Registration is now open for “Accelerate, powered by NetVU,” the premier learning and networking event for Vertafore users to be held in Atlanta, May 17–19.
The NetVU conference experience has been reimagined and rebranded for the organization’s 40th birthday in the city where it first convened. “Accelerate, powered by NetVU,” will highlight the organization’s vision of a “thriving, profitable insurance industry fueled by vibrant, efficient entities fully leveraging everything Vertafore’s products have to offer,” says Barb Dale, CPIW, CISR, CPCU, past chair of NetVU and the Atlanta conference chair.
“Attendees can accelerate their Vertafore system knowledge, expand their industry connections, enhance their firm’s efficiency, and drive profitability and growth at our conference in Atlanta,” she adds.
The Accelerate logo incorporates colors from the NetVU and Vertafore logos (orange and green) to symbolize the collaborative nature of the event. “The conference has always been a place where Vertafore and its users can share ideas and talk about solutions,” Dale says. “Our new logo represents that coming together.”
The annual conference attracts more than 2,500 property-casualty insurance professionals for three days of meetings, educational sessions, demos, product releases and industry recognition.
Accelerate will have breakout sessions on Vertafore Agency Platform, AMS360, Sagitta, AIM, QQCatalyst, BenefitPoint, WorkSmart, ImageRight and other Vertafore solutions. Specialty tracks will explore leadership and management topics, growth strategies, industry trends and the future of the agency system.
In the exhibit hall, vendors and technology providers will showcase innovative products and services, and attendees will be able to see demos and have one-on-one discussions with Vertafore experts.
Other highlights of Accelerate include a local philanthropic “Day of Caring,” chapter meetings, the annual NetVU Awards Gala, general sessions featuring industry leaders, and the Vertafore End Zone Celebration — a fun-filled evening of food and entertainment on Friday night.
“We’re excited about returning to Atlanta and celebrating 40 years of industry-leading education for Vertafore users.” Dale says. “Accelerate points us towards the future and promises to be one of our best conferences ever, an event that will equip, empower and inspire insurance professionals at all levels to reach new heights of productivity.”
The 2018 conference will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Registration is available to nonmembers as well as members. Early registrants can save a significant amount on the regular registration fee.
The conference will use four downtown hotels, all within walking distance of the convention center. Hotel descriptions and prices can be found on the hotel reservations website.
By Jerry Fetty, CEO
Smart IT Services/myAGENCYcloud
Hackers put a lot of thought and effort into coming up with new ways to fool the unsuspecting consumer, especially during the holiday season. Here are some scams you should watch for in the coming months.
Bogus Charity Websites
Increasingly, hackers are setting up fake charity websites to scam people with good intentions. To guarantee that you’re donating to a reputable charity, make sure the charity you're considering is registered with the Secretary of State and find out how much of your contribution will go to the charitable fundraiser and how much will go to the needy.
Fake Gift Cards
Gift cards are often purchased as last-ditch present ideas for birthdays or holidays, but they are also one of the primary ways scammers use to make a quick buck. If you see deals on online auction sites for discounted gift cards, beware — the cards could easily be stolen, making them worthless. Make sure that you purchase gift cards from trusted, licensed vendors.
Package Thieves
It's sometimes difficult to coordinate package delivery to your home while you’re there. That's why it is has become common for thieves to follow delivery trucks around, then grab packages off porches moments after they have been delivered. To keep this from becoming a problem, ask that your package require a signature upon delivery, or have it shipped to your work address.
Credit Card Skimmers
Though this one has been around for several years, it's still widespread. Some thieves use credit card skimming devices to steal your data from ATMs or point-of-sale terminals. Always take note of the device that you’re using to pay with a card to ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with.
Stay Safe Online
To stay safe this holiday season follow this brief list of security best practices:
- Before submitting any sensitive information, look for the padlock icon in the address bar, along with HTTPS at the beginning of the URL.
- Only shop on websites that have a good reputation.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi when shopping online.
- Be skeptical of unsolicited emails in your inbox, especially when it comes to fake invoices and bogus shipping orders.
Jerry Fetty is founder and CEO of SMART I.T. Services, Inc., an independent agent focused information technology service company and developers of myAGENCYcloud. Reach him at [email protected].
By Sharon Emek, Ph.D.
In old-school retirement, you got the gold watch and were shown the door. Unfortunately, not only did you carry your office belongings out in a cardboard box, you also carried out a career’s worth of knowledge and know-how. That’s a tough loss for any industry, but particularly for the insurance industry, which has been struggling to attract and keep talent for years.
Yet boomers have refused to accept that there is only one way to retire, and now they’re considering “pretirement,” which allows them to leave the regular workforce to transition to a work-at-home position. It’s the very premise on which Work At Home Vintage Experts (WAHVE) has thrived. Of course, the insurance industry competes for many of the same workers as other business segments, so offering creative work solutions is no longer a luxury, but more of an expectation. In fact, Justin Bariso, founder of Insight, a global consulting firm, says freelancers compose nearly 34% of today’s workforce. By 2020, he anticipates that number to hit 50%. In addition, he reports that 89% of organizations will offer “mobile workstyles” by 2020.
