NON-MEMBER BIG “I” VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE STARTS SEPTEMBER 1
Educational Classes Still Accessible to All
ALEXANDRIA, VA, Aug. 30 - Beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 1, the research and reference services of the Big “I” Virtual University (VU), the highly-acclaimed online insurance educational and informational resource program, will be available only to non-Association members through paid subscriptions.
The program, developed by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”), will remain available on a free, unlimited basis to all Big “I” members.
Individual non-member subscriptions will be available for a $395 annual fee, and non-member groups can purchase 10 or more individual subscriptions at discount pricing of 10 percent off each when purchased together.
Individual subscriptions can be purchased online at the VU beginning Sept. 1 using a major credit card. To do so, visit www.independentagent.com and click on the Virtual University link.
To recognize the important contributions that Big “I” insurance company partners make to the success of the agency system, those partners that contribute $15,000 or more to Big “I” partner programs will be provided 10 complimentary subscriptions and can purchase additional individual subscriptions for $95 each. Insurance companies can contact Madelyn Flannagan at Madelyn.Flannagan@iiaba.net for more information.
“The VU is a one-stop-shop that provides a wealth of information that agents and brokers can use to increase their industry knowledge and immediately apply what they’ve learned to their business operations,” says Madelyn Flannagan, Big “I” vice president of education and research.
Big “I” members and VU subscribers will receive a variety of benefits, including unlimited access to more than 4,000 pages of timely industry information; a subscription to VUpoint, the biweekly VU e-newsletter and its fully searchable archives; and immediate access to a library of “white papers” on hot insurance topics.
This change will not have an impact on accessibility to insurance educational classes available online at the VU. Subscriptions will not be required to access online VU classes. “These courses will remain open to anyone who wants to access quality online insurance training,” says Flannagan. The prices of the classes will vary by topic and length.
Non-member independent insurance agencies are strongly encouraged to contact their state Big “I” associations to become members so they can receive free access to the VU. Other interested individuals are encouraged to secure their subscriptions online.
Big “I” members can take advantage of their free access to the VU by ensuring that each of their agency employees has received a user ID and password.
Association members and their employees who do not have a Big “I” user ID and password can click on the “Member Login” icon at www.independentagent.com, then click on “Don’t Know Password” and follow the on-screen instructions. If this approach does not generate a password, Big “I” members can click on the link in the “Member Login Information” section and request a password by sending an e-mail with their name and their agency contact information.
For more information about Big “I” membership and VU subscriptions, please visit www.independentagent.com.
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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