem. Don’t be one of the unfortunate ones, contact KnK today!

You can continue completing applications and paying fees, but what happens if a state’s interest in you is sparked? Are you prepared for a license audit? Have you done all of your SOS filings? Do you know when and where to file Annual Reports? Allow KnK to perform an audit of all your current licenses.

Tennessee Contacts Kimberly Snavely President 615.375.7419 kimberly@knkcompliance.com Kirk Snavely 615.375.7419 kirk@knkcompliance.com

The KnK Process KnK will go through a rigorous process to make sure your agency is in full compliance: Audit – Provide information about your licenses and KnK will conduct a thorough audit of your license catalog.

A report of your current standing in each state will be provided along with any recommendation for correction of discrepancies.

Corrections – KnK will act to correct any deficiencies noted in the audit.

Contract – For full-time coverage, sign an annual contract and KnK will monitor and maintain all of your license needs including renewals, annual reports and any additional state requirements.

An Endorsed Partner KnK is happy to be an Insurors endorsed partner. Insurors members are eligible for an exclusive discount on services.

More Time, Less Stress with KnK – more time to do what you do best, generating revenue. No need to stress over licensing issues, KnK will complete the license puzzle for you! Call 615.375.7419 or visit knkcompliance.com today. u

About KnK Compliance KnK Compliance Services, LLC, is your one stop shop for all your Licensing and Surplus Line Compliance needs. More time, less stress with KnK. All you need to do is sign the required documents and pay the required fees. KnK will do the rest and send everything to you.

Services include: • • • • • •

Resident and Non-resident Licensing Renewal Compliance Compliance Alerts Tracking CE status SOS Filings Tax Filings on Surplus Lines

KnK President and CEO, Kimberly Snavely, has spent the last 16 years performing these duties for a regional broker. When she realized there were many brokers and agents out there without access to these services, KnK was born.

KnK Compliance is an endorsed partner of Insurors of Tennessee and is also a member of the Securities & Insurance Licensing Association and the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals.

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Your insights

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Our

strengths and expertise

= Top-class

protection around the world

Your attorney clients know their firm inside and out. You know your markets and your competitors. At Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, we have the capabilities and the financial strength to meet the risk needs of insureds for Lawyer’s Professional Liability. Whether the risk is basic or complex, we believe there’s only one way to arrive at the right solution. And that’s to work together and combine your experience with our expertise and your strengths with our skills. Long-term relationships bring long-term benefits.

We’re smarter together.

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is proud to be the exclusively endorsed Lawyer’s Professional Liability provider for the Insurors of Tennessee. For more information or to access the program, please visit www.bigimarkets.com and select the Lawyers Professional Liability Program.

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Insurors of Tennessee Ph 1 800 264 1898 E info@insurors.org

The Tennessee Insuror

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation, Overland Park, Kansas, United States, a member of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.

Company Spotlight Markel Specialty Markel Specialty underwrites innovative insurance solutions for both commercial customers (such as camps, schools, s ocial seivice agencies and business owners) and individuals.

Types of insurance offered include workers' compensation, property & casualty, accident, programs featuring industry or risk-specific coverage packages and personal lines. Most business is written by retail agents, agents specializing in particular product lines, program administrators, MGAs/MGUs and affinity groups who endorse or promote Markel Specialty products.

Markel Specialty is connected to the industries and customers they insure. With their resources and years of experience, they are able to provide customers with the coverage options, claims handling, underwriting knowledge and distribution necessary to meet their unique needs.

Many of Markel Specialty's associates have a passion for the risks they insure, whether it be horses, motorcycles, fine art collections, sports teams and leagues, boats, volunteer organizations, camps, martial arts studios and dance

Specialty commercial insurance

markelinsurance.com

schools – to name a few. Many of their underwriting teams have specialized in specific business segments for over 20 years, including senior living and child care centers.

Markel's talented client service and risk management teams are experts who have accumulated industry-leading insights over the years.

Markel Specialty feels that their people make the difference.

They are dedicated to delivering customer service in extraordinary and memorable ways that sets them apart from the competition. Their products are constantly reviewed and refined to make certain they are meeting the distinct needs of the marketplace.

