Starting today, Sony Pictures Repertory is rereleasing in theatres Ghostbusters, the 1984 Hollywood blockbuster that centered on unemployed parapsychology professors who set up shop as ghost removal experts.

The movie was a smash hit, grossing more than $238 million in its box office run (making it the 32^nd biggest grossing film in U.S. box office history after adjustments for inflation.) The characters (Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman, Dan Akroyd’s Ray Stantz and Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler), along with their costarring ghosts, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer spawned a pop culture phenomenon and a legacy of sequels, television shows, toys and other merchandise. One of the most iconic items in the film is the Ghostbusters’ car: the Ectomobile, or Ecto-1. Bought by Ray Stantz for $4,800, the Cadillac Miller-Meteor – also a hearse – required several modifications to make it ghost-capturing worthy.  The movie goes into great detail as to how many repairs are needed, what additions are made and even mentions the vehicle in the soundtrack. One thing that’s not addressed is what sort of insurance coverage the Ecto-1 has.

Luckily for those of us who are both movie buffs and insurance hounds, our friends at Allstate Insurance recently blogged about famous vehicles and what their insurance coverage would likely be. From Ecto-1 to the Batmobile, to James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 to the Clampett Family Truck, risk assessment officials sought to find out how these screen vehicles would fare in real-life underwriting. Take a look: (Of course, this is purely for entertainment purposes.)

What if the Ghostbusters had to insure their Ecto-1 in the real world? Or if Batman needed his broker to adjust his coverage? Allstate takes a look. (Click to enlarge.)

What do you think? Did Allstate’s team make fair assessments? What sorts of coverage do you think other famous vehicles from the big and small screen would get?

-Julie.

PS – Does value affect coverage? The Universal Studios Ecto-1 Replica was sold at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Scottsdale Arizona on January 22, 2010 for $80,000.

Almost one-fifth of Canadians (6.6 million) own a RIM BlackBerry, Apple iPhone or other mobile handset with PC-like functionality. Smartphone ownership represents 33 percent of the total mobile subscriber base in the country. It’s a similar story in the United States, where about 31 percent of mobile owners have a smartphone, said market researcher comScore.

And cellphones, especially smartphones, become more than just purchases based on functionality, more than merely function over form. People think their choice of smartphone defines them, or at least reflects their style and attitude. And people love them. Really, really love them in some situations.

A recent survey from TeleNav, Inc. found that Americans are willing to give up some of life’s greatest pleasures in order to hang on to their phones, especially if that phone is an Apple iPhone.

“While 22 percent of all respondents said they would rather give up their toothbrush than their phone for a week, this number jumped to a whopping 40 percent among iPhone users. Halitosis and other priority quirks aside, 83 percent of iPhone users thought other iPhone users would make the best romantic partners,” TeleNav said.

Respondents in TeleNav’s poll were more willing to give up some essentials than their phone:

• One-third of all respondents would be more willing to give up sex for a week than their mobile phone.
• Of the respondents who indicated they would be more willing to give up sex than their mobile phone for a week, 70% were women.
• 54% of all respondents would be more willing to give up exercise for a week than their mobile phone.
• So what about our guilty pleasures? 55% of respondents would be more willing to give up caffeine for a week than their mobile phone, 63% would be more willing to give up chocolate, and 70% would be willing to forego alcohol.
• One in five respondents are more willing to go shoeless than phoneless for a week.
• iPhone users (43%) were more likely to say they’d go a week without shoes than Android users (27%) or BlackBerry users (25%).

This infographic from TeleNav breaks down the survey results even further:

What would mobile users give up or do to keep their devices? (Infographic from TeleNav, Inc.) Click to enlarge.

How attached are you to your phone? What would you give up? And, for fun, what sort of phone do you have?

Primerica has one of the largest life insurance sales forces in the United States. In 2010 alone, nearly 230,000 people signed up to become insurance agents. But according to reports, only about 20 percent of the company’s recruits actually passed the licensing exam.

In a Wall Street Journal article published earlier this spring, it was reported that Primerica is hoping to make licensing tests easier and is appealing to state regulators to soften the exams. The article reports that not only does Primerica believe the state tests are too difficult, they may also be racially-biased, putting African-Americans and other minorities at a disadvantage.

Brian Gaudoise, a deputy insurance commissioner in Virginia, told the paper that Primerica’s recruits passed the licensing exam at a 38 percent rate in two years through June 2010. Test-takers from other training programs ranged from 51 percent to 83 percent.

Data from the American Council of Life Insurers showed that in Illinois, the pass rate for licensing is 82 percent. (For Caucasians, it was 87 percent; African-Americans 74 percent and Hispanics 70 percent.) In New York, the pass rate was 56 percent (74 percent for Caucasians; 48 percent for African-Americans and 41 percent for Hispanics.)

In Canada, stats from the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators found that in 2009, 2,895 Primerica Life Insurance-trained students wrote the Full Life Licensing Qualification Program (LLQP) exam, with a pass rate of 48.84 percent. (For comparison, in the same year, those who took ILScorp’s Full LLQP course had a pass rate of 80.85 percent.)

There’s no doubt in my mind that some insurance licensing exams are tough. The insurance industry is a complex one, with layer upon layer of specialties and minutiae. Customers don’t always know what they’re buying or what they have  – a recent TD Insurance poll found that one-quarter of Canadians don’t know what their policies cover and only 51 percent just skim the fine print on their policies. And that’s just the P&C side of the industry. Many customers place their trust in their agent or broker to help them navigate through riders and endorsements, deductibles and terms. For life insurance, there are legal complexities, instances where knowledge of tax law and estate law are needed. As an insurance professional, you’re a key resource to your clients. While passing one initial licensing test won’t automatically make anyone an expert in the field, isn’t a comprehensive – if tough – exam a good starting point?

What do you think?

-Julie.

