Nov/Dec Suffolk Big Eye

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SUFFOLK Big Eye INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY

Upcoming Events - Register Now! Special Sales Seminar 1-22-13 Pg 6 Capitol Day 1/29/13 Pg 22 Downstate Legislative Forum 2/6/13 Pg 9

SUCCESS Laura Senn,CIC

How do you spell success? IIABSC, that’s how. The roundtable meeting on September 19th in Riverhead was that and more.

We had 33 attendees and everyone was involved. The roundtable format was a great way to get everyone engaged in conversation. The sponsors were informative, enlightening and sensitive to the agents needs

We discussed everything from Business Continuity to Restoration to Satellite Connections and it was apparent that Disaster Preparedness is not a subject on everyone’s agenda, but it is a subject that is critical to our business needs as an independent agent and the needs of our commercial clients.

If you were not able to attend this discussion, please reach out to any of the board members for more information.

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Privacy breach response costs, customer notification expenses, customer support and credit monitoring expenses. Included are all reasonable legal, public relations, advertising, IT forensic, call center, credit monitoring and postage expenses incurred by the Insured for privacy breach response.

Coverage for all reasonable and necessary sums required to recover and/or replace data that is compromised, damaged, lost, erased or corrupted. Coverage also includes business interruption and extra expense coverage for income loss as a result of total or partial interruption of an insured’s computer system.

Extortion expenses and extortion monies as a direct result of a cyber extortion threat.

On certain classes of business, coverage can be combined with the professional liability insurance.

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Contact NIF Pro today to learn more about our services Deborah Dioguardi ddioguardi@nifgroup.com 1(800) 892-8892

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ROUNDTABLE MEETING

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Silicon Valley Products, Corp.

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IIABSC MEETING NOTICE Along with friends, associates and members of CPCU-LI Chapter and Women’s Insurance Network of LI (WINLI)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 TRIFECTA of SALES THE SALES PROCESS + COVERAGE KNOWLEDGE + ACCOUNT ROUNDING =

RETENTION Our experienced panel of professionals will share their ‘know-how’ with the audience.

Feel free to participate in the discussion.

Don’t miss this fast paced up-to-the-minute program! Bring your staff.

Place:

Courtyard by Marriott 5000 Express Drive South, Ronkonkoma (Exit #60 of the Long Island Expressway)

Time:

6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Cost:

$53.00 pp – IIABSC, WINLI & CPCU members. $58.00 pp – All other guests. ALL ARE INVITED.

Cocktail reception Dinner and program

Reservations must be in by January 18th Pre-registration required - An additional $5.00 per person will be added for walk ins.

Program Questions? Contact Pat Calvert at 516-621-2209.

Reservation Questions? Contact Jeanne Abatelli 516-681-6265 – injeanious1@mac.com

REGISTER ON-LINE AT www.suffolkagents.com select this event under the “Meeting & Events” tab OR Complete and mail the form below with your check. Attach additional names on a separate sheet of paper.

Reservation for 1/22/13 Name: ______________________________________________________Tel: ________________________________ Agency/Co,____________________________________________ E-Mail: ___________________________________ Enclosed is my check in the amount of $____________ payable to IIABSC. Return this form with a check payable to “IIABSC” to: Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Drive Hickville, NY 11801

5 Ways to Put Customers First

Try experimenting with the following creative ways for putting your customers in the limelight.

1. Thank them exponentially. Davidson’s acknowledgment of customers via social media serves a variety of purposes. “Customers love it when you turn the tables and put the spotlight on them, and it really is a win-win for everyone,” she says. “You get to thank them for their patronage, and they receive exposure for their business.”

In order to be able to spread the word about the services customers offer, take the time to talk with clients and learn about their lives, advises Davidson.

“Chit-chat reveals a great deal about people,” she says. “Taking a few moments to talk gives you key information, such as if a person owns a photography studio or sells insurance, or if the customer is a collector of your merchandise.”

2. Throw a party. Just about everyone loves a reason to celebrate, and McCarthy capitalizes on that fact by throwing an “introduction” party for new clients.

