Maryland Primary Agent - October 2017

Q N E &A: W T PR RAI N O Pa D U I NG ge C 20 E R S

OCTOBER 2017 | MARYLAND

AMPLIFYING YOUR VOICE IN STATE GOVERNMENT

INSURABILITY OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES INTERNSHIP CONSIDERATIONS WORKERS’ COMP REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

THERE’S more FOR YOU AT MILLERS.

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Insuring apartment buildings and rental properties is what we do.

Our approach is to provide multi-family housing owners and managers creative solutions with more tailored coverage and flexible pricing, and to give our agents more attentive service, more specialized expertise and more overall value. That’s why we say, “There’s more for you at Millers.”

• BUSINESS OWNERS POLICY • APARTMENT PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY • PROPERTY MANAGERS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY • VACANT PROPERTY COVERAGE • EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY INSURANCE • UMBRELLA • WORKERS COMPENSATION

We’d love to talk with you and show you more ways we can work with your independent insurance agent to protect your investment and improve your bottom line.

Give us a call at 800.745.4555 or visit millersinsurance.com.

800.745.4555 millersinsurance.com Rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Rated A Prime (Unsurpassed) with Demotech ©2017, Millers Mutual Group, Harrisburg, PA

IN THIS

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YIELDS OF THE 2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION At times contentious and in the end fruitful, the 2017 legislative session yielded plenty to impact producers, their agencies and their customers.

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INSURE THE FUTURE OF YOUR PROFESSION WITH AGENTPAC The insurance industry is increasingly vulnerable in today’s political climate. That’s where our state-specific political action committee along with your support come into play.

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IS AN INTERN RIGHT FOR YOUR AGENCY? If you’re thinking of hiring an agency intern (and there are plenty of compelling reasons to do so!), you need a game plan. Read on for considerations, best practices and requirements.

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 3 4 6 9 28 32 32 32

Chairman of the Board’s Message Ask Our Experts Coverage Corner State News IA&B Partners Technology Update Advertiser’s Index My Events Classified Ads

Periodical postage paid at Mechanicsburg, Pa. and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Insurance Agents & Brokers, 5050 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

Primary Agent (ISSN 1543-3110), Permit # 638-620, Issue # 2017-10, is published monthly by IA&B Service Group Inc., a subsidiary of IA&B.

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Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher. The information in this publication is general in nature and not intended to serve as legal, accounting, financial, insurance, investment advisory or other professional advice as to any reader’s particular situation. Users are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, insurance, investment advisory and/or other professional advisors concerning specific matters before making any decisions. We disclaim any responsibility for any decisions or actions by readers. Statements of fact and opinion in Primary Agent are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of IA&B. Participation in IA&B events, activities and/or publications is available on a non-discriminatory basis and does not reflect IA&B endorsement of the products and/or services.

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CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD’S MESSAGE

BEYOND THE ELECTION CYCLE

INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS 5050 Ritter Road | Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 800-998-9644 | IABforME.com

OFFICERS

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Chair of the Board

s we enter autumn, I can’t help but think about last year at this time.

The presidential election was just weeks away, and the country was a powder keg. Debates overtook family dinners, political ads filled the airways, and candidates’ signs blanketed neighborhoods.

Now nearly a year later, many of us have moved on. After all, there are so many other things to absorb our attention at the office and at home (not to mention on TV any given Sunday!). Out of sight, out of mind….

But the truth of the matter is, we work in a highly regulated industry. Our livelihood is tied closely to the government and its actions (and, at times, inactions). “Politics” isn’t something that happens just once every election cycle.

The work of state and federal lawmakers and regulators is ongoing.

During my time on the IA&B board of directors, I’ve seen first-hand how our industry, our small businesses and our customers are at the mercy of elected officials. I’ve seen how vital it is to have our collective voice heard at the state capitol buildings. And I’ve seen how the IA&B government affairs team lobbies on our behalf.

IA&B’s government affairs work is constant – just like our support of it should be. I made my annual contribution to our state political action committee, AgentPAC, and I ask that you consider doing the same. n

John B. Hollister

Vice Chair of the Board

Craig S. Mader

Immediate Past Chair of the Board

Michael F. McGroarty Sr.

MEMBERS Emory Stephen Burnett, CIC, ARM Wilmington, Del.

Richard F. Corroon, CPCU Wilmington, Del.

Michael P. Ertel Sr.+ Columbia, Md.

Ashley M. Fitzsimmons, CISR Forest City, Pa.

G. Greg Gunn, CIC* Lemoyne, Pa.

Bryan C. Hanes, JD Hagerstown, Md.

David C. King Lancaster, Pa.

Lisa A. Leach Goth, CIC New Bethlehem, Pa.

Elizabeth H. Martin, CIC Millersville, Pa.

Mark J. Monroe

West Chester, Pa.

Joseph R. Pastor, CPCU, AAI Oil City, Pa.

Richard M. Rankin, CIC Lancaster, Pa.

All the best,

April E. Ressler, CIC Altoona, Pa.

D. Bradley Rosenkilde Jr. Hunt Valley, Md.

Tara S. Silfies, CPCU

John Hollister Chairman of the Board

Bethlehem, Pa.

Glenn R. Strachan

Ft. Washington, Md.

Bryan S. Willey Dover, Del.

Lawrence A. Wilson, CIC, CPIA, CPCU, ARM**

Editor’s note: Learn more about AgentPAC and contribute by visiting IABforME.com/MdPAC.

Newark, Del.

J. Marshall Wolff, CIC, CPCU Easton, Pa.

* Pa. IIABA National Director ** Del. IIABA National Director + Md. PIA National Director

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OCTOBER 2017

Ask Our Experts Don Bankus, our legal affairs manager, provided this answer.

Question: My insured’s employee was injured on the job. He went to the ER, made a few follow-up doctor appointments and missed four days of work. Is the insured employer required to report the injury?

Answer:

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t’s easy to understand why an insured would ask such a question, given the ultimate effect a claim likely will have on the employer’s experience rating. An employer might speculate, Wouldn’t it be easier and maybe less expensive if I just paid for the employee’s medical and related expenses and lost wages out of pocket?

Unfortunately, for employers required to provide workers’ compensation coverage (as well as those who voluntarily have elected to do so), there are contractual, as well as probable statutory, requirements to report/notify.

CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS Workers’ compensation policies contain provisions that outline an insured’s duties, one of those duties being to notify the carrier at once if an injury occurs which may be covered by the policy.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation statutes contain provisions which require, under differing circumstances, that an employer provide written notice to the state’s respective Bureau of Workers Compensation.

Delaware – 19 DE Code Section 2313(a), provides that: “Every employer to whom this chapter applies shall keep a record of all injuries, fatal or otherwise, received by employees in the course of their employment. Within 10 days after knowledge of the occurrence of an accident resulting in personal injury, a report thereof shall be made in writing by the employer to the [Delaware Dept. of Workers’ Compensation].”