I am just one person. That is an indisputable fact. But lately I’m starting to feel like a statistic and I don’t like it.

In early April, Best Buy Canada sent me an email to tell me that hackers may have gained access to some of my personal information after there was a data breach at Epsilon, its marketing and communications firm. I knew Best Buy (and ergo Epsilon) only have my name, email address and possibly phone number, so I was not too concerned. That information is available in many different ways. If I had to deal with a few more telemarketing calls or spam emails, it wouldn’t be the end of the world (though annoying) and I shouldn’t have to worry about all of a sudden discovering that I hold three mortgages or have accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. A quick email password change and I continued on my way.

A few weeks later, I was struck again. I became one of about 77 million people across the world involved in a massive data breach at Sony. The company’s PlayStation Network was hacked and the names, addresses, purchase and download history, birthdates, login information and maybe even credit card information of me and my nearly 77 million counterparts was stolen.

It was inconvenient and frustrating for me to deal with. While I’m not sure what – if any – information of mine the hackers got ahold of, I changed all of my (what seems like thousands) of online passwords and monitored by online financial accounts a little more carefully than usual.

My accounts looked okay, Sony offered up a bit of a “We’re Sorry” promotion and that was that.

And then there was last week…

A letter from Honda dated May 13 advises that personal information has been compromised. (Click to enlarge)

A letter from Honda arrived in my mailbox. (See it attached here.) They too suffered a data breach, this time affecting me and just about 238,000 of my Honda and Acura driving brethren. Honda said that customer names, addresses and Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) were taken, but not credit card information, social insurance numbers or email addresses. To me, that’s not overly reassuring. Neither was this line: “Honda does not share its customer information with unauthorized third parties and does not contact customers asking for financial information.” I believe “unauthorized” is the key word here. While the company may not actively disseminate my personal information, someone – somewhere – is getting access to it.

I know I’m not alone, as I’ve clearly learned in the last couple of months, and the studies back this up. The 2011 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report found that in 2010, the number of data breaches skyrocketed to 760 from 141 the year before. Bad news, right? Well, in 2009, the average number of records stolen per breach was about 1.02 million. In 2010, it was 5,263.  In 2010, the number of records compromised plummeted from the 2009 rate of 144 million to four million. So … it’s good news?

Not quite. Verizon found that the seeming contradiction between the low data loss and the high number of breaches likely stems from a significant decline in large-scale breaches, caused by a change in tactics by cybercriminals.

“They are engaging in small, opportunistic attacks rather than large-scale, difficult attacks and are using relatively unsophisticated methods to successfully penetrate organizations. For example, only 3 percent of breaches were considered unavoidable without extremely difficult or expensive corrective action,” the company said.

Things aren’t likely to change soon, but I don’t know what I can do. I am a smart online shopper and a diligent personal info shredder. I guard passwords and PINs closely and have a locked mailbox. Aside from eschewing an online presence, refusing to have a bank account or never buying anything again, what are my options? In the last two months, it was Best Buy, Sony and Honda … what will it be in the next two months?

Have you received similar communications lately? How secure do you feel about your personal information collected by companies? Please feel free to commiserate with me.

Julie.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve read horror stories of tornadoes sweeping through American neighbourhoods. I’ve heard Quebeckers and Manitobans tell tales of floodwaters so high, it will take months for things to dry. I’ve seen gut-wrenching footage of Alberta wildfires, only imagining what it’s like to not know if your house was spared or if your neighbours are okay.

There’s undoubtedly a strong connection between natural disasters and the insurance industry. There’s the mobilization of insurance professionals to disaster areas, as we’re seeing now in the Slave Lake region of Alberta. But what about in the online world?

Today’s guest post is from Brandon Clarke, Vice President of the John Bailey Company in Knoxville, Tennessee. After strong storms ripped through his area, he turned immediately to social media to help his clients.

Thanks for letting us use your post, Brandon.

For other insurance professionals reading this: has social media changed the way you deal with claims or other customer issues? Let us know what you’re doing in the Comments section below.

-Julie.

Social Media Changed How Our Agency Handles Claims

As storm one ripped through Knoxville, TN my family and I braced for what sounded like a freight train coming through our house.  We were fortunate enough to be one of those with power and thanks to Todd Howell at wbir and the good ol’ Doppler readings we were able to target and plan to take cover if needed.  The real time Doppler forecast predicted the golf ball hail immediately and the skies opened up to produce a blanket of hail at least an inch deep on our deck.  My 3 year old daughter startled, scared, and curious said to my wife and me “Is that the tomato?”  Laughing, I reached down to hug her and say no its ice falling from the sky and everything is fine.  With power still intact, the storm passed….and I became aware of what tomorrow would hold.  Through the entire night from 5:30 till 2 am I had facebook and twitter open; when I returned to my laptop; I decided it was time to assess the damage.  As I read the tweets and constant flourish of updates, I realized the social media component would serve as my tool to help John Bailey Company clients and others to get started with their claims and help answer questions.  So I started at 8:38 pm during the storms.

Within a few minutes I had folks messaging, texting, calling, tweeting, and emailing me.  Watching the Doppler I felt comfortable starting the claims process for them.  In what seemed to be the second wave of hail, we again took cover as round 2 of hail and heavy tornadoes began.  This time it was stronger and to be honest I was concerned a tornado would approach. We took cover in the closet with my wife, my daughter, a laptop, and 2 cell phones with Twitter/Facebook Apps, and the TV as loud as possible.  My wife was worried that we would lose power and not know what was going on…then I remembered through AT&T Uverse we had a battery pack that would keep our laptop power and internet signal if power was lost.  Within minutes, the TV turned off, the lights went out and we lost power.  From there we reviewed WBIR and WVLT online, as well as facebook, and twitter on our phones.  Getting updates by the second, the noise became worse as the hail pounded and shook the roof.  As the storm passed, we became worried as our cell phones would not pick up a signal and would not dial out….but don’t forget we had facebook and twitter.  Using those social media tools, we were able to check on loved ones by checking their updates.  Again I started to collect claim info and work into the night using AMS360, aVertafore insurance agency management system.  Ten minutes later power was restored and the storm seemed to calm.  From there moving forward the 3^rd hail/tornado storm lost its steam..at least in my neighborhood and I continued to work into the night monitoring, noting, and preparing for the home, auto, and commercial insurance claims process the next day.