Markel Specialty is one of Markel Corporation’s four insurance divisions, which are rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best with a stable overall financial outlook.

For more information, please contact Matt Valentine, Tennessee Sales Manager, at 615.967.5515 or mvalentine@ markelcorp.com. u

Markel Specialty Commercial provides property, general liability, auto, umbrella, workers compensation, and specialty coverages for a variety of markets, including: • Boys and Girls Clubs • Businessowners policy • Camp • Cheerleading • Child care - commercial • Dance studio • Gymnastics • Health clubs • Human services • Lawn care • Martial arts • Museums • Pest control • Schools • Youth recreation

Learn more For more information contact:

Matt Valentine Tennessee Sales Manager mvalentine@markelcorp.com 615-967-5515

Coverage availability varies by state.

Insuring America’s Small Business Markel Specialty Commercial’s insurance products and services are offered through Markel Specialty, a business division of Markel Service Incorporated.

Policies are written by one or more Markel insurance companies. Terms and conditions for rate and coverage may vary.

The Tennessee Insuror

39

Independence can’t happen alone Independence means freedom, but it also means responsibility. It is about staying true to the commitments you’ve made - to your clients, your colleagues, your community, and your family.

Keystone connects you to a community of like-minded independent agencies. Our mission remains unchanged: to provide access to the expertise, resources, and relationships that sustain independent insurance agencies over the long haul.

Keystone. Independence works better together.

Contact Michele Bicknell for more information: 570.473.2148 mbicknell@keystoneinsgrp.com keystoneinsgrp.com

©2016 Keystone Insurers Group ®. All rights reserved. This does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise in any state in which the Keystone Insurers Group franchise is not registered.

40

The Tennessee Insuror

Company Briefs Nancy Gardner Retires; Chubb Promotes Rees Chubb has recently announced that after 18 years in Chubb’s Personal Risk Services Group, including 15 years as Personal Lines Manager for the Nashville branch, Nancy Gardner retired on July 1, 2017. Nancy was a strong ambassador for Chubb, expanding their reach, relationships and good will.

We wish her all the best in her retirement – she deserves it!

Chubb also announced that Kristen Rees will be replacing Nancy as Nashville Personal Lines Manager. Kristen brings over 16 years of high net worth insurance experience to this position, most recently as Business Development Manager for the Chicago branch. She has extensive experience in underwriting and distribution, and held key positions in both areas at ACE and Chubb. Her unique skill set and knowledge of the Masterpiece, Bankers Standard and ORCA systems and business practices will enable her to bring value to agency partners and clients.

Forbes Honors The Hanover as a Top Employer The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. recently announced that it

was named to Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers" for 2017, placing it among other highly reputable companies across the U.S. This is the third consecutive year the company was named to the list.

Forbes partnered with Statista.com to conduct an independent survey of 30,000 U.S. workers employed by companies with more than 1,000 employees. To create the list of top midsize companies, survey participants were asked a variety of questions, including being asked to rate the likelihood they would recommend their employer to potential employees.

With more than 40 offices around the country and five international offices, The Hanover is committed to delivering exceptional insurance solutions to its agent partners and customers, and superior returns to its shareholders.

Main Street America Promotes Gaynor to CUO The Main Street America Group has announced the promotion of Dan Gaynor to senior vice president, chief underwriting officer. In this newly established role, Gaynor, who has been the super-regional property/casualty insurance com-

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The Tennessee Insuror

pany’s vice president of commercial lines since 2011, will now oversee commercial lines and personal lines.

His responsibilities will include premium growth and profitability for the two product lines, as well as development, management and administration of these functional units and oversight of their respective underwriting operations and policy processing systems. Gaynor will continue to report to Jeff Kusch, Main Street America’s executive vice president, insurance operations, and remain based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida.

J.M. Wilson Acquires Klinger Associates J.M. Wilson’s brokerage business continues to grow with the acquisition of assets from Klinger Associates Inc, an Indianapolis based wholesale broker. The acquisition will allow J.M. Wilson to increase its brokerage business.

