viewpointsummer2014

SUMMER 2014 • VOLUME 32 • ISSUE 3INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF IOWA

• 2013 Iowa Market Share Report

• 2014 IIAI Agent/Company Meetings featuring SECURA and TRAVELERS

• 2014 IIAI Young Agents Conference

• 2014 IIAI Scholarship Winners

• 2014 Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame Inductees

• 2014 IIAI 108th Convention

In This Issue

IIAI ConventionKeynote SpeakerCoach Knight

totallyA R E YO UWORRY FREE?

West Des Moines, ioWA • 800.274.3531 • WWW.iMtins.coM

WWW.IMTINS.COM

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresidentTerry McDonald, CIC - Iowa City

President-ElectScott Morningstar, CPCU - Lisbon

TreasurerJerry Mease - Winterset

National DirectorDean Brooks, CPCU, CLU, ALCM - West Des Moines

DirectorsEldon Hunsicker - OttumwaTerry Friedman, CPCU - DubuqueTim English, CIC - DyersvilleJohn Dalton - Council BluffsSteve Madsen - MarshalltownDavid Rowley, CPCU, CIC, AU - Spirit LakeScott Wirtz - EmmetsburgJamie Krist, CIC, MBA - West Des MoinesLuke Horak - Washington

Past PresidentPaul Pohlson - Grinnell

IIAI OFFICE STAFFChief Executive OfficerBob Skow, CPCU, [email protected]

Membership Operations CoordinatorMelissa [email protected] • Ext. 15

Technology & Communications AdministratorJeanne [email protected] • Ext. 17

Membership Services CoordinatorMarilyn Paul, CPCU, AIT, AAM, [email protected] • Ext. 11

Membership Services CoordinatorBrenda Kluger, CIC, CISR, CIIP, [email protected] • Ext. 14

Membership Services CoordinatorMegan Kincy, AINS, [email protected] • Ext. 16

ReceptionistCindy [email protected] • Ext. 12

Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa4000 Westown Parkway

West Des Moines, Iowa 50266(515) 223-6060 • FAX (515) 222-0610

800-272-9312 (In-State only)

Advertising EditorMelissa Meiners

MISSION STATEMENT: The Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa will be an unrelenting advocate of the business, professional and political interests of its members; doing so by working in the public’s best interest and with the highest ethical standards.

Viewpoint is a publication of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. Viewpoint is published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Viewpoint is mailed to Iowa insurance agents, Iowa Home Office Executives, Affiliate members, and other state associations and organizations.

19 Amerisafe

39 Big “I” Professional Liability

29 Burns & Wilcox

33 EMC Insurance Co.

10 Grinnell Mutual

2 The IMT Group

28 IMWCA Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association

24 Integrity Insurance

8 Iowa Mutual Insurance Co.

4 Liberty Mutual Insurance

32 Mass Mutual

6 Merchants Bonding Co.

6 M.J. Kelly Company

32 Northern States Agency

15 Pekin Insurance

23 SECURA Insurance Co.

13 West Bend

9 Western National Insurance

ADVERTISERS

We would like to thank our advertisers for their support. This magazine would

not be possible without them.

THANK YOU!

PRESIDENT’S REPORT“Big “I”, You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby”Over the past 25 years that I have been involved in the Big “I”, many changes have come about. I believe the biggest change was my Association mentor, Larry Vander Tuig retired and Bob Skow took over guiding associa-tion to new heights that would have been tough to imagine back then.

by Terry McDonald, CICPage 5

NATIONAL DIRECTOR’S REPORTBe A Great Leader“A good hockey player plays to where the puck is. A great hockey player plays to where the puck is going to be”.

by Dean Brooks, CPCU, CLU, ALCMPage 7

In This Issue2013 Iowa Insurance MarketShare ReportBy Bob Skow, CPCU, CAE Page 11

2014 Independent InsuranceAgents of Iowa Company Meetings:

SECURA Insurance Page 26

Travelers Insurance 0

Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame Page 33

2014 Young Agents ConferenceHUGE Success!Page 34

Iowa Independent Agents 2014 Scholarship WinnersPage 36

Tech Talk – The Three Steps to Take Advantage of NewsjackingBy Steve AndersonPage 37

You live for the opportunity to help businesses in your community. You have a passion for supporting your clients. Liberty Mutual Insurance has a passion for protecting them, with coverages like commercial auto, workers compensation, and business owner’s policy (BOP). With regional presence, industry expertise, and comprehensive coverages for businesses of all sizes, we have the local knowledge and national resources to help your clients thrive. Talk to your territory manager today about Liberty Mutual Insurance or go to libertymutualgroup.com/business.

Your clients depend on you.You can depend on us.

© 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance. Insurance underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, MA, or its affiliates or subsidiaries.

SUMMER 2014 | | 5

As I sit here ready to write my last article for Viewpoint magazine, I do it with somewhat of a heavy heart. As I reflect

over the time I have served on the Big “I” Board of Directors for over 12 years, an old Virginia Slims cigarette add comes to mind, “Big “I”, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.” I am sad to think that I have only a little over three months to serve as your President and then one more year as Past President. Wow, where has the time gone! My son Trey was entering kindergarten when I came on board and we just had his high school graduation. I can remember like it was yesterday when I attended my first Young Agents Conference at Lake Okoboji, not knowing very many other insurance colleagues from around the state. Tom Richardson was the chairman of the YAC then and did a great job of getting everyone involved. This involvement is evident by the number of the latest past IIAI Presidents that were in atten-dance at the conferences back then.

Over the past 25 years that I have been involved in the Big “I”, many changes have come about. I believe the biggest change was my Association mentor, Larry Vander Tuig retired and Bob Skow took over guiding the Association to new heights that would have been tough to imagine back then. Long term employees like

Melissa Meiners and Jeanne Reynolds are a testament to why the IIAI is such a huge success. During that span, one of the IIAI’s most promising advocate and greatest employees, Dan Fulwider, lost his battle with cancer that still gives me pause today. And, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the efforts and contributions of Bob Fulwider, past Chairman of the IIABA. His guidance has truly been a blessing for our industry.

Legislatively, there have been many bills passed into law over the past 25 years, but I do not remember one that has more impact on insurance agent’s professional liability premi-ums than the latest passing of HF

398. Your lobbying efforts afforded me the opportunity to attend my first bill signing ceremony and I will never forget the sense of pride I had stand-ing behind Governor Branstad as he signed the bill into law. Beating the trial lawyers on this issue, having the majority Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal cross party lines to vote with us and having a former lawyer himself sign the bill has some sort of poetic justice about it. Senator Gronstal and Governor Branstad have been tremen-dous supporters of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa and I cannot begin to list all of the help they have provided over the years.