Because of the social media component our agency was able to service our clients, getting a few of them in early the next morning to have windshield repairs to cars that would otherwise have owners who would be without transportation.  It also allowed for us to find out which homes needed immediate cleanup and restoration; as well as organize the claims process early and be ready to run a smooth ship in the morning.  One of my facebook post asked if power and Comcast internet was running smooth at our office location.  It was confirmed within 1 minute that it was working, and that was a big help because if it had not, then we may need a few laptops and internet access..maybe a satellite office.  That night we had 11 car claims, and I think around 8 to 9 home claims.  The next morning, we started answering the phones at 7:30 and had 150 claims turned in by noon.  I lost track after that but currently we have around 500 claims.

The social community in Knoxville, TN excites me, because they are just so helpful.  I received a text from a friend, who had a colleague with several inches of flood damage. I decided to post on facebook asking if a friend could borrow a generator to pump water out of a basement.  Two local businesses Misty River Campground and Event Rentals by Rothchild offered to help, but we were a few minutes late; as they had found a solution.  You could say that this time social media failed, but the reality was the size of the generators and manpower/truck needed to move the machines hindered our success. If only I had a truck…

In the days that followed, I had a few people contact me via direct message on twitter, one of these people was a friend of mine that needed some advice on how to handle an adjustor visit.  Twitter also allowed me to retweet information about our insurance companies, possible roofers and dent repair folks located in the Knoxville area, and other insurance pointers.

I was so impressed with the use of Twitter by @TRV_Insurance @TheHartford these guys helped my agency with a few issues and efficiencies in the claims process….as I had questions about the most efficient way to submit different types of catastrophic claims. I also received a phone call from one Hartford’s Southeastern Head Catastrophic managers.  She said they were monitoring twitter and asked if we needed anything.  With all of this information at our fingertips, and real time contact to our clients…there was no way I was shutting down facebook and twitter; I left it on all day.  The constant source of up to date information and communication was extremely beneficial to our agency.

The independent insurance agency model really came together with all of the new social media components.  Furthermore, we had companies coming in our office and checking in to see how they could help.  Safeco offered to bring us lunch and even bring some people to answer phones.  State Auto Insurance Company and Central Insurance Companies were in our office that morning and Auto Owners called to ask us how our families were and what they could do to help.

Our agency focuses on clients who want to succeed, we want to help our client achieve their goals;  social media is our new tool, and I think we truly understand it now.  As claims continue to come in, it is apparent to our agency that personal communication with your insurance agent is the number one reason to select an independent insurance agency.  These days personal communication seems to represent different things.  It’s not about just phone calls anymore; it’s about accessibility, being helpful, and being yourself…

Slay it!

Email me:  brandon@johnbaileyco.com

In February I wrote about pop culture’s somewhat negative view of the insurance industry and the professionals who work in it. (Did you miss it? Check out: Hollywood versus the insurance salesman.) Insurance jobs are seen as laughable, insurance professionals are boring, insurance is a career that traps you, you don’t go after it. The stereotypes are endless!

The idea of insurance as a “fall back” or “Plan B” career once again invaded my headspace this week when I saw an interview with NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

Some background: Brady is a three-time Super Bowl champion, winning the Super Bowl MVP award twice. He has been selected to six Pro Bowl teams (and was invited to seven.) He holds the NFL record for the most touchdown passes in a single regular season at 50. In 2007, the Associated Press named him Male Athlete of the Year, the first time an NFL player had been honoured since Joe Montana in 1990. Safe to say, he’s a pretty good football player.

If football hadn’t have worked out, he could have fallen back on baseball. Brady was drafted as a catcher in the Major League Baseball draft by the Montreal Expos in 1995.

Or, if he had decided against sports entirely, he could have entered show business. He’s hosted Saturday Night Live, modeled and is married to a supermodel. (Though I’m betting his sports stardom helped pave the way for those gigs.)

But what does Tom Brady have to do with insurance? In an interview with ESPN, Brady tearfully recounted NFL Draft day. Expecting to be picked in the second or third rounds, Brady and his family had to wait until the sixth round (199^th overall selection) to be drafted by the New England Patriots. In the video, Brady describes the emotion.

“When the Patriots called, I was so excited. I was like, “I don’t have to be an insurance salesman!” he said.

Brady’s dad was an “insurance salesman”, so maybe that’s all Brady meant? Regardless, to be fair, I suppose the difference between a career as a world-class professional athlete and an insurance salesman are huge, but is an insurance career really such a fallback position?

Boxer Mike Tyson (surely no biographical information is needed here) once told a reporter “Being a champion opens a lot of doors – I’d like to get a real estate license, maybe sell insurance.”

So maybe for “Iron” Mike Tyson, insurance isn’t so much a Plan B vocation, but one he could take a bite out of in his post-sporting life.

If you ask many of us mere mortals currently involved in the insurance industry how we got involved, chances are the answers will be varied. For some it was a long-standing desire to join a dynamic industry. However, I’m willing to guess that that group is not in the majority. For some, it was all about family ties. For some, it was a logical step from schooling in finance or law. And, undoubtedly for others, insurance has been a Plan B career. I ask you: is that really such a bad thing? Leave your comments here – I’d love to find out what you think.

Julie.

PS – As far as I know, Mike Tyson has not started a career in insurance yet. He raises and races pigeons as a hobby and for a television show on The Animal Planet network.