The J.M. Wilson brokerage department has the expertise to focus on writing this type of business and looks forward to servicing the acquired accounts. Taking pride in quick response time and knowledge; the brokerage department has over 50 combined years of experience. The acquisition was made effective on May 26th.

Safeway Introducing New Auto Policy in TN Safeway Insurance Company, which has been insuring Tennessee drivers since 2011, has announced a new Personal Automobile Policy to the Tennessee marketplace, effective August 1, 2017.

The new product will transfer Comprehensive, Collision, Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverages to non-owned, temporary substitute and rental vehicles utilized by their Tennessee policyholders (subject to normal policy exclusions as well as policyholder application information).

“This product redesign, coupled with our regionalized underwriters, claims staff, and our easy to use web-based agent and customer service (www.mysafeway.com) platform, has Safeway in our best position since entry into the Tennessee marketplace to be on a level playing field with our competition,” advised Trey Chapman, General Manager of MS/TN Operations.

Safeway Insurance is looking for new partners in the Tennessee marketplace. Please contact either Trey Chapman at 601.936.2177 or Tennessee Marketing Representative Mike Noble at 615.584.8400 for more details.

FFVA Mutual Adds Lehnen as Underwriting AVP Florida-based regional insurance carrier FFVA Mutual has The Tennessee Insuror

hired Bob Lehnen as Assistant Vice President, Underwriting.

In the newly created executive role, Lehnen will direct and manage the underwriting team and oversee agency partner relations.

Lehnen’s experience includes more than 25 years of commercial multi-line underwriting. Prior to joining FFVA Mutual, Lehnen served in leadership and management roles with established regional insurance carriers, where he was responsible for multi-million dollar regions.

Ryan Specialty Group Purchases N-Surance Ryan Specialty Group, LLC, announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire N-Surance Outlets (NSO), a wholesale insurance brokerage and binding authority operation headquartered in Roswell, Georgia. NSO will become part of R-T Specialty, LLC (RT Specialty), the wholesale brokerage unit of Ryan Specialty Group (RSG), and will enhance RT Specialty’s Atlanta office while remaining at the current Roswell location.

N-Surance Outlets specializes in commercial P&C, transportation, and garage risks and was founded in 1985 by Gregory K. Murrey. Over these 30+ years, NSO has consistently focused on these lines of business and currently services over 1,000 agents in the Southeast. Jason Murrey, President of NSO, and his team will continue to service and expand their client base.

ACUITY Adds Jaberg to Board of Directors

Bend, Wisconsin.

Steven J. Jaberg has been named to Acuity’s Board of Directors. Steve retired as CEO of the Benevolent Corporation Cedar Community after serving in that position for 25 years and working in the organization for 32 years. Cedar Community is a large not-for-profit retirement and healthcare community headquartered in West

Steve is a Wisconsin native, having graduated from Sheboygan North High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

SIS Launches New Partner XE Client Portal Independent insurance agency management system provider and partner Strategic Insurance Software (SIS) has released a new extension to the Partner XE system: the Partner XE Client Portal. This latest addition to the robust Partner XE management system syncs the user’s website with the system, providing insured access to policy information online. Agency customers can view and print policy summaries, driver’s lists, 43

auto ID cards, and certificates of insurance instantly. Agencies will receive real-time email notifications of customer activity and can view reports directly in the Partner XE system.

The Client Portal was released alongside a Partner XE Update.

Update elements included a new commercial lines proposal module, ability to attach documents to certificate templates, and a new unbilled policy report and ACORD form updates.

Erie Promotes Cook to SVP of Personal Lines Erie Insurance has announced the appointment of Cody Cook as senior vice president, Personal Products. Cook started with ERIE in 2003 in the Actuarial Division, where he spent seven years before being promoted to supervisor of the Pricing and Modeling Section in 2009. For the past seven years, he has served as the private passenger auto vice president and product manager.

