Two for Tuesday Header
 
 
In This Issue:
Stand-Alone Valuable Articles Homecoming
Breaking the Ice on Workers Comp
Special Feature: Reap the Benefits of Executive Coaching
 
Additional Items:
Webinars
Parting Shot
Last Week's Most Clicked
Sale of the Week
 
 
Stand-Alone Valuable Articles Homecoming
Returning soldiers come back with a desire to reconnect with family, a want to resume the life they left behind, and a duffel bag of dirty laundry. While they haven't been off keeping our nation safe Jason Bernstein and his Crown Coverage team have been away fighting to return to Big "I" Markets. They're back to reconnect with the BIM family and resume serving BIM agents with a new Valuable Articles markets written on AXA Insurance Company paper. As with any homecoming there is a period of catching up.

Catch up on the coverages now available:

Artist* Conservator* Dealer* Exhibition Historic Property* Jewelry Museum* Private Corporate* The Stand-alone Valuable Articles Program - [Commercial or Personal] can be found again on www.bigimarkets.com and is available in all states.

* Earthquake restrictions apply in California. Windstorm coverage restrictions apply in Florida and coastal locations.  
 
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Special Feature:
Reap the Benefits of Executive Coaching
When you hear "Executive Coaching," do you imagine two senior leaders in high-backed leather chairs hashing out performance problems from inside a top-floor, corner office that's accessible to only the most high-ranking company employees?

That scenario encapsulates the two biggest myths of executive coaching:
  1. It's only for senior leaders In truth, executive coaching is useful for any manager or high-potential management candidate. The process helps identify strengths, motivations, and developmental opportunities; determines the individual's personal leadership style; and guides the creation of an action plan designed to maximize the manager's performance within the specific organizational culture.
  2. It's only needed when leaders are failing Smart companies don't wait until a manager is struggling to provide coaching. We all have personality dynamics that can support or impede our leadership efforts, and executive coaching helps us sharpen the positive attributes and avoid the pitfalls on the road to management success.
Click here to read the complete article from Caliper's blog. Learn more about your IIABA discount on Caliper testing and services at www.iiaba.net/Caliper.  
 
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Break the Ice on Workers Comp

Selling insurance often begins with a simple conversation. Clients or potential clients may not know about the products you're selling so you may need to ask probing questions to determine what their needs may be. To help you have the right conversation about workers' compensation, Travelers has come up with a list of conversation starters, resources, and statistics to help you sell Workers Compensation. Be sure to mention that Travelers works hard to stay abreast of the changing workplace and bring down costs.

Workers Compensation - Travelers Select can be found on www.bigimarkets.com and is currently available in all states except AK, CO, DE, HI, MA, ND, NM, OH, PA, WA & WY.  

 
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New Webinars
Webinars
Big "I" Virtual University Webinars

Don't miss the following education opportunities provided from the Big "I" Virtual University experts that focus on topics agents need to know to make a smart start in 2016. For more information, contact national staff.
  • May 11. "The Dumb Things We Do" " We all can make mistakes in our understanding, advice and actions when it comes to insuring the public. These coverage and procedural mistakes become problematic when they adversely impact consumers and businesses, leading to inadequately covered losses and all too often, litigation. This program taps into a file accumulated by Bill Wilson and David Thompson over the past decade of over 500 real-life incidents that imperiled the financial condition of consumers and businesses. Click here to learn more and to register.
  • June 22. "Drones AKA Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" One of the most fluid issues in insurance today involves drones. The technology, regulations, exposures, and coverages seem to change on a daily basis. This webinar is designed to bring the participant completely up to date with regard to the technology, laws and regulations, evolving exposures/uses, and what coverages (both personal and commercial lines) are available in the marketplace. It will also dispel some of the myths about coverage (or lack thereof), especially in the area of privacy. Click here to learn more and to register.
 