Maryland – MD Code, Labor & Employment, Section 9-707(a), provides that: “If an accidental personal injury causes disability for more than 3 days or death, the employer shall report the accidental personal injury and the disability or death to the [Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission] within 10 days after receiving oral or written notice of the disability or death.”

Pennsylvania – 77 P.S. Sections 994 (a) and (b), provide that: “(a) An employer shall report all injuries received by employees in the course of or resulting from their employment immediately to the employer’s insurer. (b) An employer shall report such injuries to the Department of Labor and Industry by filing directly with the [Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation] on the form it prescribes a report of injury within forty-eight hours for every injury

resulting in death, and mailing within seven days after the date of injury for all other injuries except those resulting in disability continuing less than one day, shift or turn in which the injury was received.”

THE BOTTOM LINE While the statutes may differ somewhat in content and context, in all three states: • Employers are contractually required to immediately notify the workers’ compensation carrier if an employee injury occurs, which may be covered by the policy; and • Employers are statutorily required to report employee injuries to the state’s respective Workers’ Compensation Bureau, under applicable circumstances as outlined above. n

Have a question? Ask our experts!

Rely on our experts – Advocacy Senior Director Claire Pantaloni, CIC, CISR and Legal Affairs Manager Don Bankus – to answer your most perplexing questions. Visit the Ask Our Experts section of IABforME.com (find the link in the website footer) to submit your question and review answers to other frequently asked questions. Or email your question to us at IAB@IABforME.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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COVERAGE CORNER

THE INSURABILITY OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES

By Jerry M. Milton, CIC

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unitive damages are awarded to a plaintiff where the wrong done by the defendant was caused by circumstances of violence, oppression, malice, fraud, or wanton and wicked conduct on the part of the defendant.

Depending on the jurisdiction and the cause of action, the standard for awarding punitive damages may range from simple negligence to deliberate intent to harm. Unlike compensatory – or actual – damages, punitive damages are based upon an entirely different public policy consideration: that of punishing the defendant or of setting an example for similar wrongdoers. For that

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reason, punitive damages are also called “exemplary” damages.

The amount awarded for punitive damages may greatly exceed the amount of the actual loss suffered by the plaintiff.

Some punitive damage awards have been more than 500 times the amount of jury-awarded compensatory damages.

When punitive damages are awarded to the plaintiff by the court (judge or jury), the questions that are usually asked are whether these punitive damages are insurable in a particular jurisdiction and, if so, are they covered by the defendant’s insurance policy.

OCTOBER 2017

State statutes address the insurability of punitive damages differently. The insurability of punitive damages is based on one issue – whether the punitive damages were assessed because of the defendant’s direct liability or the defendant’s vicarious liability. Directly assessed punitive damages are based on the defendant’s own wrongful acts, whereas vicariously assessed punitive damages are based upon another’s misconduct for which the defendant is held legally liable.

The insurability of punitive damages varies according to whether the state

allows the insurability for directly assessed punitive damages, vicariously assessed punitive damages, both or neither.

Several states permit the insurability of vicariously assessed punitive damages but prohibit the insurability of directly assessed punitive damages. The majority of states permit the insurability of both – directly assessed and vicariously assessed.

If the insurability of punitive damages is permitted under state law, the next question is whether these punitive damages are covered by the defendant’s insurance policy. Many policies are silent.

Most courts have held that punitive damages are covered if the policy does not have a specific punitive damages exclusion or an insuring agreement that covers “compensatory damages” only.

What about our three states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware?

Do they allow punitive damages to be awarded to the plaintiff and, if so, are they insurable? A recap of our three states’ laws is as follows: PENNSYLVANIA • Can punitive damages be awarded for wrongful death?

No. Harvey v. Hassinger, 461 A.2d 814 (PA Super. Ct. 1983) • Can punitive damages be awarded for personal injury?

Yes. Trotman v. Mecchella, 618 A.2d 982 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992) • Can punitive damages be covered by insurance?

Directly assessed – no. Martin v.

Johns-Mansville Corp., 508 Pa. 154, 494 A.2d 1088 (Pa, 1985) Vicariously assessed – yes. Pennbank v.

St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 669 F. Supp. 122 (W.D. Pa. 1987)

MARYLAND • Can punitive damages be awarded for wrongful death?

No. Cohen v. Rubin, 460 A2d 1046 (Md. 1983) • Can punitive damages be awarded for personal injury?

Yes. Darcars Motors of Silver Spring, Inc. v. Borzym, 841 A.2d 828 (Md. 2004) • Can punitive damages be covered by insurance?

Directly assessed – yes. First National Bank, St. Mary’s v. Fidelity & Deposit Co., 389 A.2d 359 (Md. 1978) Vicariously assessed – no precedent case.

DELAWARE • Can punitive damages be awarded for wrongful death?

No. Sterner v. Wesley College, Inc., 747 F. Supp. 263 (D. Del. 1990) • Can punitive damages be awarded for personal injury?

Yes. Sterner v. Wesley College, Inc., 747 F. Supp. 263 (D. Del. 1990)

• Can punitive damages be covered by insurance?

Directly assessed – yes. Whalen v.

On-Deck, Inc., 514 A.2d 1072 (Del. 1986) Vicariously assessed – no precedent case.

In summary, you do not want to exclude punitive damages! No way! Never! Period!

Why would you write a $25 million Excess Liability policy and exclude punitive damages? That just doesn’t make any sense.

Y’all take care! n

Jerry M. Milton, CIC, teaches and consults on industry issues. The legal profession recognizes him as an expert on insurance coverages. He also serves as our education consultant, working with our CISR, CIC and continuing education programs. Catch him at one of our upcoming seminars: IABforME.com/MyTraining.

BRIDGE NEW PRODUCERS’ KNOWLEDGE GAP THERE’S NO way around it: New hires need agency managers’ time – time to ask them questions and seek their direction – in order to succeed.

In an effort to remove some of the burden from already time-strapped supervisors, we worked with Dan Lawyer, CIC, CPCU (one of our CIC education consultants and a former agency owner) to develop the new ondemand “Quoting, Writing and Servicing” series.

The series covers Commercial Casualty, Commercial Property, Homeowners, Personal Auto and Personal Umbrella. Each course ends with a 25-question exam and awards 1-2 CE credits.

IABforME.com/NewLicensee

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STATE NEWS

EVERGREEN HEALTH’S “FINANCIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION” The Evergreen Health saga took an abrupt turn late this summer. Just weeks after giving the go-ahead to convert Evergreen Health Inc. from a co-op to a for-profit entity acquired by investors, Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr. issued an administrative order to prohibit Evergreen Health from selling or renewing any policies.

