Rough Notes

RUNNING ON EMPTY

RUNNING ON EMPTY It’s time to reinvigorate yourself and your team Think of your energy as if it were a bank account—you are either making deposits and building up your The post

Posted: Feb 01, 2022

ACTUARIES AT PLAY

ACTUARIES AT PLAY! NAIC publishes a white paper that outlines pretenses of rate review   The paper provides 55 pages of “best practices” for the … “reviewer” who wants to The post

Posted: Feb 01, 2022

HAVE YOU REALIZED YOUR POTENTIAL?

HAVE YOU REALIZED YOUR POTENTIAL? The key is to take what’s possible and make it highly probable If there’s a gap between your potential and your actual results, it’s time The post

Posted: Feb 01, 2022

WRITING FARM INSURANCE

WRITING FARM INSURANCE REQUIRES A DIFFERENT APPROACH Family farms feature both personal and commercial risks   By Casey Roberts, CIC, ACSR, AFIS High property values, protection classes, older properties, and The post

Posted: Feb 01, 2022

LESSONS FROM THE FAMILY OFFICE

LESSONS FROM THE FAMILY OFFICE Looking for benchmarks that can help your agency or brokerage serve clients better? Look to the affluent for advice By Lori Widmer In many ways, The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

THE SECURITY FIRM INSURANCE MARKET TIGHTENS

THE SECURITY FIRM INSURANCE MARKET TIGHTENS What will become the next high-risk location remains an elusive question By Lori Widmer It remains the deadliest mass shooting in mod   ern U.S. The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

CAN YOU RELATE

CAN YOU RELATE? What two agents say about the “Triangle of Trust” in surety By Darrel K. Lamb, CPCU, AFSB “Relationship” might be the most-overused word in American business (followed The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

SELLING BENEFITS BETTER

SELLING BENEFITS BETTER What to do when the old ways of selling just don’t work anymore By Marcus Newman, RHU, CBC The world of employee benefits has changed, and continues The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

POSITION YOURSELF TO WIN WITH EVERY CUSTOMER INTERACTION

POSITION YOURSELF TO WIN WITH EVERY CUSTOMER INTERACTION Create an action plan to retool everyone and everything within your agency or firm By Troy Korsgaden As brokers, agents, and advisors, The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

DOING THE RIGHT THING

Top photo caption: The Shaw Insurance team. Front row, from left: Jennifer Waganer, Agent and CSR; Howard Shaw, Owner; Jean Irby, Previous Owner; Susan Shaw, Owner; Aaron Carter, Account Manager. The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

CONGRATULATIONS  STEWARDSHIP

CONGRATULATIONS STEWARDSHIP 2021 Agency of the Year By Dave Willis, CPIA As we’ve done for more than 30 years, we at Rough Notes magazine again are naming our Agency of The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

METZWOOD INSURANCE: GROWING STRONGER EVERY DAY

Looking Back, Looking Ahead METZWOOD INSURANCE: GROWING STRONGER EVERY DAY Fourth generation of agency builds volume in high-net-worth personal lines By Matthew Wood, CPCU, CIC, CPRM, AAI Founded in 1913 The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

THE INSURANCE GUYS

Professional Development THE INSURANCE GUYS Two Alabama agency owners start podcast to help agencies succeed By Christopher W. Cook “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

BETTER THAN JAKE

The Young Pro-File BETTER THAN JAKE Third-generation agency owner takes on large captive agencies   By Christopher W. Cook In the insurance industry, certain dedicated young professionals stand out among The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

COMMERCIAL CRIME COVERAGE—PART ONE

Mind the Gap COMMERCIAL CRIME COVERAGE—PART ONE A look at the coverages on the ACORD 141 Crime Section application   Not only are there a lot of coverages from which The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

A RECIPE FOR AGENT E&O PROBLEMS

SPECIALTY LINES MARKETS A RECIPE FOR AGENT E&O PROBLEMS The market remains tight as the pandemic question looms By Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU No one likes to spend more  time The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

CRITICAL ILLNESS: CRITICAL SITUATION

CRITICAL ILLNESS: IT’S A CRITICAL SITUATION The COVID pandemic raises employer and employee consciousness for the product By Len Strazewski The situation is critical. Hospitals are filled to near capacity The post

Posted: Jan 31, 2022

TOP FIVE COVERAGES THAT INFLATION CAN AFFECT

TOP FIVE COVERAGES THAT INFLATION CAN AFFECT  When costs do normalize, there’s no chance they’ll return to earlier levels  While the cost of medical treatments and other factors can devalue The post

Posted: Jan 25, 2022

EMBEDDING THE NEED TO SAY “NO.” OR NOT

Coverage Concerns EMBEDDING THE NEED TO SAY “NO.” OR NOT  Embedded insurance is not really new, but it’s re-emerged with new capabilities  [I]t’s telling that embedded insurance has had its The post

Posted: Jan 19, 2022

HOW TO KNOW IF IT’S TIME TO SHOP

HOW TO KNOW IF IT’S TIME TO SHOP Shopping smart for towing insurance enables you to avoid the reason to shop every year — and build trust with clients  By The post

Posted: Jan 06, 2022

PUNISHMENT FITS THE CRIME

WHEN THE PUNISHMENT FITS THE CRIME “Eligible losses” is key when breaking down this Court Decisions case Losses that occur and that are, in any significant manner, under your control The post

Posted: Jan 04, 2022

When the punishment fits the crime …

When the punishment fits the crime … INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online   Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Sempf Nyren and his two minor-aged friends were hunting while using flashlights after Th...

Posted: Jan 04, 2022

Was driver unlicensed?

Was driver unlicensed? INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online   On December 14, 2018, Felicia Edwards and Robert Allen Marak were involved in a motor vehicle accident in Dadeville, The post

Posted: Jan 04, 2022

COURT DECISIONS SLAPPed down

SLAPPed down INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online   Allstate Insurance Company et al. filed a complaint on behalf of itself and the people of California against Dr. Sonny The post

Posted: Jan 04, 2022

LEVERAGING CUSTOMER DATA

LEVERAGING CUSTOMER DATA More than a buzzword, info in your existing system can be used to drive easy growth External data can help you and your agency “fill in the The post

Posted: Jan 04, 2022