Insurance Journal TV » Education

Advanced Basic Training – A 12-Week Foundational Course

creese — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:01:50 +0000

The Insurance Journal Academy of Insurance provides online training for insurance professionals.

Insurance is one of the most important financial mechanisms of modern capitalistic societies. And an insurance career can be fascinating and rewarding – provided it has the right foundation. The 12-week Advanced Basic Training course will provide that strong career foundation. Designed for those new to the insurance industry (2 years or less), and even those that feel the need for professional improvement, the Advanced Basic Training program places insurance in the context of risk management and the law. This very interactive course offers:

• An analysis of insurance within the realm of risk management
• A deeper understanding of the nature and statistics of insurance
• A better understanding of insurance, the law and regulation
• Weekly study notes
• Any-time access to me via phone or email

All 12 classes will be recorded and sent to registered students. Students unable to meet for every class can watch the recorded classes at their convenience.

All classes are scheduled weekly at 10:30am (Pacific)/1:30pm (Eastern) on the following dates:

April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8

Learn more about our 12 Week Training Program for Insurance Agents.

Insurers Can’t Count on Investments, Advises III’s Hartwig

bpedroso — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:40:49 +0000

Property/casualty insurers’ investment income has been down and it isn’t going up any time soon, according to Dr. Robert Hartwig, president and economist for the Insurance Information Institute in this interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson. How will insurers perform and price products in this environment and will regulators take note? Hartwig also discusses the prospects of insurers raising capital in today’s economy.

Insurance Innovation: An Oxymoron?

bpedroso — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:27:49 +0000

Insurance innovation…is it an oxymoron? That was the provocative title of a panel at the Professional Liability Underwriters Society meeting in Chicago. One of the panelists, Leib Dodell, now with the new ThinkRisk Underwriting in Kansas City and formerly president and CEO of Media Professional Insurance, discusses why and how the insurance industry should embrace innovation.

Media, Tech Markets Converge: Dodell On Keeping Up

bpedroso — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:51:27 +0000

The world is changing, with virtually every business now facing both media and technology exposures. Insurance needs to keep up, says Leib Dodell , former president and CEO of Media Professional Insurance, who is now part of the team launching a new specialty E&O facility based in Kansas City called ThinkRisk Underwriting Agency. In this interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson, Dodell discusses how the insurance industry might adjust to keep up with the convergence of the media and technology marketplaces.

NAPSLO’s Next Generation

bpedroso — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:21:07 +0000

The insurance industry has taken a keen interest in finding future workers with the knowledge and skills required to hit the ground running in the insurance business. One of the more interesting approaches is the Next Generation initiative by the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, or NAPSLO. The effort, which began as a cocktail party in 2008, now involves more than 100 insurance professionals under the age of 40 who have the opportunity to network and gain valuable career experience.

Japanese Agents Learn U.S. Best Practices

bpedroso — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:23:25 +0000

Japanese insurance agents learned about best practices from U.S. agencies on a recent East Coast tour. Peter van Aartrijk, of Aartrijk Branding Group, and Sue Noda, of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Japan, discuss the visit and what it’s like to be an independent agent in Japan.

How to Hire an Agency Consultant

bpedroso — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:33:57 +0000

Agency consultant Al Diamond of the Agency Consulting Group says a good consultant helps an owner realize his or her own dreams, not the dreams of the consultant. What consultants can be expected to do and how they get paid.

Most Common Mistakes By Agencies

bpedroso — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:33:48 +0000

Agency consultant Al Diamond of the Agency Consulting Group cautions agents against shrinking their business even under financial and pricing pressures.

Agency Hiring in Today’s Economy

bpedroso — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:33:39 +0000

Agency consultant Al Diamond of the Agency Consulting Group with some tips on how insurance agents might capitalize on other industries’ woes.

How to Use Compensation to Motivate Employees

bpedroso — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:07:55 +0000

Agency consultant Al Diamond of the Agency Consulting Group says a properly-constructed compensation plan can re-energize producers who have lost their spark. It works for non-producer employees, too.

Agency Management with Al Diamond

bpedroso — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:29:08 +0000

Al Diamond is one of the country’s best known and respected agency management consultants. His firm, Agency Consulting Group, Inc., is based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He deals with agencies across the country on issues ranging from operations to mergers to sales and compensation. He is also a Best Practices instructor for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and author of the newsletter, Pipeline. In this full video interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson, Diamond discusses compensation, motivation, mergers, client retention, even how to hire an agency consultant.