“In areas where I’ve sold several homes, I’ve thrown parties for people who are new to a neighborhood,” she says. “I’ll invite their neighbors, whom I’ve sold to in the past, as well as local business professionals like dentists and doctors who could potentially get business from the introductions,” she says.

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5 Ways to Put Customers First con’t “Everyone has a great time, and a variety of connections are inevitably made.”

3. Create a customer “wall of fame.” A wall of fame that contains photos of customers puts the spotlight on them and serves as a visual reminder to all who enter your office of how much you value your clients. Make the presentation appealing by putting each photo in matching frames and devoting a wall to the display. For those individuals who prefer not to be photographed, have a plaque engraved with their name. A virtual wall of fame on your website can also work well.

4. Write about your customers. Spotlight your best customers by interviewing them and including the articles in a company newsletter. Take the opportunity to ask what they think about your services, as well as information about themselves, such as their hobbies and careers and if they own their own businesses. Most people enjoy reading about themselves and are bound to pass the article on to everyone they know, which is great advertising for you.

5. Create a company video. Video content is a rapidly growing segment of online media. Take advantage of this technology and film your own video that includes information on your company, some of which can be told through your best customers. Flatter those clients by featuring them in the video and ask them to share anecdotes about your business that illustrate why they’ve remained loyal customers.

For the small-business owner, celebrating customers is an enjoyable task that leads to happy clients and increased business at any time of year.

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Register Now! The 2013 Legislative Forum will be held on

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Hear our experts discuss the latest hot topics and legislative strategies that will affect YOU and your business this year.

Moderator: Stephen Acunto, Editor & Publisher of

: Insurance Advocate.

DE rs U L e C g g N I ri Panelists: Tom Faist Esq. CIBGNY lobbyist ILL ind T W W S Matthew Guilbault, Esq, PIANY Director of ge ized PIC han c TO ndard x Government & Industry Affairs.

E a Law h Ins. ✴ St r o Jill Muratori, IIABNY lobbyist t b l ✴ La He a S Y Bring your staff and your questions to ✴N

Place:

Chateau Briand, 440 Old Country Road, Carle Place.

Get directions on www.chateaubriandcaterers.com or call 516-334-6125

Time:

4:00 Check in; 4:30 Program; 6:00 Cocktails & Buffet Dinner

Cost:

$65.00 pp *All Member Associations & Insurance Company Personnel $95.00 pp All other guests Advance registration required…….Add $10.pp for ‘walk-in’ registration.

Sponsored by the DOWNSTATE INSURANCE ASSOCIATIONS’ COUNCIL Downstate Member Associations Include: *CIBGNY; CPCU-LI; IIAB Suffolk; QCIP; TriCounty IIAA & WINLI Register On-Line at www.tricountyagents.com or www.suffolkagents.com Use a credit card or check – or complete and return the following form before JANUARY 30 Program Questions? Contact Pat Calvert 516-621-2209 or calvertpc@aol.com Registration Questions? Contact Jeanne Abatelli 516-681-6265 or Injeanious1@mac.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Reservation for 2/6/13 Please make check payable to Name(s) ___________________________________________ DOWNSTATE and mail this form With your check to: Agency/Co._____________________________________________ Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Dr Hicksville, NY 11801

Tel: ______________Email _______________________________ I am a member of _________________________________group

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State Regulators Extend Cancellation Moratorium to Jan. 16

IIABNY learned late last week that the New York State Department of Financial Services will extend the moratorium on cancelling, terminating or nonrenewing certain insurance policies until at least Jan. 16.

Under the order, insurance companies are prohibited from cancelling, nonrenewing or otherwise terminating most personal and commercial insurance policies before that date. The prohibition applies to policies covering risks located or headquartered in the five boroughs of New York City and the two counties of Long Island.

This is the third time that the department has extended the moratorium it imposed in the days after Superstorm Sandy caused extensive loss of life and property damage on Oct. 29. The original moratorium became effective on Oct. 26 for 30 days and applied to New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties.

The department ordered a 21-day extension effective Nov. 25 for risks in all of these areas, and ordered another 21-day extension effective Dec. 16 for all areas other than Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties.