We’ve been so happy to hear from many of our viewers through comments on stories, calls to our toll-free comments line (1-877-703-2713) and various emails. Through your feedback, we’ve been able to work harder to make sure that you are getting all you can out of ILSTV.

But there’s certainly more we can do. We want to hear more about what you think about ILSTV, the newsletters, the website, the content and even the insurance industry in general.

We’ve created a short survey to help us get to know you better. From now until April 4, you can share your opinions and have a chance to win! As always, participating in this survey is completely optional and all responses will remain anonymous.

Get started here.

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Your feedback helps us continue to provide the most relevant content for you.  We value your opinions and are looking forward to hearing them in this survey.

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Thanks!

Julie.

The Green Bay Packers  have won Super Bowl XLV but the real winners are still to emerge, as television viewers and marketing gurus will choose their favourite commercials of the telecast.

Fox aired the game and charged about USD $3 million for 30 seconds of ad time during the football final. While that kind of advertising budget puts a Super Bowl spot out of reach for many businesses, some find it pays in dividends.

Last year, vacation rental website Homeaway.com launched its first Super Bowl ad. Helped perhaps by its cast – Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo seemingly reprising their National Lampoon movie roles – the company reported that visits to its website spiked and the company recouped 60 to 70 percent of the cost of the commercial.

For years, many viewers have found that the advertisements are just as big of a draw as the football game. It’s a marketer’s dream. This year, all 68 ad spots sold out in October. (Last year, some slots remained until six days before kickoff.) Some companies launch campaigns, others offer giveaways, some use cute animals to sell their wares and others rely on celebrity endorsements. Sometimes they become classics and sometimes their age shows after a few years. Will this year’s Volkswagen/Darth Vader ad become a classic or will it fade as others have?

Cases in point: Some insurance-related Super Bowl spots from the past 35 years.

In 1976, New York Life created a Super Bowl ad that meshed football with the message that women can benefit from life insurance, too:

Happy Groundhog Day! To many, this is the day we find out  – via Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia or any of the dozens of other famed woodchucks – if winter is on its way out or here for another six weeks.

But, for movie fans like me, Groundhog Day is also the 1993 comedy starring Bill Murray and directed by Harold Ramis.

The gist, for those who may not have seen it: Murray’s character is a TV meteorologist called Phil Connors. He travels to Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. A blizzard forces him to stay in town for an extra night, but Phil wakes up and finds that he is reliving February 2. Every day plays out the same, and only Phil is aware of this.

Along the way, Phil runs – repeatedly – into Ned, a life insurance salesman.

Ned is not exactly  portrayed in the most flattering of lights, but surely that’s due to his personality and not so much his job, right? Well, who knows. Hollywood has not always been kind to the insurance industry, playing up stereotypes of boring, stuffy insurance salespeople.

In a more recent movie – the animated super-hero tale The Incredibles from Pixar – Bob Parr was “Mr. Incredible”, but after saving the life of a suicidal man who didn’t want to be saved, he is sued. Backlash from the lawsuit forces all superheroes to stop saving the world, so they must all rejoin the civilian world. Mr. Incredible takes a desk job with an insurance company. His joy for his job is obviously lacking.

[Sorry, video removed!]

And a new insurance-related movie is coming to theatres this month. Cedar Rapids features a naïve insurance agent who has never left his hometown, never stayed in a hotel, but things change when he’s sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention. Here’s the trailer:

That’s just a small sampling of some of the portrayals of insurance professionals in Hollywood movies.

Does the industry and the people that work in it get a bad rap?

Why is it so easy for screenwriters to give the boring or dowdy characters careers in insurance?

Are there any examples of movies that celebrate the industry and the people in it?

I’d love to hear what you think – and tell me about your favourite (or most reviled) insurance-related film.

Julie.

Does a relaxed workplace dress code mean a relaxed work ethic? Can an employee who wears blue jeans and a t-shirt be in a management position, or is that reserved for his or her besuited coworker? And what does “business casual” actually mean, anyway?

There’s no doubt that a person’s physical appearance makes an immediate impact, but in a work economy where you can be thousands of kilometres away from coworkers and clients, does it really matter what you’re wearing?

Earlier this week I came across this article from the Canadian Press and found that, at least at UBS, dress codes are still in effect in parts of the world. Take a read:

Swiss bank UBS trims much mocked employee dress code

Swiss bank UBS AG is revising its dress code after getting roundly mocked for suggesting employees wear skin-coloured underwear and avoid garlic breath.

The bank said Monday it is whittling down its 44-page style guide to a more modest booklet that will concentrate on how to impress customers with a polished presence and sense of Swiss precision and decorum.

“We’re reviewing what is important to us,” UBS spokesman Andreas Kern told The Associated Press.

The existing code tells female employees how to apply makeup, what kind of perfume to wear and what colour stockings and lingerie are acceptable. It advises them not to show roots if they colour their hair and to avoid black nail polish.

“You can extend the life of your knee socks and stockings by keeping your toenails trimmed and filed,” UBS tells its female staff. “Always have a spare pair: stockings can be provisionally repaired with transparent nail polish and a bit of luck.”

Men are told how to knot a tie as well as to get a haircut every month and avoid unruly beards and earrings.

Both sexes were advised to avoid garlic or onion breath.

“Glasses should always be kept clean,” the code instructs. “On the one hand this gives you optimal vision, and on the other hand dirty glasses create an appearance of negligence.”

The guidelines recommended skin-coloured underwear for women and wristwatches for all to signal “trustworthiness and a serious concern for punctuality.”

The guide prompted derision and disbelief when it first surfaced last month.

“People made fun of UBS,” Kern told Swiss weekly Sonntag. “But it didn’t cause any damage to our reputation.”

He declined Monday to give specific examples of the dress-code revisions.