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DocuSign for Big I Members: Keeping Business Digital with eSignatures

Join us to learn more about DocuSign for your agency. We'll show you how you can use DocuSign for everything from new policy applications to coverage election forms. We'll cover the basics, including how to take advantage of your exclusive Big "I" member price discount, and leave plenty of time for you to ask us questions:
  • Legality and security: We'll show you how DocuSign is a best practice in keeping you and your clients safe
  • Ease and convenience: See what your clients will see when you send documents through DocuSign, and learn just how easy it is to sign
  • Sending, templates and account management: We'll get you up to speed on setting up your account, short cuts with document templates, and account management 101
We'll see you there!

Click the date to learn more and to register:  
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Remember that you can view the following webinars 24/7 by checking out the BIM Webinar Library. To do that log onto Big "I" Markets and click on "Publications".
  • Personal Liability Trends - Fireman's Fund
  • TravPay
  • Commercial Lessor's Risk
  • Affluent Homeowners
  • Travelers Select Products (series)
  • Travel Insurance
  • Community Banks
  • XS Flood
  • Real Estate E&O
  • RLI Personal Umbrella
  • Affluent Homeowner
  • "Oh, by the way...Flood Sale"
  • Habitational
  • Non-standard Homeowner
  • Student Housing
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BIM WEBSITE TRAINING WEBINAR
For all you folks who recently registered for Big "I" Markets, remember you can participate in a webinar from the comfort of your office to help you learn how to navigate around the system. Every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. EDT we'll show you how to navigate the Big "I" Markets platform, including how to submit a quote! A recording of this webinar can be found under "Publications" after logging into Big "I" Markets.
 
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Student of the Industry Parting Shot
Reinsurance in Headlines
DPW, GPW, NPW…Why We Care

By Paul Buse, President of Big I Advantage®

Recently two articles caught my attention where reinsurance was mentioned.

First, why would anyone bother to pay attention to reinsurance? It's because reinsurance is looked at as a marketplace barometer. Reinsurance, generally speaking, is not subject to rate and form regulation…it's the land of Adam Smith and free markets.

Second, the quotes. One was from Warren Buffett. He essentially said the reinsurance market was presently too cheap for his A++ rated Berkshire Hathaway companies to get more active in. Next was a quote by Rob Berkley of W.R. Berkley. He noted that some insurers are increasing their use of reinsurance and reinsurance prices may rise as a result.

As Students of the Industry, we know you are thinking: "Show me the Data!" Below is a graph of data from large and active reinsurers. You will notice DPW is "Direct Premiums Written" issued by reinsurers is a minor factor. These are policies actually issued to non-insurers and not technically reinsurance at all. Second, GPW or "Gross Written Premiums" and those are driven by what you think of reinsurance, both from unaffiliated and other insurers within the insurer group plus the minor amount of DPW. Last is, NPW or "Net Written Premiums" and those are the premiums remaining after reinsurers purchase their own reinsurance. This represents the risk the reinsurers are keeping after "ceding" some reinsurance out to other reinsurers.

Bonus Question: If anyone knows what it is called when a reinsurer buys reinsurance, email me the one word answer in the subject line of your email (paul.buse@iiaba.net). The first person gets a Tiffany glass Trusted Choice bowl (about 4" wide and 2" deep). Second email in gets a historic Big "I" cigarette lighter.
 
Click for larger version

Source: A.M. Best Aggregates & Averages: Quantitative Analysis Report, Reinsurance Composite - 61 Companies, Pg. 9 of 14.  
 
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Last Week's Most Clicked Links
Here are the top three items that got BIM agents clicking from our last edition... see what you missed!
  1. "The Dumb Things We Do" Webinar registration (5/11)
  2. ICBA's Community Bank locator
  3. 1925 Tri-State Tornado
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Big "I" Markets Sale of the Week
Congratulations to our agent in Tennessee on a habitational - apartment sale of $14,159 in premium!  
 
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Tuesday, May 3, 2016
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TFT is authored by Michael Welch
Big "I" Markets Marketing Assistant