Another important issue that has been on the national legislative calendar for as long as I can remem-ber–NARAB II legislation. If signed into law NARAB II would improve the state-based system of insurance regulation by providing nonresident licensing reciprocity through a board of state commissioners and industry rep-resentatives. The result for all agents would be a more efficient and workable system of insurance agent and agency licensing. The bill has overwhelm-ingly passed both the House and the Senate, but was attached to the Flood Reauthorization Act and pulled out at the last minute. As I write my article, just this week the House Financial

“Big “I”, You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby”

by Terry McDonald, CIC

president’s REPORT

Continued

Services Committee circulated draft legislation called the “TRIA Reform Act of 2014”. NARAB II is part of the TRIA bill so the Big “I” is praising both the House and the Senate committees for taking action on this important issue. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

In conclusion, the Big “I” and Congress are doing their part. Now it is our turn as insurance agents to step up to the plate and contribute to our state of Iowa PAC (IIAI/PAC) and our National PAC (InsurPAC) so we can keep the momentum going. Remember this has to be paid for with personal funds so we do not violate any federal laws. Your PAC contributions will help sustain our advocates on both sides of the isle at home and in Washington. The Iowa Big “I” is woefully behind in PAC contributions this year so I am pleading with everyone to take a moment and write out a check if you have not already done so. For those that have contributed, your Board of Directors says thank you.

Common Sense Surety Since 1933TM

6 | | SUMMER 2014

“Big Iand

Congress are

doing their part.

Now it is our turn”

Wayne Gretzky once said “A good hockey player plays to where the puck is. A great hockey

player plays to where the puck is going to be.” The business analogy is obvious. You can be a good manager by playing to where the puck is but if you want to be a great leader, you must play to where the puck is going. However, in business it is a bit more complicated, and needs to be taken a step further. Observable trends can tell us where the puck is going – that is the comparatively easy part of the busi-ness equation. Developing strategies to respond to these trends is a much more difficult challenge altogether.

IIABA believes one of the most pressing issues facing our members today emanates from the confluence of at least three significant tends. This pressing issue is talent recruitment, or simply the need to get more young people involved in the independent agency system and ensure they succeed. The first underlying trend related to this issue we all recognize: there are large numbers of “boomers”, those of us born between 1946 and 1964, retiring from the agency busi-ness en masse over the next few years.

Coupled with this is the difficulty we have in convincing young people of the rewards of a career as an independent agent. The trend countrywide is that we struggle to attract young people to the agency system, and when we do get them into the system, many leave after just a few years. Inextricably tied to these two broad trends is the overarching issue of agency perpetu-ation. The average agency owner in this country is 57 years old, and over half have no effective perpetuation plan in place. This has been a signifi-cant factor in the gradual decline in the

number of independent agencies over time. There are many fewer indepen-dent agencies now than when I started in this business in 1972. Granted, many agencies now are larger and have more employees, growth often-times realized through merger and acquisition, so the number of people employed in the agency business has not declined as much as the raw number of agencies; however, the trend of declining numbers of agencies remains clear.

We’ve identified the big picture trends – the aging out of a significant number of agency owners, the trickle of new young people coming into our ranks, and an all too frequent lack of sustainable agency perpetuation plans. So it appears we know where the puck is going. The big question is what do you think your national asso-ciation should do to respond to this dilemma? What would help you, as an independent agent, attract younger people, retain these people, and ulti-mately move them into ownership via an achievable perpetuation plan? In short, what could IIABA do to help you?

Recognizing that answers cannot be a

Be A Great Leaderby Dean Brooks, CPCU, CLU, ALCM

national director’s REPORT

SUMMER 2014 | | 7

8 | | SUMMER 2014

“one size fits all” because there are so many different agency profiles within our IIABA membership, let me throw out just a few general possibilities in the form of questions for your evaluation:• Would a generic HR toolkit covering

hiring, employment, and termina-tion help? My thought is this would be available from National for free. Perhaps we could also look at a full time HR expert on staff who you could contact for more detailed help on a fee basis?

• Would it be helpful to have someone who would work with you to review and interpret the results of candi-date assessment tests?

• Would sample documents such as employment and producer agree-ments, employee handbooks, and guidance on how to conduct effec-tive employee reviews be useful?

• Would you utilize guidance and templates in training and profes-sional development, including

suggested education tracks for vari-ous functions in an agency? Would “on-demand” training webinars for specific agency roles be of interest?

• Would you consider an intern program? If so, would a training template and assistance in setting up the program, including a training guide with skill sets and mentorship training be useful? (As an aside, related to these last two items, I recognize there are successful insurance education programs at a number of academic institutions around the country, the Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance within the Finance Department at the University of Iowa being a stellar example. But the reality is the overwhelming majority of students coming out of these programs join the company ranks – most do not see working in an independent agency as a viable career choice. Even IIABA’s own Project Invest, the best school-to-

work program in the country, finds most of its participants going to other stakeholders, not to indepen-dent agencies.)

• In terms of finding new recruits, would a national resume data base organized by state and agency role be useful?

• Would help with using social media to promote your agency to prospec-tive new hires be of interest?

• Would a guide to agency perpet-uation, including suggestions for financing, be useful? (I should note here that we already have InsurBanc as a good source of agency financial assistance for producer recruitment and perpetuation funding.)These are just a few thoughts. What

do you think? What else could we do for you as your association? Let me know what would be important to you. You can contact me via email: [email protected] or my direct #: 515-868-0484.

With friendly underwriters who listen, and a full complement of products

to serve your small-to-mid-size commercial insurance needs (including

enhanced BOP, surety, and packaged coverages), Western National is your

one-stop shop for getting business done. The proof is in the partnership.

We can help with both.

Congratulations 2014 President’s Club!

Since 1909, Grinnell Mutual has prospered by building strong relationships with quality farm mutuals and agencies. The following Iowa agencies have contributed significantly to

our combined success and have been named to the 2014 Grinnell Mutual President’s Club. We appreciate their contributions and enjoy the mutual benefits of our Policy of Working Together.

