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September 2012
FEATURES

Marketing Agency of the Month:
Promoting independence
The Peter M. Bakker Agency, Inc., brings
direct writing agents into the fold.

Specialty Lines Markets:
The need for kidnap/ransom and extortion coverage is growing
Kidnapping has become almost a "cottage industry" in some parts of the world.

Technology:
O Canada
Applied Systems affirms its commitment to the Canadian market.

Benefits Agency:
Benefits up north
Executing a strong integration of benefits and property/casualty under a universal health care system.

Marketing:
ACE-ing the cyber liability market
As technology transforms the business world, ACE delivers robust coverage and risk management solutions.

Other Feature Stories:
Facing the flood
New commercial program from Philadelphia Insurance offers broad coverage, high limits.

Succession planning
The best time to start linking your agency to the future is now.

2012 Voluntary Benefits Special Report

Voluntary benefits: New interest in an old standby
Finding new ways to answer employee needs

Employers are getting creative
The new ball game

Outcome-based incentives
The secret sauce for wellness programs?

Employee benefits and group captives
Inevitable changes will force more entities to look at alternative solutions

The doctor is in
Physician-guided managed care produces dramatic cost reductions

 

Special Section sponsored by
Target Markets Program Administrators Association

The state of the Association
TMPAA constantly seeks to provide new services to its members

TMPAA Summit Agenda

Town Hall tackles tough issues
Sharing rather than shouting

Program Administrators

Turning that book into a program
Retail agents can broaden their distribution, capitalizing on expertise they already possess

Carriers

Better serving through technology
Program managers seek technology that will increase speed and efficiency at a comfortable cost

Vendors

FAIA honors Irma Award winner as she leaves the workaday world
Linda Gillespie wins coveted Award for Lifetime Achievement in the insurance industry.

Evidence-based medicine
Health care moves toward perfect vision.

MSO goes national
The Mutual Service Office, Inc. provides simplified forms and super service.

 

COLUMNS
Winning Strategies—Gaining the competitive advantage
Do you have what it takes to "bring home the gold"?
By Roger Sitkins

Lessons in Leadership—The grumpy customer
Should customers ever be fired?
By  Robert L. Bailey

Social Media Forum—Social media on Main Street
What grocers can teach insurance agents
By Tom Wetzel

Customer Service Focus—Good to great
Valuing employees' contributions
By Vicie Reales, CIC, CRM

Benefits Business—Health care law—still in flux
The sorting out of implementation continues
By Len Strazewski

Risk Managers' Forum—Safety first
Make sure your clients stay safe
By Curt Shaw

Risk Management—To be covered or not to be covered
That is a question that too often involves expensive litigation
By Donald S. Malecki, CPCU

Benefits Growth Strategies—Nine beliefs of tomorrow's
successful benefits producers

These beliefs apply to any producer, regardless of the line of business
By Kevin Trokey

Agents E&O Loss Prevention—Is specialization worth the risk?
A combination of the good, the bad and the ugly
By Curtis M. Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF

Public Policy Analysis & Opinion—A market-driven
approach with "a measure of compassion
"
The Supreme Court ruling moves national health care one step closer
By Kevin P. Hennosy

Benefits Products & Services—The wellness/retirement connection
Principal Financial says they belong together in long-term financial planning
By Thomas A. McCoy, CLU

To The Point—Health care fraud includes biggest names in drug industry
Are government-imposed penalties just part of drug companies' "cost of doing business"?
By Michael J. Moody, MBA, ARM

The Innovative Workplace—It's just a matter of time
Managing your time better will lead to a better bottom line
By Don Phin

 

DEPARTMENTS
Court Decisions
Centuries of Rough Notes (Flip Book)
Rough Notes Staff
Reprints

ADVERTISERS INDEX & PRODUCTS PAGE (Flip Book)

 

 

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