Florida Association of Insurance Agents

The 2010 Hurricane Season officially ended on November 30. It marked the fifth year in a row that Florida was spared a direct hit, which, while wonderful for the state, did not spell property insurance "R-E-L-I-E-F." Many factors contributed to a rise in rates this year; some related to reinsurance, as expounded upon so deftly in recent Sarasota Herald-Tribune articles. Other factors, some non-hurricane related, include reinspections of hurricane mitigation efforts finding unjustified discounts, sinkholes, and changes to hurricane models. Then, again, there's always Florida's regulatory climate.

For now, there's some hope that the Legislature will take up legislation similar to last year's SB 2044. We won't know for a while what may change (or not) or how advantageous (or not) the final bill may be to consumers, insurers, and agents. We can only hope the Legislature will take a long, hard look for the long-term solutions Florida needs instead of the recent short-term stop-gap measures that did nothing but superficially suppress rates, drive companies from the state, and increase the risk of potential Citizens' assessments to policyholders.

The 2010 Hurricane Season will, for now, be noted as the third most active season in history. Only time will tell what will happen in 2011. However, the researchers at Colorado State University have prepared their customary preliminary report (subject to change closer to the start of the season on June 1), stating we could be in for another busy season. Their current predictions call for 17 named storms with nine becoming hurricanes; of those nine, five could become major hurricanes. In terms of probability, a major hurricane has a 73 percent chance of landing somewhere in the U.S.; that figure drops to 49 percent along the East Coast (including Florida) and to 48 percent for the Gulf Coast (including Florida). For all of the predictions about how many storms could form, however, scientists have yet to devise a formula predicting the number of landfalls. So, it could be another active season…or not.

Connect with the latest news and views through FAIA's Community. While similar to other social networking tools, this is just for FAIA members. You choose what information you want to follow and how you want that news delivered. Here are some recent blogs from FAIA staff; click through to the Community for the full story.

A Muddled Future for Health Insurance Agents, posted by Jeff Grady on 12/13/10.
The uncertainty that persists over the future awaiting today's health insurance agents manifests itself even when trying to coin a title for this blog post. The facts are these: elections are consequential…
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OIR May Seek MLR Waiver But Its Usefulness Will Be Limited, posted by Laura Pearce on 12/9/10.
You may recall Jeff Grady's blog several weeks ago regarding the task force formed by NAIC to determine the MLR impact on health insurance agents. Jeff's blog stated…
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New Workers' Compensation Classifications, posted by Bill Perkins on 12/13/10.
Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation has approved numerous new workers' compensation classifications effective January 1, 2011. Particularly noteworthy is…
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Citizens Actuarial and Underwriting Committee Meeting, posted by Dave Newell on 12/10/10.
Citizens conducted an actuarial and underwriting committee this week to present and approve some items that will go before the entire Board of Governors next week in Jacksonville. Before we get to those items, a couple of personnel issues…
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FAIA'S 2011 LEGISLATIVE FLY-IN—In three months (it seems like a long time), agents will gather in Tallahassee for FAIA's premier legislative event, the Legislative Fly-In. Now in its second decade, the Fly-In offers everyone, from political gurus to novices, the opportunity to learn firsthand about the state issues facing our industry and become "lobbyists for a day" during the regular legislative session. Legislators listen to lobbyists; however, they listen even more closely to their constituents. This day-and-a-half long event is your chance to play a vital role in determining our legislative success. We'll start with a legislative briefing on Wednesday afternoon, March 16, at the Hotel Duval and conclude with visits to legislators on Thursday morning, March 17. Click here for more information or to register.

MEMBERSHIP MINUTE—FAIA's Membership Department is finalizing the 2011 Membership Directory. This valuable tool offers a printed hard copy of much of what you'll find on FAIA's website. It includes a copy of FAIA's Bylaws, contact information for all task force and committee members, a full listing (as of mid-November) of FAIA's members and associate members, and much, much more. Be on the lookout for it in late January or early February.

