If your agency could benefit form having access to top-tier commercial lines markets such as CNA, The Hartford and Zurich then you need to make plans to attend the Agentsecure.com Road Show! In a few weeks other markets will open up including St. Paul, AIG, Safeco and Kemper. Company Founder Ed Gilman will demonstrate the 6 W's of Agentsecure.com - who, what, when, where, why & how! Agentsecure.com is a web-based market-access program offering agents the opportunity to access small commercial markets with some of the top carriers in the country - with no premium volume commitment and no monthly fees! For more Agentsecure.com information, visit their website at www.agentsecure.com. Your Association office invites you an educational training sessions. The first sessions will be held at the AIIA office in Birmingham on Wednesday, August 29^th at 10:00 a.m. & 2 p.m. Another session is scheduled for Thursday, August 30^th in Madison, Ala., at the Radisson Inn Huntsville Airport at 10:00 a.m. All sessions are free. It's not to late to reserve a seat! Respond to Alison Ray at aray@aiia.org or call (205) 326-4129. 
 

Is The E&O Merry-Go-Round Making You Sick?

The AIIA Association Office recently received notice that another E&O carrier is leaving the state. This announcement is the latest in just the last few months - two separate carriers have notified agents that they will not be renewing their E&O coverage after the policy expires. With E&O carriers coming and going in Alabama, buying up the market and either increasing rates, or leaving the state, it's enough to make you feel dizzy and unsure. Westport has been a part of AIIA's program since 1980, and is still a stable Errors and Omissions carrier for Alabama agents. As part of IIAA's E&O program, our agents also have an alternative market through Chubb Executive Risk, which has an IIAA endorsement, making it broader than the policy in the brokerage market. Tired of riding the merry-go-round? Jump off and jump on board with your Association's train of stable markets. 
 

Treasury Study Shows Tax Cuts Primarily Benefit Small Businesses

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking minority member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) recently reported that a new Treasury Department study shows that farmers, ranches, small businesses and entrepreneurs, like independent agents, will receive most of the benefits from the rate cuts in the new tax law. The senators said that Treasury's Office of Tax Analysis calculated that entrepreneurs and small businesses will receive 80 percent of the benefits from reducing income tax rates from 39.6 percent and 36 percent, to 35 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Small businesses comprise 62 percent of the 800,000 tax returns that will benefit from the new rates, the analysis shows. "One of the goals of our bipartisan tax cut was reducing the tax burden for small businesses. The new analysis shows that we succeeded in our desire to rekindle the fire fueling the small business engine," said Grassley.
 

More States On Board with Licensing Reciprocity

Illinois and New Jersey are now the 36^th and 37^th U.S. jurisdictions to approve a new insurance producer-licensing bill that will bring the states into compliance with the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. With the 29-state NARAB requirement surpassed, Illinois House Bill 2994, which Gov. George Ryan signed last week and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2002, essentially adopts provisions of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' model law, allowing reciprocity in the licensing of most nonresident agents. This monumental nationwide campaign is a tribute to the political forces of our industry. 
 

New 2000 Market Analysis Available on Fax-on-Demand #6008

The 2000 Edition of the Property/Casualty State/Line Report published by A.M. Best is out. Numbers regrading the Alabama market show significant changes in every market segment. You can find out more by downloading the full report through our Fax-On-Demand retrieval system. Call 1-877-669-1872, follow the voice prompts, select the document number (6008) and enter your fax number. The document will transmit in a few minutes.
 

Homeowners Premiums Rose Slightly in 2000,A.M. Best Study Says

Overall, the industry reported a 6.6 percent increase in direct premiums for homeowners multiperil insurance from 1999 to 2000, according to a new A.M. Best Statistical Study. The top 10 writers of homeowners multiperil stayed the same during this period. Those top writers by direct premiums were: State Farm Group, Allstate, Zurich/Farmers Group, Nationwide Group, Travelers/Citigroup Co., USA Group, Chubb Group of Insurance Cos., SAFECO Insurance Cos., American Family Insurance Group and Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos. A.M. Best reported that the top 100 writers reported a slightly higher increase of 7 percent. Both increases were greater than reported in 1999, which Best said reflects continued gradual increases in the homeowners market - where results have been poor for years - as well as initiatives to improve insurance-to-value. For a complete copy of the study, go to www.ambest.org.
 

Make Plans to Attend IIAA's Hawaii InfoXchange

Honolulu, Hawaii, will host IIAA's 2001 InfoXchange October 27-30. More than 2,000 insurance professionals are expected at the Sheraton Waikiki to discuss industry issues, share new business ideas, develop professional relationships and access training on the latest technologies. The annual meeting will include the launch of IIAA's new marketing brand, Trusted Choice, plus a wide variety of technology workshops, innovative continuing education classes, new Best 

Practices opportunities, a series of prominent speakers, one of the largest exhibit halls in the insurance industry, the Young Agent Leadership Conference and many other exciting features. Republican political commentator Laura Ingraham; Ken Blanchard, author of One Minute Manager; and Insurance Learning System President Russ Granger are just a few of the notable presenters. Registration forms are available online at www.independentagent.com, by calling (800) 221-7917 or through IIAA's fax-on-demand service at (800) 296-0578, option 4010. 
 