IIABNY has been told that this will be the final extension of the moratorium for most areas, but that it is possible that a further extension may be made for risks on Staten Island.

Visit the Storm Resources page on the IIABNY website and the Storm Sandy Information page on the department's website for more information on the storm recovery efforts.

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Annual Holiday Party is a Great Success

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Suffolk County, Inc. celebrated the season with it’s annual holiday party. More than 90 IIABSC members and guests attended the event, which took place at Villa Lombardi’s, Holbrook, New York. The night was filled with great drinks, food, friends and music.

Each year the association partners with the US Marine Corps in their annual toy drive, where they provide millions of toys to under privileged children. This year we were able to collect quite a few unwrapped toys as well as collect donations for the program.

The objectives of Toys for Tots is to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

The evening was honored with the attendance of 4 Marines who collected the toys brought by many of our attendees. We look forward to partnering with this wonderful program again next year!

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Annual Holiday Party Villa Lombardi, Holbrook NY November 29, 2012

David Borg with Tom Crowley, IIABNY Chair of the Board.

David Borg and Don Hester flank our guests from the U.S. Marine Corps. (l-r) Corporal Louis Columbia, Sgt. Michael Umbreit, Staff Sgt Gilbert Nevarez, Corporal Ray Zakralban.

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(Standing l-r) Roy vollmer, Lorraine Cickoff, Sean Bickoff, Alex Borg, Michele Guida and Janice Goody. (seated) Russ Vollmer David M. Borg, David H. Borg and Idrise Grill.

David Borg with the group from Merchants Insurance; Eric Feit, Cindy Davis, Heather Jensen and Matt Francisco, with agents Mary and Scott Lobel.

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(Standing) Dennis Lombardi of Total Restoration (l) and the group from Gundermann and Gundermann, Bruce Hurley and (seated l-r) Kathy Reiter, Joe Gundermann, LuAnn Schook and Tom Gundermann

John Reiersen of Kingstone Insurance Co. sits between agents Scott Lobel and Chris Allenger.

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Sean Metzger and George Puglisi of North Sea Insurance flank Jen DeCristofaro and Steve Shapiro of Lancer Insurance Co.

Steve Rivers (l) with the folks from Interboro AutoOne Insurance Co. Ed Reilly, Linda Fazzio, Peter Resnick and Nelson Gochez.

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Steve Visco, president of TriCounty IIAA, presented a TriCounty door prize to Michael Koch, standing with David Borg.

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Front Row (left to right)Jim Mueller, B.J. Casal, Andy Meehan, Tom Weigand, Chris Vandewater, Nina Kerner, Bill Albanese.

Back row (left to right)Tony Salvaggio and John Sakitis

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the Sponsors

Holiday Party Dinner Sponsors Interboro AutoOne Insurance Lancer Insurance Company Kingstone Insurance Company Merchants Insurance Group SERVPRO of Port Jefferson Total Restoration Inc. Tower Group Companies/Adirondack Insurance Utica National Insurance Group

Please remember these companies support our association, please help support them whenever possible!

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Andy Meehan, CPCU receiving the prestigious Camilla G. Belser Memorial Insurance Company Person of the Year Award from David Borg.

Nina Kerner, standing between Andy Meehan and David Borg, won $365 from the 50/50 that evening.

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THE INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY, INC. Is Proud To Present

The Camilla G. Belser Memorial INSURANCE COMPANY PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD To

ANDY MEEHAN, CPCU RESIDENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT UTICA NATIONAL INSURANCE GROUP

For Dedication And Commitment To The Association And Our Big “I” Members And For Furthering The Cause Of The American Agency System.