A & J Petersburg AgencyDecorah, Iowa

Abens, Marty, Curran AgencyHumboldt, Iowa

Ambank Insurance ServicesLe Mars, Iowa

Associated Insurance CounselorsPreston, Iowa

Axman Insurance AgencyPomeroy, Iowa

Bank Midwest Insurance ServicesSpirit Lake, Iowa

Black Hawk Insurance ServicesHudson, Iowa

Bob Dodds Insurance AgencyDanville, Iowa

Brown-Lane Insurance Agency, Inc.Independence, Iowa

Callahan InsuranceCascade, Iowa

Cook Agency, Inc.Waukon, Iowa

Cray Insurance AgencyChester, Iowa

Eland Agency, Inc.Mediapolis, Iowa

First Maxfield ResourcesDenver, Iowa

FMD Agency, Inc.Schleswig, Iowa

Gateway Insurance Services, Inc.Ames, Iowa

Gentry Insurance AgencyOllie, Iowa

Insurance Headquarters, Inc.Waterloo, Iowa

Lee Agency, Inc.Muscatine, Iowa

Northwest ConsultantsBuffalo Center, Iowa

Olson InsuranceNorthwood, Iowa

Peoples Insurance Agency, LTDWaverly, Iowa

R W Larson Insurance AgencyBoone, Iowa

Smith Insurance LLCLamont, Iowa

Smith Insurance ServicesMarcus, Iowa

United Insurance ServicesMadrid, Iowa

West Side Agency, Inc.Palo, Iowa

Each summer the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa collect from A.M. Best data on Iowa’s insurance market place for the previous year. While the top 10 Property and Casualty companies really didn’t

change much, the 2013 market share report indicates Independent agents’ share of Property & Casualty business grew over 2012. Only 3 captive agent companies were in the top twenty: State Farm with 9.5% of the market; Farm Bureau with 5.9%; and American Family with 2.8% of the market. The biggest increase by a direct market player was GEICO (Berkshire Hathaway) who went from .80% of the market share to 1%, still one of the lowest market shares by state in the country for GEICO. Collectively, Independent agent companies controlled 70.5% of the total Property & Casualty business, up by 1/10 of a percent from the previous year.

Personal Lines — Private passenger auto information is interesting as Iowa independent agent companies’ market share grew slightly at the expense of the direct writers. Homeowners has always been the direct writers’ strong suit, but here again they lost market share with State Farm losing the most business in this report.

Commercial Lines — Overall Commercial Lines showed little change with independent agents dominating all areas of commercial business, C.G.L., Commercial Property and Workers’ Compensation with close to 90% market share! Capitve markets simple have not done well in Iowa in trying to grow their commercial business. Speaks well of the risk management approach

many independent agents utilize when handling commercial risks in Iowa.

The data showed an average increase in loss ratio of more than 10 points for all lines combined. But, Homeowners was significantly more profitable in the 2013 report with a 78.5% improvement on average!

All in all the 2013 report puts Iowa in a favorable loss ratio position compared to most other states, as 2013 National was not a great year from a loss ratio perspective. Both regional independent agent compa-nies and national players’ market share remained strong in our state…the conclusion – Iowa is a good place for independent agents and independent agent companies!

2013 Iowa InsuranceMarket Share Report

by Bob Skow, CPCU, CAE

IOWA IS A GOOD PLACE FOR INDEPENDENT AGENTS AND INDEPENDENT AGENT COMPANIES!

SUMMER 2014 | | 11

IOWA OVERALL STATE RANKING (ALL P/C LINES) (Direct Writers Highlighted)

2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 Market Market Direct Written Direct Written Adjusted Adjusted Name Share Share Difference Premiums (000) Premiums (000) Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference

1 State Farm Group 9.50% 9.40% 0.10% $546,109 $526,084 $20,025.00 52.2 81.6 -29.4

2 Allied Group 8.20% 7.70% 0.50% $470,223 $432,414 $37,809.00 53.8 88.4 -34.6 a Nationwide Co

3 Farm Bureau 5.90% 5.90% 0.00% $336,995 $328,500 $8,495.00 83.1 73.2 9.9 P&C Group

4 ACE INA Group 4.60% 5.50% -0.90% $263,992 $310,949 $(46,957.00) 180.8 31.9 148.9

5 Progressive Group 4.00% 3.90% 0.10% $231,588 $217,679 $13,909.00 59.5 62.4 -2.9

6 Farmers Mutual 3.30% 3.80% -0.50% $188,396 $214,719 $(26,323.00) 196 39.8 156.2 Hail Insurance Grp

7 EMC Ins Cos 3.30% 3.20% 0.10% $187,785 $177,074 $10,711.00 49.3 78.7 -29.4

8 QBE Americas Grp 3.00% 3.80% -0.80% $174,370 $213,802 $(39,432.00) 189.4 36.7 152.7

9 Travelers Group 3.00% 2.90% 0.10% $169,694 $161,712 $7,982.00 48 72 -24

10 American Family 2.80% 2.80% 0.00% $161,205 $159,500 $1,705.00 50.4 70.2 -19.8 Insurance Group

11 Great American 2.60% 2.60% 0.00% $150,385 $144,234 $6,151.00 101.8 50.2 51.6 P&C Group

12 American Intl 2.60% 2.90% -0.30% $147,997 $163,433 $(15,436.00) 57.3 67.3 -10 Group Inc

13 Liberty Mutual 2.30% 2.20% 0.10% $130,839 $122,040 $8,799.00 55.9 84 -28.1 Insurance Cos

14 Grinnell Mutual Grp 2.10% 2.10% 0.00% $121,366 $115,679 $5,687.00 48.3 52.5 -4.2

15 Auto-Owners 2.00% 1.90% 0.10% $113,443 $106,968 $6,475.00 44.1 96 -51.9 Insurance Group

16 IMT Insurance Cos 1.60% 1.60% 0.00% $94,073 $87,195 $6,878.00 37.8 55.2 -17.4

17 Wells Fargo Ins Grp 1.60% 1.60% 0.00% $93,354 $87,798 $5,556.00 222.8 38.2 184.6

18 West Bend Mut Ins 1.60% 1.50% 0.10% $91,934 $81,538 $10,396.00 42.9 51.9 -9

19 Zurich Fin Serv NA 1.50% 1.40% 0.10% $87,025 $75,975 $11,050.00 42.4 64.4 -22

20 United Fire & Cas 1.50% 1.30% 0.20% $83,906 $73,762 $10,144.00 37.2 84.7 -47.5

Top 20 Totals 67.00% 68.00% -1.00% $3,844,679 $3,801,055 $43,624.00 82.65 63.97 18.69

All Carriers 100% 100% $5,746,379 $5,613,224 $133,155.00 76.3 66.1 10.2 State Totals

2013 DATA

12 | | SUMMER 2014

Your customer’s business didn’t grow overnight. It came from years of hard work, confidence in what they could do, and making smart decisions.

That’s why an insurance policy from West Bend makes sense. It protects these valuable and hard-earned businesses so your customers can focus on doing

what they do best.

And as an Official Supplier of The Silver Lining, it’s backed by your knowledge and experience.

People who run a business know. The most valuable things

are also the hardest to get.

West Bend. Insurance your customers buy when they can’t afford anything less.

