Big I Virginia E-News
October 2019
Welcome

Agencies:

Braun Ins Agency Virginia Beach, VA 
The Westmeyer Group Falls Church, VA
From the Desk of the President & CEO
  
How do you compete with free? How do you compete with classes designed just to provide hours — quick and easy. 
 
When the Continuing Education Law was passed for insurance agents, it was done with the intent that insurance agents are indeed professionals and the “rules” of this profession are constantly changing. This became even more apparent when ethics became an integral part of the education requirements.  The availability of courses skyrocketed as the required demand for CE hours grew. And with the advent of online CE, it became easier and easier to provide. Everyone got into the game as it were.
IIAV Member Resources
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurers to offer a one-month Annual Special Enrollment Period that starts November 15 and runs through December 15 with a January 1 plan effective date. During this special enrollment period, eligible small groups can enroll in coverage without having to meet standard small group employer-contribution and/or employee-participation ratios and requirements. Please contact me to learn more.
Monty Dise, President 
Asset Protection Group, Inc. 
mdise@apgroupinc.com 
804-423-7700
  
The Importance of Strong Passwords
A couple of weeks ago, I was teaching a class on Cyber Security. I always talk about the requirement of using strong passwords. 
The Security You Need. The Name You Trust.
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies®
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies are rated A+ “Superior” by A.M. Best (as of 4/20/2021) and backed by the financial strength of our ultimate parent, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.  In Virginia, we offer a full product suite for your commercial clients that includes a Businessowner’s Policy (with typical limits up to $20 million; $50 million for select classes), Commercial Auto, Commercial Umbrella, Professional Liability, and Workers’ Compensation.  “Pay-as-you-go” billing options are also featured.
Learn more
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State & National News
NU PC360 recently talked to David Tralka, president and CEO of InsurBanc, about productive ways agencies can use debt. An expert on agency perpetuation and financing, Tralka often speaks and writes about how agencies can increase the value of their firm. InsurBanc is a division of Connecticut Community Bank, N.A., and provides financial products and services tailored to the independent agency community. 
Applied Systems and InVEST have announced the findings of a survey conducted to understand Generation Z’s awareness of career opportunities within the insurance industry and their outlook on pursuing work in this field. The report, The Future of Insurance: Bye-Bye Boomers, Hello Digital Natives, focuses on how insurance companies and agencies can leverage this information to have the greatest chance of attracting the next generation of workers.
RT Specialty - Richmond
ICW Group
IIAV News
The annual Best Practices Study (BPS) originated in 1993 as an initiative by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (or Big I) to help its members build and maintain the value of their most important assets, their agencies. By studying the leading agencies and brokers in the country, the association hoped to provide member agents with meaningful performance benchmarks and business strategies that could be adopted or adapted for use in improving agency performance, thus enhancing agency value. The Big I retained the principals of Reagan Consulting to create and perform the first Best Practices Study. Annual updates are conducted to provide important financial and operational benchmarks and the Study is recognized as one of the most thoughtful, effective and valuable resources ever made available to the industry.
Being a part of your state association just got even better. Now is the best time to upgrade to an Advantage subscription! Save up to 25%* when you subscribe to an Annual Advantage package. Your package will be active the moment you subscribe and will run through 12/31/2020. The sooner you act, the more you will get out of your subscription. This promotion ends on 1/3/2020.
Q: Do we have to pay an employee for time during a disciplinary meeting?
Penn National Insurance
Education
IIAV strives to provide quality education for you and your team. Take a look at what courses are coming up that could benefit not only you but your clients as well.