New Independent Finance Program Manager

The Alabama Independent Insurance Agents, Inc., would like to welcome Danny Geoffrion to our staff as Independent Finance Program Manager. Danny has successfully promoted the Independent Finance program in Tennessee for a number of years. Great enthusiasm for this program and experience accompany Danny. The Independent Finance Program, a limited liability company owned by AIIA, makes insurance more accessible for agency customers and is available as another potential profit center for independent agencies. This program offers flexible down-payment schedules, competitive rates, software generated agreements, and provides excellent customer support. They also offer commercial equipment financing, hardware & software leasing, accounts receivable financing and commercial real estate financing for which they pay referral fees on all funded transactions. Additional information can be obtained by calling your Association office at (205) 326-4129, or by calling Danny at 1-800-264-1898 or e-mail at DGeoffrion@insurors.org. 
 

2^ND Annual BIG I PAC Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars now to attend the 2^nd Annual BIG I PAC Golf Tournament to be held on September 25, 2001, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Prattville. This Political Action Committee fund raiser is a watershed for us because the 2002 brings many challenges and opportunities for our industry. So just what is happening in 2002? The governor's race, both the state Senate and House races and redistricting. Contributions to our BIG I PAC allow us to financially contribute to election campaigns beneficial to our industry and business interests. Invite your local policy maker and join us for a round of golf that will aid in shaping the future of our state. Registration pamphlets have been mailed to you. Through our sponsorship opportunities, this golf event is great to promote your business. Feel free to bring merchandise with your company name/logo - these are great door prizes. Your company name can go on a tee boxes nameplate for a $100 donation. For more information contact Nancy Crowe at AIIA (205) 326-4129.
 

Employment Opportunities

• •Experienced Personal Lines CSR wanted. Good benefits, good salary and nice office atmosphere in Birmingham. Send resumes to PO Box 101537, Birmingham, AL 35210. Contact David, Jr., at (205) 956-0563. 

• •Agent seeks Position. Experienced customer service rep with 4 years claims experience and 9 years personal lines experience seeks position in the Inverness, Sylacauga, Childersburg area. Please call Marian Mims at 1-800-345-8929, extension 429.
• •Agent seeks Position. Experienced CSR with much knowledge of the Clanton area seeks position in Shelby, Chilton or Bibb County. Please contact Kim Mims at 1-334-366-2836. 

Credit Scoring Issues?

Recent discussions with the Alabama Department of Insurance have resulted in the need for this office to be able to cite cases of non-renewal of personal lines policies due to excess credit scoring. If you have an example of underwriting problems with companies due to credit scoring standards, please relay these occurrences to Ron Scott at the Association Office either by e-mail, rscott@aiia.org, or phone at (205) 326-4129. A follow-up meeting with the DOI will be scheduled once we have examples of credit scoring abuses in hand. 
 

Important Announcement Regarding Mandatory Liability 

We have received a number of calls from our members regarding client driver's license suspension by the Department of Motor Vehicles for non-compliance in completing their Mandatory Liability Insurance Questionnaires. HB 134, the Mandatory Automobile Liability Law, calls for random samples made of 10% of the drivers within the State of Alabama to test compliance for mandatory liability. The questionnaire calls for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) identification number, which according to a new Department of Revenue Regulation #810-5-8-.15 is now required on all liability insurance policy ID cards. The NAIC number is necessary as insureds tend to list the agency and/or agent as their carrier. This in turn delays verification and results in suspension. The NAIC number will identify the carrier and the verification notice will be sent to the carrier at that time. Please make sure your automobile insurance carriers are made aware of this new requirement.
 

Alabama Banks Align to Buy Insurer

According to The Birmingham News, The Alabama Bankers Association is spearheading the formation of a community bank collective to purchase an insurance agency. "With financial modernization, banks are looking at how to sell insurance, just as insurance companies are looking at how to be more active in the securities area," says ABA Executive Vice President Dan G. Bailey. He points to the partnership between Regions Financial Corp. and Rebsamen Insurance, as well as a pact between Vesta Insurance and New South Federal Savings Bank, as examples of the new trend. "It's a move toward one-stop shopping, so to speak, so an individual can handle all of their financial transactions at one location," he says. Bailey says the ABA hopes to involve 20-25 community banks in the new group, to be formed later this year.
 

Hard Market Rate Increases?