November 29, 2012

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Board of Directors VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

SECRETARY

JOANNE BENTIVEGNA,

PAULETTE KATZ, CIC

JOHN V. STYPE, CIC

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT EARL EATON

CIC, CRM

Directors DAVID H. BORG, CISR dhborg@borgborg.com

ERIC KEIFFERT, CPCU ekeiffert@hometowninsurance.com

RICHARD DE LA SOTA, CPCU rdelasota@mrwgroup.com

MICHAEL J. ROMEO LL, CIC mjromeo@industrialcoverage.com

JOHN J. GLENNON john@glennoninsurance.com

LAURA SENN, CIC laura.senn@peoples.com

JOSEPH A. GUNDERMANN, AAI jgundermann@gundermann.com

AARON STEIN, CPCU, CFP aaron@nortonsiegel.com

Publication Staff EDITOR: Don Hester PRODUCER: Aaron Stein NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: Aaron Stein, Joanne Bentivegna, David H. Borg, Pat Calvert Eric Keiffert and Jeanne Abatelli.

AD SALES/SPONSORSHIPS: Jeanne Abatelli - info@suffolkagents.com

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JANUARY 29, 2013 ALBANY, NEW YORK Empire State Plaza 8:00 am

Registration Open

10:45 am

Individual Appointments with Legislators

11:00 - 1:00 pm

Lunch You are welcome to individually invite your Legislators to join you

Hotel Albany 1:00 pm

Registration Continued

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Return to Hotel

2:30 - 3:30 pm

“Living the Dream on the Balance Beam of Life”

3:30 - 4:30 pm

Company Meet & Greet

4:30 - 5:00 pm

20 Tips in 20 Minutes

5:00 - 6:00 pm

Panel Discussion: Health Insurance Exchange

6:00 - 7:00 pm

Cocktail & Hors D’oeuvres Reception

7:00 - 11:00 pm

Dinner, Awards, Entertainment

You might just call it “Super Tuesday” for independent agents & brokers.

Register now at www.iiabny.org

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Top 5 Reasons to Attend IIABNY's Capitol Day With a tip of the proverbial cap to David Letterman, here are the top five reasons why you should attend IIABNY’s Capitol Day on Jan. 29: 5. The meet-and-greet with representatives of the carriers. It’s your opportunity to speak with them in a relaxed setting.

4. Aubie Knight’s presentation on work-life balance. If you feel like you have tilted to far one way or the other, this presentation is for you.

3. The panel discussion on New York’s health insurance exchange. Get ready for the biggest change to New York’s insurance industry in years.

2. The dinner and awards ceremony. Celebrate your peers’ achievements and have a good time!

1. The chance to speak one-on-one with state lawmakers. It’s said that decisions are made by those who show up. It’s equally true that decisions are influenced by those who show up. You can be sure that the insurance industry’s opponents will show up when it’s their time to meet with legislators. Also, it’s your chance to make a fresh start with some newly elected legislators.

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RLI Home Business Insurance

Nearly 45 Million People Work From Their Home

Many homeowners policies exclude business-related practices and those that do offer coverage may provide very limited coverage options.

IIABNY Offers Members a Solution For Their Clients

RLI’s Home Business Insurance Policy offers an excellent coverage solution and recommending it limits your E&O exposure. Affordable premiums (starting at $154) combined with a stand alone policy make it ideal for many retail & service businesses operated out of the home. t t t t t t t

10% commission on new & renewal business RLI has an “A+” (Superior) rating by A.M. Best Broad coverage with off premises theft included General liability coverage up to $1 million Loss of business income protection up to 12 months available Provides coverage for temporarily off premises with certain guidelines No minimum volume requirements, no access fees

For more information on how you can offer this coverage to your clients, contact IAAC, Inc. (IIABNY’s Membership Services Division) by e-mailing Deb Reitz at dreitz@iiabny.org or call 800-962-7950, ext. 225.

RLI Stand Alone Personal Umbrella is here to help!

Have any of your personal lines carriers nonrenewed personal umbrella policies in the last year if they do not write BOTH the underlying homeowners and personal auto policies?

Don’t open yourself up to an E&O claim or worse yet, leave your clients with a coverage gap...protect yourself and your clients with an RLI Stand-Alone Personal Umbrella.