The bank, the largest in Switzerland, has a history of providing detailed advice for its employees. A handbook for bank trainees gives a country-by-country behaviour guide.

In Russia, it tells employees to be prepared to hold your drink at business engagements and to “never reject an invitation to the sauna.”

In the United States, “never criticize the president.”

And in Latin America, “turning up before an appointment might even be considered rude.”

So the Swiss bank cares about their employees’ dress. What about the rest of the world? An Ipsos Global @dvisory survey polled workers in 24 countries and explores what type of attire people around the world are wearing to work, what is considered acceptable (and unacceptable) in the workplace, and whether business attire really does make an individual more productive. Some highlights:

• One quarter (26%) of workers wear a type of uniform on the job… one third (34%) of workers wear business/smart dress on the job… and four in ten (40%) workers wear casual attire on the job
• Four in ten workers (38%) have an employer that has a day or time specifically set aside for casual wear during the working hours that normally would be otherwise

• 45% of workers think someone wearing casual work clothes is more productive in their job than someone wearing a more prescribed workplace or business attire… but 55% of workers believe someone wearing a more prescribed workplace or business attire is more productive in their job than someone wearing casual work clothes

• Only one quarter (24%) of workers say it’s appropriate to wear shorts to work

• One in five (21%) workers says it’s appropriate to wear thong sandals (flip‐flops) to work

• Only four in ten (37%) workers say casual workers in their workplace will never make it into senior management

• Only one in five (20%) employees think casual dressers in their workplace are “slackers”

• A majority (56%) say a Speedo/Bikini bathing suit are appropriate wear at an employee beach/picnic function

• Two thirds (66%) of workers say senior managers that run an organization should always be more dressed up than their employees

What’s your take on dressing for work? Do you suit up or go with a more casual look? Or, are you one of the 56% who thinks wearing a Speedo at a work event is just fine? I look forward to your comments!

-Julie.

I think winter is officially here. Cases in point:

1. Here are some pictures of my car, from yesterday morning.

2.  London, Ontario received as much as 95 cm of snow in three days.

3. It’s December and it’s expected.

Last week we reported that Ontario MPP Bill Mauro introduced a Private Member’s Motion that would call for the insurance industry to reduce auto premiums for drivers who have winter tires installed. (See that story here: Motion to reduce insurance premiums for drivers with winter tires)

I’ve lived in Ontario for over a decade now and have put winter tires on my car every year. (You can see from my photo that I’ve – luckily – already had them put on this year.) Mauro’s proposition has brought quite a bit of debate with it.

Knox Insurance Brokers’ Randy Bushey joins ILSTV as the guest poster this week. Here are his thoughts on the topic. Thanks, Randy!

-Julie.

PS – What do you think about the idea of insurance discounts for winter tire usage?

Snow tires for insurance discount – why the idea won’t get much traction

The Ontario legislature is considering a private member’s bill, recently introduced to encourage the automobile insurance industry to give premium discounts to those using snow tires.  The bill – if passed – is non-binding.

And it won’t have any tangible effect.  Here’s why:

• Ontario’s insurers – over 75 of them – are struggling to climb out of a deep hole and back to profitability.  That was verified by government-audited stats, resulting  in the McGuinty Liberals’ massive overhaul of the healthcare side of mandatory coverage, significantly reducing benefits (effective September 1^st, 2010).  Consequently, no insurer is looking to give back premium any time soon.

• On the surface, it sounds logical for better equipped cars to be rewarded with lower premiums.  But, Ontario is a no-fault environment meaning that most injuries and the majority of damage gets paid for by that vehicle’s insurer, regardless of fault.  So if my vehicle is equipped with snow tires (which it is), but another driver slides through an intersection colliding with my car, my insurer still pays.

• And how does an insurer verify if snow tires are in fact installed?  Do over-worn snow tires provide better grip than new “all-season” tires?  Do drivers always understand the difference between snow tires and “all-seasons”?

Note to politicians: snow tires are a good idea for winter traction – but the insurance industry is not going to voluntarily subsidize the practice.

Randy Bushey, CIP, is the General Manager of Knox Insurance Brokers Ltd. in North Bay, Ontario. You can find his blog – The Risk Factor – here: http://www.theriskfactor.ca/

For the past few years, ILSTV has been bringing you daily insurance news. You’ve responded well, leaving comments on articles and reposting news to your friends and coworkers. We are very grateful that you have been choosing ILSTV as your source for industry news and information, but we want to get to know you a bit more so we can make sure you’re getting the most relevant content possible.

First, where are you? Answer this quick, one-question, <12-second poll and let us know where in the world you are! Of course, participation is completely optional and we won’t tie your information to you specifically.

Regardless of where in the world you are, thank you for continuing to read, watch and discuss ILSTV news.

-Julie.

I still vividly remember the day I received a letter of acceptance from my first choice of universities, congratulating me on gaining entry into my first choice of undergraduate programs. I was a keen-to-learn 17 year old, ready to tackle the world head on. And I did. After four years of early morning classes and into-the-night studying, I walked across the stage to collect my degree and haven’t looked back.

My degree has served me well. It’s given me a great foundation to build upon and has equipped me with highly transferrable and relevant skills and knowledge. (For the curious, I received my Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa – go Ravens!)

But not everyone shares my degree of degree satisfaction. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that one-third of workers wish they had majored in something different in college or university. More than one-in-four (26 percent) said the market for jobs in their chosen field worsened from the time they entered college and when they graduated.  This survey was conducted among more than 2,000 workers with post-secondary degrees between August 17 and September 2, 2010.

While more than half (56 percent) of all U.S. workers with college degrees reported they found a job in their desired career path within one year of graduation, others’ pursuits still haven’t come to fruition.  Nearly one-in-five (19 percent) of all workers with a college degree still have not found a job in their desired field.