Cook helped develop ERIE Rate Lock® and also reshaped

7.5X4.625 ERIE's private passenger auto policy in 2014 to provide insurance for ridesharing drivers. Program ad General JGS Umbrella

AAMGA and NAPSLO Merge to Form WSIA Members of the AAMGA and NAPSLO, with an overwhelm-

ingly affirmative vote, approved a merger to create the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA), effective August 1, 2017. WSIA is a new, world-class member services organization that will serve the entirety of the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry.

WSIA has been developed, through the thoughtful and diligent work of the Merger Committee, as the only association of insurance professionals dedicated specifically to the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry.

In the coming months, the programming and brand strengths of both legacy organizations will evolve into WSIA.

QBE Partners with Arrowhead General QBE North America, an operating division of global insurer QBE Insurance Group Limited, and Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc. recently announced that Arrowhead will become program administrator for QBE North America's small commercial insurance portfolio, consisting of property and casualty business accounts under $100,000 in premium.

Effective since July 1st, this agreement sets the stage for profitable growth by creating an industry-leading small commercial property and casualty program that combines the strengths of both companies. As a result of this alliance, agents will have access to a broader array of products and services through an easy-to-use operating platform for the small commercial market. u

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The Tennessee Insuror

FROM THE DELTA TO THE SMOKIES WE’RE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY’S BEST.

Construction • Education • Financial Institutions • Healthcare • Manufacturing Professional Services • Real Estate • Retail • Technology • Wholesale Distribution

CNA is proud to support Tennessee’s independent agents and brokers with customized coverages, local industry knowledge and the strength and stability of an “A” rating by A.M. Best. When you’re looking for a carrier with a broad industry appetite, who understands your commitment to business success … we can show you more.® Learn more about our coverages and services today.

Contact our local Nashville Branch at 615-886-3300, or visit www.cna.com.

CNA is a service mark registered by CNA Financial Corporation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. CNA Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the “CNA” service mark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities. Copyright © 2016 CNA. All rights reserved.

The Tennessee Insuror

45

The Scary Truth... continued from page 12 Even if they are a good CSR this “love them and leave them” job history could indicate they are not the sticking kind.

How to Find a CSR that Sticks 1) Find your next CSR by referral.

Instead of another newspaper want ad or association job postings consider first asking your current employees if they can refer a good quality CSR candidate from their circle of influence.

If you are hell-bent on getting the experienced CSR this option can provide some peace of mind that your employee won’t knowingly recommend a dud. The best practice here however is to have your employee make the contact to the potential candidate.

The world of insurance is small and poaching a good CSR from a competing agency can definitely cause friction, so here’s the other suggestion: 2) Seek a candidate based on personality not experience.

Have a super friendly and efficient barista in your local coffee shop? Could they be trained to be the next awesome CSR in your office? By placing the net farther afield and also choosing based on the person’s attitude you may be able to recruit a CSR that stays.

Part of what insurance agencies are trying to master is improving the customer experience. What if you could find a CSR from a different background where they already have training in providing noteworthy service? If someone can learn how to make a chai latte half-caf extra whip, then they can learn what options are available on an auto policy.

Reason #2: We're Asking Potential New CSR Candidates the Wrong Questions How to Ask Better Knockout Questions In order to make sure we’re weeding through the work ethics of the candidates and making sure we hire someone willing to show up regularly, without drama, there are some basic questions we are overlooking. However, we all know there are certain questions we are not allowed to ask so we sometimes avoid asking good preliminary questions. We may also be asking questions related to skills and not personality.

Do you need a CSR that is willing to cross-sell a current client on other lines of business or do you need a CSR that can work directly with a producer that serves detailed commercial accounts? Although it sounds like I’m describing skill sets these are actually more dependent on personality types. Asking deeper questions to get deeper answers may be necessary.

1) Know what you legally can and can't ask.

Make sure you avoid the questions that will land you in legal 46

trouble but make sure you can tell a real candidate from a fake one. To get the scoop on this I enlisted the help of my trusted advisor in the hiring realm, Stacey Lorber, Human Resource Manager of Catawba Staffing in Marion, NC. Catawba Staffing specializes in helping organizations find temporary and permanent hires so Stacey has seen her share of winner and losers. The guidelines she provided said to avoid include: • • • • •

All mentions of age, including questions related to graduation.