Have you been receiving renewals with larger than average rate increases just days before the renewal? Our office has received a number of calls regarding "a state law requiring timely notification of rate increases." We did not find a state law, but we did find a regulation issued by the Alabama DOI dated August 30, 1985, which states: It has also come to our attention that some insurers or agents have failed to provide timely notice of premium increases or non-renewal of property and liability coverages and that, as a result, policyholders have not been afforded an adequate opportunity to shop for alternative coverage. The Department considers any failure to provide such information in a timely manner to be an unfair trade practice.... It is suggested that 30 days notice prior to the anniversary or expiration date of coverage is a desirable target date. Insurers should implement necessary administrative procedures to assure that required rating information is received and analyzed in sufficient time to provide appropriate notice of insureds.
 

Make Plans to Attend IIAA's Hawaii InfoXchange

Honolulu, Hawaii, will host IIAA's 2001 InfoXchange October 27-30. More than 2,000 insurance professionals are expected at the Sheraton Waikiki to discuss industry issues, share new business ideas, develop professional relationships and access training on the latest technologies. The annual meeting will include the launch of IIAA's new marketing brand, Trusted Choice, plus a wide variety of technology workshops, innovative continuing education classes, new Best 
 

Practices opportunities, a series of prominent speakers, one of the largest exhibit halls in the insurance industry, the Young Agent Leadership Conference and many other exciting features. Republican political commentator Laura Ingraham; Ken Blanchard, author of One Minute Manager; and Insurance Learning System President Russ Granger are just a few of the notable presenters. Registration forms are available online at www.independentagent.com, by calling (800) 221-7917 or through IIAA's fax-on-demand service at (800) 296-0578, option 4010. 
 
 
 

NARAB Requirement Met! States Continue to Move Ahead - Producer Licensing Reciprocity Legislation Passes in 35 States

The 29-state NARAB requirement for licensing reciprocity has been surpassed, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) announced June 11, 2001, that 35 state legislatures have passed laws designed to satisfy the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requirements regarding licensing reciprocity, while legislation is pending final consideration in 10 additional states this year. "I am proud to say that the NARAB challenge has been exceeded more than a year ahead of the deadline," said Colorado Insurance Commissioner and NARAB Working Group Co-chair William J. Kirven III. "It's a remarkable achievement for this many state legislatures to focus on any issue simultaneously - as they have in working toward this national framework. We anticipate that by December 2001, 45 states will have passed this act, ensuring near-national reciprocity for non-resident agent licensing." Kirven adds, "Once reciprocity is achieved, we will continue working toward our goal of uniformity."

New Accounting Supervisor at AIIA!

The Alabama Independent Insurance Agents, Inc., would like to announce the addition of Joyce Hendley to our staff as Accounting Supervisor. Joyce brings more than 25 year of accounting experience. Any questions pertaining to dues, registration fees, payment schedules, and the like should be directed to Joyce. Feel free to call and introduce yourself to her at (205) 326-4129 or e-mail at jhendley@aiia.org.
 

2001 Annual Young Agents Conference

The Young Agents Annual Conference is just around the corner! Be there August 16^th - 18^th at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Florida, for "SALES IN THE SAND!" The conference features two of the top sales and technology speakers in the nation, continuing education opportunities, fishing and golfing events. Bill Wilson will speak about "Making Yourself at Home on the Internet," - a 4-hour CEU. Gerald Hargrove will speak on "Donuts to Dollars." Please contact AIIA at (205) 326-4129 to register.
 

2^ND Annual BIG I PAC Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars now to attend the 2^nd Annual BIG I PAC Golf Tournament to be held on September 25, 2001, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Prattville. This Political Action Committee fund raiser is a watershed for us because the 2002 brings many challenges and opportunities for our industry. So just what is happening in 2002? The governor's race, both the state Senate and House races and redistricting. Contributions to our BIG I PAC allow us to financially contribute to election campaigns beneficial to our industry and business interests. Invite your local policy maker and join us for a round of golf that will aid in shaping the future of our state. Registration pamphlets have been mailed to you. Through our sponsorship opportunities, this golf event is great to promote your business. Feel free to bring merchandise with your company name/logo - these are great door prizes. Your company name can go on a tee boxes nameplate for a $100 donation. For more information contact Nancy Crowe at AIIA (205) 326-4129.
 

Employment Opportunities

• •Commercial Lines CSR needed. Preferably with license and at least 2 years experience. All applicants will be considered. Please call Pam Dyess at J.R. Prewitt & Associates at (205) 933-9207. Fax resumes to (205) 930-0450.
• •Commercial Lines CSR needed. Full or Part time. Experience preferred. Please call Carolyn Head at (205) 823-2300. 
• •Experienced CSR needed. Contact Jane Cunningham at Harris-McKay Insurance in Anniston at (256) 236-0301.
• •Part Time Marketing Assistant needed. Duties would include working closely with Marketing Vice President in day to day activities. Would need working knowledge of Applied Systems software. Please contact Pam at (205) 870-9800, extension 326.

•Agent seeks Position. Licensed agent with 5 years experience is relocating to the Birmingham area in Fall 2001, seeks full time position. Please call (205) 486-3392, ask for Jessica Blake-Hallmark