If you've not heard, residents in Fairfield, Conn. have been living in fear of Lewis the cat—a black and white feline with extra toes and "formidable" claws.

His razor sharp claws, in combination with his "catlike stealth" has earned him a restraining order, reports Boston.com, after using his skills to attack half a dozen people and ambush an Avon lady as she got out of her car.

According to Boston.com, most of Lewis' victims received bite wounds and scratches, which had to be treated at area hospitals. And, after receiving his restraining order, Lewis was placed on house arrest—forbidden from leaving his home.

This makes me laugh for a couple reasons, but mostly because some friends of ours had a similar experience with a Katrina cat they recently tried to adopt.

Like Lewis, "Tanner" had extra toes on every paw, which I can only assume was a major source of his angst. When my friends went to meet Tanner at his foster home, they were surprised to see that the foster "parent" had covered her entire apartment with sheets and towels—including one large spot in the middle of the floor.

And just like Lewis, Tanner had aggression problems. As my friend S engaged the feline in a little play, he soon found his hand and arm torn apart from Tanner's aggressive biting and scratching. Trying not to give up on the adoption, S asked the temp owner a few more questions about the cat, and watched in horror as Tanner sprinted around the apartment and destroyed everything in his path.

"Does he scratch a lot?" S asked the foster parent.
"Who...Tanner?" she replied nervously.

And, as if on cue, Tanner ran over to the towel in the middle of the floor and started tearing away at it—revealing a gaping hole in the carpet underneath.

Needless today, my friends opted not to adopt Tanner, a decision Lewis' owner probably wishes she'd have made.

My question to you agents, however, is this: has anyone ever had to cancel a homeowner's insurance policy because of a cat? I'll be interested to see if insurers expand their criteria for pets beyond the typical canine breeds that prevent homeowners from getting insurance. Because people could have filed many a claim on my household back in the day, all on account of my little rabid hamster, Ginger. :)

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

I have a confession to make: I'm fascinated by Risk Management Solutions. I was totally enamored with their 2004 report of the Top 10 Greatest Risks (which identified the greatest risks/threats to the U.S.) and I'm interested with just about every study they come out with. And I'm just a copywriter. I don't even assess risk for a living!

Which is why I'm guessing that some of you P&C agents are more than excited about the 2006 Risk Management Solutions Conference, which will be held a stone's throw away from the InsureMe office in Colorado Springs.

The itinerary looks jam packed, with breakout sessions on hurricane and earthquake modeling, new risk management software and new European risk modeling, just to name a few. It looks like the optional activities are also going to be pretty awesome—attendants can choose from participating in the RMS golf tournament, a mountain bike tour, a hike through the Garden of the Gods...all good things.

If any of you guys and gals attend the conference, be sure to get back to us with your impressions and fun anecdotes so I can live vicariously through you. Because something tells me copywriters aren't allowed at fun RMS conferences. Or maybe I could get in as "press"...

If I piqued your interest, click here to learn more about the conference. The "early bird" deadline is March 31 (tomorrow!) but perhaps if you ask nicely, they'll work something out for you.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

The insurance industry "lags behind" in web site performance, this according to the recent Internet Standards Assessment Report (ISAR), which evaluated over 9,700 Web sites in more than 80 industries over the last decade.

According to the Insurance Journal's report, the insurance industry has "underperformed the overall industry benchmark in six of the past nine years." The common affliction of insurance web sites seems to be lack of innovation, which William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association (the company behind the ISAR report), blames on the "conservative nature and risk adverseness of the industry."

Rice goes on to say:

Many insurance companies were late in developing dynamic Web sites because they generally relied on a sales force to sell their products. Insurance sites still tend to be more focused on the agent and broker community rather than the end consumer.

The report did, however, name content and copywriting as strong suits for insurance web sites, which shows that industry sites are nearing the right path.

Now for my two cents:

Because InsureMe is a web-based insurance referral service (serving agents, affiliates and consumers), I was particularly interested in these findings. I can tell you that many of us here at InsureMe are constantly working to improve and advance our site. And, while this article inspires me all the more to create and innovate, it should also be a wake-up call to insurers who have a presence (or who want to have a presence) on the web. Because the fact of the matter is, more and more consumers are turning on their computers to find the information, quotes and coverage they need—rather than picking the prettiest ad in the yellow pages.