No questions regarding marital or family status are allowed.

Do not ask about disabilities or illnesses.

Do not ask about religion.

Do not ask about nation of origin.

You can ask if an 8:30 am workday start is doable if that’s your office procedure and if any obligations prevent the candidate from working overtime or travel (such as to conferences or continuing education classes if that is expected). Consider referring to your state and the federal guidelines for more specifics.

Effective CSR Candidate Qualifying Questions Here’s her top 3 ways to determine if a job seeker is serious: 1) Ask what the quickest way to contact them is – email, cell phone – call or text. It’s a bad sign if they hesitate to give alternate methods of contact.

2) Ask them to walk you through their last 5 years of work history so you can clarify any gaps in work history.

3) Ask if they have anything scheduled in the next ninety days that would affect work? She said they may volunteer information about upcoming doctor appointments, court appearances, or other details that you should probably know.

2) Personality Assessments Work If you really want to make sure the candidate has the right personality for the job opening consider giving them a personality assessment like Caliper or Omnia. These evaluations are not inexpensive but you have the ability to be very specific about the person you are looking to hire.

In my almost a decade as a personal lines team leader I found the tests were more accurate than we liked. On several occasions we hired individuals who we had good gut feelings about that didn’t pan out and almost all of the issues were evident on the personality assessment. Instead of trusting the tool, we chose to ignore the warnings or felt they were surmountable. The initial expense of the assessments for one or two possible hires is small compared to the time and effort to train someone for the wrong seat on the bus.

Even if you don’t utilize personality assessments we can be The Tennessee Insuror

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47

asking better, open-ended questions during the interview process:

and even less consideration is often given for conduct during that time. It’s fair to be firm on this.

• • •

2) On-Boarding is Key Have a real on-boarding process that provides a reasonable training schedule and resources for the new hire. Gather all the information that is needed on a daily basis in a notebook or put in computer desktop home screen. Cheat sheets are a great way to help them navigate the overall agency. Who can they refer a personal lines client who wants a quote on life insurance or a commercial business owner who is buying a new home and is not a current personal client? Making sure they know who all the players are and face to face introductions if possible.

•

Ask how they deal with conflict.

Ask what they think excellent customer service looks like.

Ask them to solve a problem (real or fake) and see how they respond.

Have them describe an experience where they made a wrong decision and what they did to correct it.

Ask more questions about the work they’ll be doing and really listen to their answers. Also pay attention to the questions they ask about the job. If they aren’t asking very much it may be a sign of lack of interest or it could be they don’t know enough about the job to ask.

Which brings me to my final point on what is going wrong with new hires.

Reason #3: We Aren't Providing Clear Expectations and Have Weak On-boarding Processes If the new hire is packing their desk early on then it could be the position wasn’t what they expected. Are we detailing the pace and environment of our agency? Are we clear about how much authority or supervision the position will entail? Are we sugar-coating any realities of the position in hopes to lure the best candidate into joining the team? Are we omitting these details in the hiring process?

In addition to murkiest expectations, the biggest complaint I have heard amongst CSRs in my years of managing and consulting is lack of training. The on-boarding process is more than just signing all the benefits paperwork and watching tutorials on your agency management system. It is giving adequate time for a new hire to understand your agency’s procedures and learn how to navigate daily tasks.

Setting Expectations for Your New CSR 1) Discuss expectations of the position during the hiring process.

Prior to the final offer of employment go over a “roles and responsibilities” checklist. This checklist should be part of what all the CSRs live and die by each day.

Current CSRs can help shape the list and management should be in agreement on what constitutes grounds for dismissal based on the checklist. Making sure both present and future staff is clear on these expectations helps minimize confusion or let down in a new hire. The other part of this pre-hire process should be reviewing the employee manual unless there are details in it that are proprietary knowledge.

Lorber says that all of her candidates understand attendance and tardiness policies of the job openings they are being interviewed for prior to hiring.