Recruiting Black Insurance Professionals

bpedroso — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:59:30 +0000

Ohio agent Jerald Tillman founded what is today the National African American Insurance Association some 30 years ago to attract more black professionals into the industry. The group now has chapters in dozens of cities across the country with still more planned. In this excerpt from a recent interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson, Tillman discusses where in the insurance company and agency ranks he sees opportunity for black professionals and appeals to agents to embrace mentoring of young black candidates.

Who’s Getting Into, Out of the Agency Business

bpedroso — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:35:12 +0000

Agency consultant Al Diamond of the Agency Consulting Group discusses why more people are starting agencies today and why some who left are returning to the business.

The Optimism of Young Independent Agents

bpedroso — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:53:50 +0000

Young agent Joey O’Connor, vice president with Daniels & Eustis Agency in Louisiana, talks about what being independent means to him and to other young agents– and why they are optimistic about the future — in this excerpt from an interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson.

Ethics in Today’s Insurance Industry

bpedroso — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:49:06 +0000

Today’s financial headlines and bailouts raise questions about the state of ethics in the financial services industry and in insurance. Marvin Kelly, president of the CPCU Society, whose members must honor a code of ethics, thinks the industry does a lot of things right but this doesn’t make the news.

CPCU Society Tackles Diversity

bpedroso — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:49:12 +0000

CPCU Society President Marvin Kelly discusses what the Society is doing to increase diversity within its own ranks and in the industry in this first part of a recent interview with Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson. Kelly also addresses the perception that the CPCU designation is more for company employees than it is for agents and brokers.

Agency Management Done Right, Episode 2: Social Media

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:25:27 +0000

Agency Management Done Right is an audio podcast hosted by Mitch Dunford exploring various aspects of agency management.

The topic of the second episode is the rise of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and how insurance agencies can use these new tools to engage customers in fun and unique ways. Mitch is joined by Rick Morgan and Peter van Aartrijk, insurance industry veterans specializing in marketing, communications and technology.

Evaluating True Value vs Hype in B2B Media

creese — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:33:12 +0000

In this economy more than ever, evaluating media before you buy it is imperative to your business success. It’s intriguing when a rep tells you: “I’ll put your banner on our home page for a year!” Or they might say “I’ll email your ad to 300,000 people for $500 bucks”. How about this one: “You can have a half price ad in the magazine every month!” Sound good? Maybe. Maybe not. This free webcast will arm you with the knowledge to differentiate opportunity from diversion. You’ll also learn:

1. The top questions to ask when buying advertising.
2. Which media options are actually detrimental to you in the long run.
3. Which new media options are smoking hot.
4. The types of metrics a publisher should be able to provide.
5. When to run away.
6. The top mistakes a media buyer makes.

The Economy

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:52:06 +0000

Agency Management Done Right is an audio podcast hosted by Mitch Dunford exploring various aspects of agency management.

The topic of the inaugural episode is the financial health of the U.S. insurance carriers and when, if ever, the market is going to harden. Mitch is joined by Andy Simpson, editorial VP of Wells Publishing, Inc. and Joe Petrelli, president of Demotech, an actuarial consulting and financial analysis firm located in Columbus, OH.

Annual Statements for the year 2008 of all P&C companies reporting in 2007 & 2008:
1. Statement of Income
2. Exhibit of Premiums and Losses (Statutory Page 14)

What’s Keeping D&O Clients, Brokers Awake At Night

bpedroso — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:42:21 +0000

Securities class actions are not the only worry for Directors & Officers Liability clients and brokers today. They are also being kept awake by expected bankruptcies, heightened regulatory action and even foreign practices, Denise Amantea, a partner with Woodruff Sawyer Insurance in San Francisco, tells Insurance Journal from the 2009 Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) D&O Symposium.

How Brokers Manage D&O Expectations

bpedroso — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:28:49 +0000

Carpenter Moore Senior Managing Director Norman Allen discusses a recent Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) survey on the role of brokers in the claims process for Directors & Officers Liability and where tensions may exist. Also, how a broker helps define expectations not only of the client but also of the carrier.

AIG on Today’s D&O Liability Climate

bpedroso — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:31:33 +0000

Given today’s headlines, directors and officers are questioning their liability exposure like never before. In this interview with Insurance Journal’s Andy Simpson at the recent PLUS convention in New York , Mike Smith, president of AIG Executive Liability, discusses the D&O market for financial and non-financial firms, and the importance of brokers, underwriters and relationships.