HEALTH EXCHANGE RATES RELEASED For the 243,000 Maryland residents enrolled in individual health insurance plans on the Maryland Health Connection, next year’s premium rate increases are steep – averaging 33.0 percent. For the 257,000 Marylanders enrolled in small group plans, average premium increases are 1.7 percent.

The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) in August announced approved premium rates for plans sold through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. In its press release, the Administration reiterated that less than 10 percent of the state’s residents are covered by these plans.

INDIVIDUAL MARKET Cigna left the individual market for next year, so the remaining carriers are CareFirst and Kaiser.

SMALL GROUP MARKET Four carriers filed to sell plans on the Maryland Health Connection in 2018: Aetna, CareFirst, Kaiser and UnitedHealthCare.

Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15. Coverage begins Jan. 1, 2018.

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OCTOBER 2017

The Maryland Insurance Administration’s (MIA) press release shared: These actions are in response to Evergreen’s financial position and after private investors informed the Insurance Administration that they were terminating the process of acquiring Evergreen Health on July 24, 2017. This Administrative Order is a preliminary step to an anticipated receivership.

The release also includes a quote from Redmer that refers to “the company’s financially hazardous condition” and the need “to protect Evergreen consumers.”

Then days later, the MIA announced that the commissioner petitioned the Circuit Court for Baltimore City for an order to rehabilitate the company. The judge signed the order immediately, which formally placed Evergreen Health into receivership.

BACKGROUND The effort to convert Evergreen Health to a for-profit entity began late last year. At the time, since Evergreen Health could not receive regulatory approval, the insurer’s individual health plans were pulled from the state’s health insurance exchange at the eleventh hour. The move left 9,000 individual policyholders scrambling.

OCMD RESIDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR LOWER FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS Ocean City residents now receive a 20 percent reduction on eligible National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums. This change – an increase over the previous 15 percent – is a result of the town’s increased flood management activities. In total, Ocean City policyholders now will save over $1.5 million annually.

The premium reduction is a benefit of the Community Rating System (CRS), a voluntary incentive program that encourages floodplain management that exceeds minimum NFIP requirements.

CRS participation requires local officials to meet three goals: 1) reduce flood losses, 2) facilitate accurate insurance rating, and 3) promote awareness of flood insurance.

Ocean City is among 15 Maryland communities that currently are participating in the CRS program: • Baltimore, City of • Bel Air, Town of • Calvert County • Caroline County • Carroll County

The program includes 10 different class rating levels based on the number and type of activities initiated by the community. For each class that a community moves up, it provides its residents with an additional 5 percent reduction of their flood insurance premiums. Ocean City moved from a Class 7 to a Class 6 community, hence the change from a 15 to 20 percent reduction.

HOMESHARING PROMPTS INSURANCE QUESTIONS One in 10 Americans have used a homesharing website (think: Airbnb, HomeAway). But it’s safe to say that many of them are unaware of the insurance repercussions.

In response, the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) recently distributed a press release with insurance recommendations for consumers who engage in homesharing. Among the tips are an explanation of “home-share business multi-peril insurance” (a new addition to the surplus lines export list) and the advice to talk with an insurance agent.

• Cecil County • Dorchester County • Frederick, City of • Harford County • Havre de Grace, City of • Howard County • North Beach, City of • Ocean City, Town of • Prince George’s County • Talbot County

Insurance.maryland.gov

SENDING OUR SINCERE THANKS Your agency’s needs are our motivation.

Ours is a member-centric organization, so we rely on volunteers – your fellow member agents – to determine our direction.

The fall marks a new administrative year for us, and with it, we welcome new volunteer leaders and thank those whose terms on our Board of Directors ended. Among those is an IA&B of Maryland member, Bob Klinger, LUTCP, CPIA, of Klinger Insurance Group in Germantown. Bob served on the IA&B of Maryland Board of Directors before moving on to become chairman of the IA&B Service Group Board of Directors.

Thank you, Bob. We appreciate your leadership!

THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE RECOGNIZES ANNAPOLIS AGENT Congratulations to Laura Kellner, of Henry M. Murray Agency Inc., in Annapolis. Kellner was named Maryland’s 2017 Outstanding Customer Service Representative of the Year – an annual award sponsored by The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research.

Well done, Laura!

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PLATINUM PROFILE

Insurance Agents & Brokers proudly recognizes the Brethren Mutual Insurance Company as one of its Platinum Partners.

IA&B Platinum Partners dedicate the highest level of sponsorship to our organization.

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he year was 1897. The town of Hagerstown, Maryland was home to just 14,000 people, mostly farmers and some small business owners. People traveled on foot and by horse drawn buggy into town or to church.

At that time, members of several Brethren churches in Washington and Frederick Counties banded together to establish an association to protect the property and belongings among their “brothers” of the Brethren faith. The Company was officially founded.

In 1917, Brethren Mutual incorporated under the state laws of Maryland. It recognized the importance of promoting the Company beyond those of the Brethren faith and opened its doors to all faiths.

A commitment was made to each policyholder to provide insurance at a reasonable cost and to pay claims promptly and fairly. Today, with over 120 years in business, Brethren Mutual’s commitment to the policyholder and independent insurance agent is as strong as ever.

We have continued to deliver competitive products, prompt and fair claims handling, and technology solutions to improve internal efficiencies and overall business operations.

At Brethren Mutual, we offer Personal, Commercial and Farm insurance products in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

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PERSONAL LINES Homeowners Dwelling Fire Mobilehomeowners Personal Auto Personal Umbrella COMMERCIAL LINES Businessowners Commercial Package Restaurants Special Garage Special Religious Institutions Commercial Auto Workers’ Compensation Commercial Umbrella

FOCUSED ON PARTNERSHIPS COMMITMENT RESULTS FEATURED PARTNER Brethren Mutual Insurance Company Founded 1897 PRESIDENT, CEO & VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Michael W. Brashears

FARM Brethren Mutual’s roots are grounded in agriculture. In fact, we are the largest farm insurance carrier in the state of Maryland. We offer a Farm Package Policy, as well as Farm Auto, Workers’ Compensation and Farm Umbrella for: • Dairy • Poultry • Hog • Horses • Crops • Agribusiness

COMPANY LOCATION Hagerstown, Md. 800-621-4264

This fall, Brethren Mutual is excited to expand its territory footprint to Delaware where we will begin offering our Farm product starting October 1st.

A.M. BEST RATING A- Excellent

Additionally, in January 2018, Brethren Mutual will begin offering its Commercial Lines products in the District of Columbia and Delaware. n

OCTOBER 2017

GEOGRAPHY Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia Delaware - October 2017 District of Columbia - January 2018

WEBSITE bmic.com SOCIAL MEDIA

PARTNERS PROGRAM

Listed below are those companies that strongly support the independent agency system and Insurance Agents & Brokers.

Thank you for your continued sponsorship.

