By Michael Welch, Big "I" Markets Marketing Assistant
 Wildfires can very rapidly destroy ground vegetation, forests, animals, homes, and sometimes, people. As of today, there are twelve active " large incident" fires in the US, which have burned hundreds of thousands of acres, mostly in California. This video shows how quickly fire can spread in just a few seconds. YouTube is full of videos such as this and this with people waiting until it is almost too late to evacuate. It was just a year ago that over 700 homes were destroyed in a massive fire covering several California towns.
In August Chubb announced the expansion of its Wildfire Defense Services which combined the programs of Fireman's Fund, ACE, and Chubb. For Platinum policyholders, this means that all areas of Texas are now eligible. It also means that legacy ACE and Fireman's Fund policy holders are now eligible in North Dakota and South Dakota. Review more information on eligibility in the Wildfire Defense Services here.
This is just one of the exciting changes happening at with Chubb since the merger with ACE & Fireman's Fund. Earlier this year Chubb announced a new H 2O Damage Defense service and partnership with ADT which we detailed a few weeks ago.
Here are some upcoming improvements to Chubb's high-value homeowners program:
Completion of the Fireman's Fund Conversion - The vast majority of the conversion will be completed in 2016, with only a very small percentage of policies still in-force as a result of withdrawal requirements.
Rebranded Policy Paper - Chubb will soon intorduce rebranded Platinum Portfolio and Masterpiece policy paper, reflecting the new Chubb name and brand identity, will be released soon.
New Bill Format for Masterpiece Policyholders - Chubb plans to enhance the content and format of their bill for Masterpiece and other legacy Chubb customers. The revised bill will make it easier for clients to understand their billing statement, identify what coverage the bill relates to, and choose from a variety of convenient payment options.
The Chubb Masterpiece Program is available to registered members in all states except Auto in HI, KY, MA, NC, SC and VA as those are being placed in the legacy-ACE system. Additionally, NJ auto & NC home business is being written in the Chubb Non-Masterpiece environment. Learn more by logging into www.bigimarkets.com and click on Affluent Program - New Business.
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 Join FEMA On October 11th at 10:00 AM - Noon CDT for an informative webinar providing a practical look at how FEMA flood map changes can affect property owners in their roles as flood insurance policyholders as well as borrowers.
Find out how to ease the transition to new flood maps for your clients. Learn how to provide better service to them by understanding how mapping changes affect policy rates, premiums, and the mandatory purchase of flood insurance.
This course will also review flood mapping issues related to Letters of Map Change and the Newly Mapped procedure.
Enroll in an upcoming session and learn how to best help your clients both before and after map changes occur. Register by clicking here. These webinars are FREE to attend, but spaces are limited.
No Continuing Education credits are offered for these courses in any state.
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 As we enter the prime foliage season, many Americans are planning adventures to enjoy the fall splendor. Few places put on as magnificent a show as the Blue Ridge Parkway. This road is over 460 miles long and ranges along the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia to the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. The parkway began in 1935 and was completed in 1966. In October it is said that in some stretches you can see winter, fall, and summer all at once from the cold and windy tops, the surrounding brilliant colors of the autumn leaves leading down into the still warm and green valleys below. Numerous cities and towns, lookout points, historic sites, observation towers, hiking trails, a music center, and more are spread out along the parkway making it more than just a one-day trip. Other areas of the country also offer beautiful fall foliage scenic routes.
One might not think of travel insurance when planning a fall colors tour, but even a Blue Ridge Parkway trip can turn into a weeklong affair with airline, travel and lodging needs, among others.
Travel Insurance can cover accident and sickness medical expense, emergency medical evacuation/repatriation, trip delays, cancellation, interruption, missed connections due to severe weather or many others reasons outside the traveler's control.
Obtaining coverage is easy:
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Review the product guide and comparison chart with your client.1
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When you are ready for coverage to be issued, click on "Request a Quote" in Big "I" Markets and provide the necessary information. A credit card will be required to issue coverage.
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Coverage will be issued and confirmed in Big "I" Markets.
The TII travel blog covers a myriad of travel related subjects, including sleeping on flights, honeymoon planning tips, using a cellphone abroad, and picking the right hotel, just to name a few. Travel Insurance is currently available to members in all states.
1 Rates, waiting periods, and coverages can vary in FL, IA, KS, NY & WA.
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Remember that you can view the following webinars 24/7 by checking out the BIM Webinar Library. To do that log onto Big "I" Markets and click on "Publications".
