Summer 2017
VISIT WWW.TRICOUNTYAGENTS.COM [1]
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
I would like to begin by thanking everyone who
a4ended our installa6on dinner at Chateau Briand this past May. I was overwhelmed by the kind words of encouragement by so many who make up our tremendous community. It was an evening I will always remember and it is my honor and privilege to take the posi6on as the TriCounty president this year. I joined as a director of the associa6on several years ago because I was impressed with the quality of the programs and mee6ngs and felt I would have much to gain by geBng
Adam Erickson President
involved. Since then I gained a wealth of knowledge, run my agency be4er and am a be4er insurance professional. I’ve made many contacts, advantageous to me personally and professionally, many whom are now dear friends. You get out what you put in - the saying goes, and it holds true. I see many agents at various func6ons who share thoughts and ideas and who would be a great asset for our associa6on. Our board is always on the lookout for new directors and new ideas. Think about it. We would love to have you join us on the TriCounty Board of Directors. I can tell you first hand, you will find it very rewarding – you will get out what you put in. I am confident we are in for another great year ahead of us. Your officers and directors are puBng together several networking events and educa6onal mee6ngs designed to
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CON’T
enhance your career as an insurance professional, many of which will be a lot of fun. We also coordinate with IIABNY to offer other worthwhile benefits. Please help support TriCounty by a4ending these events; we need membership involvement to con6nue our success. Here are some of our upcoming events:
Picnic in the Park - August 3, 2017
Oktoberfest - October 5, 2017
If you see me out and about, please feel free to walk over to say hello and give me your thoughts and sugges6ons. (I’ll even listen to your cri6cisms.) I would love to hear from as many of you as possible. Our organiza6on is only as good as its members and board of directors who keep it alive and well. Remember, you get out what you put in.
Adam Erickson,
President
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Join Downstate For The First Ever
“Long Island Insurance Fun Day” at Eisenhower Park
Save The Date August 3, 2017 2:00pm - 6:00 pm DOWNSTATE IS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING ASSOCIATIONS: CIBGNY, CPCU, IIABSC, IPALI , PIANY, QCIP, TriCounty IIAA, Next Gen & YIP’s
This First Ever Event will be held at Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 4, Scarlett Oak Picnic Area.
Event Sponsorships $500
Sponsorship includes 1 ticket. Register by June 15th to receive 2 tickets with sponsorship! Tickets $55/person The day will be filled with games, food, and fun. Network in a relaxed atmosphere. Sponsor Now! Contact Jeanne Abatelli 516-681-6265 or email: injeanious1@mac.com For a registration form click here. To register Online Visit http://www.downstateinscouncil.org [4]
Contact James Bastian: Phone: 866-443-8859 Email: JamesB@APagents.com
WHY JOIN ADVANTAGE PARTNERS NETWORK? BECAUSE OUR PARTNERS ARE YOUR PARTNERS • Represent the Most Competitive Major Insurance Companies • No fees, up-front costs or long-term contracts • Agent owns 100% of the business • Ability to earn Carrier profit sharing, incentives and bonuses Advantage Partners is the trusted resource for market access and agency appointments. We work with you as the independent insurance agent to help you achieve greater success.
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Save the Date TriCounty Oktoberfest Networking Event Thursday October 5, 2017 6 - 10 pm 3rd Annual Oktoberfest Plattduetsche Park 1132 Hempstead Turnpike Franklin Square Join Us and Support a Great Cause. Details to Follow Soon. [7]
A Past President’s Position
The former and present Queens/
Brooklyn agents have always had a legacy of second and third genera6ons in our business. The Abatelli family, The Adorno family, The Brunell family, The Flood family, The Fries family, The Huebner family, The Levine family, The Longueira family, The MarcheB family, The Neimann family, The Petrocelli family, The Petschauer family, The Pollack family, The RoboB family, The Ruggiere family, The Sabatelli family………..and others I may not have named. I apologize for any omissions.
Wayne A. Ruggiere IAQ&KC President, 1995-96
Once again The Erickson family con6nues that
tradi6on……………The Legacy con6nues!
Adam will be another great President. Support him and our associa6on.
Thanks for coming to the Installa6on. It was great to see everyone.