WHAT IS IA&B PARTNERS? The IA&B Partners program gives company and allied businesses the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment of support to independent agents and receive maximum market exposure. As an IA&B Partner, you will also realize the benefits of IA&B membership to help you succeed in the insurance industry.

DO YOU SEE YOUR NAME? To become an IA&B Partner, choose the sponsorship package that matches your commitment of support.

Contact the Member Sales Center at 800-998-9644, 717-795-9100 or visit us online at IABforME.com to get started.

PLATINUM LEVEL

BRONZE LEVEL

ACUITY

Aegis Security Insurance Company

Agency Network Exchange LLC

Agency Insurance Company

Amerisafe Berkley Mid-Atlantic Group Brethren Mutual Insurance Company

Auto-Owners Insurance Company

Donegal Insurance Group

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies

Erie Insurance Group Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group Inc Liberty Mutual Insurance

Briar Creek Mutual Insurance Company Conemaugh Valley Mutual Insurance Co

MAPFRE Insurance

Countryway Insurance Company

MMG Insurance Company

Encompass Insurance

Millers Mutual Group Mutual Benefit Group Nationwide Insurance Company

Goodville Mutual Casualty Company Grinnell Mutual Reins Company

Penn National Insurance

Insurance Alliance of Central PA Inc

Plymouth Rock Assurance

Insurance Placement Facility of PA

Swiss Re The Main Street America Group United Fire Group Utica National Insurance Group GOLD LEVEL Progressive Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company Westfield Insurance SILVER LEVEL CM Regent Insurance Company

Watch for a revamped IA&B Partners program in 2018.

In the months ahead, we’ll unveil greater benefits for our company partners and member agents alike.

AmWINS Program Underwriters Inc

Cumberland Insurance Group Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Western Pennsylvania Juniata Mutual Insurance Company Keystone Insurers Group Inc

Johnson & Johnson Kite Technology Group Lackawanna Insurance Group Lebanon Valley Insurance Company Merchants Insurance Group Millville Mutual Insurance Company PennPRIME Municipal Insurance Reamstown Mutual Insurance Company Rockwood Casualty Insurance State Auto Mutual Insurance Company Strategic Comp TAPCO Underwriters Inc Travelers

Selective

Tuscarora Wayne Group of Companies

The Hanover Insurance Group

Zenith Insurance

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LO FAT HW E

LAND YIELDS OF THE 2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

By Lauren Brinjac

At times contentious and in the end fruitful, the 2017 legislative session yielded plenty to impact producers, their agencies and their customers.

Read on for highlights, which range from agencies’ ability to recoup credit card fees to producer protections associated with the new enhanced underinsured motorists coverage.

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hroughout the session – which had Democratic lawmakers at odds with Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on a number of issues – your IA&B government affairs team maintained a daily presence at the State House and worked with lawmakers on numerous pieces of insurance-related legislation affecting the agent and broker community. Highlight included: We supported legislation signed into law permitting insurance producers to charge credit card fees to clients on agency-billed business.

We successfully opposed House Bill 1295/Senate Bill 533, which sought to create a Low-Cost Automobile Insurance

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Program as part of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) to cover low-income drivers with lower cost policies than are available in the private market. We argued that, while we’ve worked with legislators in the past to address the affordability of auto insurance in Maryland, this approach – which uses the state’s insurer of last resort as a means to provide an insurance product that has lower financial responsibility requirements than all other insurers in the state – would be highly disruptive to the auto insurance market as well as the tort liability system We secured an amendment to HB 5/SB 403 – legislation to create an “enhanced” underinsured motorist coverage under which UIM coverage for an injured party would be added together or stacked with the available BI insurance of the at-fault driver, instead of offset against it as is current law in Maryland.

Our amendment ensured that the new coverage would be offered to consumers on an “opt-in” basis only.

Beyond these legislative priorities, there were a number of other bills that stand to impact producers, agencies and their customers. Read on for an overview.

HOGAN VETOES PAID SICK LEAVE Gov. Larry Hogan in May vetoed controversial legislation passed by the General Assembly that would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide five paid sick days to employees.

However, the legislation passed the Democratic-controlled legislature with enough votes to override a veto (three-fifths of the members of both the House and Senate must vote to override a veto).

Although legislative leaders are promising to make the veto override a priority, the vote cannot take place until the next session of the General Assembly in January 2018. This means that, even if the veto override is successful – and the Senate cannot afford to lose any votes in that attempt – the law would not go into effect until June 2018 at the earliest.

NEW INSURANCE LAWS ON THE BOOKS Below is a rundown of some of the insurance-related bills signed into law this year that have Oct. 1 effective dates.

Private Passenger Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance – Enhanced Underinsured Motorist Coverage – House Bill 5 (Chapter 20) • Establishes a new optional coverage entitled enhanced underinsured motorist coverage (EUIM) to be offered

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by authorized motor vehicle liability insurers at the time of application as an alternative to existing uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM) coverage • Provides that the amount of EUIM coverage must equal the amount of liability coverage provided under the policy • Requires the Insurance Commissioner to develop the form for the offering of EUIM • Applies to each policy of private passenger motor vehicle insurance issued, sold, or delivered in the state on or after July 1, 2018 Homeowner’s Insurance – Notices – House Bill 291/Senate Bill 279 (Chapter 123/Chapter 124) • Authorizes a homeowner’s insurer to send certain offers, renewal notices, and statements to an insured or applicant for a policy using electronic means if the notices sent in this manner meet existing requirements for notices sent using electronic means • Requires the Insurance Commissioner to adopt by regulation a notice containing information about homeowner’s insurance policies such as flood, coverage from loss from water that backs up through sewers and drains, deductibles, storm loss protective device discounts, claims history and increased hazard • Permits a homeowner’s insurer to fulfill certain notice requirements at renewal by using the Commissioner’s notice instead of having to send individual notices • Our IA&B government affairs team had a seat at the table during the workgroup discussions with the Maryland Insurance Administration last summer and fall to develop the new HO notice.