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TravPay
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Commercial Lessor's Risk
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Affluent Homeowners
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Travel Insurance
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Community Banks
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Affluent Homeowner
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Real Estate E&O
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RLI Personal Umbrella
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"Oh, by the way...Flood Sale"
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Habitational
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Student Housing
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BIM WEBSITE TRAINING WEBINAR
For all you folks who recently registered for Big "I" Markets, remember you can participate in a webinar from the comfort of your office to help you learn how to navigate around the system. Every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. EDT we'll show you how to navigate the Big "I" Markets platform, including how to submit a quote! A recording of this webinar can be found under "Publications" after logging into Big "I" Markets.
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Part 3 of 3: DocuSign Webinar Series Continues on 10/13
Digital Insurance: Meeting the Needs of the Digital Customer – Part 3 of 3
DocuSign and the Big "I" have partnered to bring you a 3-part webinar series on digital insurance.
Technology has changed the way businesses interact with their customers. Customers are on their digital devices and expect immediate service from the companies they do business with. Stay ahead of the competition by providing services the way your customers live - on digital devices.
Webinar Date: October 13, 2016 - 10:00 AM PDT ( 1:00 PM EDT)
Don't wait, register today for part three of this 3-part series and learn how other insurance agents and brokers are using DocuSign to improve workflows.
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AIG High Net-Worth Homeowners Overview Webinar
Friday, October 21, 2016
2:00 to 2:30 p.m. EST
Cost: FREE!
AIG Private Client Group for affluent homeowners. We will run through the various coverage features in detail. We will also discuss tips on managing risks, claims, underwriting flexibility, premium credits, and coverage comparison. Presenter is Lisa Gelles, Business Development Manager - AIG Private Client Group
REGISTER HERE
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Agents Counsel for Technology
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Small Commercial Rating - Advocacy for Consistency & Usability Tuesday, October 18, 2016
2:00 to 2:30 p.m. EST
Cost: FREE!
The ACT Small Commercial Rating work group is focusing on driving cross-industry consistency and ease of use for agents using their management systems to get customer quotes for small commercial lines. Join work group Co-Chairs, Jim Armitage and Susan LaBarre, as they talk about the work group's goals, and delve into their creation of a recently-release "Carrier Bridging Best Practices" document. This is a strategic template to create consistent workflows and ultimately increase overall utilization of small commercial rating using management system 'bridging' functionality. There will also be discussion on the ongoing challenges for small commercial lines and steps the work group will take next on this.
REGISTER HERE
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The Center for Internet Security and ACT Present "Cyber Hygiene" Tuesday, October 25, 2016
1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EST
Cost: FREE!
Join us to learn about an exciting set of security tools being offered FREE for all IIABA agents & brokers! ACT is partnering with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to offer their comprehensive set of 'Cyber Hygiene' tools to help agencies count, configure, control and patch all software, hardware, and security-related aspects of agency business.
In this webinar, a representative from the CIS will discuss the Cyber Hygiene tools in detail, giving you insights on how to download and use these tools, creating the needed plans to protect your valuable agency hardware and data.
REGISTER HERE
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Big "I" Virtual University Webinars
Don't miss the following education opportunities provided from the Big "I" Virtual University experts that focus on topics agents need to know to make a smart start in 2016. For more information, contact national staff.
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October 17. "First Monday LIVE!" is a free monthly webcast hosted by the VU's own Bill Wilson and guests on the first Monday of the month to discuss the wide world of insurance from seemingly non-insurance topics. Each 30-minute webisode covers "what's going on" in the news and the implications. The September broadcast is in development as subject matter is explored. Click here to learn more and register and here to access the recordings.
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October 27. "NFIP: Change, Chaos and Confusion" In this two-hour session, David Thompson of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents teams up with Chris Heidrick of Heidrick and Company in Sanibel Island, Florida to bring you up to speed on where we were and (as best as anyone knows) where the NFIP is going. Subjects such as subsidized rates, grandfathering, refunds, surcharges, lapses, and the ever-popular robust private flood insurance market will be discussed. Click here to learn more and register.
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Be one of the first five with the correct answers and win a $5 gift card (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robbins, or Krispy Kreme).
Don't forget to answer the Tie Breaker!
1. The National Fire Protection Association states there were 1,345,500 reported fires in 2015. How many were "outside and other" fires?
2. What famous comic detective debuted on this day (October 4) in 1931?
3. The NFIP paid out over $839 million in claims in 2015. Which state received more than 60% ($520 million) of it?
TIE BREAKER
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” This is a quote by which Algerian-born writer?
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BIG "I" MARKETS SALE OF THE WEEK
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