14 | | SUMMER 2014

IOWA REGIONAL INDEPENDENT AGENCY COMPANIES

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $470,223 8.20% 7.70% 0.50% 53.8 88.4 -34.6

2 Progressive Group $231,588 4.00% 3.90% 0.10% 59.5 62.4 -2.9

3 Farmers Mutual Hail Ins Group $188,396 3.30% 3.80% -0.50% 196 39.8 156.2

4 EMC Insurance Companies $187,785 3.30% 3.20% 0.10% 49.3 78.7 -29.4

5 Grinnell Mutual $121,366 2.10% 2.10% 0.00% 48.3 52.5 -4.2

6 Auto-Owners Insurance Group $113,443 2.00% 1.90% 0.10% 44.1 96 -51.9

7 IMT Insurance Cos $94,073 1.60% 1.60% 0.00% 37.8 55.2 -17.4

8 West Bend Mut Ins $91,934 1.60% 1.50% 0.10% 42.9 51.9 -9

9 United Fire & Casualty Group $83,906 1.50% 1.30% 0.20% 37.2 84.7 -47.5

10 Endurance Spec Group $63,877 1.10% 1.00% 0.10% 179.2 33.7 145.5

Top 10 Totals $1,646,591 28.70% 28.00% 0.70% 74.81 64.33 10.48 All Carriers State Total $2,385,106 41.60% 39.70% 1.90% 74.18 64.9 9.28

Direct Writers29.5%

National AgencyCompanies

28.9%

Regional AgencyCompanies

41.6%

IOWA NATIONAL INDEPENDENT AGENCY COMPANIES

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 ACE INA Group $263,992 4.60% 5.50% -0.90% 180.8 31.9 148.9

2 QBE Americas Group $174,370 3.00% 3.80% -0.80% 189.4 36.7 152.7

3 Travelers Group $169,694 3.00% 2.90% 0.10% 48 72 -24

4 Great American P&C Group $150,385 2.60% 2.60% 0.00% 101.8 50.2 51.6

5 American Intl Group Inc $147,997 2.60% 2.90% -0.30% 57.3 67.3 -10

6 Liberty Mutual Ins Cos $130,839 2.30% 2.20% 0.10% 55.9 84 -28.1

7 Zurich Fin. Serv. NA $87,025 1.50% 1.40% 0.10% 42.4 64.4 -22

8 Cincinnati Insurance $84,094 1.50% 1.50% 0.00% 37.7 68.5 -30.8

9 Old Republic General Group $73,020 1.30% 1.10% 0.20% 46.2 61.8 -15.6

10 Chubb Group of Ins Cos $62,312 1.10% 0.90% 0.20% 59.3 54.1 5.2

Top 10 Totals $1,343,728 2.35% 2.48% -0.13% 81.88 59.09 22.79

All Carriers State Total $1,662,616 28.90% 30.70% -1.80% 54.27 68.39 -14.12

2013 DATA

2013 STATE MARKET SHARE REGIONAL AGENCY COMPANIES

NATIONAL AGENCY COMPANIES

DIRECT WRITERS

IOWA DIRECT WRITERS

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 State Farm Group $546,109 9.50% 9.40% 0.10% 52.2 81.6 -29.4

2 Farm Bureau Mutual Group $336,995 5.90% 5.90% 0.00% 83.1 73.2 9.9

3 American Family Insurance Group $161,205 2.80% 2.80% 0.00% 50.4 70.2 -19.8

4 Wells Fargo Insurance Group $93,354 1.60% 1.60% 0.00% 222.8 38.2 184.6

5 Farmers Insurance Group $62,644 1.10% 1.10% 0.00% 44.8 92.3 -47.5

6 Berkshire Hathaway $55,029 1.00% 0.80% 0.20% 42.7 60.5 -17.8

7 Allstate Insurance Group $53,170 0.90% 0.90% 0.00% 40.3 74.7 -34.4

8 CUMIS Ins Society Group $36,392 0.60% 0.70% -0.10% 128 71.4 56.6

9 Federated Mutual Group $33,575 0.60% 0.50% 0.10% 76.6 60.8 15.8

10 USAA Group $32,848 0.60% 0.50% 0.10% 62.1 110 -47.9

Top 10 Totals $1,411,321 24.60% 24.20% 0.40% 80.30 73.29 7.01

All Carriers State Total $1,698,657 29.50% 29.60% -0.10% 64.14 79.1 -14.96

BEYONDTHE EXPECTED

Our coverage enhancements and endorsements go

Beyond the expected.®

AUTO

HOME

BUSINESS

LIFE

HEALTH

• Roadside Rescue • Replacement Cost Coverage • Enhanced Coverage for Rental Cars• Pet Coverage • No Deductible on Glass Claims • Accidental Death Coverage• Tire Protection Coverage • Non-Standard Auto Program

• Identity Fraud Coverage with Resolution Service • Personal Injury • Pet Health Insurance • Equipment Breakdown Coverage • Earthquake Coverage • Water Back-Up of Sewers & Drains • Water & Sewer Line Breakage

• Employment Practices Liability Insurance • Employee Benefit Liability Coverage • Equipment Breakdown Coverage • Water Back-Up of Sewers & Drains • Loss Control Services• Workers Compensation Claim Specialists • Employee Wage Expense Continuation

• E-App for Most Life Products • Long Term Care Endorsement • Term Insurance Guaranteed Conversion Program • Access to Life Insurance Planning Specialists• Children’s Single Premium Term Plan

• Personal Customer Service • Extensive PPO & Transplant Facility Networks• Benefits Paid Faster than Industry Average • Wellness Coverage• Online Access to Claim Information • TPA Services

Offering some of the most innovative products available in the industry today, we strive to be the easiest company to do business with. Learn more.

2505 Court Street • Pekin, IL 61558 • 800-322-0160, Extension 2394 • www.pekininsurance.com

2013 DATA

SUMMER 2014 | | 15

IOWA PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO PHYSICAL DAMAGE (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 State Farm Group $144,560 21.40% 21.30% 0.10% 55.7 86.2 -30.5

2 Progressive Group $88,717 13.20% 12.60% 0.60% 66.5 76.6 -10.1

3 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $81,831 12.10% 12.00% 0.10% 54 69.6 -15.6

4 Farm Bureau P&C Group $54,293 8.10% 8.10% 0.00% 53.1 67.9 -14.8

5 American Family Insurance Group $45,784 6.80% 7.00% -0.20% 49.4 62.6 -13.2

6 Grinnell Mutual Group $30,860 4.60% 4.70% -0.10% 58.8 70.6 -11.8

7 IMT Insurance Company Mutual $22,673 3.40% 3.40% 0.00% 52.4 57.9 -5.5

8 Allstate Insurance Group $17,752 2.60% 2.80% -0.20% 40.9 49.4 -8.5

9 Berkshire Hathaway $17,691 2.60% 2.30% 0.30% 66.8 74.6 -7.8

10 Auto-Owners Insurance Group $16,472 2.40% 2.50% -0.10% 55.3 70.1 -14.8

Total from top 10 writers $520,633 77.20% 76.70% 0.50% 55.29 68.55 -13.26 (Avg.) (Avg.)