UM/UIM Coverage Available No minimum volume requirements No access fees 10% commission on new and renewal (8% commission for PUP Special) Provides up to $5 million of coverage Does not require or desire underlying policies RLI is admitted and A.M. Best “A+” rated For more information on this program, please visit www.iiabny.org or contact Lexie Dumont 800-962-7950, ext. 248 ldumont@iiabny.org Denise Brown-Carter 800-962-7950, ext 246 dcarter@iiabny.org

www.iiabny.org

Unexpected Busy Week on the Legislative Front - December 19, 2012

Although the State Legislature is not in session until January, there has been significant legislative activity this week here in Albany. Gov. Andrew Cuomo took action on a few noteworthy bills this week, vetoing one and signing a few others. IIABNY also attended a hearing held this week by the Assembly Insurance Committee on the topic of the availability and affordability of long term care insurance.

Here’s a recap of some of the more noteworthy insurance bills passed by both houses. A full recap will be provided next week in the final Capitol Report of the session.

SUM Limits/DME No-Fault Fraud

The governor vetoed A.10784, which would have required all auto policies to have supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage unless the policyholder rejected the coverage. SUM coverage would have been in the same amount as the BI limits on the policy, unless the insured rejected coverage or selected lower limits. The rejection of coverage would have been memorialized through a signed writing, audio recording, electronic signature or any other means evidencing the insured’s rejection of coverage. The SUM bill was introduced at the request of the state Trial Lawyers Association shortly before the end of session in June, and IIABNY participated in discussions regarding the bill. In recent weeks, there had been discussions about chapter amendments that would have prevented a veto, but a final agreement could not be reached.

In his veto memo, Gov. Cuomo stated that he would not add to the financial burdens already faced by New York’s consumers by requiring consumers to pay for SUM coverage unless they affirmatively opted out of such coverage. The governor stated that consumers should be free to choose

the level of SUM coverage appropriate for them. His veto memo also provides that the state Department of Financial Services will be exploring ways to increase consumer education on the benefits of SUM coverage to enable consumers to make a more informed choice about whether to purchase the coverage. IIABNY will continue its involvement on this issue as there will likely be continuing discussions as the new legislative session starts.

In addition to providing for SUM coverage, the bill had also included a component to address no-fault auto insurance fraud. It would have prohibited providers of durable medical equipment engaging in fraudulent practices from seeking no-fault payments.

SUM Coverage for Fire, Ambulance

The governor did sign one SUM bill. A.10090B provides that an insurance policy that includes SUM coverage that names a volunteer fire department or ambulance service as a named insured shall be deemed to provide the maximum SUM coverage available under that particular policy to any individual who is a member of such volunteer fire department or ambulance service, regardless of whether the individual is an additional named insured under that policy, or is a named insured, or is covered under any other policy providing SUM coverage.

The bill was introduced to address a problem created by several court decisions in New York that held when a "named insured" is an entity such as a volunteer fire department, the individual officers, directors, employees or volunteers will not be covered as "named insureds" even when they were injured within the scope of their duties for the insured entity.

While these individuals might still be covered if they were "occupying" a covered vehicle, the definition of "named insured" as interpreted by the courts created a gap in coverage for volunteer firefighters and ambulance crews injured by uninsured or underinsured vehicles in the scope of their duties for the "named insured" entity while outside of a covered vehicle.

Cuomo’s approval memo notes there are certain technical deficiencies in the bill that would need to be addressed in the next legislative session.

Unclaimed Life Insurance

Unexpected Busy Week on the Legislative Front - December 19, 2012 con’t

The governor also signed into law A.9845, which requires life insurers to complete regular matching of their in-force and lapsed life insurance policies and accounts against the U.S. Social Security Administration Death Master File of potentially deceased individuals and to make a good faith attempt to locate missing beneficiaries for unclaimed life insurance benefits that are positively determined as a result of that search. The new law is similar to rules adopted by the Department of Financial Services earlier this year as a result of an investigation that found many life insurers had not paid benefits that were due to deceased policyholders.

In his approval memo, Gov. Cuomo states that he is concerned that the bill needs further amendments to ensure it solves the problem. The approval memo lists six different amendments that must be made to the legislation as a condition to him approving the bill.