My point is this: while you may not be hungry for the Web Marketing Association's WebAward (which is perfectly okay), you do need to think about what kind of experience your consumer has when they get to your page. And because we love our agents here at InsureMe, we'll help you get the ball rolling with these web-centered articles:

• Improve Your Agency's Website: 9 Free Tools
• Writing Web Articles: The New Key to Success
• Using the Internet to Leverage Your Business.

Make no mistake—the surge in Internet shopping and research is not a fad! Take a look at the IJ article here; you'll also find a link to the complete ISAR report, which will give you a list of companies whose sites you may want to emulate.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

Posted by Megan Mahan at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

Monster.com's technology folks sent me an interesting feature article today on the subject of "life hacks". (I'd love to provide you with a link, but sadly readership is subscription-based.)

For those of you who haven't heard of life hacks, they're practical tips for increasing productivity and organization in the workplace. And, according to Monster, the term also refers to a larger movement of finding simple ways to manage complex tasks.

With that definition in mind, life hacks can be anything from software tools to ideas that keep you productive. For example, responding only to urgent email before noon is a life hack, as is Ta-da Lists, an online to-do organizer, which receives a hat tip from Monster.

What can Ta-da do for you?

The answer to that is, just about anything. And now you're about to see Megan get really excited.

Ta-da allows you to create easy-to-make-and-store lists about anything. You can make lists for other people—including friends, family and coworkers, share your lists with the world (okay, or the office) or store them privately. Best of all, because Ta-da is Web-based, you can access your lists at work or at home. Your Ta-da lists also show you how far along in a task you are—the bullet mark in front of each task shrinks as you near its completion.

Best of all, Ta-da is free! Of course as the folks at Ta-da hope you love it so much that you'll consider subscribing to an upgraded version, which includes notes, reminders and photo storage. The only catch is this: Ta-da may only work for you if you have a Safari, Firefox or Internet Explorer (IE) 6.x, web browser, so you may need make adjustments before downloading.

Now, as someone who loves making lists, the free version sounds like a good fit for me. For you busy agents, an upgraded version may have more of the capabilities you need to stay organized. Although I have to tell you, I really do love the act of crossing things off of my lists, (this is especially fun with the new fun-colored Sharpies) but I'll give Ta-da a try this week and see if it changes my life.

If you'd like to learn more about life hacks and how to simplify your workplace, you can checkout LifeHack.org, LifeHacker and 43 Folders (great recommendations from Monster). And, from our own library of agent resources, check out our InsureMe article, Eliminating the Hoops: Streamlining Business Practices.

Although, come to think of it, some advocates of life hacking could argue that reading through the blogs and articles linked above is really just contributing to the rest of the distractions you deal with during the day. :)

Posted by Megan Mahan at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Before I came to work for InsureMe, I had actually never heard of an insurance shopping service. Like most consumers, insurance didn't excite me, and I considered shopping for insurance about as exciting as watching paint dry (which, by the way, I'll also be doing soon as I purchase and move into a new home...but that's another story).

Just a few days ago, I got a fresh perspective on the true value InsureMe provides both consumers and agents when I decided to shop my own insurance rates through my employer's Web site at InsureMe.com.

You know that new home I mentioned? Well, it requires insurance in order to close the sale, and I just haven't been satisfied with the rates I've been paying my current insurer. But I was hesitant to leave the company because of the great customer service I'd always received. I thought there must be another company out there that could give me lower rates and the service I needed, too.

I was right—and I found it from an independent broker on the InsureMe network.

Within literally hours of submitting my quote request, I heard back from said broker, who got right to work looking for the policies to fit my needs (on a Saturday even!). He was courteous, professional, and took care of everything for me. In fact, he made shopping my insurance an enjoyable experience!

I figured it would take several days to weed through all the information insurers would provide, make sure I understood all my options, and find affordable policies for my new home and family cars (which seemed to be costing me an arm and a leg every month to cover).