State Total For All Carriers Combined $673,945 55.9 74.3 -18.4

IOWA OTHER PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO (LIABILITY) (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 State Farm Group $144,944 20.50% 20.50% 0.00% 54 54.8 -0.8

2 Progressive Group $121,189 17.10% 16.70% 0.40% 55.3 52.9 2.4

3 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $85,445 12.10% 11.80% 0.30% 62.2 59.4 2.8

4 Farm Bureau Mutual Group $49,422 7.00% 7.10% -0.10% 53.3 46.2 7.1

5 American Family Insurance Group $44,497 6.30% 6.50% -0.20% 72.3 56.5 15.8

6 Grinnell Mutual Group $28,944 4.10% 4.30% -0.20% 40.9 35.7 5.2

7 IMT Insurance Company Mutual $21,306 3.00% 2.90% 0.10% 50.3 41.2 9.1

8 Berkshire Hathaway $21,247 3.00% 2.50% 0.50% 57.5 55.7 1.8

9 Farmers Insurance Group $17,325 2.40% 2.50% -0.10% 40.9 48.8 -7.9

10 Allstate Insurance Group $15,104 2.10% 2.10% 0.00% 57.5 51.7 5.8

Total from top 10 writers $549,423 77.60% 76.90% 0.70% 54.42 50.29 4.13 (Avg.) (Avg.)

State Total For All Carriers Combined $708,187 56.3 53.5 2.8

2013 IOWA PRIVATEPASSENGER AUTO MARKET

DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS

Direct Writers49.4%

IndependentAgents50.6%

2013 IOWA OTHER PRIVATEPASSENGER AUTO MARKET


Direct Writers47.8%


2013 DATA

16 | | SUMMER 2014

IOWA HOMEOWNERS MULTI-PERIL (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 State Farm Group $166,064 26.80% 27.20% -0.40% 42.5 101.2 -58.7

2 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $101,921 16.40% 15.70% 0.70% 48.8 145 -96.2

3 Farm Bureau Mutual Group $49,966 8.10% 7.80% 0.30% 45.2 128.6 -83.4

4 American Family Insurance Group $43,706 7.10% 7.40% -0.30% 28.1 96.3 -68.2


6 Farmers Insurance Group $18,170 2.90% 3.00% -0.10% 45.4 131.2 -85.8

7 IMT Insurance Company Mutual $18,088 2.90% 2.90% 0.00% 34.2 82 -47.8

8 Allstate Insurance Group $16,862 2.70% 2.90% -0.20% 28.3 143.4 -115.1

9 Pekin Insurance Group $14,963 2.40% 2.50% -0.10% 60.9 102.1 -41.2


Total from top 10 writers $467,148 75.40% 75.60% -0.20% 39.85 121.79 -81.94 (Avg.) (Avg.)


IOWA INLAND MARINE (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Assurant P&C Group $26,657 15.30% 21.10% -5.80% 18.3 20.4 -2.1

2 Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos $16,338 9.40% 8.60% 0.80% 44.2 79.5 -35.3

3 FM Global Group $9,350 5.40% 5.30% 0.10% 0.2 27.7 -27.5

4 Hartford Insurance Group $8,881 5.10% 5.70% -0.60% 45.7 65.2 -19.5

5 State Farm Group $8,777 5.00% 5.20% -0.20% 31 32.9 -1.9

6 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $8,706 5.00% 4.40% 0.60% 39.2 38.2 1

7 Travelers Group $6,398 3.70% 3.80% -0.10% 27.1 146.1 -119

8 SU Insurance Company $6,034 3.50% 2.40% 1.10% 55.3 45.6 9.7


10 CNA Insurance Co $5,581 3.20% 2.90% 0.30% 50.7 64.5 -13.8



2013 IOWAHOMEOWNERS MARKET DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS

Direct Writers54.6%


2013 IOWAINLAND MARINE MARKET DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS

Direct Writers15.5%


2013 DATA

SUMMER 2014 | | 17

IOWA COMMERCIAL CGL/BOP LIABILITY (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $13,386 12.70% 12.30% 0.40% 26 24.1 1.9

2 Travelers Group $8,616 8.20% 8.30% -0.10% 23.6 33.9 -10.3

3 Auto-Owners Insurance Group $6,728 6.40% 5.90% 0.50% -8.6 45.7 -54.3

4 Cincinnati Insurance Companies $5,731 5.40% 6.00% -0.60% 34.7 10.7 24

5 State Farm Group $5,388 5.10% 5.40% -0.30% 45 39.3 5.7

6 W R Berkley Group $5,118 4.90% 5.40% -0.50% 68.1 25.5 42.6

7 QBE Americas Group $4,947 4.70% 5.50% -0.80% 51.9 31.2 20.7

8 Grinnell Mutual Group $4,321 4.10% 3.80% 0.30% 35.1 62.2 -27.1

9 Farm Bureau P&C Group $4,011 3.80% 3.60% 0.20% 32.3 8.6 23.7

10 Philadelphia/Tokio Gp $3,866 3.70% 3.50% 0.20% 3.1 36 -32.9



IOWA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 EMC Insurance Companies $57,743 8.60% 9.20% -0.60% 59.8 88.1 -28.3

2 Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos $54,674 8.10% 8.20% -0.10% 72.4 101.5 -29.1

3 Accident Fund Group $50,050 7.40% 7.40% 0.00% 61.6 71.5 -9.9

4 Travelers Group $48,025 7.10% 7.40% -0.30% 80.6 101.5 -20.9

5 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $38,910 5.80% 6.10% -0.30% 85.3 75.5 9.8

6 Zurich Fin Serv NA $27,340 4.10% 4.20% -0.10% 80.5 68.3 12.2

7 United Fire & Casualty $25,997 3.90% 3.60% 0.30% 70.7 138 -67.3

8 West Bend Mut Ins $22,975 3.40% 2.60% 0.80% 58.4 31.9 26.5

9 Old Republic Ins Grp $22,342 3.30% 2.60% 0.70% 54.7 63 -8.3

10 Cincinnati Insurance Companies $20,178 3.00% 3.20% -0.20% 77.9 87.5 -9.6



2013 IOWA COMMERCIALCGL/BOP LIABILITY


Direct Writers16.6%Independent

Agents83.4%

2013 IOWA WORKERS’COMPENSATION MARKET DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS


Agents89.8%

2013 DATA

18 | | SUMMER 2014

ROOFING FARMING

MANUFACTURING CONSTRUCTION

Amerisafe's Successes in Iowa

2301 Hwy 190 West | DeRidder, LA 70634 | 1.800.897.9719 | Amerisafe.com

WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE FOR WORKING PEOPLE

20 | | SUMMER 2014

IOWA COMMERCIAL PROPERTY (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $33,450 15.00% 14.40% 0.60% 54.4 162.9 -108.5