Notice of Claim Against Governmental Entities

The governor signed S.7641-B, which changes the notice of claim rules against public entities to make them more uniform. Â Assembly Insurance Committee Hearing

IIABNY attended a public hearing held this week by the Assembly Insurance Committee concerning the affordability and availability of long term care insurance in New York. The committee heard testimony from representatives of the Department of Financial Services, Life Insurance Council of New York and National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors NY. All of those testifying agreed there were not many long term care policies being sold in New York State for various reasons, including their high cost. One report found that in the last 10 years the number of insurers selling long term care had decreased from about 100 to 12. Many companies that originally entered the market found the product to be unprofitable and

are now only servicing their existing books of business.

Several reasons were noted for the policies’ high cost, including the everincreasing price of health care. While most agreed long term care policies are certainly beneficial, it was agreed that not all segments of society could afford to purchase them, and little could be done to make the policies more affordable.

IIABNY will keep members updated on any further developments that may arise as a result of these discussions.

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The Next Big Social Networking Tool

Just when you think you might have your social media under control a new social networking tool is added to the list. SlideShare.

SlideShare is the world's largest community for sharing presentations.

With 60 million monthly visitors and 130 million page views, it is among the most visited 200 websites in the world. Besides presentations, SlideShare also supports documents, PDFs, videos and webinars.

SlideShare features a vibrant professional and educational community that regularly comments, favorites and downloads content.

SlideShare content spreads virally through blogs and social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Individuals & organizations upload documents to SlideShare to share ideas, conduct research, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses. Anyone can view presentations & documents on topics that interest them, download them and reuse or remix for their own work.

SlideShare was amongst the World's Top 10 tools for education & elearning.

Some things that you can do on SlideShare •Upload presentations publicly or privately •Download presentations on any topic and reuse or remix

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•Embed on blogs, websites, company intranets •Share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn •Zipcast: free, no download, 1 click web meetings •Leadshare: generate business leads with your presentations, documents, pdfs, videos •Slidecast: sync mp3 audio with slides to create a webinar •Embed YouTube videos inside SlideShare presentations •Use SlideShare PRO for premium features like branded channels, analytics, ad free pages etc

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For more information or to sign up visit http://www.slideshare.net.

IIABNY Warns Superstorm Sandy Victims Against Scam-Artist Contractors, Price Gougers

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York today cautioned consumers in the areas affected by Superstorm Sandy to protect themselves against possible scams and price-gouging practices run by a few unscrupulous home improvement contractors.

“The overwhelming majority of home improvement contractors are good, honest businesspeople who do the job they promise and charge a fair price,” said IIABNY Chair of the Board Thomas J. Crowley. “Unfortunately, after events such as Sandy, there are always some contractors who are not from the local area and who try to take unfair advantage of people desperate to get their lives back on track.”

New York’s oldest insurance producer trade association advised consumers to be wary of contractors who: •Claim that they have been “approved” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”). FEMA has no process for approving or disapproving contractors.

•Insist that the homeowner pay for the work in cash and before the work begins. Municipalities and counties that require licensing of home improvement contractors typically do not permit licensed contractors to require this.

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IIABNY Warns Superstorm Sandy Victims Against Scam-Artist Contractors, Price Gougers con’t •Do not itemize the price of construction materials in the work estimate. While some increase in the price of construction supplies is normal following a severe weather event due to increased demand, a licensed contractor must show the cost of supplies as separate items on the estimate so the consumer can evaluate the fairness of the charge.

IIABNY suggests that consumers take the following steps to ensure that they are doing business with reputable contractors: •Hire only contractors who have the appropriate licenses and who carry business liability and workers’ compensation insurance.

Home improvement contractors operating in New York City and Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties must be licensed, either by the county or by the town where the work is being done. Ask for a certificate of insurance, which identifies the contractor’s insurance company, shows the amount of insurance the contractor is carrying, and states when the policy is due to expire.

•If possible, obtain estimates from at least two contractors.

Contractors will be in high demand for some time after the storm, so it may be difficult to get multiple estimates, but IIABNY encourages consumers to comparison shop.

•Give first preference to local contractors. They make their living in the area and need to maintain good reputations.

