IBAWR Bulletin May 2013 - Insurance Brokers Association of

May, 2013 Edition
BULLETIN
INSURANCE BROKERS ASSOCIATION OF WATERLOO REGION
(I.B.A.W.R.)
Established 1931
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The Bulletin
Mark Your Calendar
Editor’s Report
May 2, 2013
IBAWR Meeting
September 5, 2013
IBAWR Golf Tournament
First off, big thanks to everyone for the fantastic turnout at our April
2013 Meet the Underwriter Night. Thanks to all of you it was another
great success! Special thanks to Golf’s Steakhouse for hosting (great job
as always!).
Though there were a few false starts, it would seem that spring is finally
here. As I’m writing this, I’m gradually picking up typing speed as I
defrost from the winter weather. If you’re like me, why not celebrate
throwing off those icy shackles by coming out to our May 2013 meeting
(details below)?
It’s important to keep moving so as to not freeze again. I’m not sure if
that would actually happen – but I for one don’t want to take the
chance.
More to come....
Russ Philpott, BA(Hons), CAIB
Bulletin Editor
admin@ibawr.ca
Like us on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/IBAWR
- RP
IN THIS ISSUE…
The Bulletin .................................................................................................................................................................... 3
President’s Report ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
House & Program Report............................................................................................................................................... 6
Public Relations & Communications Report .................................................................................................................. 8
Industry News .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Broker Jokes................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Board of Directors ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
Join Us for Our May, 2013 Meeting: ............................................................................................................................ 15
Membership Report .................................................................................................................................................... 16
Education Report ......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Our Board is Growing! ................................................................................................................................................. 19
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President’s Report
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Melissa Snyder, CAIB, CRM, CIP
President
th
This April 11 , 2013 I had the privilege of attending
the IBAO Affiliate Presidents Meeting in Toronto.
The turn out was great and it was so nice to meet
with the IBAO Executive, Employees, Past Presidents
and more than 30 Affiliate Representatives.
The agenda was packed with the regular topics such
as ITV, Credit and challenges in Auto Reform and the
Anti Fraud Task Force, as well as some newer trends
in Technology such as E-Docs, a pending Phase 2 of
the Mobile App, IBAC's data exchange project as well
as consumer facing technology. There was
discussion around the current Ontario Political
Situation and what Telematics and Usage Based
Insurance might look like and how it may influence
the Broker Distribution Channel in the near future.
If you haven’t already signed up to attend an IBAO
regional meeting, I would encourage you to do so.
There you will have the opportunity to hear much of
the same information and take part in the discussion
about what is affecting us as Brokers.
For me the highlight of attending this event was that
it was so encouraging and inspiring to hear from
each affiliate representative about their endeavors
and successes this past year, as well as the successes
of the IBAO. Some highlights include:
IBAO:
- In Ontario we confirmed a respectable brand
recognition increase of the BIP, up 8% from
24% in 2010 to 32% in 2012.
-
Close to 6,000 BIPPER Blankets were donated
across communities in Ontario as part of the 50
Awareness Days that were hosted by IBAO
Affiliates and Brokers. The IBAWR’s first official
awareness day was help in conjunction with the
Tri-Insurance Association Bonspiel in March, and
Blankets are being donated directly to a United
Way affiliated charity in April.
The number of hosted Awareness days has
increased by 233% since the program began in
2008, with only 15 taking place that first year.
IBAO launched the birth of a new BIPPER Mascot
for brokers to rent as an added feature for their
Awareness Days or simply to attend a community
or broker planned event.
Some of the things our associate Affiliates have
been up to this year include:
- Various Education sessions
- A social Bocce Ball Tournament,
- Golf Tournaments and Curling Bonspiels
- Dragon Boat Teams
- Awareness days benefiting a number of various
charities
- Food Bank donations
- Substantial growth in membership and
participation
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Broker
Identity Program. IBAO’s current President, Debbie
Thompson’s theme for her term is “Leading the Way,
with Our vision, Our Brand, Our Strength.” The
collaborative issues, solutions and efforts noted
above support our branding efforts, substantiating
our claim that “Your Best Insurance is an Insurance
Broker.”
As we head into the IBAWR’s summer break, please
be assured that your Board will continue to plan and
work on your behalf to keep our affiliate strong and
present within the community.