More than one-in-four workers (27 percent) who graduated from college ten years ago or longer reported they still haven’t found a job related to their college major.  Twenty-one percent said it took them three years or longer to find an opportunity in their desired career path while one-in-ten (12 percent) said it took five years or longer.

Building new skill sets is a priority for more than one-in-ten (13 percent) workers who said they have plans to go back to school this year to make themselves more marketable.

Rosemary Haefner, CareerBulder’s VP of Human Resources offers the following tips for workers who want to pursue more education:

• Talk to HR – If you’re currently employed, many organizations offer some type of learning program. Whether it’s classes taught on-site at your company, courses and seminars across the country or reimbursement for graduate school programs, your HR department can help you decide what is the best fit for your goals.
• Leverage the Web – Sometimes, you don’t even have to leave your home to hone your skills. Many sites offer a wide variety of learning opportunities, such as CBInstitute.com, or consider applying to an online university.
• Take advantage of local resources – Many local libraries and community centers offer classes in everything from basic Internet skills to foreign languages. Ask around your community to see what opportunities exist.

ILScorp offers hundreds of hours of online continuing education options. Whether you need to obtain your CE credits to keep your license, want take some personal and professional development courses, or wish to advance your insurance career by getting your CAIB designation, ILScorp can help. Check out www.ilscorp.com or call 1-800-404-2211 to continue your education path.

Tell me, are you satisfied with your post-secondary choices? Do you feel your decision to study one discipline (or go a different route entirely) has helped your career?

The insurance industry seems particularly hospitable to varied educational backgrounds. There are job opportunities for those who are math- and numbers-minded, and options for people

See how some current industry professionals leveraged their backgrounds into careers in the insurance industry – click here.

If you want to help a student get involved in the insurance industry – in any capacity – consider sponsoring them with the Canadian Insurance Scholarship Program.

-Julie.

I like Twitter. It’s been a great way to connect with people from all over the world and from many industries. The insurance industry seems to be doing pretty well in terms of a Twitter presence; lots of the industry’s biggest companies are using the social networking site (see Allstate, ICBC , BCAA, Lloyd’s of London and Travelers as just a few examples. Of course, ILScorp and ILSTV also have a presence!) But what about Twitter for brokers or agents? Is there a benefit to tweeting, or is it a time waster?

Ryan Hanley is an insurance professional at Guilderland Agency in Albany, New York. He’s also somewhat of a social media champion for the insurance industry. (Find him on Twitter here , or on Facebook here. His insurance blog is here.)

He has let me repost his great blog post called “5 Ways I Use Twitter as an Insurance Agent”. Take a look through and see how Twitter may be able to help your brokerage, agency or business.

Thanks, Ryan!

Julie.

5 Ways I Use Twitter as an Insurance Agent
By Ryan Hanley

Twitter is an interesting monster.  Everyone focuses on the 140 characters.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “My life doesn’t fit in 140 characters.”

My response, “Be more creative!”

Twitter is not the red-headed step-child of Social Media like many new or unfamiliar the with Inter-Web make it out to be.  On the contrary, Twitter might be the MOST power Social Media tool out there excluding your blog (No debate your blog is social media headquarters).

5 Ways I Use Twitter As An Insurance Agent

1) Drip Marketing For My Blog Posts

When I write a new blog post the very first thing I do once I’ve hit the Publish button is Tweet the post (I actually have a WordPress Plugin that does this automatically but it’s still the first thing).  I want the post title and link out on the Inter-Web.  Once your post is in the Twitter feed people can Re-Tweet, Comment, Share, etc with all their friends.  I also have a Plugin on my blog that will grab an old blog post and Tweet it as if new every two hours (Tweet Old Post).  This keeps information I created a year ago continually in front of current and potential clients.

2) Follow Local and National Business News

In order to be effective in the insurance business you need to always be up-to-date on what is going on in the business world on both the local and national level.  There is such a negative perception of the insurance business (Which is entirely unwarranted) throughout the general public that politicians at every level find attacking our profits an easy mark.  Staying aware of the economic conditions and legislation always looming over the insurance business is a must.

3) Re-Tweet (Re-Post) Clients & Prospects Marketing Messages

People ask me all the time how you “Do Business” on Twitter.  If you want to do business with a prospect, what is the Number One, the Numero Uno way to get their attention? Anyone? If you answered, Send Them A Referral, then you are a winner (If you didn’t know that start reading John Jantsch).  I have a Private List (Click on the link for information on Twitter Lists) of all my clients and a separate Private List of all my prospects on Twitter.  I watch both lists.  Anytime I can help either of them by referring business, a service provider, another professional, whatever…. Whenever I can add value to them I do.  And an easy way to do that on a regular basis is Re-Tweet their marketing messages.

4) Network with Insurance Professionals

My favorite part of Twitter is the insurance professionals that I have connected with (See Insurance Community Rocking the Social Web for a great list to get you started). These wonderful people have helped me in so many ways.  Besides being funny, and interesting, and some cases hysterically crazy, they are very good at what they do, Insurance & Marketing.  I’ve learned so much about the insurance business from the online insurance community its unbelievable.  Its weird to think but I consider myself friends with many people I have never even met…

5) Stay Up-To-Date On Latest Insurance Industry Trends

Insurance is a complicated business.  If you are not in “The Biz” then you probably just rolled your eyes and said “Yeah right Insurance is boring and stupid and you can buy it online so how complicated could it be,” and you would be a jerk.  Unless you live and breath insurance every day its hard to understand how dynamic the insurance industry actually is.  There are changes almost every week it seems and as dedicated independent agent we need to stay on top of changes.  So I follow all the Insurance trade journals, magazines, and websites out on the Inter-Web so that when change does happen I can take it to the street.

The Rub

Twitter is not just a 140 characters.  140 characters is the last thing that Twitter is.  True, 140 characters does make you use the creative side of your brain and I understand that is a debilitating limitation to some of you.  But I promise, if you take the time to really think about how you can utilize Twitter in your own business and industry the shade of online marketing will be drawn aside and the blissful glow of communication will brighten your world for ever more…

How do you use Twitter?