Fortunately, remote work isn’t a “compromise” solution; it’s a work option that offers benefits to both insurance agencies and employees alike. Technology makes the process nearly seamless. Personal or commercial lines processing, policy checking, new business and renewal preparation and quoting to certificates of insurance, underwriting, rating, claims, customer service, and full account management/CSR work — all of these can be performed remotely by experts who knows what they’re doing. Older insurance workers who aren’t quite ready to hang it up can hang on longer, reaping benefits like flexibility, engagement and financial security. Agencies gain access to a rich talent pool, regardless of geography.
Even beyond the obvious benefits, there are some other benefits that come with continued work. Here’s a few you may not have considered:
- Mental Stimulation. Publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes said, “Retirement kills more people than hard work ever did.” Of course, retirement might not directly kill people, but it could possibly be implicated in the death of brain cells. With aging comes nearly universal fear of losing memory and mental sharpness. While some people have turned to “Brain Games,” special activities or even daily apps to stimulate their minds, according to an Everyday Health article, experts actually recommend “sticking to brain training that involves real-world activities.”
- Improved Productivity. One study recently published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics examined the habits of 16,000 call center employees who were randomly assigned to work in either an office or at home. The result? Those working from home were 13% more productive. Following that, all employees were given the option to work from home if they desired. Productivity for home workers then improved even more to 22%.
- Better Sleep. According to a study included in Sleep Health, people with scheduling flexibility slept better than those who had to report to an office at specific times. Why’s this so important? Because inadequate sleep has been linked to increased risk of automobile crashes, chronic disease and early mortality, and it also impairs our decision-making skills and ability to read social and emotional cues.
Need more reasons to consider remote work for either yourself or your agency? How about the fact that employees who have an ideal life-work fit typically bring tremendous enthusiasm to their work, making them an asset to the agencies that hire them? “We’re kind of addicted to the idea,” says John O’Brien, president of R.J. O’Brien Insurance Agency in Glens Falls, New York. “WAHVE has completely changed our view of outsourcing because we’ve had such a positive experience … Not only has our arrangement been a great one for our on-site staff, but it’s also been very well received by clients.”
If you’re ready to learn more about our insurance-specific remote solution for either yourself or your agency, I hope you’ll visit wahve.com for more information and perspective.
About the author
Sharon Emek, Ph.D., CIC, is the CEO and founder of Work At Home Vintage Experts (WAHVE), an innovative contract staffing talent solution. WAHVE matches retiring insurance professionals leaving the regular workforce to insurance firms to meet their full- or part-time staffing needs. Insurance firms benefit by improving productivity and lowering costs. WAHVE’s unique qualifying process and technology platform match the right “pretirees” wherever they may live to the needs of insurance firms wherever they are located.
WAHVE bridges the gap between insurance firms’ staffing needs and seasoned professionals’ “work-life” balance preferences as they phase into retirement.
Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — or HIPAA — often keeps healthcare professionals up at night. However, there is a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion on the topic.
HIPAA requires healthcare organizations to comply with specific security, privacy and breach notification rules for the storage and transmission of protected health information (PHI), including electronic data. Healthcare professionals should have a solid knowledge of HIPAA requirements. But healthcare providers who establish their own smaller practices need to understand the regulatory framework. This is important when it comes to transmitting sensitive information via email.
Many healthcare organizations are concerned about a governing body initiating a HIPAA audit; however there are many ways that practices can come under scrutiny for email-related HIPAA compliance violations. For example, an audit can originate from a patient or an orthodontist reporting an unencrypted email, or an email server might be hacked.
Email compliance requirements do not end in the doctor’s office —they extend to the practice’s technology providers as well. Healthcare organizations must ensure that the partner complies with HIPAA standards.
Practices that use consumer-grade email should upgrade to a business-class encrypted email service or make sure to obtain a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) from the email provider. BAA email certification provides a crucial validation for HIPAA auditors, demonstrating that the practice’s email provider is compliant.
Beyond just using a compliant email system, email encryption is critical — and it’s one of the most neglected aspects of HIPAA compliance. Each email must be encrypted in a way that ensures messages with a patient’s records are secure from sender to recipient.
While policies and technology solutions are critical to HIPAA compliance, the weakest link in compliance risk is not the email services or the office software. It’s the people interacting with patients. This liability can be reduced with effective staff training.
Unsecured email services, untrained staff, and lax security can put confidential medical data at risk. AppRiver created a complimentary whitepaper to help healthcare providers and practice administrators secure confidential email and data. “Healthcare Security: Understanding HIPAA Compliance,” provides steps for healthcare practices to assist with HIPAA compliance, reduce email-based malware attacks and provide greater privacy for their patients.