But man, was I surprised when, within 48 hours, I had great policies with phenomenal rates, a new relationship with a leading insurer, all the paperwork sent directly to my new mortgage company for me—and savings of almost $200 a month on my insurance bill!

And that broker was just as excited to hear from me. He said I was "every agent's dream," which didn't hurt my feelings any. With our mutual transaction, he made money, I saved a bundle, and we're both ecstatic! In fact, I've already referred two friends and family members to him as a result of his outstanding service, and he's looking to make some real serious bucks off me (and I get a gift card for the referrals as a bonus!).

Whether you're an agent looking for money-making leads or a consumer who'd like to save more on your insurance, I can now personally recommend InsureMe.com. It's no longer just my employer...it's my new-found financial freedom.

OK, I'll shut up now. But I think that jingle in my pocket is calling my name, so this calls for a real celebration....want to join me? :)

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 06:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Following 2005's hurricane season, thousands of cars began flooding (pun intended) used car lots all over the nation.

South Dakota's attorney general is now joining the ranks of authorities warning citizens to purchase used cars cautiously, reports today's Insurance Journal. Those who unknowingly buy one of these vehicles may face costly repairs or dangerous malfunctions of major operational systems.

Although I've never experienced it (and hope I never have to!), losing my brakes or having my car come to a dead stop in early-morning traffic is not my idea of a good time.

So what effect do all these flooded cars have on the insurance industry?

They represent a glut of potential claims—big ones.

What can be done about it?

Encourage your customers who are purchasing used vehicles to go online and do some research. To make sure the car they're considering buying hasn't been damaged by flood, they should:

[For more info on this story, check it out here.]

Happy Monday!

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

There's an interesting story today over at the Insurance News Network, regarding the daunting task ahead for insurers in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Only this time, the spotlight is on the health insurance industry, not the property and casualty folks.

The daunting task? Rebuilding provider networks after losing thousands of members in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Most hospitals in the flooded portions of Louisiana still haven't reopened and many healthcare providers evacuated the state along with the rest of the residents, reports the INN, which has caused a "chicken and egg" situation for the Louisiana health insurance industry.

"If you don't have the membership, it's hard for you to build the network," says Michael Taylor who works for Towers Perrin, a management consulting firm.

Among the list of challenges, Taylor says that renegotiating physician contracts is one of the largest problems—the physicians who have stayed in the area will likely charge higher fees to compensate for seeing fewer clients. And then there are the expenses that come with opening a new office.

The INN article seems to underscore that the businesses just can't get a leg up in Louisiana. And while this may seem disconcerting, I remain impressed with the stamina and level of commitment of residents to get their communities back in order. I'll be interested to see when and how these communities rebuild their infrastructures, and how insurers cope with the new reality in the Gulf States.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

It's my personal opinion that life's much too short to spend it playing Mr. or Mz. Serious all the time. And no matter how much you love your job, come Friday, most of us are ready to unwind and enjoy the weekend.

It's for this reason that I'm going to leave most of my Agent blog rhetoric for the first four days of the workweek, and post only about the peculiar on Fridays. The goal? I don't really have one. Just to make you laugh, furrow your brow or ask aloud, "Um, what?"

So to get this thing off the ground, I've got two peculiar postings for you. Yes, two. What can I say, I'm excited. :)

First up: Pop-Tarts are not Flame-retardant

So, I'm not entirely sure who's repsonsible for this Pop-Tart experiment, but from the looks of things, it appears to be a couple of high school or college kids. Anyway, this new-wave scientist read (via Dave Barry's legendary columns in the Miami Herald) that if you put a strawberry Pop-Tart in a toaster and rig it so it can't pop up, there will be "quite an impressive fire".

It seems trial one did not yield said results, but trial two saw total success.

The same scientist also carried out an experiment which involved microwaving Twinkies (I assume to see if they explode), but unfortunately there are no photos of this.

Man, I miss science class.

[Hat Tip:] RiskProf

Next up: Man Severed Own Fingers to Collect Insurance Money

Now this happened in December, but I hadn't heard of this until today, so it's news to me.