2 Cincinnati Insurance Companies $14,523 6.50% 7.20% -0.70% 24.1 82.4 -58.3

3 State Farm Group $14,204 6.40% 7.20% -0.80% 30.5 158.9 -128.4

4 Travelers Group $13,785 6.20% 6.30% -0.10% 24 110.1 -86.1

5 Auto-Owners Insurance Group $11,406 5.10% 4.60% 0.50% 85.2 142.5 -57.3

6 W R Berkley Group $10,633 4.80% 5.00% -0.20% 61.1 173.2 -112.1

7 Chubb Group of Insurance Cos $10,219 4.60% 4.60% 0.00% 226.1 111 115.1

8 QBE Americas Group $8,317 3.70% 3.80% -0.10% 37.3 89.5 -52.2

9 Grinnell Mutual Group $7,731 3.50% 3.20% 0.30% 35.6 122.3 -86.7

10 Farm Bureau P&C Group $6,745 3.00% 2.90% 0.10% 33.8 84.2 -50.4



2013 IOWA COMMERCIALPROPERTY MARKET


Direct Writers17.9%


IOWA OTHER COMMERCIAL LIABILITY (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 American Intl Group Inc $40,957 12.10% 9.60% 2.50% 51.6 88 -36.4

2 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $24,204 7.20% 7.60% -0.40% 10.9 28.2 -17.3

3 EMC Insurance Companies $23,085 6.80% 7.30% -0.50% 52.7 18.5 34.2

4 Grinnell Mutual Group $17,764 5.30% 5.70% -0.40% 39.3 44 -4.7

5 Travelers Group $14,727 4.40% 4.40% 0.00% 26.3 -33.2 59.5

6 Zurich Fin Serv NA $12,041 3.60% 3.00% 0.60% 37 87.2 -50.2

7 United Fire & Cas Grp $11,921 3.50% 3.50% 0.00% 8.8 18.9 -10.1

8 Cincinnati Insurance Companies $11,779 3.50% 3.90% -0.40% -7.8 20.5 -28.3

9 West Bend Mut Ins $10,817 3.20% 3.70% -0.50% 16.8 17.6 -0.8

10 State Farm Group $10,794 3.20% 3.50% -0.30% 57.4 18.3 39.1



2013 IOWA OTHERCOMMERCIAL LIABILITY MARKET


Direct Writers13.6%


2013 DATA

SUMMER 2014 | | 21

IOWA FEDERAL FLOOD (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Selective Ins Group $3,010 28.40% 27.20% 1.20% 9.8 48.3 -38.5


3 Hartford Ins Group $1,298 12.30% 12.40% -0.10% 25.1 31.7 -6.6

4 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $855 8.10% 7.30% 0.80% 1.1 24.4 -23.3

5 Assurant P&C Group $721 6.80% 6.70% 0.10% 21.6 25.1 -3.5

6 Fidelity Nat Group $631 6.00% 9.30% -3.30% -4.3 103.1 -107.4

7 American Family Ins Group $625 5.90% 6.00% -0.10% 79.6 122.4 -42.8

8 Travelers Group $607 5.70% 5.90% -0.20% 11.1 136.6 -125.5

9 WRM America Group $314 3.00% 3.00% 11 11

10 Allstate Insurance Group $230 2.20% 2.40% -0.20% -7.9 123.3 -131.2


State Total For All Carriers Combined $10,586 25 73.2 -48.2

2013 FEDERAL FLOOD DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS


Agents87.6%

IOWA PRODUCTS LIABILITY (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 United Fire & Cas Grp $4,676 12.80% 11.70% 1.10% 1.4 71.3 -69.9

2 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $4,455 12.20% 12.00% 0.20% 24.8 37.8 -13

3 EMC Insurance Companies $2,556 7.00% 7.00% 0.00% -4.5 56.4 -60.9

4 Cincinnati Insurance Companies $2,476 6.80% 6.70% 0.10% 5.1 90.5 -85.4

5 Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos $1,750 4.80% 4.30% 0.50% 97.4 0.6 96.8

6 Zurich Fin Serv NA $1,655 4.50% 4.40% 0.10% 61.3 67.6 -6.3

7 Chubb Grp of Ins Cos $1,571 4.30% 3.10% 1.20% -2.6 76.9 -79.5

8 Hartford Ins Grp $1,244 3.40% 2.70% 0.70% 1.4 7.1 -5.7

9 Selective Ins Group $1,120 3.10% 3.10% 0.00% 45.6 133.3 -87.7

10 Grinnell Mutual $1,092 3.00% 3.10% -0.10% -16.9 16.6 -33.5



2013 PRODUCTS LIABILITY DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS

Direct Writers7.5%


2013 DATA

22 | | SUMMER 2014

IOWA MEDICAL PROF LIAB (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 MMIC Ins Inc $29,732 40.40% 37.30% 3.10% 74.6 4.8 69.8

2 American Intl Grp $12,909 17.60% 13.70% 3.90% 27.6 43.7 -16.1

3 ProAssurance Grp $7,133 9.70% 11.50% -1.80% 54.2 17.8 36.4

4 CNA Insurance Companies $5,069 6.90% 6.60% 0.30% 49.3 14.3 35

5 NCMIC Group $2,918 4.00% 3.80% 0.20% 13.8 57.2 -43.4

6 Berkshire Hathaway $2,283 3.10% 3.00% 0.10% -21.3 37.6 -58.9

7 Preferred Prof Ins $1,768 2.40% 2.70% -0.30% -58.6 81.2 -139.8

8 Coverys Companies $1,572 2.10% 2.00% 0.10% 128.6 25.7 102.9

9 Health Care Ind RRG $1,268 1.70% 2.20% -0.50% 66.1 49.9 16.2

10 Fairfax Fin (USA) Grp $938 1.30% 4.20% -2.90% 20.2 78.5 -58.3


State Total For All Carriers Combined $73,550 48.6 28 20.6

2013 MEDICAL PROF LIAB DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS


Agents85.8%

IOWA FARMOWNERS MULTI PERIL* (DIRECT WRITERS HIGHLIGHTED)

2013 2013 2012 2013 2012 Direct Written Market Market Adjusted Adjusted Name Premiums (000) Share Share Difference Loss Ratio Loss Ratio Difference 1 Farm Bureau P&C Group $71,789 48.00% 47.20% 0.80% 55.7 103.6 -47.9

2 Allied Group a Nationwide Co $29,319 19.60% 18.50% 1.10% 63 109.2 -46.2

3 State Farm Group $15,138 10.10% 10.50% -0.40% 86.4 143.8 -57.4

4 Auto-Owners Insurance Group $5,765 3.90% 4.00% -0.10% 57 185.5 -128.5

5 American Family Ins Group $4,466 3.00% 3.10% -0.10% 79.3 84.9 -5.6

6 Great Amer P&C Grp $2,946 2.00% 2.10% -0.10% 33.7 138.8 -105.1

7 Hastings Mut Ins Co $2,906 1.90% 0.80% 1.10% 115.2 158.9 -43.7

8 Westfield Grp $2,774 1.90% 1.70% 0.20% 38 100.1 -62.1

9 Celina Ins Grp $2,410 1.60% 1.70% -0.10% 36.9 151.5 -114.6

10 SECURA Ins Co $2,044 1.40% 1.40% 0.00% 41.2 51.6 -10.4



2013 FARMOWNERS MULTI PERIL DIRECT WRITERS INDEPENDENT AGENTS

Direct Writers61.9%


*Farmowners does not reflect county mutual market share which combined would be the largest writer.

