Big I Virginia E-News
August 2021
Welcome
AGENCIES:    
Blue Ridge Insurance Services  Harrisonburg                        District 6
     

ASSOCIATES:    
Kinsale Insurance Company Richmond, VA  
Aflac Broker Solutions VA/WV Glen Allen, VA  
Amwins Charlotte, NC   
 
From the Desk of the President & CEO
August? Say it isn’t true!
Summer just can’t be over yet! I refuse to accept it, but it is just so darn hot.  A touch of fall wouldn’t hurt right now. Of course, I heard this morning about tropical storm Fred. The storms are coming! Get ready!
 
IIAV Member Resources
  

Among the great lessons I learned leading agile software development teams was the importance of acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers and the value in staying flexible with limited resources. Seek continual progress, not perfection. This lesson can apply to all functions of a business.

As we all strive to make sense of changing CDC recommendations and the resulting impacts on our business the importance of scenario planning and staying agile can be important. While each week seems to surface new questions about the economic outlook and new opinions about the future, decisions must be made on allocating resources, staffing, and spending.

Leading an agency in uncertain times is tough. While we acknowledge we don’t have clear answers, recognizing the likely and worst-case scenarios is important. Planning for various possible outcomes and the associated probability for each is an important part of leadership. Understanding what steps to take under each scenario will help avoid problems later.

Next steps: Discuss and debate the likely scenarios you should plan for. What are the three most likely outcomes the agency should anticipate, and what are the key strategies under each scenario? What is the cost of doing nothing? Create an objective scenario plan now to position the agency to be more effective later.

A new newsletter item this year, our Member Benefit Spotlight aims to help you build your agency using the tools at hand through Big "I" membership, by reminding you of benefits you may have forgotten about. If you need help finding the benefits most in line with the priorities of your agency, you can always contact IIAV’s Membership Director Don Bragg at dbragg@iiav.com or 804-747-9300.
 
Job openings and separations are on the rise but hiring is not. So many workers have lefttheir jobs that economists are calling it the “great resignation."
 

Local Presence. Regional Strength.
Penn National Insurance®
Penn National Insurance is small enough to provide personal, caring interactions, but large enough to serve you and your policyholders with the same sophistication and product offering of the largest carriers. We back our promise to help people feel secure and make life better when bad thing happen with our strong financial position, and we remain committed to distributing our products and services through independent agencies.
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State & National News
The notice to Write-Your-Own insurance companies stated the anticipated quoting and policy issuance for Phase 1 of Risk Rating 2.0 policies will be available starting on Aug. 16, 2021.
 
  
After anywhere from months to more than a year of virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students will soon be heading to college campuses for in-person instruction during the fall semester. In addition to new courses, teachers, friends, surroundings and living accommodations, it also can mean new insurance needs.
  
The City of Alexandria released its annual National Flood Insurance Program - Community Ratings System outreach effort. The document provides IIAV members convenient contact information and a description of how the city can assist them with information regarding properties that are in or near a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) in the City of Alexandria.
  
Legislation would ensure private policies satisfy NFIP continuous coverage requirements.
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) [today] applauded Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Florida) and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri) for introducing H.R. 4699, the “Continuous Coverage for Flood Insurance Act.” The legislation would allow for private flood insurance to satisfy National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) continuous coverage requirements.
  
August is a great time to gear up for Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Month and plan for Labor Day safe driving. Help Drive Smart Virginia by sharing the Designate B4U Celebrate Labor Day Graphics. These graphics can be used in social media posts, on websites, in newsletters and emails, etc. Get creative and get the message across! 
Goodville Mutual
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IIAV News
  
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. announced last month their 2021-2022 Board of Directors and Committees. Among those named to serve were three members of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia.  


The Virginia Society of Association Executives announced this month the names of their members who will serve on the VSAE’s Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Task Force.

 

I’m in Control of My Future, Are YOU?
Smart Choice®
Going independent was a challenge, but my partnership made it possible. Agents that join Smart Choice retain ownership of existing and future policies.  That’s right, agents keep what they already have, what they write and give up nothing.  Agents pay no startup fees, monthly fees, maintenance fees, or exit fees, ever.  Agents can utilize our support when they need carrier access or our expertise.
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Upcoming Events

Be sure to follow us on social media for speaker highlights and fun announcements about the 2021 IIAV Convention & Tradeshow!  

https://www.instagram.com/iia_virginia/?hl=en   https://www.facebook.com/IndependentInsuranceAgentsofVirginia/   https://www.linkedin.com/company/independent-insurance-agents-of-virginia

 
Commonwealth Underwriters Ltd
The Kotter Group
Education
IIAV's Education Connection will now be a monthly email subscription unlike the prior weekly email blasts. We have made a few changes to the functionality of the page and hope that these changes will benefit our subscribers by providing easier access to the information in the Education Connection.
 
 
The Virginia Commonwealth University RMI Program invites IIAV to join them on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 9:00 to 10:00 am for their next RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE TRENDS TALKS. Sessions are held virtually and their goal with the Trends Talks is to bring together risk management and insurance professionals from diverse industry sectors to share and learn about trends, issues, and current events impacting our industry.