Respectfully submitted,
Melissa Snyder, CAIB, CRM, CIP
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House & Program Report
Whether it is a natural disaster such as a tornado,
hail storm or the snow storm of the century to a
terrible auto accident or fire destroying everything
you own, disasters do happen here. Will you be
ready if it happens to you? Do you customers know
how to prepare?
Mary Riberdy, RIBO
Vice President, Director of House & Program
Thank you to our insurers and underwriters as well
as our member brokers that attended Meet the
Underwriter Night last month. The event was sold
out. Congratulations to our door prize winners and a
big thank you to everyone that donated door prizes.
Once again we thank you for your Non-Perishable
food donations. We collected 45 pounds of food at
the March IBAWR Meeting. The donations to date
total 261 pounds.
Please remember to bring your non-perishable food
donations in May.
Holly and Bruce will share their tips for Disaster
Preparation planning.
Holly is a young entrepreneur with more than 10
years experience in marketing. Her passion shines
each time her team helps to put a family’s home and
life back together.
Bruce is an accomplished speaker and instructor. He
is recognized in his field as a leading authority on
humidity control, water damage restoration and
mould remediation.
Please contact Dianne Monteiro at
ExecutiveSecretary@ibawr.ca to reserve your seat by
5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
This presentation is not yet RIBO accredited.
Our meeting in May is Thursday, May 2, 2013 at
Golf’s Steakhouse. This is our last meeting before
breaking for the summer. Our closed member
meeting starts at 5:30. At 6:00 we open the doors to
welcome our industry friends and guests.
We are fortunate to have two speakers: Holly
Kidzuin, VP of Operations, and Bruce Vogt, Business
Development and Marketing Group Director from
Rainbow International Restorations. They will be
challenging you to consider whether you are
property prepared for a disaster. Does your family
have a disaster plan? Does your business? Do your
customers? We all tend to think “it will never
happen to me” or, “it wouldn’t/couldn’t happen
here”, yet you only have to turn on the evening news
or open a newspaper everyday to see headlines that
contain details of the latest even that “couldn’t
happen here” but did.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Riberdy, RIBO
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Public Relations & Communications
Report
Scott Heaman, CAIB
Public Relations & Communications
In today’s world with TV, internet and social media, consumers are constantly being bombarded with
marketing material and commercials. What can brokers do to stand out and be noticed? Brokers may
not have the advertising budgets of direct writers, but there are lots of options that cost little to no
money (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).
Having a web presence is becoming increasingly more important. The average consumer consults
approximately 11 sources online before purchasing car insurance. This does not mean that the
insurance is being purchased online, but people are looking to educate themselves before speaking to
someone. Many brokers are using Facebook and Twitter to educate clients about current insurance
issues, risk prevention tips and to stay connected in a way that is less invasive then sending mass e-mails
every week.
Even though the landscape of insurance is constantly evolving, one thing remains the same: there will
always be a place for an insurance broker as a trusted advisor.
Respectfully submitted,
Scott Heaman, CAIB
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Industry News
- Powered by Canadian Underwriter.ca
P&C INDUSTRY MUST MEET PROMISE TO CONSUMERS, DESPITE GROWING
COMPLEXITY: IBC PRESIDENT
Canada’s property and casualty industry needs to be innovative, but not grow so complex that it jeopardizes its promise to
protect Canadians and pay claims, Don Forgeron, president and CEO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), suggested during
an industry event on Wednesday.
“Not only is the industry complex, but that complexity is growing and at the same time, we’re an industry that makes a very
simple promise: to protect Canadians and to pay claims,” Forgeron said during his welcoming remarks for IBC’s 2013 Financial
Affairs Symposium in Toronto Wednesday. “We can’t grow so complex that we can’t meet that simple promise.”
There are two long-term, overarching objectives at the core of the P&C industry, Forgeron noted. The first is to provide peace
of mind to Canadians that the industry will respond when something happens, including balancing regulatory complexity and
managing large risks, such as earthquake and climate change.
The second is to play its role in growing the “Canadian economy through job growth, investment and through innovative
products that a growing economy requires,” he told symposium attendees. “Our companies manage more than $98 billion in
invested assets that supports economic growth and stability from one end of this country to the other.”