According to NYC's Channel 7 news, an former Austrian "fingernail stylist" was charged with insurance fraud last December after he put his hands under a running train, severing a thumb and two fingers. All this just to collect on an insurance policy.

He told authorities that he lost his fingers in a bike accident two years earlier; but insurance officials became suspicious after noticing he'd recently taken out a $1.7 million insurance policy. And that he was $175,000 in debt.

If convicted, the 35-year old man could face 10 years in prison.

Aside from the fact that I've never heard of a "fingernail stylist", this is maybe the strangest thing I've seen someone to do collect on a policy. I'm going to do my best to follow up on this one, although something tells me navigating through the Austrian news could pose a challenge.

Well, this concludes our first Peculiar Friday Post. And as always, if you have anything to share, just holler (via 'comments', of course).

Have a great weekend everyone.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Insurers nationwide are bracing themselves for losses in the tens of millions of dollars following the recent barrage of tornadoes in the Midwest.

According to Insurance Newsnet, "Initial reports pegged the number of storms-which hit Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma-at more than 100," although the actual number of tornadoes involved has not yet been confirmed.

The Arkansas Insurance Department estimates that its state alone suffered a total of $25.5 million in insured losses. Other states have been declared disaster areas, but have not yet estimated total losses.

One insurer alone, American Family, is processing more than 10,000 claims as a result of the storms, as reported in a recent statement by that company.

What's on tap for the remainder of the spring season? Only time will tell. But I have a feeling insurers will be digging deep in their coffers to cover the losses.

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

After pondering yesterday in my post the honesty of mankind, I found myself wondering if maybe I was giving our species too much credit. After all, one has only to read the daily newspaper or watch the evening news to see how we rob, cheat and steal one another blind—over and over again.

But this morning over coffee, I read another inspiring story that reinforced my faith in my fellow man. You may have seen this one yourself, but if you haven't, you've got to check it out!

It goes like this: amongst the ruins of a hurricane-damaged home in New Orleans, a college student recently spent her spring break cleaning up Hurricane Katrina's mess. When the girl discovered some unusual papers she thought were garbage in an air conditioner vent, she began raking them out so she could throw them away. But when she bent down to pick them up, she discovered they were actually a stack of $100 bills.

On final tally, there was over $30,000 hidden behind the walls of the water-logged home.

The home was a total loss—other than the unexpected find. Its owner, who assumes her grandfather placed the money there because he never trusted banks, was totally speechless.

What a windfall! But during a time when there was nothing but devastation as far as the eye could see, what do you suppose the student did with the money?

She gave it back! (Read the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth right here.)

Sheriff's Deputy Gary Adams said of the incident, "It's good to see someone find something like that and turn it over to proper authorities and the rightful owner."

Although I would hope we would each do the same, I wonder, when it came right down to it, would we really??

What do you think? Oh, and be honest, would you? :)

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

Interesting article over at the Insurance Journal today, which states that brokerage firm, The Charles Schwab Corp., has paid $2.68 million to protect founder and CEO Charles Schwab since 2003—quite literally.

The "protection" includes security systems and equipment, this according to a proxy which was filed this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to said proxy, the security services were implemented at the recommendation of a third-party consulting firm in 2002, "as part of the company's business protection plans." The proxy goes on to state that the heightened security is not maintained for the personal benefit of Schwab, which is good to hear. There's nothing worse than folks throwing money at bodyguards and security systems just for show.

While the article itself is (I guess) interesting, I'm more interested in the comments readers have posted in response to the article. Because, as "Curious" points out, this article really contradicts all those new "Talk to Chuck" ads:

"How are you supposed to 'Talk to Chuck' when he has all that security to keep people away?"

Well done, Curious.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

If you've ever wondered about the basic honesty of man, ask Florida resident Carlos M. Rojas, 62. He'll tell you there's at least one honest stranger out there—and he's really grateful they met.

The really weird thing is, the two men, who work in the same building but for different companies, carry the same name, according to The Associated Press.

The elder Mr. Rojas, whose son perished in Iraq last October when a land mine exploded near his Humvee, had been waiting for his son's life insurance company to produce the military death benefits they had promised.

