Rough Notes

PEOPLE OVER POLICIES

Agency of the month The Hitchings Insurance Agency team outside their Findlay, Ohio, office. PEOPLE OVER POLICIES Ohio agency focuses on empathy for everyone’s situation By Dennis H. Pillsbury There’s The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

Construction Outlook

CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK: WAITING ON THE COMEBACK Housing demand on the rebound from higher interest rates, inflation By Alan Ferguson Homeownership is an American dream. It’s also a key driver of The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

Developing Industry Relationships

DEVELOPING INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS AND CLIENTS How can you find a superhero team to achieve common goals? By Jeremy T. Wittenbaum I had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

Surety’s Evolution

SURETY’S EVOLUTION Not taking the surety bond market seriously is a costly mistake many agents and brokers make By Lori Widmer “Surety is a very hot place to be right The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

Soccer, Food and Faith

  SOCCER, FOOD AND FAITH Mother-daughter team goes international to win the 2022 Rough Notes Community Service Award By Alice Ashby Roettger “It is [all] for the children! Kids are The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

Life Insurance

LIFE INSURANCE Voluntary supplemental life takes on new social value after pandemic By Len Strazewski For decades, life insurance benefits were last in line during open enrollment. Stuck at a The post

Posted: Jun 30, 2023

De-escalate Irate Caller

FIVE STEPS TO DE-ESCALATE AN IRATE CALLER From listening to following through, it’s possible to diffuse most situations with the proper action Most angry callers are angry because they feel The post

Posted: Jun 29, 2023

COVERAGE YOU SELL

  FULFILLING THE COVERAGE YOU SELL  Consistent coverage interpretations and claim resolutions will promote consumer confidence at both ends of the insurance transaction  It’s taken awhile, but regulations governing the The post

Posted: Jun 21, 2023

Commercial Auto Insureds

 DOUBLE DOWN ON LOSS CONTROL TO HELP COMMERCIAL AUTO INSUREDS Rising rates have been and will continue to be a sore spot in the industry Telematics is a hot trend The post

Posted: Jun 07, 2023

Ring my chimes

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Ring my chimes Current and former employees of Ring-Central participated in RingCentral’s employee welfare benefits plan. The plan participated in the

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

No third-party beneficiary

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS No third-party beneficiary Chris LaBarbera hired Richard Knight, d/b/a Knight Construction, to remodel a house pursuant to a contract that provided Th...

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Knockout punch

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Knockout punch Interpreting the abuse and mole-station exclusion through the lens of an objectively reasonable insured, “physical abuse” applies “to a

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Bad day for Backis

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Bad day for Backis Diane Backis was a Cargill employee for several decades at a grain facility that Cargill operated in The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

A seedy deal

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS A seedy deal Almost two decades prior to this decision, the Mississippi Supreme Court handed down Farmland Mutual Insurance Co. v. The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

BUMPY COMMERCIAL AUTO

NAVIGATING THE BUMPY COMMERCIAL AUTO ROAD Best practices independent agents can share with policyholders to reduce claims By Mike Zdrojewski The commercial auto market is similar to a time-worn highway. The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

YOUNG AGENT SUCCESS

THE FIVE PILLARS OF YOUNG AGENT SUCCESS Building your foundation for long-term success By Mitch Gibson Just as in the building of a house, when the structure requires a solid The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS Providing guidance and support to younger colleagues benefits both mentors as well as organizations By Maura C. Ciccarelli Thinking back, Laura Henderson sees the positive impact a few The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Introducing Dash Cams

INTRODUCING DASH CAMS TO YOUR COMMERCIAL TRUCKING CLIENTS While drivers may not be on board, these tips may help fleet managers understand the benefits By Alex Firl Smart dash cams The post

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Need a Coach?

FIVE REASONS WHY YOUR AGENCY DOESN’T NEED A COACH Even the best can improve A qualified coach can help you, as a leader, develop and empower your team. As   The post Need...

Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Intentional Acts; Injuries

 INTENTIONAL ACTS; INTENTIONAL INJURIES  When and how they differ makes a big, well, difference Confusion over coverage for intentional acts often leads insureds to walk away from liability coverage they The post

Posted: May 02, 2023

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND  Fill your pipeline with nonprofit and social services accounts right in your community Seasoned agents who specialize in this space will tell you there are a host of The post

Posted: May 02, 2023

Suspect on the run

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Suspect on the run The prosecution filed a complaint alleging that Geovanni Quijadas Silva committed a lewd or lascivious act on The post

Posted: Apr 28, 2023

Defining “disinterested”

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Defining “disinterested” Jon Parrish was insured under a policy issued by State Farm Florida Insurance Company when, in September2017, Hurricane Irma ...

Posted: Apr 28, 2023

Insurer loses arbitration appeal

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Insurer loses arbitration appeal Raymond Erb appealed a final order compelling arbitration with his insurer pursuant to an arbitration clause contained

Posted: Apr 28, 2023

One potato, two potato

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS One potato, two potato A dispute arose from John D. Miller Jr. d/b/a John Miller Farms, Inc., and JD Miller, Inc.’s The post

Posted: Apr 28, 2023