IBC is taking a leadership role on a number of issues, including preparing the country for the inevitability of a major earthquake,
climate change and severe weather, helping Canadians adapt and deal with realities, and addressing the Ontario auto situation.
“Our goal there is to create a sustainable and affordable auto insurance system, which is what we as Ontarians deserve and
what many other Canadians already take for granted," Forgeron added.
DAILY NEWS Apr 18, 2012
IBC, FSCO MAKE SUBMISSIONS FOR ONTARIO COMMITTEE'S AUTO INSURANCE
HEARINGS
The Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario were among the groups who have made
submissions to a provincial legislative committee looking at auto insurance issues.
The Standing Committee on General Government first began examining auto insurance last May, but its work was interrupted
when the provincial parliament was prorogued. This week, the committee is holding two hearings to hear from various
stakeholders.
Read more: Ontario legislative committee beginning public hearings on auto insurance
In its submission for the first hearing on April 15, IBC reiterated its point that rising costs are resulting in rising premiums, and
the best way to combat that is through reforms tackling fraud in the province.
Specifically, IBC listed giving more power to FSCO to regulate health clinics, province-wide regulation of the towing industry,
and addressing the backlog of mediation cases as steps to tackling rising costs and premiums for Ontario drivers.
IBC also said the passage of amendments to the Personal Information and Electronics Documents Act (part of Bill C-12) is
critical, as it would “remove any undue limitations on the ability of insurers to pool claims information to combat fraud.”
FSCO also made its own submission April 15, which includes a general overview of its role in regulating auto insurance in
Ontario.
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In its submission, FSCO touched on territorial rating in the province. “As the auto insurance system has evolved and population
has increased, insurance companies have expanded the number of territories to better reflect risk and claims experience,” the
submission says.
“Territorial rating enhances the ability of insurance companies to underwrite and price risk more accurately by linking
premiums to claims experience in the different territories,” the document says.
“In a jurisdiction as large as Ontario with a mix of urban and rural areas, significant climate differences, variable road quality
and traffic density, alongside other differences, eliminating territories would significantly increase cross-subsidization of drivers
in higher claims areas by those in lower claims areas,” FSCO says.
The hearings also include submissions from accident victims’ group FAIR Association, the Insurance Brokers Association of
Ontario and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, and other stakeholders. The second hearing will take place April 17.
DAILY NEWS Apr 16, 2012
Broker Jokes
YOU MIGHT BE IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IF....
1. You have sat in the same desk for 4 years and worked for 3 different
companies.
2. Your resume is on a diskette in your pocket.
3. When someone asks what you do for a living, you lie.
4. You get really excited about a 2% pay raise.
5. Your biggest loss from a system crash is that you lose your best jokes.
6. You sit in a cubicle smaller than your bedroom closet.
7. It’s dark on your drive to and from work.
8. Fun is when issues are assigned to someone else.
9. Communication is something your “group” is having problems with.
10. You see a good-looking person and know it is a visitor.
11. Free food left over from meetings is your main staple.
12. Art involves a white board.
13. All real work is done prior to 9:00 AM and after 5:00 PM.
14. You’re already late on the assignment you just received.
15. Dilbert is your favorite cartoon.
16. Your boss’s favorite lines are …
a. ”when you get a few minutes …”
b. ”in your spare time …”
c. ”when you’re freed-up …”
d. ”I have an opportunity for you …”
17. More than 10% of the people in your company do not know what you do.
18. Vacation is something you rollover to next year or a check you get every
January.
19. Change is the norm.
20. Nepotism is encouraged.
21. You read this entire list and understand it.
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Board of Directors
Melissa Snyder
President
Lackner McLennan Insurance Ltd.
+1(519) 579-3330
msnyder@lmicanada.com
Mary Riberdy
Vice President, Director of House and Program
Lackner McLennan Insurance Ltd.
+1(519) 579-3330
mriberdy@lmicanada.com
Pat Pearl
Cowan Insurance Group Ltd.
+1(519) 578-6030
pat.pearl@cowangroup.ca
Danny Marceau
Secretary/Treasurer
OTIP/RAEO Insurance Brokers Inc.
+1(519) 888-9683
dmarceau@otip.com
Jason Lawson
Sergeant at Arms
Erb and Erb Insurance Brokers Ltd.
