2013

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

New York Second in Nation For Questionable Workers’ Comp Claims; First Niagara Benefit Consulting Named Top Producer by The Business Council of New York State

Insurance Advocate In The News October 14, 2013

New York Second in Nation For Questionable Workers’ Comp Claims Albany, N.Y.—New York is second in the nation, only behind California, for questionable workers compensation insurance claims. New York jumped to second in 2012 from fifth in 2011. “Workers compensation insurance fraud is a serious problem in New York,” Ellen Melchionni, president of the New […]

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

Big “I” Presents Best Practices Awards to Companies

Insurance Advocate In The Associations October 14, 2013

Big “I” Presents Best Practices Awards to Companies ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) presented insurance carriers CNA, Central Insurance Companies, EMC and Travelers with the its Best Practices Award of Excellence at the recent education convocation held in conjunction with the Big “I” Leadership Conference in […]

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

Insurance Lessons Learned from Sandy: Steps to Share with Your Business Clients

Insurance Advocate In The News October 14, 2013

Insurance Lessons Learned from Sandy: Steps to Share with Your Business Clients NEW YORK, N.Y.— The difficulty many businesses had reopening after Hurricane Sandy is a reminder of the importance of having a disaster recovery plan and the right type and amount of insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). In fact, the I.I.I. […]

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

LETTERS

Insurance Advocate Letters October 14, 2013

Steve: It was very sad to hear of Manny’s passing…even at age 95… Manny was one of my heroes in the Insurance industry. There were many times he stood up to the higher powers, against what he thought was wrong, and he wasn‘t afraid.. Thirteen years ago, I had the great honor and privilege, to […]

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

You Wouldn’t Take a Trip Without a Map or GPS

Jamie Deapo On the Level October 14, 2013

You Wouldn’t Take a Trip Without a Map or GPS As we enter the last quarter of 2013 it’s time to make that final push for production and to start the planning process for 2014. The day to day operation of an insurance agency is pretty hectic and it’s not easy to find the time […]

2013/ October 14/ Past Issues

Q&A with… F. Glen Gabriel CEO, Bender Insurance

Insurance Advocate Q&A October 14, 2013

Q&A with… F. Glen Gabriel CEO, Bender Insurance Access General Agency Coming on Strong for Brokers In our ongoing survey of activities in the business, we have come to the conclusion that some general agencies are enjoying their success and standing “pat” while others are actively seeking new brokers, providing them fresh access to top […]

2013/ Past Issues/ September 23

Negative Developments

Stephen Ruchman On the Level September 23, 2013

Technology is a wonderful thing. It makes our lives easier and our businesses more efficient; it continuously provides us with the ability to do things we never would have been able to do before; and it solves problems. It builds businesses and provides jobs. But, we have to keep up with it. Often, it seems […]

2013/ Past Issues/ September 23

The Too Honest Jeweler

Barry Zalma On My Radar September 23, 2013

The story that follows is based on fact. The names, places and descriptions have been changed to protect the guilty. This story was written for the purpose of providing insurers, those in the insurance business, and the insurance buying public sufficient information to recognize and join in the fight against insurance fraud. The jeweler had […]

2013/ Past Issues/ September 23

State Producer Licensing: Going, Going . . . ?

Peter Bickford Insight September 23, 2013

Over the past several decades I have assisted a number of small to midsized brokerage firms with licensing and disciplinary matters with their State regulators. The majority of these matters involved inadvertent licensing lapses through inadequate record keeping and monitoring rather than juicier issues like improper placements or premium trust account mismanagement. In the past […]

2013/ Past Issues/ September 23

ObamaCare is about Your Money, Not Your Health

Guest Author Guest Opinion September 23, 2013

By Marilyn M. Singleton, M.D., J.D. The politics of selling the Affordable Care Act (ACA) focuses on promising health and wellness. Somehow, having “coverage” is supposed to get you to a primary care doctor, who will keep you healthy. And if he doesn’t, he will be held accountable by not being paid. The fact is […]