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A Past President’s Position ……and a Postscript from another past president: My sincerest thanks for all the support you have shown Adam. It was a great turnout of our members, sponsors and carriers. Best of all, there was an historic number of Past Presidents present. I especially thank Wayne and Ron for their huge and effec6ve effort in rallying the troops. Hope to see you all again at future mee6ngs and events. Kenneth P. Erickson
Ken
IIAQ&KC President, 1992-93
Do you have an interesting article for TriLines? Please send to calvertpc@aol.com (non advertising please). Write "TriLines article" in subject line for identification.....
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Installation Dinner Recap
New officers and directors were installed
on a beautiful evening May 17 during the TriCounty Independent Insurance Agents Association annual installation dinner and awards ceremony. The event, once again held successfully at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place, put into place our TriCounty leader for the 2017 through 2018 term.
Adam P. Erickson of Carlstan North Hills
Agency was installed as President of TriCounty IIAA by his father, Kenneth Erickson. Additional Andrew Chong Director
officers and directors were installed by Kathy Lawler, AAI, CIC, and Assistant Vice President of Education of IIABNY.
The prestigious Joe Bonica Award was presented to Peter Phillips, of Phillips
Brokerage for his outstanding work and accomplishments. His passion in charity supports and scholarship programs enhances the association’s status and gives us all an example to follow. We also awarded scholarships to students who showed exceptional promise and excellence while attending St. John’s University, School of Risk Management sponsored by three major insurance carriers; Safeco Insurance, Narragansett Bay Insurance and National General Insurance. It is a privilege to be a part of investing into the future leaders of our industry. We would like to thank all of our sponsors and those who attended and celebrated with us. Let’s have another year of success and see you all soon!
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Installation 2017 Here are just a few of the photos from the installation dinner. Please visit www.tricountyagents.com to see all the pictures.
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2016 INSTALLATION SPONSORS
VIP Sponsors
Advantage Partners SERVPRO of Hicksville/Plainview New Empire Group
Elite Sponsor
Interboro/UPC Insurance
Dinner Sponsors
All Solutions PBS, LLC Kingstone Insurance Co. MAPFRE Insurance NIF Group, Inc. Total Restoration Utica National Insurance Group
Champagne Pour Sponsor
NY Adjustment Bureau
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ST. JOHN’S SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
Narragansett Bay Insurance Co. National General Insurance SAFECO Insurance Thank you for your ongoing support of our Scholarship Program and the future of our Industry.
Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence. Abigail Adams [20]
Stephen T. Dooley Community Service Scholarship by Steve Ferrar
On June 5, 2017, on behalf of the Tri-
County Independent Agents, I had the pleasure of presenting the Stephen T. Dooley Community Service Scholarship award at the West Hempstead High School Awards Night.
Everyone there, including this year’s
recipient, Madison Cinnamo, was very cordial and grateful for this $1,000 Scholarship in recognition of exemplary community service. Madison put in over 400 hours of community Steve Ferrar Director
service in her three years of high school.
This ongoing Scholarship was established
in memory of our past Tri-County President, Stephen Dooley. Steve was a highly respected insurance professional and was very active in his community, mostly as a volunteer in charity and youth activities. Steve died from cancer at an early age in 2005. This is a nice way to honor him, by the presenting this Scholarship ever year in his name.
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HEARD AROUND TOWN
Americans' Ratings of Honesty and Ethical Standards in Professions (December 2016)
Profession
Stephen Folan Past President 2009 - 2011
High/Very Averag High e
Low/Very Low
Nurses
84%
13%
3%
Pharmacists
67%
26%
8%
Medical Doctors
65%
29%
7%
College Teachers
47%
32%
18%
Clergy
44%
39%
13%
Chiropractors
38%
45%
13%
Psychiatrists
38%
45%
12%
State Governors
18%
45%
35%
Business Executives
17%
50%
32%
HMO Managers
12%
48%
31%
Senators
12%
37%
50%
Stockbrokers
12%
46%
39%
Advertisers
11%
46%
40%
Insurance Salespeople
11%
51%
38%
Car Salespeople
9%
45%
46%
Members of Congress
8%
31%
59%
Time for a Flood Insurance Le3er to Your Homeowner Clients? A survey done by the Insurance Information Institute shows the 43% of homeowners think that the standard homeowner insurance covers damage caused by flooding from heavy rain.