Insurance Premiums – Payment by Credit Card – Reimbursement for Expenses – House Bill 800/Senate Bill 94 (Chapter 44/Chapter 43) • Permits an insurance producer to charge and collect the actual expenses incurred when an insured makes a premium payment using a credit card • Clarifies that any point-of-service credit card expenses incurred by the producer or surplus lines broker may not be considered a premium for any purpose under § 27216(b)(4) and (b)(7) of the Insurance Article, respectively

OCTOBER 2017

• Requires a producer to fully disclose to the insured: (1) every possible payment method accepted; and (2) any charge for actual expenses incurred by the producer for payment of a premium using a credit card • Authorizes a surplus lines broker to charge and collect the actual expenses incurred when an insured uses a credit card to pay a premium, policy fee, and any other fees and taxes related to a policy • Requires that a surplus lines broker disclose the charges related to credit card use on a form approved by the Insurance Commissioner Motor Vehicle Insurance – Discrimination in Underwriting and Rating – Prohibitions – House Bill 916/Senate Bill 534 (Chapter 639/Chapter 640) • Prohibits the insurer of a private passenger motor vehicle insurance policy from increasing the premium for an insured who becomes a surviving spouse based solely on the insured’s change in marital status Insurance – Producer Licensing Examinations – House Bill 1277 (Chapter 505) • Decreases the number of days, from 14 days to 4 days that an individual must wait before he or she can retake a failed insurance producer license examination Workers’ Compensation – Tiered Rating Plans and Merit Rating Plans – House Bill 1315/Senate Bill 72 (Chapter 264/ Chapter 263) • Authorizes a workers’ compensation insurer to develop a tiered rating plan containing risk tiers that are applied to the uniform classification system that must be used for rate making • Requires a tiered rating plan to (1) establish discrete tiers based on defined risk attributes that are reasonably related to the insurer’s business and economic purposes and are not arbitrary, capricious, or unfairly discriminatory; (2) place each insured in the highest quality tier for which the insured qualifies; and (3) be filed with the Insurance Commissioner at least 30 days before it may be used • Requires the Commissioner to disapprove a tiered rating plan if the data produced under the plan cannot be reported in a manner consistent with the uniform classification system and statistical plan

• Authorizes an insurer to file a merit rating plan with the Commissioner for insureds who do not qualify for a uniform experience rating plan Insurance – Surplus Lines Insurers, Surplus Lines Brokers, and Reinsurers – Senate Bill 19 (Chapter 37) • Simplifies the renewal process for a surplus lines insurer by repealing specified financial and compliance certification filing requirements and instead allows the insurer to renew its authorization by (1) filing a renewal application; (2) paying the applicable fee; and (3) submitting any additional information required by the Insurance Commissioner (Note: A surplus lines insurer’s renewal application must be signed by an officer of the insurer certifying that the insurer is in compliance with the applicable laws of its domiciliary jurisdiction) • Requires the filing of the financial and compliance certifications by a surplus lines insurer at time of application for initial approval • Alters an annual reporting requirement related to premium taxes owed so that only surplus lines brokers that have transacted business in the State during the reporting period must report, instead of requiring all surplus lines brokers to do so

LEGISLATIVE SESSION AT A GLANCE The Maryland General Assembly - comprised of 47 senators and 141 delegates - convened this year in Annapolis from Wednesday, Jan. 11 through Monday, April 10 for its 90-day legislative session. During that time, legislators considered more than 2,800 pieces of legislation, including the state’s annual capital and operating budgets.

The General Assembly will reconvene on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018.

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Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Policies – Placement and Reinstatement – Senate Bill 290 (Chapter 725) • Authorizes a motor vehicle insurer, including MAIF, to reinstate a private passenger motor vehicle liability insurance policy that was canceled for nonpayment of a premium, without a lapse in coverage, if the policyholder certifies that there have not been any losses during the lapsed period and pays the premiums owed to the insurer and any reasonable reinstatement fee approved by the Insurance Commissioner • Requires the Commissioner to review the administrative expenses of an insurer that are associated with reinstatements and may approve a fee that does not exceed: (1) $10 if charged by an insurer; and (2) $15 if charged by an insurance producer. Increases the amount a MAIF producer may charge an applicant for automobile insurance with MAIF to $25 plus $1 more than the actual charge by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) for a driving record. n Lauren Brinjac is government relations director for IA&B.

2017 AgentPAC of Maryland contributors* We sincerely thank all of our contributors at every level. Your financial support of AgentPAC helps make sure your voice, collectively with other agents, is heard during the legislative process, and helps us as we advocate for ways to strengthen agents’ political interests on key insurance and business issues in Maryland. Learn more at IABforME.com/MdPAC. PRESIDENT’S CLUB ($1000+) GOVERNORS CLUB ($500 - $999) Bryan Hanes Antietam Insurance Assoc Inc

Reese Cropper Insurance Management Group Inc

Craig Mader Craig S Mader Ins Agency Inc

Barbara Harders Harders Financial Group Inc

Stephen Spencer Insurance Associates Inc

A Keir A R Keir Inc

SENATE LEVEL ($250 - $499) Gregory Bennett Famous & Spang Associates Tony Bennett Famous & Spang Associates Henry “Butch” Bradley Bradley Atlantic LLC Blair Mattheiss B J Mattheiss Insurance Inc Linda McCann Bay Shore Insurance Inc Stacey Nicholson CNR Insurance Inc Jay Radov Pegasus Insurance Inc E Larry Sanders Edward L Sanders Ins Agency Timothy Schaefer Schaefer Insurance Services Barry Winstead Winstead Insurance Agency

14

HOUSE LEVEL ($100 - $249) Brian Creamer Creamer Insurance Agency

OCTOBER 2017

Robert Klinger Klinger Insurance Group Kimberly Matney Matney Insurance Services Inc Mark McArdle McArdle Agency Inc Crystal Sears A & W Insurance Service Inc

* Contributors between Jan. 1 and Aug. 10, 2017.

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16

AG E N T PAC

AMPLIFYING YOUR VOICE IN ANNAPOLIS

By Lauren Brinjac

In the same way that insurance allows risk to be spread among a large group of people so that no one person’s burden is too great, a political action committee allows a group of like-minded individuals to pool their resources in order to act from a position of collective strength within the political process.

A

s independent agents and brokers, you’re professionals in the field of risk management. You understand that the cost of an insurance premium is small potatoes compared to the cost of a potentially devastating loss from which it could take years, or even a lifetime, to recover. On a daily basis, you help your clients obtain the appropriate levels of coverage to mitigate the myriad risks that are inherent in everyday life. Your ability to do this and do it well is the basis of your livelihood.

But while you’re protecting your clients, who’s protecting you?

The insurance industry is increasingly vulnerable in today’s political climate. Health care reform. Federal regulation.

Licensing standards. The list goes on and on. The decisions made by government today have a direct impact on the way you’ll practice business tomorrow. This is where AgentPAC, IA&B’s political action committee, comes into play: It protects your business and your livelihood against the many interests

17

agents’ interests. In turn, when elected, these legislators are more likely to listen to agents’ concerns.

An AgentPAC contribution is distinctly different from a personal contribution to a candidate. Personal contributions are just that — personal. They’re based on personal relationships or personal preferences regarding political parties and any number of political issues. When a legislator receives an AgentPAC check, there’s no question in his or her mind what that contribution means. It’s a show of support for a candidate who understands the insurance industry and shares its concerns.

Does having a strong PAC equate to “buying votes”? Does it mean that IA&B will win the day on every issue? Of course not.