The insurance industry is one of the most dynamic industries in the world. The diversity of services, agencies and types of coverage seems to expand each year and external business evolutions constantly keep agents and associates on their toes.
The insurance premium financing market has become an integral niche within the industry. The 2008 global market crash was a trying time for many insurance agencies. However, we look back on that period as a major milestone for Imperial PFS®. Given the
nature of our business, providing financing options for promising new businesses benefited the entire insurance industry. By allowing business owners the allowance to finance their insurance premiums, freeing up capital to sustain a growing venture, stimulated the economy and provided an iron link between premium finance companies and insurance agencies.
As you may be aware, IPFS® works closely with our customers to assist them in achieving their short-term and long-term business objectives. Consequently, we have become the leading premium finance provider in the marketplace currently financing over 575,000 premium finance agreements and $7.5 billion in premiums annually.
We didn’t get where we are today overnight, however. In fact, throughout our 40 years of business, we have learned first-hand the ways to navigate through the heavy waters of the insurance industry. We are constantly listening to what our customers truly need from premium financing specialists.
Because we are a privately owned premium finance company, we are able to be creative and responsive to our customers’ needs and provide unique solutions for every situation. Our programs can help create efficiencies in the premium finance process and strengthen customer relations. Our industry-leading technology allows for quick and easy service, 24/7 access via our website ipfs.com and mobile app IPFS Connect® and custom solutions to specifically serve each agent.
We are proud of our partnership with NetVU and Vertafore. We believe partnerships like these make for lasting relationships and strong integrations within the insurance industry. We hope you agree that the insurance industry truly is the best in the world.
It can be challenging to fit local user group meetings into your schedule, but NetVU Chapters, Education, and Partners are here to help. Our user group volunteers have been working hard to provide virtual opportunities on the latest hot topics to help you better utilize your Vertafore system.
The best part of these virtual meetings is that they’re open to all NetVU members so you can connect to other users and education that you might not normally have access to for a local meeting!
View our Meetings & Events Calendar, and Register Now
Tuesday, 10/10 at 11:30 a.m. Central — Accounting Unique to Insurance Agencies - Not all accounting is created equal! Come learn how and why insurance agency accounting differs from standard bookkeeping and accounting practices. Learn from an expert about agency-specific tasks. Janet Tuttle of TDECU Insurance Agency LLC will guide your journey through these concepts vital to effectively running the financial aspect of your agency.
Thursday, 10/12 at 1:00 p.m. Central — Omnia - Interoffice Dynamics: Sales vs. service - Let’s face it… sometimes your office feels like a war zone instead of a team working together to reach common goals. Salespeople don’t get why the service team asks so many questions and need to have every 'i' dotted and 't' crossed. The service team can’t understand why salespeople are so unorganized, pushy and last minute with EVERYTHING! And no matter which department you’re in, you’re stuck wondering, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Sound familiar? This webinar will talk about the dynamics necessary for sales and service to effectively work together and how those dynamics can collectively make an unstoppable team.
Friday, 10/13 at 11:00 a.m. Central — See What You Get in AMS360: Who Is Doing What and How Do You Assess Data Integrity? Lesson 5 - Round Up - Join this 5-part series to learn how data flows through your AMS360 system, how consistently used workflows impact all aspect of data quality and why it is important to audit your data at all touch points to ensure data quality and integrity. Lesson 5: Round Up: Considerations for reporting and follow-up. How to know what you are and are not missing.
Wednesday, 10/18 at 10:30 a.m. Central — Making Download Work for You - Part 2 - Come back to Part 2 where you’ll learn how to include the information found in the download reports in your written plan, and ask any questions that have come up during your review of download in your agency and your implementation of your agency’s written plan.
Thursday, 10/19 at 11:00 a.m. Central — Vertafore Agency Platform for Real People – Bare Basics - Join Joyce Sigler of Jones-Wenner in this series of webinars aimed at showing you how Vertafore Agency Platform can, and should be an integral part of your agency's work processes. Lesson 1: What is Platform, who should be using it, what do you need to do.
Has anyone used a good insurance recruiter or headhunter?
We have several positions available, having difficulty finding CSR's and Inside Sales people for our agency.
Renewal Suspense
Just checking to see if there is a way to run a renewal list in 360 and have it create a renewal suspense for the producers.
Global Change Tips/Pitfalls?
We're doing some reassignment of customers and policies among producers and CSRs; it'll likely involve about 1,000 customers. I'd sure appreciate any tips, warnings, dire predictions from anyone who has made these sorts of changes.
UPDATE re: NY Cybersecurity Regulation
Good News, as of Wednesday afternoon: THE DEADLINE FOR EXEMPTION FILING HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 30, 2017. 23 NYCRR 500 is a cyber security requirement for New York that affects all entities and individuals who gather and store non-public information on New York citizens