For most jobs the first 90 days are considered probationary 48

Since most insurance agencies lack a separate human resource department they also lack a full time trainer. Take advantage of your company market reps and hook the new hire up with training from the carriers (Ryan Hanley suggests Travelers New Producer School). Utilize your state associations and connect the employee to appropriate classes.

I am not suggesting you send someone new off to start designation classes right away but do let them know what the long term training looks like as well. Being an independent insurance agent means learning so many different websites and internet resources beyond just the agency management system. Even the most tech savvy new hire will need adequate time to learn where to go for the information to get the job done daily.

Making the management system the least daunting thing to learn is important since it is the glue that everything else sticks. If the AMS vendor offers individual training it could be well worth the additional cost to make sure your employee gets it directly and ironically they may end up training current employees tricks that they never knew or shortcuts that have developed since you first got your system.

The Rub The reality is that finding a CSR that sticks is a commitment beyond ramping up your hiring and onboarding process. It means continually looking for new talent. Even if you have an incredible agency to work for there will always be CSRs who retire, move away or change careers.

The point is to know the solutions that will help you be ready not just dread it.

About the Author Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR has been a been a CSR, a team leader, a producer, a consultant and trainer over the course of her career in insurance. She now specializes in farm and small business insurance for Morrow Insurance Agency in Marion, North Carolina. Connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/ in/tracylcotton/. u The Tennessee Insuror

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The Tennessee Insuror

Meetings

The Sun is Setting; Almost Time for Fall Meetings Insurors Trucking Insurance Seminars 8/22-24 Insurors of Tennessee will host three trucking and transportation insurance seminars and luncheons on August 22-24 in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. The featured speaker will be Acuity Insurance trucking guru Cliff Johnson, who will present on market changes and risk management issues that are of concern to the present and future of the trucking and transportation marketplace. The seminars are $25 for Insurors members and include lunch.

For more information, or to register online now, please visit www.insurors.org/IOT/Events/Event_List/IOT/Events/ IOTEvents_List.aspx

Big "I" Leadership Conference September 6-10 The Big "I" Fall Leadership Conference has been set for September 6-10 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The event will feature the annual Education Convocation, the Young Agents Leadership Insititute and the annual meeting of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT).

Get more information or register now at http://www. independentagent.com/Events/Pages/default.aspx

Insurors 124th Annual Convention 10/14-17 The Insurors of Tennessee 124th Annual Convention will take place on October 14-17 at The Peabody, one of the South's most beautiful and historic hotels. We return the event to downtown Memphis for the first time since 2009, and there is a lot in store for you! The event will feature a great lineup of speakers, entertainment, outings and functions at some of the great venues in the Bluff City.

We'll have over 80 exhibitors on hand, a general session from agency consulting expert Stuart Ganis, an update from Big "I" Executive Committee member Jon Jensen, our annual golf tournament at Mirimichi, clay shooting at the Memphis Sport Shooting Association, a jewelry valuation and collection insurance seminar at Old Dominick Distillery, special guests and more.

Get more information, see the full schedule or register now at www.insurors.org/IOT/Convention/IOT_Convention_Home. aspx u The Tennessee Insuror

Could your agency weather a data security breach?

A full 80 percent of businesses that experience one don’t.1 The right insurance can keep your agency from becoming part of this startling statistic.

Data breaches are common among smaller businesses, and responding to a breach is both costly and complex.

You are obligated to protect the data you collect, and package policies are often not enough.

Make sure your agency has the right coverage in place to protect you and your insureds.

Contact your Insurors E&O Specialist, Stephen Holmes, CIC, CISR, for information on Data Breach coverage.

1. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Chronology of Data Breaches

Stephen Holmes, CIC, CISR sholmes@insurors.org 615.515.2609

51

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Member Tips

Managing Multigenerational Teams written by Big "I" Partner Caliper According to Fortune, more than 13 million workers will be 65 or older by 2022. That’s up 7.3 million from today, when already, more than one-third of the U.S. workforce is made up of baby boomers. What does the ongoing presence of retirement-age workers mean for intergenerational teams in the workplace?