+1(519) 579-4270
jlawson@erb-erb.com
Tam Good
Education
Donovan Insurance Brokers Inc.
+1(519) 886-3150
tgood@donovaninsurance.com
Dianne Monteiro
Executive Secretary
+1(519) 886-3150
ExecutiveSecretary@ibawr.ca
Scott Heaman
Public Relations & Communications
Advocate Insurance Group
+1(519) 650-5565
sheaman@advocateinsurancegroup.ca
Jad McGregor
Past President
Affiliated Brokers EXchange
+1(519) 880-0044
jadmcgregor@abexinsurance.com
Jessica Bevenborn
Membership
KW Insurance Brokers
+1(519) 744-4190
jbevenborn@kwbroker.ca
Russ Philpott
Bulletin Editor
Staebler Insurance
+1(519) 743-5228
rphilpott@staebler.com
IBAWR
72 Regina Street North
Waterloo, ON N2J 3A5
Join Us for Our May, 2013 Meeting:
Date: May 2, 2013
Place: Golf’s Steak House
598 Lancaster Street
Kitchener, Ontario
Time: 5:30pm – Closed Members Meeting
6:00pm – Open Doors to Industry Friends
RSVP: ExecutiveSecretary@ibawr.ca
Bring a Non-Perishable food item to support the Waterloo Food Bank!
FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
www.facebook.com/IBAWR
IBAO Mission Statement
"To be the advocate for the independent
Insurance Broker driving collaboration
between members, consumers and other
stakeholders resulting in innovative solutions
for the betterment of the industry. "
IBAO represents our members' interests to
government ministries and regulatory bodies,
as well as to insurance industry commissions
and associations. These bodies recognize us as
the authoritative voice of Ontario's
independent brokers.
IBAWR represents the interests of
independent brokers in the Waterloo Region.
PLEASE NOTE:
All those planning to attend must reserve IN ADVANCE
Contact Dianne Monteiro for more information
th
Please RSVP by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 30 , 2013.
Your Best Insurance
is an
Insurance Broker
www.myinsuranceshopper.com
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Membership Report
If there are brokers in your office who have neither received their Bipper pin, nor been introduced, please let
either myself or Dianne Monteiro know.
We hope to see all our existing members and our new members at the next meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jessica Bevenborn
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Education Report
IBAO School of Insurance – Upcoming Events
Webinars for May
Introduction to Commercial General Liability including CGL Policy
May 9, 2013 - 9:30 to 12:00 p.m.
Participants who complete this two-part webinar will gain a working knowledge of liability exposures, negligence
and Tort Law as they apply to commercial lines risks. Participants will also receive an introduction to the coverage
provided by The Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy. Accreditation: 4 Technical Hours
Insurance Solutions for Condos & Life Lease Units
May 14, 2013 - 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
According to Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation "there are almost as many types of condos as there are
kinds of people who want to live in them. Residential condominiums can range from high and low-rise apartment
buildings to townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, single detached homes, freehold. They also feature a wide variety of
amenities designed to suit almost any budget or lifestyle". Accreditation: 2 Technical Hours
Upcoming Courses
Provide More Value to Your Clients – Kitchener
May 22, 2013 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Last year we focused on Professional Sales Conversations. This year the focus will be on proactive tools and
strategies that will enable you to have more impactful, consultative business conversations with your prospects
and clients positioning you as a "Trusted Insurance Advisor". The sales game has changed and the "old way" of
selling insurance no longer works! Using specific insurance examples we will introduce you to the Value Pyramid so
that you can develop your relationships with clients to a strategic partnership adding value to their businesses.
Accreditation: 6 Personal Hours
CAIB National Exams - May 1, 2013
REGISTER ONLINE IBAO.COM
***At times a smaller venue is required for CAIB Exams. If your office can accommodate a Proctor and 2 to 3
students in a quiet environment, please contact Brenda Tait or Tam Good***
Respectively submitted
Tam Good
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Our Board is Growing!
We are looking for new members to come out and Support our IBAWR!!
If you are interested, or know someone who has fresh ideas as well as a passion
for our industry and making a difference, please contact one of our board
members.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support your local Insurance Brokers
Association!
**See our Board of Directors for
complete contact information
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