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IIABNY Warns Superstorm Sandy Victims Against Scam-Artist Contractors, Price Gougers con’t

Residents can obtain information about licensed and unlicensed contractors from the following Web site: •New York City Department of Consumer Affairs http:// www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/licenses/license_check.shtml •Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs http:// www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/OCA/index.html •Putnam County Consumer Affairs, Home Improvement Board http://www.putnamcountyny.com/index.php/consumer-affairs/ home-improvement-board/ •Rockland County Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures http://rocklandgov.com/departments/consumer-protectionweights-and-measures/licensed-businesses/ •Suffolk County Consumer Affairs, Licensing Bureau http:// www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/ConsumerAffairs/ Bureaus/LicensingBureau.aspx •Westchester County Consumer Department http:// consumer.westchestergov.com/find-a-licensed-contractor

Unscrupulous contractors may try to engage in price-gouging, which New York law defines as selling goods or services for an unconscionably excessive price during an abnormal disruption of the market. IIABNY encourages all consumers to report apparent price-gouging to the office of the

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IIABNY Warns Superstorm Sandy Victims Against Scam-Artist Contractors, Price Gougers con’t New York State Attorney General by calling 800-771-7755 or online at http://www.ag.ny.gov/hurricane-sandy-price-gouging-complaint-form.

IABNY also reminds consumers who find that their insurance does not cover all of their financial losses that government assistance may be available.

They can get more information and apply for assistance by visiting http:// www.disasterassistance.gov.

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc. has represented the common business interests of independent insurance professionals since 1882. More than 1,750 agencies and their 13,000 plus employees currently rely on the DeWitt, New York-based not-for-profit trade association for legislative advocacy, continuing education and other means of industry support. In addition, most IIABNY members proudly identify themselves as Trusted ChoiceÂŽ agents and brokers, a national consumer brand uniting more than 21,000 independent agencies across the United States. For more information, go to www.trustedchoice.com or www.iiabny.org.

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Take Care When Hiring A Home Improvement Contractor When choosing a contractor to repair the storm damage to your home, avoid contractors who: •

Claim that they have been “approved” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”). FEMA does not approve or disapprove contractors.

•

Insist that you pay for the work in cash and in advance. Municipalities and counties prohibit licensed contractors from doing this.

•

Do not itemize the price of construction materials in the work estimate. While price increases for construction supplies after a major storm are normal, extreme price hikes are illegal.

•

A licensed contractor must separately list supply costs so you can tell whether the charge is fair.

To make sure that you’re working with a reputable contractor: •Hire only contractors who have the appropriate licenses. Home improvement contractors operating in New York City and Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties must be licensed by the county or by the town where the work is being done.

•Hire only contractors who carry business liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance, which lists the contractor’s insurance company, the amount of insurance the contractor is carrying, and when the policy is due to expire.

•Although contractors will be in high demand for some time after the storm, try to obtain estimates from at least two contractors. It always pays to comparison shop.

•Hire LOCAL contractors. They make their living in the area and have reputations to protect.

To report possible price-gouging, contact the New York State Attorney General:

To locate licensed contractors in your area, visit

Phone: 800-771-7755 Online: www.ag.ny.gov/ hurricane-sandy-price-gougingcomplaint-form

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www.libi.org

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www.nari.org

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New York City Department of Consumer Affairs www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/licenses/license_check.shtml

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Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/OCA/index.html

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Putnam County Consumer Affairs, Home Improvement Board www.putnamcountyny.com/index.php/consumer-affairs/home-improvement-board/

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Rockland County Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures http://rocklandgov.com/departments/consumer-protection-weights-and-measures/licensed-businesses/

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Suffolk County Consumer Affairs, Licensing Bureau www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/ConsumerAffairs/Bureaus/LicensingBureau.aspx

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Westchester County Consumer Department http://consumer.westchestergov.com/find-a-licensed-contractor

For information on available government assistance, visit www.disasterassistance.gov Prepared by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc.

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View Your IIABNY CE History On Our Website www.iiabny.org

t Print (or Reprint) Your CE Certificates t See Course Approval Numbers t CE Credits Earned t Dates of Classes Taken t Individual & Company Reports All available through “My IIABNY�

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Big “I” Classes IIABNY SEMINAR CALENDAR – First part of 2013 held in Suffolk, Nassau, Queens and NYC.