But he had no way of knowing that the checks had already been delivered, albeit to the wrong man. And he never would have found out had it not been for the stranger's honesty.

Carlos G. Rojas, 29, received an undeserved windfall when $200,000 in life insurance benefits were sent to him at his job in January. Mystified, he contacted the insurance company that issued them, Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, who told him to just cash the checks.

But the younger Rojas couldn't do it. He later said, "...Somebody's life was connected with that money. I couldn't just spend it and go on like nothing happened."

According to the story in The Ledger, a Lakeland, FL newspaper, he instead spent nine weeks searching for the rightful owner of the money. When he discovered the checks belonged to the elder Mr. Rojas, he searched the Internet for the grieving father's phone number.

He then called the man and turned the money over to him last week.

As it turns out, the checks listed no middle name, so they had simply been delivered to the wrong man at the wrong business—in the right building.

No one is more grateful for the kindness of a stranger than the elder Mr. Rojas, who says he considers the money a final gift from his son, whom he misses very much.

Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance has apologized for the mix-up, and plans to send this father a letter of apology.

I don't know about you but, in these days of seemingly common dishonesty, this story just warms my heart. Read it in its entirety here.

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

As I'm sure you may have heard, GEICO's been getting some heat lately due to their practice of using occupation and education level to determine a driver's insurance rates.

Last week RiskProf posted about a similar situation after a Bill in New Jersey was introduced banning the practice of using occupation and education level to determine premiums.

Prof argues that:

Insurers are going to mine their data to find those variables that are statistically related to higher risk and use this information to discriminate between expected high and low risk drivers. This is legal and this is discrimination. We forget that it makes the better drivers have lower rates.

Prof also equates the occupation/education underwriting to that of charging young males and people with poor driving records more for insurance.

I posted a lengthy comment regarding my feelings on the subject here (sadly, I never got a rebuttal from RiskProf) but the jist of it was that I tend to disagree with companies like GEICO that incorporate these kinds of factors into underwriting.

My opinion goes as such: I agree that bad drivers should pay more for auto insurance and I understand the risks associated with, say, elderly and violation-prone drivers. However, I think companies like GEICO cross a delicate line when they start charging folks with a GED that earn minimum wage more for auto insurance. And (unfortunately,) the current caste system in the United States still finds minorities receiving less education and working lower-paying jobs as a result. Consequently, it appears many of these folks are paying more for car insurance because of their job title rather than their driving history.

But how much more are lower income drivers actually paying?

As I stated to Prof, I recently came across an article in the Star-Ledger (of Newark, NJ) which found that a 30-year old single, male lawyer would pay about $1,690 per year for auto insurance, while a 30-year old single, male janitor (with the same driving record) with a high school diploma would pay over $2,800 per year.

Now that, I just don't get. I'm sure it works out well for a lot of drivers, but it seems to me that companies like GEICO are squashing the little guys and I'm not cool with that. Come on. We've all seen Hoosiers. We all like to root for the little guys, ahem, and gals.

But as much as I disagree with the practice, I know I am but a lowly copywriter and probably look at this issue from a different prespective than an insurance agent. So. Post your comments please, as I'm eager to hear what you all have to say.

[Bonus Links]: I couldn't find the reprint of the Star-Ledger article, but this recent MSN Money article highlights the findings. CNN Money also has a worthwhile article on the subject (GEICO-related) here.

UPDATE: I was just fowarded this related article from the Motley Fool. Good points. Check it out and get back to me.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
 

I can't lie. I'm reaching for material today.

However, RiskProf posted a great tidbit today on Iraqi life insurance that's worth checking out.

According to Prof, the New York Times recently published a piece on terrorism-related life insurance in Iraq, which carried riders for death caused by:

• explosions caused by weapons of war and car bombs


• assassinations


• terrorist attacks

You know, I was feeling pretty awful about not having a great insurance anecdote for you folks today. Then I read the whole "explosions caused by weapons of war and car bombs" bit and stopped feeling sorry for myself.

Nonetheless, it's a good post by RiskProf; head over and give it a gander. Yes, that's right. A gander.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

As reported previously in this blog, St. Paul Travelers recently began offering its hybrid-driving customers in a handful of states discounts of up to 10 percent.