2013 DATA

Let’s make sure they’re safe at home.

Covering all the bases since 1900

Commercial • Personal • Farm-Ag • Specialty

© 2

013

SE

CU

RA

In

sura

nce

MK 1309 013_IA Viewpoint ad 1 10/15/13 2:19 PM

Be Independent, not alone.With unwavering support and outstanding service, Integrity is fiercely

dedicated to independent agents like you. Our comprehensive products

and services make it easy for you to be an effective entrepreneur, an

accomplished leader, a successful salesperson. All so you can be at your

best whenever your customers need you. We’re behind you, beside you,

with you all the way, each and every day. The way it should be.®

For more information, connect with Cathy Beaudin at 920.968.8326 or [email protected]

integrityinsurance.com

SUMMER 2014 | | 25

COMPANYMEETINGS2 0 1 4 i n d e p e n d e n t i n s u r a n c e a g e n t s o f i o w a

Each year IIAI Agents meet with a group of companies. The report involving two companies follows:

26 | | SUMMER 2014

SECURAInsurance

g e n u i n e p a r t n e r s , s e r v i c e , s t r e n g t h

From left: Dave Gross, President and CEO; Sarah Krause, Commercial Lines Underwriting Director; Kathryn Sieman, EVP & CFO; Scott Finney, Sr. Market Manager; and Harvey Enerson, RVP–Sales.

At SECURA, people are the focus. From the agents they partner with to the policyholders they protect, the goal is to exceed customers’ needs. It’s been that way since the carrier’s founding as a mutual company in 1900.

Agents experience the company’s genuine desire to serve every day; through its broad insurance coverages, strength and stability, focus on relationships, and technology that makes everyday interactions even easier. The carrier is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, with a Specialty Lines branch office in Middleton, Wisconsin. It also has dedicated associates in the field working with Iowa agents, including senior market manager Scott Finney, risk management consultants, and a field claims adjuster.

INSURANCE TAILORED TO THE CUSTOMERSECURA offers Commercial, Personal, Farm-Ag, and Specialty insurance products and services to agents. In total, it works with more than 430 agencies in 12 states.

Its mix of business in Iowa compares similarly to companywide; Commercial Lines represents 52 percent of direct written premium (DWP); Personal Lines is 31 percent of DWP; Farm-Ag accounts for 12 percent; and Specialty makes up 5 percent.

Agents relay on the company’s industry-specific Commercial Lines expertise to offer coverages for contractors, golf courses, wholesal-ers, manufacturers, restaurants, and numerous other markets. Its Work Comp Nurse Hotline offers a valuable, unique service that provides immedi-ate medical guidance to policyholders’ injured workers. Not only is this service better for the injured worker, but policyholders see less lost time and fewer claims that translate to lower premiums—resulting in a more profit-able book of business for agents.

Personal Lines policyholders receive the best combination of value, cover-age, service, and convenience with the carrier’s MILE-STONE® home and auto package policy. Lifestyle enhancements such as Pet Protector SM, Roadside Rescuer, Travel Rescuer SM, and Identity Theft and Restoration Coverage give agents an edge attracting new customers.

A.M. Best recognizes SECURA as

SUMMER 2014 | | 27

a top 10 farm carrier in Iowa. The Company’s Farm Lines expanded in 2010 to include an agribusiness product. In addition to a long history of successfully insuring farms—such as large grain farms and hog confine-ments—it now covers the operations that support those farms, like grain and livestock transport, and custom farming.

Its rapidly growing Specialty Lines provides coverage for niche programs like sports and recreation, non-profit organizations, and special events such as hole-in-one insurance. These pres-ent more opportunities for agents to grow their books of business.

Risk management professionals at the company show policyholders how to improve working conditions for their employees. Their consultative method results in safer work environments, fewer losses, and lower premiums. Complementing this team approach is Prevention Connection SM, the compa-ny’s online risk management resource that provides agents and policyhold-ers 24/7 access to safety videos and articles.

GENUINE STRENGTHSECURA’s financial strength is evident in its “A” (Excellent) rating by A.M. Best—and the results support it.

In 2013, the carrier grew direct written premium (DWP) by nearly 11.6 percent to more than $466 million, and it expects to pass $500 million in 2014. Through April 2014, DWP has grown 7.5 percent, and policyholder surplus is more than $331 million.

The company had a record year in Iowa in 2013. It saw a double digit premium increase for all lines of busi-ness, as well as one of the best loss ratios in its Iowa history. What’s more, the carrier has a history of profitability in the state. In the last five years, pre-mium doubled from nearly $10 million in 2009 to almost $20 million at the end of 2013.

SETTING UP AGENTS FOR SUCCESSSECURA continues to be committed to the independent agency system. It currently has 45 agencies in Iowa, and

is actively pursuing new appointments in the state. There is no specific size of agency the carrier works with; it simply needs to be a good fit for all, with a focus on building long-term relationships. In fact, it has had some Iowa agency contracts for more than 35 years, reflecting its stable and consis-tent market.

The company looks to partner with only the best agencies in each state—and its Iowa agents are no exception—they stand out in their communities. They serve as trusted advisors who identify the protection customers need and work with the

carrier to offer the best coverage options to meet those needs.

Agents appreciate the company’s focus on relationships and genuine service. In fact, they consistently rate SECURA as a Top 10 carrier nation-wide in the Making Business Easier survey.

Part of the carrier’s commitment to its agency partners is supporting them with training and technology.