Are there industries that just have absolutely no use for the tool?

Thank you,

Ryan H.

After hearing stories about hurricane-ravaged areas of Newfoundland in the last few days, I’ve taken stock of my own emergency plans, and sadly, I’m woefully ill-prepared.

I have been fairly lucky when it comes to enduring disasters and other emergencies. The last “disaster” I was really involved in was the Northeast Blackout of 2003. At that time I was also woefully ill-prepared. While my Ottawa neighbourhood was only without power for about 20 hours, those were 20 hours that could have been less stressful if I had an emergency kit that consisted of more than just bulk IKEA tea light candles and a can opener (but no canned food.)

In the wake of Hurricane Igor and some nasty Ontario storms, I’m making it my goal to create a good emergency plan and kit this week. I urge you to do so as well. To get started, I’m taking cues from the Government of Canada’s GetPrepared.gc.ca web site. Here’s some of the information for you so you can follow suit:

Create a home emergency plan
What will you do if phone lines are down, some roads are inaccessible and you need to pick up your kids at daycare? What will you do if you need to reach someone, but their phone number is only stored on your computer and there’s no power coming into the house? Consider all the possible scenarios and think of collecting information like:

• Safe exits from home and neighbourhood
• Meeting places to reunite with family or roommates
• Designated person to pick up children should you be unavailable
• Contact persons close-by and out-of-town
• Health information
• Place for your pet to stay
• Risks in your region
• Location of your fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical box, gas valve and floor drain

Create a basic emergency kit
You may have some of these basic emergency kit items already, such as a flashlight, battery-operated radio, food, water and blankets. The key is to make sure they are organized, easy to find and easy to carry (in a suitcase with wheels or in a backpack) in case you need to evacuate your home. Whatever you do, don’t wait for a disaster to happen.

Easy to carry – think of ways that you can pack your emergency kit so that you and those on your emergency plan can easily take the items with you, if necessary.

• Water – two litres of water per person per day (Include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order)
• Food – that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
• Manual can opener
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery–powered or wind–up radio (and extra batteries)
• First aid kit
• Special needs items – prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
• Extra keys – for your car and house
• Cash – include smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travelers cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
• Emergency plan – include a copy of it and ensure it contains in–town and out–of–town contact information

You can download a PDF checklist for your home emergency kit here.

Create an emergency car kit
If you have a car, prepare an emergency car kit and keep it in the vehicle. The basic emergency kit for cars should include the following items:

• Food – that won’t spoil, such as energy bars
• Water – in plastic bottles so they won’t break if frozen (change every six months)
• Blanket
• Extra clothing and shoes
• First aid kit – with seatbelt cutter
• Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
• Candle in a deep can and matches
• Wind–up flashlight
• Whistle – in case you need to attract attention
• Roadmaps
• Copy of your emergency plan and personal documents

Also keep these inside your trunk:

• Sand, salt or cat litter (non clumping)
• Antifreeze/windshield washer fluid
• Tow rope
• Jumper cables
• Fire extinguisher
• Warning light or road flares

You can download the PDF car emergency kit checklist here.

- Julie.

It’s not just your work experience and skills that can make an impact in a job interview. Job seekers with shifty eyes, reluctant smiles or slumped shoulders in an interview may be hurting their chances of landing a job. A recent CareerBuilder Canada survey of more than 200 hiring managers reveals that failure to make eye contact (68 per cent), lack of smile (45 per cent) and bad posture (37 per cent) would make them less likely to hire someone.

When asked overall what additional body language mistakes would make them less likely to hire job candidates, hiring managers reported the following:

• Crossing arms over their chest – 33 per cent
• Fidgeting too much in their seat – 34 per cent
• Handshake that is too weak – 33 per cent
• Playing with something on the table – 32 per cent
• Playing with hair or touching their face – 21 per cent

“In a highly competitive job market, job seekers need to set themselves apart in the interview stage,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “All that pressure, though, may have some job seekers making body language mistakes that don’t convey a confident message. To avoid these faux pas, and ensure you’re remembered for the right reasons, try practicing ahead of time in front of a mirror or family and friends.”

Are you a job seeker looking for a new insurance job? Or does your office, brokerage or agency have positions to fill? Check out the ILSTV Job Board.

Current postings include:

Via International Insurance Consultants:

SVP Surety Underwriting – Toronto, Ontario
North American Sales Officer – New York, NY / Boston, Massachusetts
Chief Underwriting Officer – Toronto, Ontario

-Julie.

Yesterday David asked two questions about independent adjusting. I contacted Mary Charman, the President of the Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association (CIAA) to get some answers to David’s questions.

Question: What role does technology and web based file transfers have in the future of the independent adjuster (i.e. will it encourage large carriers to outsource their adjuster needs?)

Answer: Web based assignments and file handling are happening now.  Some insurers have direct access to their claims on real time web based technology through the independent firm.   I am not sure that it would encourage larger insurers to outsource, however, it does offer statistical data and real time access to their files.

Question: Do independent adjusters deal with large carriers, small brokers or do they deal with the whole spectrum?

Answer: Independent adjusters can deal with Alpha house (large) Brokers, mid size to small brokerage firms.  With the mid to smaller firms, it is ideal to have good relationships as the Independent and the broker are local and can provide a great service when in need.  Independents can also deal with Insureds direct who have a self insured retention.  i.e. larger department stores tend to carry a high deductible or a self insured retention and they could hire an independent direct for their services.

Thanks for your questions, David and thanks for answering them, Mary.

Do you have questions about anything you’ve seen on ILSTV, or anything insurance-related? If so, contact us and we’ll get the answers and info you want.