This dynamic can either cause conflict or lead to cooperation, collaboration and a more balanced team. For leaders, the differences intergenerational teams bring to the workplace can be an asset in creating a varied idea exchange, as well as a source of innovation.

CBS Money Watch recently quoted a blog post from career management blog Careerealism: “By having a multigenerational workforce, blind spots can be avoided to a large degree. A clear example is the issue of technology. The young bulls want to have technology, technology, and more technology. The older bulls can put a quash on making the company technology-based for technology's sake. This vital tension means that essential technology will be implemented, but non-essential technology will not—at least ideally.

Also, younger workers are more likely to take risks that can benefit the company if there is a safety net of older workers.

Conversely, older workers can fall behind the times and be beat by competitors if they don't keep up. A multi-generational workforce lets each generation do what they do best, without a fear that something will be missed. This leads to greater creativity and a better flow of ideas within the company.”

This vital tension creates an opportunity for team members of all ages to share their own unique perspectives, approach each problem differently and offer solutions that may have not been considered before. Understanding each person’s personality creates a gateway into their work style and problem-solving methods. A focus on individual values and personality, as opposed to generalizations about groups, is the foundation for unleashing the power of diversity in the workplace.

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CONTACT Stephen Holmes sholmes@insurors.org 615.515.2609

This type of discussion facilitates team development.

Development is ongoing – it should begin with the current team or at hire and continue throughout the company – and it can be customized and tied directly to company goals and objectives, both for revenue growth and employee retention.

The implications are endless, but one thing is certain: No matter the company or the industry, in cases where employees are working in multigenerational teams, it’s imperative to implement team development programs. u

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Phone

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Page

ACUITY (920) 458 - 9131 www.acuity.com 47 Amerisafe (800) 897 - 9719 www.amerisafe.com 42 AmTrust North America (877) 528 - 7878 www.amtrustnorthamerica.com 49 Applied Underwriters (877) 234 - 4450 www.auw.com/us 2 Arlington/Roe (800) 878 - 9891 www.arlingtonroe.com 9 Bailey Special Risks, Inc. (800) 768 - 7475 www.bsrins.com 16 Beazley Cyber Liability (615) 515 - 2609 www.insurors.org 51 Berkley Southeast Insurance Group (615) 932 - 5508 www.berkleysig.com 19, 20 Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Cos. (800) 673 - 2465 x4567 www.guard.com/apply 24 Builders Mutual (800) 809 - 4859 www.buildersmutual.com 32 Burns & Wilcox (800) 341 - 4844 www.burnsandwilcox.com 13 CNA Insurance (800) 251 - 5852 www.cna.com 45 Consumers Insurance/Motorists (615) 896 - 6133 www.ciusa.com 52 EMC Insurance (800) 239 -2005 www.emcins.com 17 FCCI Insurance Group (800) 226 - 3224 www.fcci-group.com 5 Harford Mutual (800) 638 - 3669 www.harfordmutual.com 50 INSBANK (866) 866 - 4268 www.insbanktn.com 11 Insuror Services, LLC (800) 264 -1898 www.insurors.org 28-29 Jimcor Agencies (678) 952 - 3023 x1418 www.jimcor.com 26 J.M. Wilson (800) 595 - 0063 www.jmwilson.com 42 Keystone Insurers Group (800) 416 - 5498 www.keystoneinsgrp.com 40 KNK Complaince Services (615) 375 - 7419 www.knkcompliance.com 34 Markel Specialty (615) 967 - 5515 www.markelcorp.com 39 MidSouth Mutual Insurance Company (615) 379 - 8245 www.midsouthmutual.com 24 The National Alliance for Ins. Ed. & Research (800) 633 - 2165 www.scic.com 55 National Security Group (800) 239 - 2358 x213 www.nationalsecuritygroup.com 41 Nationwide Insurance (423) 927 -2060 www.nationwide.com 30 Penn National Insurance (800) 395 - 0518 www.pennnationalinsurance.com 56 Preferred Property Programs (888) 549 - 2465 www.umbrellaprogram.com 44 RLI PUP (615) 515 - 2609 www.insurors.org 53 Securerisk (770) 723 - 8096 www.securerisk.com 36 South & Western (800) 492 - 5351 www.southandwestern.com 33 Summit Holdings (800) 971 - 2667 www.summitholdings.com 26 Swiss Re Lawyer's Professional Liability (630) 213 - 9952 www.bigimarkets.com 38 Titan Web Marketing Solutions (615) 890 - 3600 www.titanwms.com 15 Trusted Choice (703) 706 - 5414 www.trustedchoice.com 22