Well, apparently the move has been well-received amongst customers, as Travelers has now qualified hybrid drivers in six more states for the auto insurance discount. Welcome on board Alabama, Mississippi, Nevada, Kansas, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Why is the company encouraging drivers to purchase hybrids? Mostly for financial reasons, I suspect. Research shows hybrid owners tend to be mature, experienced drivers less likely to file auto claims—in other words, they're the cream of the crop for insurers.

I wonder if other auto insurers will follow suit. What do you think?

Check out today's Insurance Journal story for yourself here.

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

I'd venture to say we've all left our keys in our car's ignition at one time or another—whether purposefully or by accident. But I'll bet Arizona drivers will think twice about doing that now!

According to the Insurance Journal, the state has approved a bill allowing Arizona auto insurers to charge a triple deductible for auto claims in which vehicles are stolen because their owners left the keys in their cars.

Now wait a minute—isn't that going just a little bit overboard?

I agree with the sentiments of Arizona Sen. Barbara Leff, who voted against the bill, saying, "The whole purpose of insurance is to cover those human mistakes and human frailties."

But today's Insurance Journal story says the state disagreed because one out of five stolen Arizona vehicles had keys left inside.

I'll concede they have a point; but a triple deductible? Seems to me that will just encourage those drivers whose cars are stolen to go without insurance, rather than pay the high deductible. Why not suspend offenders' licenses for a period of time instead? Then maybe they'd check for those keys one last time before leaving their vehicles.

I'd like to hear what Arizona auto insurers out there have to say about this issue. Anyone wanna share your perspective?

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
 

Part of posting to the InsureMe Agent Blog, as you might have figured, means reading up on the latest insurance happenings and forming some sort of intelligible opinion about them.

So as I perused the Net in search of the latest, "big" insurance news this morning, you can imagine my shock upon finding this headline under the Insurance News Net's "Breaking News" articles:

Humana CEO 2005 Salary $858,611, Bonus $1.3. Million.

I'm going to keep my sarcastic comments to myself go out on a limb here and say that this is not breaking news. In fact, I'm pretty sure next to no one is concerned with how much the Humana CEO made last year and is perhaps curious as to why the company would divulge such figures. (I guess I'm a sucker for modesty.)

Now, if CEO Michael McCallister had, say, donated a fourth of his earnings to charity or a humanitarian cause, then I'd be impressed. Then the "Breaking News" category might be warranted.

But perhaps I should cut INN some slack. Perhaps it's a slow insurance news day. :)

Back with more insurance news and commentary later.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

The Senate passed a "voice vote" late Thursday afternoon agreeing to boost the borrowing capability of the National Flood Insurance Program, reports the Insurance News Net. The measure allows the NFIP to borrow up to $20.8 billion to help pay out over 220,000 claims from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

With estimated hurricane-related claims reaching $24 billion, the NFIP said without congressional action, it would hit its current borrowing ceiling this month—and would have to tell insurers issuing claims payments to stop doing so.

Now approved by both the House and the Senate, the measure will go to the White House for President Bush's signature.

This is good news for the NFIP and homeowners along the Gulf. Perhaps we'll have an update on this come Monday!

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Megan Mahan at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

One insurer is now offering drivers in Iowa and Virginia a 5 percent discount for being willing to report the mileage they put on their cars every 6 months.

According to a report by an abc affiliate station in West Des Moines, Iowa, Progressive's new exact mileage program requires drivers who sign up to log on to a Web site every six months at renewal time and record their car's mileage. That way, the company can track the actual number of miles being driven.

Why? Because, according to experts, customers who drive more miles are more likely to be involved in a crash. That means more expense for insurance companies and more money out of consumers' pockets.

In addition, those who put less than three thousand miles on their car in a year's time could get an additional discount of 10 percent, according to the story by the abc station.

Progressive Direct says, depending upon the popularity of the new program, they may roll it out nationwide soon.

OK, here's my take on the thing: I wonder how many drivers would actually take the time to enroll and report their miles online for a meager five percent discount? And how many people actually drive less than three thousand miles and could qualify for the extra 10 percent every year anyway?