-Julie

My eldest nephew started school again this week. His Facebook status (how else can you communicate with a 15 year old these days?) indicates all is going well though school starts too early in the morning. His classes – and the entire provincial curriculum – has made some changes in the last few years.

I took a peak at some of the classes offered at my nephew’s school and they include: Media Arts; Information and Communication Technology in Business; Travel and Tourism; Career Studies/Designing Your Future; Healthy Active Living Education; Fashion and Creative Expression; Parenting; Green Industries.

Maybe I am showing my age by admitting that there was nothing like that when I was in high school. But, as we know, things change.  To keep up with these changes, Ontario’s made some changes to the health and physical education curriculum, as follows:

Bullying, cyberstalking, drug abuse and defibrillators are among the new subjects coming this fall to elementary school classrooms across Ontario
By The Canadian Press

The governing Liberals are forging ahead with almost all of their changes to the province’s health and physical education curriculum, which hadn’t been updated since 1998.

“About 90 per cent of the proposed health and physical education curriculum is going forward, and that relates to such issues as gym, fitness, healthy eating, drug abuse,” said Frank Clarke, a spokesman for Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

Only the sex education portion of the curriculum – whose controversial reforms were scrapped in April after it raised the ire of parents and religious groups – will remain unchanged.

A public uproar over revisions that would have seen Grade 3 students learn about sexual orientation and masturbation broached in Grade 6 forced the government to ditch the changes it had publicly defended for days.

Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to consult more widely with parents before making any modifications to sex ed, but it’s still unclear when that will happen.

“Right now, the ministry is basically reviewing the options for a broader consultation,”’ Clarke said. “That’s basically where we’re at.”

But parents can expect lessons on healthy eating, drug and alcohol abuse and even dating violence starting in September.

Lessons on eating healthy will start in Grade 1, when kids will be introduced to the Canada Food Guide and learn about different food groups. Grade 3 students will get a lesson on how local foods can expand the range of healthy eating choices, and Grade 5 students will learn how to read nutrition labels.

Grade 4 students will learn how to identify substances like tar and carbon monoxide in cigarettes, as well as various types of bullying and abuse.

The affects of alcohol use will be covered in Grade 5, and factors that can influence people to use drugs – such as television and peer pressure – will be taught in Grade 6.

Grade 7 students will get lessons on the benefits and dangers of using computers and other technologies, like cyberstalking and online gambling.

Grade 8 students will learn about defibrillators, as well as analyze the impact of violent behaviours – including race-based violence and dating violence – and learn how to prevent it.

The new curriculum also spells out that all students must spend 20 minutes a day doing some kind of physical activity.

That requirement has actually been in effect for the last couple of years, said Annie Kidder of People for Education, a parent-led organization.

Physical education isn’t just about running around the track anymore, but a whole range of issues that kids need to understand, she said. Schools are the most effective places to reach them.

“It’s really important that we be talking to them about a wide range of stuff when they’re really young, so that we’re thinking about our interactions with other people, and we’re thinking about how we eat, and we’re thinking about how to keep ourselves safe in all sorts of ways,” Kidder said.

“So it’s school as a part of society, as opposed to school sort of disconnected from society.”

Sex education is a big part of keeping kids healthy, and it’s sad that a “very small group” of people managed to convince the government to scuttle those reforms, Kidder added.

“Sometimes there’s a tendency in a year before an election not to do anything that might be construed as controversial,” she said.

“So I hope it’s not just going to get left.”

That’s exactly what will happen, said NDP education critic Rosario Marchese.

The government is “utterly afraid” to move ahead with any reforms, he said.

“Instead of doing the right thing – which they had done – they’ve given that up because of a potential backlash from some sectors,” he added. “And so they’re going to stay with the status quo for as long as they can.”

After trying to sneak in contentious sex ed reforms, the government should at least make an effort to get it right this time around, said Progressive Conservative Elizabeth Witmer.

“Moms and dads have the right to know what is contained in any curriculum, and any time a major change is made, they need to be informed,” she said.

“And I think that’s one thing this government isn’t doing well.”

Another admission: I feel a bit nostalgic this time of year, complete with back-to-school butterflies and the coveting of new school supplies.

What do you think of the new additions? Is there anything you think should be taught in schools – or wish you would have been taught?

There’s some serious construction going on in my area. (What’s the old joke about there being two Canadian seasons? Winter and construction. That is definitely true in the Ottawa area, it seems.)

Roads have been ripped up and repaved, sidewalks have become parking spots for heavy machinery and those ubiquitous orange Detour signs have had a supporting role in my dreams.

My car, sadly, also seems to be suffering. I’m often a bit disillusioned (or naïve?) when I turn down a street that, until recently, had been all gravel and potholes, and notice that it is now seemingly flat, restored pavement. It’s not until the front wheel dips into a slight sinkhole that I see one, and it’s far too late to avoid.

I know it’s not just me. I’ve heard enough tales of wheel rims bending, mufflers cracking and tires puncturing to know that it’s not just me.

In fact, CAA of South Central Ontario is currently having a Worst Roads contest. If you live in this region, you can make your nominations here.

If you don’t live in that area – or even if you do – you can nominate your tales of bad road woes here. While ILSTV cannot do anything to improve the roadways, we can offer a $25 gift certificate to your choice of a number of Canadian retailers to the commenter with the greatest (or worst?) example of local roads gone bad.

Until then, drive safely and watch for sneaky potholes.

-Julie.

Important notes:

• Anyone is free to leave comments about the state of roads in their area, but we can only award one gift certificate and it has to go to a Canadian resident.
• In order to be eligible to win, you have to leave your email address in when responding. It won’t be visible, but I will need it to contact you for information about where to send your prize.
• The winner will be chosen based on the quality of the comment and as judged by three members of the ILSTV staff. If it comes to a tie, a random number generator will decide.
• We’ll choose the winner on September 24, 2010.