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Proposed action could protect New Yorkers from discriminatory auto insurance rates - 5/2017 Following an NYDFS investigation, Gov. Cuomo announced a proposed regulation to protect New Yorkers from excessive and unfairly discriminatory auto insurance rates. The regulation prohibits insurers from using an individual’s occupational status or educational level as factors in setting rates, unless the insurer demonstrates to the satisfaction of the NYDFS superintendent that the use of these factors does not result in rates that are unfairly discriminatory.
Personal Auto Rate Hikes Not Keeping Up with Losses: Fitch U.S. personal auto underwriters increased premium rates “significantly” in 2016. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t enough. Loss trends are still outpacing rate changes. Also, the U.S. P/C industry statutory combined ratio will likely hit 108 in the coming months, a 3.5 percentage point rise and the weakest result in 15 years, Fitch Ratings noted in a new report. “Results are likely to improve moderately in 2017, but competitive forces and market fundamentals will inhibit a shift back to an underwriting profit in personal auto for some time,” the Fitch report asserted. As Fitch pointed out, carriers including Progressive and Infinity Property & Casualty Corp. continued to generate major underwriting profit for personal auto despite industry weakness. But the overall market continues to weaken in terms of annual underwriting performance because of higher catastrophe related losses and unfavorable claims experience. State Farm Mutual Insurance Group is a major example of this, Fitch said, due to its reported $7 billion underwriting loss (18 percent of earned premium). [23]
Also, personal auto underwriters continue to face adverse loss trends that drove higher claims costs over the last two years. They include claims frequency jumps from more miles driven, more distracted driving, higher physical damage losses because of more complex and sophisticated automobile parts, and higher bodily injury costs from more severe accidents.
Today’s Older Employees Not a Retiring Bunch Last month, 19 percent of Americans age 65 and over were still working, according to government data released Friday. That’s the highest rate since 1962, and it caps a long trend higher since the figure bottomed out at 10 percent in 1985. As America grows older and as life expectancy gets longer, some workers keep heading to the office because they like it and still feel engaged. But many others are continuing to work for a simpler, darker reason: They can’t afford not to. More than a quarter of workers age 55 or older say they have less than $10,000 in savings and investments, according to the latest retirement confidence survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Perhaps because of slim nest eggs, nearly a third of workers in that age group say they expect to work until at least 70, if they retire at all. • Insurance Journal
Are you Hiring? 10 Things Young Insurance Agents Like, and Don’t Like, About Their Jobs What Young Agents Like MOST: 1. Flexible schedule. 2. Opportunity for professional development and community involvement. 3. Earning potential. 4. The daily challenges. No two days are the same. 5. Work-life balance. [24]
6. The ability to check several markets to attain the best insurance coverage for each client. 7. Establishing relationships with clientele and educating them about the importance of insurance and how it can impact their business. 8. Helping people. 9. Being own boss. 10.Residual income.
What Young Agents Like LEAST: 1. Doing servicing work. 2. The pressure from carriers to produce for them in order to keep an appointment. 3. Overcoming the negative perceptions set forth by those before me. 4. Having to regularly deal with new (revolving door) insurance carrier representatives and what seem like the constantly evolving appetites. 5. The stigma that comes with selling insurance. 6. The lack of young talent in the business and awareness of our business. 7. Having to negotiate many dierent online production/quoting systems. 8. The hours can be demanding. 9. The first three-to-five-year grind as a new young agent. 10.Lack of response by carriers to agent feedback.
Source: Insurance Journal’s 2016 Young Agents Survey
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uc Prod
Sta
bili
ty
Loss Co Too ntrol Rew ls & ards
ts
Markets
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PRODUCTS [26]
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Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center Tour & Donation
On May 26th a few of the TriCounty board members visited the Holocaust
Memorial & Tolerance Center located in Glen Cove, NY to present a check in the amount of $2,000. The money was raised at our Annual Post Holiday Party, through our 50/50 sales and the winner of the 50/50 generously donated back their portion.
Our first stop was to see the newly donated sculpture, “Tears of the
Holocaust” by Michael Israel Galmer. The sculpture echoes the mission of the HMTC - teaching lessons of the Holocaust that empower children, adults, police officers, nurses, teachers and the community to be accepting of all people.
The check was presented to Steven Markowitz, Chairman of the HMTC.