Keeping Restaurant Exposures Low

creese — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:05:45 +0000

Brian O’Loughlin is managing partner at The Vine, a San Diego, Calif. restaurant that serves wine and beer, and food that pairs well with both. In this episode of Watching the Risks, Brian explains The Vine’s insurance risks and coverage and outlines staff training and other measures he uses to manage risk.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy: An Agency’s Best Investment

creese — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:11:29 +0000

Stock market volatility and poor economic conditions create investment challenges for businesses or investors. New investment opportunities must be weighed carefully, says InsurBanc’s executive vice president and senior lending officer Bob Pettinicchi. In these times, agents just might find that the best investment they can make is their very own agencies.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy: Smart Cash Management Pays Off

creese — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:51:24 +0000

A recent Insurance Journal survey found that insurance agencies are reducing fixed costs and unnecessary spending. According to Bob Pettinicchi, executive vice president and senior lending officer for InsurBanc, one of the ways for agencies to reduce costs is to review relationships with banks. Similarly, Pettinicchi warns agencies against becoming a bank for their insureds.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy: How Agents Can Get Credit When They Need It

creese — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:37:21 +0000

Unlike many other businesses, most insurance agencies don’t routinely depend on access to credit for working capital. However, insurance agents have event-driven needs for capital, and sound business practices make access to capital easier. In the first in a series of conversations with Insurance Journal’s Andy Simpson, Bob Pettinicchi, executive vice president and senior lending officer for InsurBanc, explains how agencies can make themselves more attractive to capital, when needed.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy, Priority No. 3: Operational Efficiency

creese — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:58:42 +0000

Managing an agency in today’s economy and soft market forces agents to set priorities. Juan Andrade, executive vice-president for sales and distribution at The Hartford, says the priority after customer retention and sales growth is operational efficiency. This is part 3 of a 3 part series with Andrade.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy, Priority No. 2: Sales Strategy

creese — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:44:51 +0000

As critical as it is for managing an agency today, customer retention alone is not enough. According to Juan Andrade, executive vice-president for sales and distribution at The Hartford, after customer retention, sales should be the next priority. He tells Insurance Journal’s Andy Simpson that agencies are most likely to grow if they are disciplined about sales. This segment is part 2 of a 3 part series with Andrade.

Managing an Agency in a Troubled Economy, Priority No. 1: Customer Retention

creese — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:39:41 +0000

In this economy, agents must be looking at how they are managing their agencies, but what should be the top priority? Insurance Journal’s Andy Simpson asked Juan Andrade, executive vice-president for sales and distribution at The Hartford, where he also oversees the agency management consulting arm, Business Management Group. This is part 1 of a 3 part series with Andrade.

Industry Progressing with Real-Time Technology

creese — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:34:12 +0000

Just one year into the making, the Real Time/Download Campaign (http://www.getrealtime.org), a campaign to improve the efficiency of communications between independent agents and carriers, is making progress but there’s more work to be done, supporters say.

Exclusive Video Interview with William R. Berkley, Take 3: Personal Lines, Politics and Florida

creese — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:24:18 +0000

William R. Berkley, founder of W.R. Berkley Corp., discusses his firm’s 1999 decision to get out of personal lines and how it is managing the property insurance situation in Florida in this excerpt from an exclusive video interview with Insurance Journal.

Watch the entire interview.

Exclusive Video Interview with William R. Berkley, Take 2: Diversity and decentralization

creese — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:13:13 +0000

William R. Berkley runs his giant insurance holding company of diverse specialty and regional insurers a lot like a family business where the parents trust their kids to behave. Diversity and decentralized management have worked well for W.R. Berkley Corp., the founder notes in this excerpt from an exclusive video interview with Insurance Journal.

Watch the entire interview.

D&O: The Role of Agents/Brokers

asimpson — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:38:49 +0000

Susanne Murray, Esq. is an executive vice president with insuance broker Hilb Rogal Hobbs and an expert in directors and officers liability coverage. Here she discusses the role of the insurance broker working with D&O clients after the sale, including when and how a broker should be involved if a client has, or thinks it has, a potential claim situation and in advising on procedures, renewal options and excess layers. She spoke with Insurance Journal’s Andy Simpson at the 2008 Professional Liability Underwriting Soicety’s 2008 D&O Symposium in New York.

W.R. Berkley Interview: Delivering Results through Diversity and Decentralization

creese — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:47:04 +0000

An Insurance Journal Exclusive Video Interview with William R. Berkley.

Exclusive Interview with William R. Berkley: Take 1- Why this cycle is different

creese — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:40:34 +0000

Every cycle is different, says William R. Berkley, and the current one has its own unique features. The founder of the giant insurance holding company that bears his name explains why this cycle is different, discusses the incursion into surplus lines by standard carriers, and offers his outlook for 2008, 2009 and 2010 in this excerpt from a longer exclusive video interview with Insurance Journal.

Watch the entire interview.