register now at iiaba.net

REGISTER NOW OR GET MORE INFO AT INSURORS.ORG

T H E N A T I O NA L A L L I A N C E I N FO M A P

Map your career track and customize your learning experience by selecting the designations and course offerings that fit your needs.

Rubles CIC

2

CISR Introductory Series

3

4

T H E NA T I O NA L A LLI A NC E I NF O MA P

Map your career track and customize your learning experience by selecting the designations and course offerings that fit your needs.

Rubles CIC

CISR Introductory Series

Dynamic Series

CRM

WTH Seminars

CSRM CPRM

The Introductory Series is a good choice for those interested in finding out more about the industry and industry fundamentals.

The Dynamics Series, offers career-changing sales training. Providing a variety of pertinent topics, the William T. Hold Seminars are invaluable for expanding your insurance knowledge. The Dynamics Series can be used to meet update requirements across the designations. WTH Seminars satisfy update requirements for CISRs and CSRMs.

1

The Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation provides quality insurance education geared toward customer service representatives, account executives, servicing agents, new producers, and other professionals.

The Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) designation fills a need for quality risk management education for those associated with schools.

The Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) provides an in-depth, practical approach to education for agents and other insurance practitioners. The Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation is recognized as being the foremost education available in the field of risk management. The Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) designation yields the best training for meeting the needs of an affluent clientele.

The James K. Ruble Seminars are advanced programs that offer a variety of specialty topics. CICs, CRMs, and CPRMs can meet their annual updates with a Ruble seminar.

2

Dynamic Series

CRM

WTH Seminars

3

1 CSRM

2 The Introductory Series is a good choice for those interested in finding out more about the industry and industry fundamentals.

The Dynamics Series, offers career-changing sales training. Providing a variety of pertinent topics, the William T. Hold Seminars are invaluable for expanding your insurance knowledge. The Dynamics Series can be used to meet update requirements across the designations. WTH Seminars satisfy update requirements for CISRs and CSRMs.

The Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation provides quality insurance education geared toward customer service representatives, account executives, servicing agents, new producers, and other professionals.

The Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) designation fills a need for quality risk management education for those associated with schools.

CPRM

3 The Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) provides an in-depth, practical approach to education for agents and other insurance practitioners. The Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation is recognized as being the foremost education available in the field of risk management. The Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) designation yields the best training for meeting the needs of an affluent clientele.

The James K. Ruble Seminars are advanced programs that offer a variety of specialty topics. CICs, CRMs, and CPRMs can meet their annual updates with a Ruble seminar.

2

VISIT SCIC.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION OR INSURORS.ORG TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES NOW

2500 21st Avenue South Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212

We answer to main street, not Wall Street.

We answer to main street, not Wall Street.

As a mutual company, we are owned by our policyholders. We focus our

time, attention, and resources on delivering superior financial strength and

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For more information about our products, please contact one of our territory managers at 615-889-2740.

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stability, a comprehensive product portfolio, and most of all, on doing

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what’s right for policyholders. To us, policyholders are much more than As a mutual company, And we are ownedofbythat, our all policyholders.

We decisions focus our insurance consumers. because of our business

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We answer to main street, not Wall Street. time,made attention, resources on delivering superior financial strength and are with aand policyholder-first focus. stability, a comprehensive product portfolio, and most of all, on doing what’s right for policyholders. To us, policyholders are much more than

insurance consumers. And because of that, all of our business decisions are made with a policyholder-first focus.

Bob Reeder ext 7545 For more information about our products, please contact one of our territory managers at 615-889-2740.

www.PennNationalInsurance.com Brent Potts ext 7514 Jane Kinard ext 7518