After the presentation Gloria Glantz, a child survivor of the Holocaust, gave a tour of the museum. The most moving story we heard was from Gloria herself. To save her life, her parents enlisted the help of a simple Christian family who took her in and raised her. Gloria told us of being roused in the middle of the night by the
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German soldiers. Her caregiver told her to say her prayers, to show the Germans she was a Christian not Jewish. She said her prayers for the terrified and in perfect Polish without a Hebrew accent. Only then was the family allowed to live. Had Gloria had a hebrew accent she and the family would have been killed.
The mission of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center is to teach the
history of the Holocaust and it’s lessons through education and community outreach. They teach about the dangers of antisemitism, racism and bullying and all other manifestations of intolerance.
The HMTC has multimedia exhibits, artifacts, archival footage and testimony
from local Survivors. The museum presents a detailed chronicle of the Holocaust appropriate for 5th grade students through adult. The final gallery provides a bridge from the past to today’s issues of intolerance, bullying and genocide. In addition to their permanent displays, there is a gallery dedicated to temporary exhibits. Visit their website for upcoming exhibits www.hmtcli.org.
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OFFICERS & DIRECTORS OFFICERS President Adam Erickson Carlstan North Hills Agency, Inc. 377 Oak Street Ste 305 Garden City, NY 11530
Vice President Alex Giraldo Club Agency 100 Ring Road, Ste 200 Garden City, NY 11530
Treasurer Ron Brunell, CIC The Signature B&B Companies 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530
Secretary Andrew Chong ARC Underwriting Partners, Inc. 73 Cuttermill Road Great Neck, NY 11021
DIRECTORS Chris Dritsas Phillips General Insurance, Port Washington 180 Main Street Port Washington, NY 11050
Frank Elorza Club Agency Insurance Brokerage LLC 100 Ring Road West, Suite 202 Garden City NY 11530
Steve Ferrar Ferrar Insurance 120 Franklin Avenue Franklin Square, NY 11010
Neil Levy, CPA,CFP CBS Coverage a division of Assured SKCG, Inc. 111 Express Street Plainview, NY 11803
Robert E. Mackoul, CLU New Empire Group, Ltd. 214 West Park Avenue, Atrium Suite Long Beach NY 11561
Christopher M. Wukovits AAA New York Insurance Services, Inc. 1415 Kellum Place Garden City, NY 11530
Immediate Past President James Bastian Advantage Partners, Inc 37-19 Broadway Astoria, NY 11103 [30]
OTHER POSITIONS TriCounty IIAA Executive Director Patricia Calvert 132 Peachtree Lane Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 calvertpc@aol.com 516-621-2209 Tri-Lines Publisher Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Drive Hicksville, NY injeanious1@optonline.net 516-681-6265 TriCounty IIAA Director of Sales Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Drive Hicksville, NY injeanious1@optonline.net 516-681-6265
IIABNY Positions Chair of the Board Richard MacDonald, CPCU, ARM, AIM Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. 231 Salina Meadows Pkwy Ste 200 Syracuse, NY 13212 p: 315.451.1500 f: 315.703.8161
IIABNY Interim President & CEO Lisa Lounsbury, CAE, AAI, AIS IIABNY 5784 Widewaters Pkwy Dewitt, NY 13214 800-962-7950, Ext 230
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Regional Director Ronald Brunell, CIC The Signature B & B Companies 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 p: 516.823.3133 f: 516.764.1019 e: rbrunell@sbbinsure.com
Regional Director John Cofini BNC Insurance Agency, Inc. 111 S. Ridge Street Rye Brook, NY 10573 p: 914.881.4844 f: 914.937.1124 e: jcofini@bncagency.com
Advertisers Insurance Companies &
Morstan General
Markets
Agency Inc. Bob Birner 600 Community Drive PO Box 4500 Manhasset, NY 11030-4500 Phone: 516-488-4747 Fax: 516-437-5050 www.morstan.com
Advantage Partners James Bastian 37-19 Broadway, 2nd Flr Astoria NY 11103 Phone: 347-721-9839 Ext 705 jamesb@apagents.com http:// www.advantagepartnersn etwork.com
NIF Group Paul Orlando 30 Park Avenue Manhasset, NY 11030 Phone: 516-365-7440 Fax: 516-496-7356 porlando@nifgroup.com www.nifgroup.com
New Empire Group 214 W Park Avenue Long Beach, NY 11561 Phone: 866-431-8100 Fax: 516-431-5351 www.newempiregroup.co m
VISIT US AT WWW.TRICOUNTYAGENTS.COM
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