Progress Report on Producer Licensing from PIA’s Eppstein

creese — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:11:17 +0000

It’s not a sexy issue, but producer licensing is very important to independent agents. Forty-eight states already have a producer licensing act, but the uniformity isn’t where agents think it should be. In this interview with Insurance Journal, David Eppstein, of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, provides a progress report.

Florida Agents Under Pressure

creese — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:57:31 +0000

Florida insurance agents are under pressure to place property risks with the public insurer Citizens but they must also explain the risks of Citizens and explore private markets in what is a very emotional situation. FAIA’s Jeff Grady offers the agents’ viewpoint from the Demotech/Insurance Journal Florida Private Sector Summit.

Florida’s Property Insurance Law in Perspective

creese — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:27:55 +0000

Lobbyist and lawyer Thomas Maida puts Florida’s HB1A in insurance and legal perspective. From the Florida Private Sector Summit on Property Insurance sponsored by Demotech and Insurance Journal.

Small Florida Insurer Battles Big Storms

creese — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:25:00 +0000

Coral Insurance Co. writes only in Florida so its resources for coping with new state insurance mandates and regulations are limited. President Susan Straker talks about how her company is weathering the bad weather and political storms in the state from the Florida Private Sector Summit on Property Insurance sponsored by Demotech and Insurance Journal.

Florida’s Insurers Caught in Crisis

creese — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:23:19 +0000

How did the Florida property market turn into a crisis? Florida Insurance Council’s Sam Miller offers some history and insight from the Florida Private Sector Summit on Property Insurance sponsored by Demotech and Insurance Journal.

Should Your CEO Blog?

creese — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:43:55 +0000

The world of communications has dramatically changed and the insurance communications world must also. Communications consultant Roger Morris discusses new media techniques and why the insurance industry must embrace them if it wants to get out its message.

Florida Summit Focuses on Private Market Solutions

creese — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:39:55 +0000

As an actuary, Demotech’s Joseph Petrelli gets nervous when too much politics gets into insurance. So he did something to try to refocus Florida on private sector rather than public sector solutions to its property insurance crisis. He organized the Florida Private Sector Summit on Property Insurance.

Florida’s Political Hurricane: It’s All About Rates

creese — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:29:28 +0000

Property insurers in Florida are under political pressure to reduce prices and not many public officials are listening to what the private sector has to say to maintain a viable market, reports Andy Simpson from the Demotech/Insurance Journal Private Sector Summit in Orlando.

Living, Breathing and Insuring Golf

creese — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:31:14 +0000

Terry Smith, president of Rock Industries Inc., a limestone, sand and gravel company, leveraged his family’s passion for golf into an 18-hole championship course the Smiths call home. Terry and son Todd discuss one of the course’s more unique and difficult world class holes at Rock Hollow Golf Course. Ron Smith, owner of the independent agency Smith Sawyer Smith Inc., in Rochester, Ind., who insures his brother Terry’s course, says its claim free track record is not by accident.

Living, Breathing and Insuring Golf, Take 3: Safety on the Links

creese — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:49:22 +0000

Ron Smith, owner of the independent agency Smith Sawyer Smith Inc., in Rochester, Ind., who insures his brother Terry’s course, says its claim free track record is not by accident.

Living, Breathing and Insuring Golf, Take 2: Championship Course

creese — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:51:01 +0000

Tim Liddy, understudy to world-renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, was retained to develop the course layout. In this segment, Terry and son Todd discuss one of the course’s more unique and difficult world class holes at Rock Hollow Golf Course.

Agency Profile: The Spiro Spirit

creese — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:54:38 +0000

New York agent Steven Spiro, a principal along with his brother, David, in Spiro Risk Management, Inc. in Valley Stream, N.Y., is successful largely because he loves what he does every day. He also manages to find time to give back to the industry.

Agency Profile: The Buckner Company

creese — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:52:15 +0000

The Buckner Company is well-known in the Ogden, Utah area where it has made its home for more than 75 years. C. Brett Nilsson, CIC, senior vice president, offers a profile of this successful business.

Sustainability for the Insurance Industry

creese — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:45:24 +0000

Former IBM executive Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Advantage and The Next Sustainability Wave, discusses how sustainability can drive bottom-line opportunities and risk management. An interview from the Insurance Marketing and Communications Association’s 2007 annual meeting in Newport, R.I.

Industry, Public Must Remain Vigilant in Risky World

admin — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:00:00 +0000

The insurance industry and its customers can’t be fooled by the unexpectedly mild hurricane season or quiet on the terrorism front, cautions Dr. James Valverde of the Insurance Information Institute. Natural and man-made catastrophes and other less publicized but emerging risks will continue to challenge the industry for the foreseeable future.