The following seminars will be held at Belfor Restoration in Ronkonkoma, NY unless noted otherwise.

3/12/13 5/21/13 6/12/13

Hacked? You Can’t Hide Now……………………….….(1/2 day-am) E&O LIVE ………………………Hauppauge Hyatt… (half day-am) E&O Video ……………………….…Location TBA …(half day-am)

The following seminars will be held at Four Points Sheraton in Plainview(Pl) or LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Garden City (GC).

1/25/13 2/06/13 2/19/13 2/26/13 3/05/13 3/13/13 3/19/13 3/19/13 3/28/13 4/02/13 4/11/13 4/26/13 5/16/13 6/04/13 6/12/13 6/18/13

NYAIP Producer Procedures……................................Pl (1/2 day-am) E&O Basics (ACSR Mod 4)…………………………...Pl (full day) Navigating Commercial Prpt Minefield………….…..Pl (full day) Commercial Liability Ins. (ACSR Mod 7)……………Pl (full day) Agency Mge Tools & Processes AAI-83-Seg C Pl (full day) Hacked? You Can’t Hide Now……………………….GC (1/2 day-am) New ISO Homeowners policy…………………………Pl (1/2 day-am) Digging Deep for Personal Lines Answers…………...Pl (1/2 day-pm) Personal Auto (ACSR Mod 2)…………………………Pl (full day) Insurance Production Environment (AAI-83-Seg B Pl (full day) Professional Development (ACSR Mod 5)………...…Pl (full day) NYAIP Producer Procedures……................................Pl (1/2 day-am) Life Insurance………………………………………….Pl (full day) NY Health Benefit Exchange………………………….Pl (1/2 day-am) E&O Video..……………..……….NYIT, Old Westbury (half day-am) Agency Management (AAI-83 Seg A)………… ……Pl (1/2 day-am)

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Big “I” Classes con’t The following seminar will be held at Belfor in Maspeth, Queens 1/11/13 4/05/13 4/16/13

NYAIP Producer Procedures………………………..…(half day-am) NYAIP Producer Procedures………………………..…(half day-am) Hacked? You Can’t Hide Now…………………….… ..(half day-am)

The following seminar will be held at Swiss Re in NYC 5/22/13 6/12/13

E&O LIVE …………………………………………....(half day-am) E&O Video………………………Location TBA……..(half day-am)

For a complete schedule and registration form, log on to www.iiaany.org. Go to the ‘Education’ link and click ‘Ed Calendar. For more information, call IIABNY’s Education Department at 1-800-962-7950.

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the Advertisers INSURANCE COMPANIES & MARKETS Magna Carta Companies Wanda Napolitano 1 Park Avenue New York, NY 10016 Toll Free: 1-888-ONE PARK Phone: 212-591-9500 Fax: 212-591-9621 NIF Group Michael Orlando, Nancy Williams 30 Park Avenue Manhasset, NY 11030 Phone: 516-365-7440 Fax: 516-496-7356 Email: nwilliams@nifgroup.com www.nifgroup.com

INSURANCE SERVICES Pryor Personnel Agency Patricia Pryor Bonica 147 Old Country Road Hicksville, NY 11801 Phone: 516-935-0100 Fax: 516-931-7842 Email: ppryor1578@aol.com

RESTORATION SERVICES Belfor Property Restoration Gary J. Alexander 60 Raynor Ave. Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 Phones: 631-471-3131 x121 Fax: 631-471-2905

Quaker Special Risk Camille Windler 226 5th Avenue, 4th Flr. New York, NY 10001 Phone: 516 428 0716.

Fax: 732-223-9072 Email: salesattkr@aol.com Brian Botwinick Eatontown, NJ Toll Free: 800-447-4180 Email: bbotwinick@qsr-insurance.com

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SUFFOLK Big Eye INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY

IIABSC 150 Dartmouth Dr. Hicksville, NY 11801

Contact Us: info@suffolkagents.com

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