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Industry News

IIABA News
Register for Annual Chairman’s Cup Golf Tournament

The 13th annual Chairman’s Cup Golf Tournament will be held Jan. 16 at the Pete Dye golf course at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif. The tournament will be held in conjunction with the Big “I” Winter Board Meeting. Click here for details about the tournament or to register online. For registration questions, contact Lauren Batch at lauren.batch@iiaba.net.


Trusted Choice^® 
Help Customers Have a Safe Holiday Season 

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years bring celebrations, many of them in decorated homes filled with merry-making, family and friends. The National Fire Protection Association reports that over the course of a calendar year, the 10 worst days for fires in homes fall between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6. Fortunately, these risks can be reduced with safe practices addressing the “four C’s” of winter fires: chimneys, candles, Christmas trees and children. Let your customers know that as a Trusted Choice^® agent, you understand the holidays bring a greater risk of fire by sharing this new article on fire safety. The article can be found in the Agents/Brokers section of www.TrustedChoice.com, under Public Relations Articles. Feel free to reproduce the article in any customer communications, including newsletters or Web sites. The Agents/Brokers section of www.TrustedChoice.com also offers many other consumer interest articles, including, “Preparing Your Home for Winter.”

You will need your agency username and password to access these areas of the secured “Agents/Brokers” section of www.TrustedChoice.com. If you do not have this login information handy, send an e-mail to Trusted.Choice@iiaba.net. For more information, contact Jenner Gohr at 800-221-7917; jenner.gohr@iiaba.net.


Best Practices
Make Real-Time a Reality, The Best Practices Way

The Best Practices webinar series is designed to help agency decision makers evaluate, implement and audit their work flow and technology efficiencies. Participants learn best practices for making real-time a reality through a three-part series based on the newly revised Best Practices Guide to Agency Business Process and Information Management. These webinars are crucial for agencies looking to become a client-centric organization. The series began on Nov. 5 with “Where Do I Begin,” an overview of the guide and instruction on how to assess current technology. The program continues on Dec. 3 with “Implementation and ROI,” which covers the nuts and bolts of real-time processing, carrier interface and work flow management. The series concludes with the webinar “Work flows-Auditing and Monitoring Compliance,” designed to help agency decision-makers operate at peak efficiency. Laura Nettles of Nettles Consulting has helped more than 100 agencies maximize their performance and is ready to help your agency do the same. If you missed the first webinar, you can receive the archived recording and participate in the final two live sessions. Click here for more information or click here to register.


Best Practices
The Aggregators, Alliances, Franchises & Networks Guidebook

Commissioned by IIABA’s Council for Best Practices, the Aggregators, Alliances, Franchises & Networks Guidebook is an objective look at how existing and evolving alternative distribution models are affecting the future of the independent agency system for all stakeholders. The guide provides a brief history of agency aggregation and alternative distribution models and shows how these concepts have evolved during the past 25 years. In addition, it defines aggregator models taking different paths than models used by consolidators or acquirers, reviews various aggregation models and provides important highlights of each model. Also included are a SWOT analysis of the concepts and suggested business considerations for agents and brokers who are considering working with entities operating under such models. The guidebook is intended to be a starting point for possible ongoing analysis and forecasts. The Big "I" Virtual University and the Council for Best Practices will periodically update the material and will provide additional resources and research on the evolution of agency aggregation models as circumstances warrant.

The complete guide is available to IIABA members only. Log on today at www.independentagent.com/VU. If you do not know your login, e-mail logon@iiaba.net and provide your name, agency and contact information to request your user name and password.


Big I Advantage^SM
Eagle Agency Expands with New Travelers Opportunity

Big I Advantage^SM and Travelers are joining together to make a wide range of commercial markets available to Big “I” members through the Eagle Agency program. Travelers Select Accounts provides a complete range of coverage solutions, services and competitive products with pricing that offers insureds and agents value and flexibility in small and middle market commercial accounts. 

The Master Pac^SM Business Owners Policy (BOP) and Pac Plus^SM for more complex small business exposures provide coverage for small businesses of all types from Main Street retailers to small manufacturers. 

• For a quick summary of the 12 broad commercial market segments, click here.
• For details on the program and how to gain access, click here.
• For a complete listing of all the commercial markets available to you through Eagle 
   Agency or Big “I” Markets, click here. 

Not only is Travelers offering commercial markets to Big “I” members, but it’s also greatly expanding the number of states where its full range of personal lines markets are available through Eagle Agency. Travelers Personal Lines is available in all states except Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia. To learn more about this opportunity and how to gain access, click here.