It does, however, mean that IA&B will have a seat at the table when issues affecting independent agents are being decided upon by legislators. A well-funded PAC gives the association greater clout and allows the IA&B government affairs team to attend a variety of political events across the state during which time they have the opportunity to interact with and build relationships with legislators.

competing for attention in Annapolis. AgentPAC is your “job insurance,” and it’s more important than you might think.

Like it or not, political action committees (PACs) have become an integral part of American politics on every level. Regardless of one’s opinion about the role of money in politics, the fact of the matter is that it takes a significant amount of it to get elected to public office and, subsequently, to stay in that office. As Will Rogers once joked, “Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.”

The good news is that you don’t have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars all on your own to have an impact and influence on the legislative process in order to protect your industry. In the same way that insurance allows risk to be spread among a large group of people so that no one person’s burden is too great, a political action committee allows a group of likeminded individuals to pool their resources in order to act from a position of collective strength within the political process.

No single agent needs to foot the entire cost of protecting the insurance industry within the legislature when every agent makes his or her contribution to AgentPAC. AgentPAC takes independent agents’ collective voice to Annapolis. It allows IA&B to support candidates who understand independent

18

“It requires money to gain an audience with those government officials who impact your livelihood and the value of your agency. Through AgentPAC, you have that audience.”

– Craig S. Mader, of Craig S. Mader Insurance Agency Inc. in Gambrills, Md.

DECEMBER OCTOBER 2017 2015

These relationships are of the utmost importance. Legislators are presented with hundreds, if not thousands of bills during every legislative session. They can’t possibly be experts on all the topics covered in these pieces of legislation.

Lawmakers rely heavily on input and research provided by lobbyists in order to make sense of the various points of view on any given subject. And there’s always more than one point of view on any issue. For every argument in favor of a bill, there’s an equally strong counter argument, with interest groups on either side. Don’t you want IA&B to be one of the groups whose point of view is taken into consideration?

Please consider a contribution to AgentPAC today. Waiting until a legislative crisis comes along to get involved and start contributing is a little like trying to add flood coverage to your homeowners’ policy after finding out that a hurricane is on its way — it’s just too late. A well-established, wellfunded political action committee is your insurance against legislation that may negatively impact your industry and makes it easier to educate and influence legislators on the issues IA&B supports. Show your commitment to the preservation of your profession by making an AgentPAC contribution today. It’s a small premium to pay.

Learn more and contribute at IABforME.com/MdPAC. n

Safe. Strong. Stable.

Insuring businesses for 175 years.

The Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Harford County was founded in 1842 to protect the citizens and businesses in the small rural town of Bel Air outside Baltimore, Maryland. As a mutual company, we’ve always put our policyholders first,

Lauren Brinjac is the government affairs director for IA&B.

working with our independent agents to grow responsibly and cautiously. Now a large regional carrier serving seven states and Washington, DC, we are celebrating 175 years of always being Committed to Mutual Success.

HarfordMutual.com | 800.638.3669

19

HOW TO BRIDGE NEW PRODUCERS’

KNOWLEDGE GAP

D

an Lawyer, CIC, CPCU, is one of our CIC education consultants, a former agency owner and – as of early 2017 – the author of our new “Quoting, Writing and Servicing” series. We recently caught up with him to talk about what new producers need to know and how the new courses help to bridge the gap.

IA&B: Describe the training void that prompted the creation of the “Quoting, Writing and Servicing” series.

Lawyer: Many education courses are designed specifically for policy coverage. There isn’t much else out there that provides practical information and shows the ropes to new employees.

These courses help a new hire be as valuable as possible, as soon as possible.

IA&B: Who did you have in mind when creating this series?

Lawyer: The courses are meant for new producers who don’t have much experience, haven’t worked in other agencies and are new to the business.

IA&B: What advice would you give to newly licensed agents?

Lawyer: Take the courses, and then sit down with someone in your agency to ask questions and get direction. You also need to check with your companies and underwriters to feel them out, find out what they prefer, what rules they follow, and how much leeway and binding authority they give their new agents. n

20

NEW “QUOTING, WRITING AND SERVICING” SERIES LAUNCHED THIS year, these on-demand courses are designed specifically for newly licensed producers who are new to the industry. They provide the nuts and bolts of the job, from how to market, quote and write a policy, to how to service an account over the long haul.

The “Quoting, Writing and Servicing” series covers Commercial Casualty, Commercial Property, Homeowners, Personal Auto and Personal Umbrella.

Each course ends with a 25-question exam and awards 1-2 CE credits.

IABforME.com/NewLicensee

OCTOBER 2017

HR HEADQUARTERS

IS AN

INTERN

RIGHT FOR YOUR AGENCY

By Karen H. DiGioia

Gone are the days of bringing on an unpaid intern to handle a backlog of filing. If you’re thinking of hiring an agency intern (and there are plenty of compelling reasons to do so!), you need a game plan. Read on for considerations, best practices and requirements.

22

23

HR HEADQUARTERS

T

his article is coming to you from the dog days of summer. At the time I’m writing it, it’s mid-August.

The air is warm. Cicadas and birds are chirping outside my window. I’m drinking ice-cold water and eating a sweet juicy peach.

Fast forward to today. Unless global warming has gone into hyper drive, things are a bit different now. The air feels cooler – maybe even chilly. When you walk outside, you can hear the crunch of leaves under your feet. Maybe you’re sipping a cup of tea to warm up.

Juicy peaches are gone, and the scents and flavors of the season have changed to pumpkin, apple and cinnamon spice.

ADVANCING INTERNS INTERNSHIPS MAKE a great testing ground for potential employees. If your intern shows potential and clicks with your culture, consider advancing his or her interest in the industry. Training makes an ideal next step, and our new introductory courses fit the bill The self-paced online courses include “General Insurance Concepts” (7 courses); “Personal Lines Basics” (14 courses) and “Commercial Lines Basics” (23 courses). The training is designed specifically for unlicensed individuals (and therefore do not award CE credit).

IABforME.com/IntroTraining

24

There’s no denying it, summer is long gone and fall is here.

• Take advantage of the perspective and ideas an intern may bring

Well,I don’t know about you, but once fall is in full swing my thoughts seem to navigate very quickly to – next summer!

• Provide service to your community resulting in great PR and visible community relations

Now, for many, summer thoughts don’t revolve around work topics. When we think summer, typically we think of things like vacation … water … sun … sand… picnics….

Sounds like an impressive list, doesn’t it? Does this mean internships are right for everyone? Probably not. While a valuable program for many, there are many things to consider before diving into an internship. Some of the things to consider include:

But for an agency owner, every season relates back to work. So what’s a summer topic that also connects to work?

How about internships? Internships often happen in the summer and have everything to do with work. So, in an effort to focus forward to warm summer days ahead, let’s spend some time talking about internships.