It is with great sadness we report the death of Charles Albert "Buddy" Blair on Saturday, December 11. A native of Florida, he lived in Marion County. After graduating from North Marion High School and Central Florida Community College, he spent his career at the Chazal-Blair Insurance Agency and was a long-time advocate of the independent agency system. Active in his community, he served in the Ocala Elks Lodge No. 286 and as the Bonita Fishing Club president. A member of the First United Methodist Church, a memorial service was held there on Wednesday, December 15, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Monroe Foundation, March of Dimes, Interfaith Emergency Services, Hospice of Marion County, or the charity of your choice. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

AGENCY UNIVERSE STUDY—IIABA has released results from the latest Agency Universe Study, which covers data gathered in 2008. More than 2,000 agencies submitted information for the study, which was first conducted in 1983. The news is…not bad. The number of independent agencies, even with all the mergers, closings, and current economy, remains fairly stable at 37,500. For a more in-depth summary of the study results, see Scott Johnson's blog, You're Still The One. Or, click here to order a copy of the full report.

INSURPAC—Thank you to everyone who contributed to InsurPac this year. It was a tough year economically and, for the first time in several years, Florida will not achieve its InsurPac goal. Florida's YAC members, however, should make their goal of $6,400, thanks to some last minute donations from the new Florida's Future Insurance Leaders class. We'll do a final rundown of all the numbers once we receive the end of the year reports. As it now stands, Florida agents have contributed $41,625; while a perfectly respectable number, it is approximately $22,000 short of our goal. Click here for state totals and click here for Florida's contributors.

InsurPac, as you may know, depends on the contributions of agents throughout the nation in order to open doors in Washington, DC. It is the largest and most influential insurance political action committee on Capitol Hill, and those agents who participate in IIABA's Legislative Conference in April will see firsthand what InsurPac means to their congressional delegations. Contributing, or not contributing, to InsurPac affects your industry. For those who participated this year, we hope we can count on you in 2011. For those who did not or haven't recently, please consider doing so next year.

Next September, membership in FAIA, via IIABA membership, will include membership in Trusted Choice. Nearly 600 Florida agencies are already involved. Trusted Choice, though nearing its first decade is a grassroots branding effort. The more agencies and companies that participate, the more recognition and consumer awareness is generated. Hence, the All-In decision to open participation to all IIABA members. Great brands are built on consistently excellent customer experiences.

FAIA has helped spread the Trusted Choice brand by sponsoring the gubernatorial debates this past election season; by creating a public relations campaign detailing the value of independent agents over companies not using agents; by sponsoring the state's financial literacy campaign, My Money Florida; by sponsoring and participating in the My Safe Home campaign created by Florida's Young Agents Council to educate consumers about wind mitigation techniques; and through purchasing and using the Trusted Choice Catastrophe Response Vehicle (CRV). Agency participants have embraced the brand in many different ways. Some include the Pledge of Performance with all of their proposals or have reproduced it on the back of their business cards; some answer the phone, "This is XYZ insurance, a Trusted Choice agency." Still, others include information on their agency websites and use the prepared press releases and newsletter articles to position their agency within their communities.

If you've not joined, registration is easy. Go to www.trustedchoice.com/agents and enter your agency's physical address zip code in the "Not a Member Yet?" box. Select your agency from the list and answer a few short questions; that's it. Once your agency registration is confirmed, you'll receive a log in and password information in order to complete your Agency Profile (this is what consumers see when searching for agencies on the Trusted Choice website). Or, you can wait until next fall and register through your FAIA dues renewal form. Still, nine months is a long time to wait in marketing terms. You could have access to the press releases, newsletter items, tagable advertising, and join with the thousands of other agents across the state and nation in declaring that independent agents offer choice, customization, and advocacy—in short, independent agents are the Trusted Choice.

Everyone at FAIA and FAIA Member Services wishes you a Happy Holiday. If you celebrate Christmas, we wish you a merry one. If you celebrate Hanukah, we hope it was a happy one. No matter your tradition, may we all continue the momentum toward a happier, more prosperous, and fulfilling New Year!

FAIA will be closed on December 23 and 24 for the Christmas holiday and December 31 for the New Year's holiday. Click here for FAIA's 2011 Holiday Schedule.