I say, let's get real!

What do you think? Will consumers do anything for a discount, no matter how small, or is Progressive way off base?

Let us know your thoughts...and watch that mileage, would ya?

Happy Friday!

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Poor baby boomers. They're getting picked on by all sides.

I just got done reading an MSN Money article entitled, "Too Old to Drive?"

Think our roads already resemble a survivalist obstacle course? Get ready for 2025, when an estimated 40 million baby boomers will clog the left lanes of America, blinkers flashing, one foot trembling over the break.

While I don't care (at all) for the tone of MSN Money writer, Debora Vrana, the article does raise some valid points about soon-to-be senior drivers.

Statistically speaking, elderly drivers do pose a higher risk of accidents, which is compounded by a recent Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles study that found at least 20 percent of Floridian drivers over 85 suffered from dementia. And while I believe Ms. Vrana seems a little hurried to kick old folks off the road, she does point out that the crash rate of older drivers with dementia is almost 8 times higher than other drivers.

But dementia aside, don't older drivers tend to be safer? Don't they have more experience on the road and make better decisions? The article says yes—older drivers frequently avoid busy roads and opt to drive during daylight hours rather than at night—but that this would change with Boomer drivers, describing them as:

[...] A generation that has thrived on mobility and living far from city centers, which at least have public transportation. This generation is expected to also be the first with a large number of elderly female drivers...Like men, they will be reluctant to relinquish their mobility, meaning more old, small and frail drivers will be on the road.

I'm afraid I don't understand this. Just because there are many Boomers, the majority of whom are used to driving a car, doesn't mean that they'll practice any less self-regulation on the road than the current population of senior drivers. And it certainly doesn't make them any less capable behind the wheel.

But that's not what Vrana's getting at, right? The point is that more geriatrics on the road pose a greater risk for accidents. Okay; I'm tracking.

Now, as the MSN article pointed out, some states already have provisions in place to make sure that the senior drivers on the road are fit to be there.

According to the article, at least 20 states mandate vision and/or writing tests which 65- 70-year old drivers must pass to renew their license. Some states, like Hawaii, are moving for residents over a certain age to take a driving test when renewing a license.

Motorist groups like AAA are also developing programs such as "CarFit" and "Roadwise Review" that help seniors test eyesight, leg strength (you know, for that "trembling foot over the break"), memory and other motor skills. The programs then give seniors pointers and suggest ways to improve areas in which they're lacking.

The biggest upside to these technologies and tests is that Boomers are probably going to be more open to education than previous aging drivers, and as a result, Boomers will be safer on the road and less of a risk for insurers to take on.

Personally, I have an affinity for older folks and I get upset when younger adults treat them like children. They're not children. They're valuable assets to the community and should be treated as such. I have no desire to kick old people off the road, and I think with a combination of driving tests and senior safety classes, we'll all be just fine with aging Boomers in the lane next to us. And this is coming from someone who's car was nearly decimated last year by an elderly driver.

Of course I'm interested to hear what you insurance folks think about this. So check out the article here; you can also view some responses to the article here.

And this concludes the longest post to-date on the InsureMe Agent Blog.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
 

The Insurance Journal published the findings of a nationwide survey today, which reported that 57 percent of American drivers admit to not using their turn signal when changing lanes.

Response Insurance, a national auto insurance company, reported the findings, which included some of the following:

• 42 percent of drivers said they "didn't have enough time" to use their signal when changing lanes;


• 23 percent said they were just too lazy to use it;


• 11 percent said using their signal is not important; and


• 7 percent said not using their signal "adds excitement to driving."

The survey's administrators used the data to identify several driver types: Impulsive, Lazy, Forgetful, Swervers, Ostriches, Followers and Dare Devils.

The results of this survey brought me to two powerful revelations:

1. I'm always bored when I drive to and from work each day. Now I know I can add some excitement to my life and forgo my turn signal.


2. Response Insurance could play on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and create an instructional video about why it's necessary to use your turn signal. You know, Lazy, Forgetful, Sneezy, Sleepy—it's really all the same.