WHY CONSIDER HIRING AN INTERN? Before we get into too much detail, let’s talk about some of the reasons you might want to consider hiring an intern. By hiring an intern (or interns) you can: • Get a step ahead on hiring a soonto-graduate student who might just become a future employee after graduation (according to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 90 percent of students who interned for a company said that they would accept an offer of employment from their internship employer) • Give you an extra set of hands around the office to assist during a time when other employees are on vacation or to help with special projects • Promote interest and career training in the insurance industry

DO YOU HAVE WORK AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERN? Work should be of value to both your agency and to the intern. While you may have a huge backlog of filing to be done, it’s really not appropriate to hire an intern and have him or her filing and stuffing envelopes day after day, month after month.

Internships should be structured with meaningful work and provide a true learning opportunity for the student. This doesn’t mean you can’t have them do some filing – just not all the time. While it will differ from agency to agency, typical work for interns includes: review and revision of your website or marketing materials, research for a potential new market segment (recent college graduates?), community development work, etc.

DO YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES NEEDED FOR AN INTERN? An intern will require office space and equipment. While it may be difficult to believe, many an intern has shown up for their first day at work to find that they don’t have a place to work (no chair, no desk and no computer). Definitely not the way to start out on the right foot.

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HR HEADQUARTERS

An intern will also need someone to oversee/manage and mentor him or her.

The supervisor and mentor may or may not be the same person. You may have one individual overseeing the day-to-day work and someone else (you, perhaps), providing overall guidance, direction and evaluation in broader terms. The mentor generally also serves as the primary liaison with the college the intern attends.

What about money in your budget?

Typically, interns must be paid (more on this in just a moment).

If you don’t have the resources available, an intern isn’t right for you at this time (feel free to turn the page). If you do, read on.

WHEN WOULD YOU NEED AN INTERN AND FOR HOW LONG? Typically internships take place in the summer, most frequently between a student’s junior and senior years.

HIRING HELP FROM DEVELOPING a job description to conducting formal interviews, hiring an intern mirrors that of any other agency employee. HR Solution© has tips and tools to guide agency managers through every step of the process. And, best yet, complete access is a complimentary benefit of IA&B membership.

IABforME.com/emp_mgmt

26

However, if you bring in a student earlier in their college career, you may find that they are willing to come back over a number of summers and even over their school breaks. Some students have internships that coincide with fall or spring semester. Just because summer is most typical doesn’t mean that’s the only option. Think about your agency’s needs and what type of arrangement would work best.

DO I NEED TO PAY AN INTERN AND, IF SO, HOW MUCH? Bottom line, if your agency is getting any benefit from the internship, the short answer to this question is “yes”! The days of free labor via internships are long gone.

If you would like more information on the topic of paid vs. unpaid internships, check out the Department of Labor website at: https://dol.gov/whd/regs/ compliance/whdfs71.htm While hourly rates can differ a bit based on the student’s school year, major and your geography, hourly rates for interns tend to average around $15-16/hour.

The college with which you are working should be able to provide you with some more specific guidance around this topic.

NEXT STEPS So, if you’ve read this far and think that hiring an intern might be right for you and your agency, what do you do next?

Start by writing a job description for your intern. Take the time to think through and document the work that will be done and the objectives that should be met. Decide who will be supervising and mentoring your intern and document that, too. Once you have this all put to paper, you can move forward to find and hire your intern.

Typically, interns are hired through colleges. When you contact your local schools, you’ll want to get information about the college or university’s process and what type of documentation they will require from you before, during and after the internship. They’ll have questions for you, too: What will the intern be doing? How long will you need an intern? What you will be paying? Are you willing to do the extra work that is required to allow the student to receive credit for the internship?

Before you call, have an idea of what type of student you are looking for. Is there a certain major? What year? Do you have GPA requirements? Have a good idea of what you’re looking for, as well as that job description we talked about earlier, before you get in touch.

As with hiring a regular employee, you will want to interview several internship candidates and will follow the same process you do with other hires. Once you’ve decided among candidates, provide a formal offer letter and employment packet for your intern, and orient them to your agency in the same formal way you would with a new employee. Once they start, make sure you include your intern in office events – staff meetings, social events, customer calls. Give your intern the opportunity to observe and participate in as much as possible.

And, during the course of the internship, as with all employees, you’ll want to take every opportunity to provide feedback.

Your intern is new to the world of work.

Look for opportunities to provide praise for work well done and give constructive feedback when you see opportunity for improvement and learning.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? Keep in mind: Federal, state and local labor laws and regulations that apply to your employees (think discrimination laws, workplace safety, workers compensation and such) will also apply to your interns.

As always, if you have questions about this or other HR topics, as part of your IA&B member benefits, one-on-one advice is just an email or phone call away.

I can be reached at 610-779-3870 or via email at karen@mostellerhr.com.

Is it summer yet? n

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? If you’ve decided that hiring an intern is the right thing for you and your agency, now’s a great time to get started. Time passes quickly. Soon the crisp days of fall will turn into the cold days of winter, which will slowly melt into the warmer days of spring and, before you know it, it will be summer again. Time for your new intern to report for his or her first day of work!

Karen H. DiGioia provided this article on behalf of Mosteller & Associates, IA&B’s contracted human resources consulting firm. Reach out to Karen for more information on internships or with other human resource questions.

IA&B’s HR Solution© is a compilation of products and services – available exclusively for our member agencies – that simplifies establishing or improving your human resources program. It includes base-level consultation and discounted professional services from Mosteller & Associates. Learn more at IABforME.com/emp_mgmt.

key piece of agent advocacy

AgentPAC is a

IN ANNAPOLIS.

IA&B gives members a strong voice in the

100 Ways in 100 Days Help us meet our critical annual fundraising goal with a contribution of $100 (or more) in the final 100 days of 2017.

Read more and contribute online at IABforME.com/MdPAC.

State House, but a big piece of the advocacy puzzle is the ability to support legislators who back our positions.

That’s only possible with the financial support of individual agents like you. Make a contribution to AgentPAC of Md. It’s like insurance for your career.

27

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

G ET A G R I P

ON YOUR

INBOX

By Daniel Gilbert

28

OCTOBER 2017

Think having zero messages in your email inbox is unrealistic? Read on for strategies to make it a reality and for the benefits you’ll glean.

I

n this age of ultra-fast, high-volume communication, you are undoubtedly using email and probably have a countless number of correspondents who send you emails (including any marketing letters to which you are subscribed, purposely or accidentally). With so much traffic coming into your inbox, you can quickly end up with an enormous number of items in your inbox. This can create serious performance issues in your email client, and can create uncertainty in whether you have addressed all that you need to address in your inbox. For these reasons, it is best to create a filing system within your inbox that keeps you on top of all the messages.

Here is my claim (hear me out!): Your inbox should contain zero messages at any given time. Now, this applies more in concept than in practice; it is unrealistic to keep your inbox at zero all the time, but the goal is to always strive for zero. Let’s find out how and why.