You can view the Insurance Journal article here. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for a follow-up survey: Drivers Who Are Annoyed with Other Drivers Who Don't Use Turn Signals.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

My personal email gets bombarded daily with emails from my close and extended family members, and while I tend to scan and delete most of these messages, today I ran across an interesting piece of information worth sharing.

GetHuman, for those of you who aren't familiar (I wasn't), consists of a group of folks who are determined to restore "human to human contact" in customer service. The GetHuman movement was founded by Paul English (co-founder of Kayak.com) and is run entirely by volunteers and powered by consumers who are fed up with less than stellar customer service.

How does this affect insurance professionals?

The GetHuman Web site has information on many consumer companies, including insurance companies (which they highlight on their landing page). The site also contains an area for consumers to rate the quality of their customer service experience, allowing them to detail the name of the company, phone number called, how long they were on hold and an overall customer service rating.

The GetHuman database is growing, which may be good or a bad thing for insurers, depending on what your customer service is like. Here at InsureMe, we've encouraged insurers to "get human" through a couple of our articles.

Need a refresher? Check out our article, Superior Customer Service: The Key that Unlocks the Door to Client Retention and make sure you don't end up on GetHuman's database for poor service!

[BONUS LINKS]: Check out the GetHuman blog. It's fairly new, but worth checking out. You can also learn how to bypass automated customer service systems and get a human—because at the end of the day, we're all somebody's customer.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

10.5 million wealthy baby boomers, comprising 45 percent of all affluent households, are barging headlong into retirement—with absolutely no financial plan in place.

The breaking story in today's Insurance NewsNet (INN), underscores the need for financial planning to guarantee a secure future in one's later years.

Citing a recent study by Phoenix Affluent Marketing Service, INN reports that 36 percent of older boomers and 49 percent of younger boomers are financially unprepared for retirement.

Those are pretty scary statistics, considering these numbers take into account only more fortunate boomers! What might that say about the less fortunate?

This is an interesting read. Check it out here.

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

It appears lower fuel costs and tax incentives aren't the only things hybrid car owners have going for them.

If they buy insurance from St. Paul Travelers and live in one of 27 states, they're also getting a pretty hefty discount on their auto insurance, says the Insurance Journal—up to 10 percent off.

That translates into $250 to $3,400 a month, depending on the model.

In an unprecedented move, Travelers personal lines, a member of St. Paul Travelers, began offering consumers the hybrid discount last month to encourage them to purchase hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gas and electricity.

Although only 1 percent of registered vehicles on the road are presently hybrids, the company says insurance industry experts estimate that will increase to 15 percent over the next 10 years.

Offered in only 27 states now, the company says it plans to roll out the offer in other states in the coming months.

Get the whole story here.

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

Recently, S. Anthony Iannarino over at The Sales Blog posted about LinkedIn (a Web service that facilitates business-oriented connections) and how it can help improve efficiency and thus boost sales. Since then, he's discovered some LinkedIn tools that he's been able to beneficially integrate into Outlook and Internet Explorer.

According to Iannarino, the latest upgrade for Outlook is an impressive one. Upon loading the software, it searches all of your archives (including .pst files, etc.) and looks for contacts to add to your database. Iannarino found almost 2,000 contacts and ended up adding a couple hundred of those to his contact database, which he then uploaded to his LinkedIn profile for later contact.

The new Dashboard also notifies you when you've been out of contact with someone for over 60 days; of course it can store anniversaries, birthdays and other events to remind you when to send a card or make that phone call.

It's interesting stuff. Check out LinkedIn for more information (account sign-up is free) and check out The Sales Blog's recent LinkedIn-related posts here and here.

Let us know how it works!

Posted by Megan Mahan at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

If you represent a successful independent insurance agency or brokerage, step up and toot your own horn! The Insurance Journal is looking for you—and 99 others like you.

The top 100 independents, ranked according to estimated property casualty premiums, will receive applause, praise, community-wide respect—and some free publicity.

If that's not enough motivation for you, check out the top 10 reasons for entering, as cited by today's article in the same publication.

Enter to win by March 31!

Posted by Penny Hagerman at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)