STRATEGIES To begin creating a file system, you should determine a list of categories under which each of your messages could be sorted.

Then, create a folder for each category under your mailbox. You can also create sub-categories within your categories and sort messages there if it makes more sense for you.

As an example, I will create a filing system for my own inbox.

First, I’ve identified that all the emails coming to my inbox are either customer requests, vendor correspondence, or personal messages. Therefore, I will create three folders under my inbox, one for each category. Furthermore, I can identify that any customer request or vendor correspondence can be further sorted into the specific customer or vendor for which the email regards.

I will then create a folder for each of my customers under the “Customer Requests” folder, and I will create a folder for each of my vendors under the “Vendor Requests” folder. Personal messages do not need to be sorted any further, so my “Personal Messages” folder will suffice. Now, when I receive a message to my inbox, I can quickly identify which category best applies, process the message as I normally would (reply or take some

other action), and then drag and drop it to the folder where it belongs. This creates a succinct workflow when processing my emails, and helps to keep my inbox clean.

This specific filing system may not work for you – you should find what works best for the way you do work. It is also important to keep in mind that your agency likely requires that a large portion of your emails be stored in your agency management system for documentation and continuity purposes.

Work with your agency administrator to learn your agency’s process for storing documents, and make sure that your email filing system and your agency management system work well together. This will ensure that other agents stay informed of the communication you are having, and help you achieve the clean inbox you want.

BENEFITS The most attractive benefit of keeping your inbox clean is performance improvement, as most email clients have a recommended item and folder limit. If you exceed the recommended limit, your email client may still work, but probably very slowly. This can be maddening.

In recent versions of Outlook, for instance, the recommendation is to stay below 100,000 messages per folder. This is a high number, but if you are working out of the same inbox for enough years, and fail to file your messages away properly, you will reach this limit much more rapidly than anticipated.

With a filing system in place, your messages are distributed over many folders, resulting in a lower number of items per folder.

You will be able to use the same filing system for years and are much less likely to exceed the file limit. If your inbox is currently very full, you will notice an immediate speed improvement when browsing and searching your emails once it has been cleaned up.

The other benefit of a solid filing system is that it helps gauge the size of your to-do list. If I have accumulated a list 100,000 items long of all the emails I have received in the past five years, I have no good way of determining how many of those items still require my attention. Sure, you could filter by your unread messages, but perhaps you have read a message in your inbox, but still need to take some action on it.

If you are diligent about filing away emails after processing them, you will know what work you have left to do in your inbox simply by the number of items in your inbox. At the end of the day, if you have properly filed for the day, your inbox will be at zero, and the following day you will easily be able to see how

29

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

many messages arrived and what amount of your time and effort will be required to get you back to zero.

CONSIDERATIONS You may not nail down all your incoming emails with your initial set of categories and sub-categories, so it will be important to continuously evaluate your filing system and add or subtract as needed. When you get through most of your messages and are left with a number of messages that do not fit any of your categories, you may choose to add new categories, or simply delete the messages if they are truly unimportant.

It is also advised that you stay aware of your subscriptions to newsletters and whether you truly want to receive

them. Many newsletters that you end up receiving accidentally make it very simple to end your subscription. This will reduce the traffic in your inbox and eliminate the messages you do not want to receive.

Using a quality spam filtering service can also help tremendously in this regard.

Now that you are equipped to invent your own inbox filing system, go make it a reality. You will feel less overwhelmed by your messages, your performance will improve, and you will feel like you have a much better handle over your busy inbox. Achieving an empty inbox gives an unrivaled sense of serenity when you finally get there. You may also find that your response time to your correspondents will improve once you are proficient in abiding by

the rules you created for your filing system. No matter what email provider you are using, you stand to benefit by applying these same concepts of email filing and inbox management.

Daniel Gilbert, Help Desk Team Lead, has been part of the Kite Technology team for five years. Daniel enjoys leveraging technology to drive automation. He spends much of his workday implementing solutions that eliminate computer issues and improve his clients’ experience. Daniel is an active blogger and enjoys writing articles about new technology.

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OCTOBER 2017

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31

My Events

CLASSIFIED A DV E R TI S E M E N TS SOUTHEAST PA PRODUCERS & AGENCIES

DATE TOPIC

LOCATION

OCTOBER 2017 2-3

Futures Conference

Philadelphia, Pa.

2-3

James K. Ruble Graduate Seminar

Ocean City, Md.

4

CISR Commercial Casualty II

Allentown, Pa.

4

CISR Life & Health

Baltimore, Md.

5

CISR Personal Auto

Lancaster, Pa.

5

Webinar: Long-Term Care Funding

1-4 p.m.

9-12

CIC Commercial Property Institute

Erie, Pa.

10

Webinar: Group Insurance & Savings Plans

1-4 p.m.

10-12

Property & Casualty Licensing Study Course

Allentown, Pa.

10-12

Life & Health Licensing Study Course

Pittsburgh, Pa.

11

William T. Hold: Personal Lines

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

11

Insuring Contractors

Philadelphia, Pa.

12

William T. Hold: Personal Lines

Lancaster, Pa.

13

Webinar: Closing Coverage Gaps-Home, Work & Auto

9 a.m.-Noon

17

CISR Commercial Casualty II

Wilmington, Del.

17

PA Auto Coverages

Pittsburgh, Pa.

18

CISR Personal Residential

Pittsburgh, Pa.

18

CISR Elements of Risk Management

Mechanicsburg, Pa.

19

E&O Risk Management

Pittsburgh, Pa.

19

Webinar: Cyber Liability

1-4 p.m.

19-20

James K. Ruble Graduate Seminar

Pittsburgh, Pa.

20

Webinar: Insuring the Building Project

9 a.m.-Noon

23

William T. Hold: Commercial Lines

Reading, Pa.

24

William T. Hold: Personal Lines

Altoona, Pa.

24

CISR Elements of Risk Management

York, Pa.

24

Webinar: Additional Insureds-The Quandary

1-4 p.m.

25

E&O Risk Management

Mechanicsburg, Pa.

25

Flood Insurance—Reviewed & Updated

Pittsburgh, Pa.

25

Webinar: Construction Defects

1-4 p.m.

26

CISR Personal Auto

Philadelphia, Pa.

26

CISR Commercial Property

Waldorf, Md.

26

Webinar: Homeowners and Auto Marketplace

1-4 p.m.

31-11/2 Life & Health Licensing Study Course

Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Professional agency since 1926 located in Feasterville, Bucks County, Pa. Call for confidential information and a review of our services.

Contact Ray Reinard at 215-357-8600, Ext. 119.

If you would like to place a classified advertisement, please contact Laura Gaenzle at Laura.gaenzle@theygsgroup.com or (717) 430-2351.

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OCTOBER 2017

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