Agents constantly recognize the company for its training programs. Courses feature skilled presenters and relevant topics brought directly to agency offices, as well as via webi-

SECURA and its agents have worked together to support local causes while writing new business. Van Gorp Insurors, Ltd., a SECURA Premier Agency, won a farm sales contest and received a $3,000 donation in its name to the Monroe Iowa Fire & EMS Organization (both in Iowa).

nars or at the carrier’s home office. Agents have countless opportunities to enhance their skills and earn CE cred-its. Take the company’s new Insurance Essentials course for example. This differentiator gives new producers

28 | | SUMMER 2014

From local groups to national organizations, SECURA gives back to its community. Associates wear pink to show support for the carrier’s annual program to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by writing new Personal and Specialty Lines policies.

coverage, claims, and sales knowledge to jumpstart their insurance carriers.

Agents also look to technology to make their day-to-day work even easier. The company’s rating software for all lines of business rank highly

with them, and SECURA currently is developing a web-based agency management sys-tem for Commercial Lines to enhance the quote process. Predictive model-ing is one of many tools used by its commercial under-writers to help set the best rate for agents and their customers.

In addition, the company’s Personal Lines rat-ing system features auto date-prefill, meaning agents only need to enter policyholder infor-mation once. The carrier also has a book roll process in place to make the transition seamless for agents and their

customers.While technology is important,

having the right people to support agents is key. SECURA has respon-sive and resourceful employees in all areas of the company, including a team strictly for helping agents make changes to their customers’ policies.

Leadership changes take place in July of this year. John Bykowski, CEO, will retire and remain the company’s Chairman of the Board. He’ll hand over the reins to Dave Gross, who will assume the role of President and CEO. Dave’s dedication to agent relation-ships and guidance in new product development and state expansions during his 17-year career with SECURA position him well to take over. His proven character and credentials will carry on in his new role.

This transition, along with the company’s consistent focus on giving agency partners new growth oppor-tunities, exceptional service, and valuable resources, position SECURA for continued success into the future.

www.imwca.org | 800.257.2708

PERSONAL INSURANCE

Even the office coffee tastes better with Burns & Wilcox.

Commercial | Personal | Professional | Brokerage | Binding | Risk Management Services

Your traditional insurance markets can handle most of your clients’ personal insurance needs, but not all. Even wholesalers have their limits, unless your wholesaler is Burns & Wilcox. As the largest personal insurance wholesaler, our unequaled access to markets means quick solutions for all your hard- to-place risks. Don’t call just any wholesaler. Just call Burns & Wilcox.

Minneapolis, Minnesota | 612.564.1880 toll free 800.328.1693 | fax 612.564.1881 minneapolis.burnsandwilcox.com

Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 262.347.0266toll free 800.544.5700 | fax 262.347.0440 milwaukee.burnsandwilcox.com

35360_BW_Personal_List_IIA_Iowa_MN1WI1_APPROVED.indd 1 6/3/14 5:04 PM

TRAVELERSInsurance

i t ’ s b e t t e r u n d e r t h e u m b r e l l a s m

John Hyde, Managing Director - Commercial Accounts, Iowa & Nebraska; Rick Smith, Regional President - Upper Midwest Region; and Craig Lapsley, Middle Market Vice President - Upper Midwest Region.

Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has approximately 30,000 employees who are dedi-cated to finding new ways to respond to our customers’ ever-changing risk management needs.

Travelers is the second largest writer of commercial U.S. property insurance, and the third largest writer of U.S. personal insurance through independent agents. Recently, A.M. Best upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) for Travelers to A++ (Superior). “As one of the most prominent property casualty insurers in the country, Travelers is uniquely positioned to draw on our depth of expertise and substantial resources to protect and insure the prosperity of American businesses,” said John Hyde, Managing Director of Commercial Accounts at Travelers. “From small ‘Main Street’ businesses and specialty compa-nies to Fortune 100™ corporations, we take the time to understand our customers’ needs and priorities, and apply our expertise upfront to provide the right insurance

solutions that help them be successful.”

RELIABLE, LOCAL PRESENCEOffering a local presence in commu-nities across the country, Travelers brings more to the table locally than virtually any other carrier. We pride ourselves on providing more products to more producers in more places than anyone – and offering an unmatched breadth of appetite in both class and line of business.

“Our agents consistently tell us that our local relationships are a key factor in their decision to place more business with Travelers,” said Hyde. “Each relationship is built one agent and one customer at a time, and we are grateful to work with the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa to help busi-nesses grow and evolve.”

SPECIALIZATION AND EXPERTISETravelers knows that no two indus-tries are the same. That’s why we specialize and maintain industry-spe-cific expertise to better understand the nuances faced by today’s busi-ness leaders. For example, our IndustryEdge® products and ser-vices are tailored to help remove the

30 | | SUMMER 2014

SUMMER 2014 | | 31

uncertainty of complex and emerg-ing risks that are unique to each industry. Travelers has more than 45 industry-specific offerings from Construction to Technology firms, and Manufacturing risks to Private Colleges. We continue to add or improve IndustryEdge® programs, which enables us to further refine and tailor coverage, underwriting and services to address unique industry exposures.

UNPARALLELED SERVICESService is what sets Travelers apart from the competition. Risk mitigation, education and prevention are import-ant to Travelers because we know we are covering what’s valuable to our customers.

With more than 105 years of safety management experience and leading industrial hygiene, fire and forensics laboratories, we have the expertise to provide customers with recommen-dations specific to industry, size and complexity to help control hazards and reduce risks of illness or injury.

According to Goldman Sachs’ semi-annual survey of agents and brokers, when asked, “Name the carriers with the highest quality of service,” Travelers has scored the highest for the last two years in a row.

For example, our claim professionals recognize that each claim is different and requires a unique resolution strat-egy. They partner with appropriate subject-matter experts throughout the company – including investigators, recovery specialists, loss prevention managers and legal professionals – to produce superior claim results from our customers.

“We know the true test of an insurance company comes when the mishaps, unforeseen events and accidents occur,” said Hyde. “From assessing your claim and staying with you every step of the way during the process to helping you get back on track – we’re there for you.”

COMMITMENTThe strong foundation Travelers has built over 160 years is rooted in our commitment to our employees and the communities in which our customers and our agents live and work. Over the last five years, Travelers has given more than $100 million to charitable and community organizations. For the seventh consecutive year, we were named to one of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices in recognition of our business practices and our commitment to delivering meaningful contributions to our communities. We are also proud to have been recognized by both DiversityInc and G.I. Jobs magazines for initiatives to promote inclusion.

Our commitment to our valued agents and brokers is ever present. To demonstrate our commitment to the independent agent channel, Travelers recently signed on as an investor in Project CAP, an industry initiative to expand the independent agent’s share of the personal lines insurance market. As part of the investment, Travelers will also serve as a listed carrier on TrustedChoice.com, the national brand created exclusively for members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) to help consumers understand the value of an independent insurance agent.

“We know the true test of an insurance company comes when the mishaps, unforeseen events and accidents occur,” said Hyde. “From assessing your claim and staying with you every step of the way during the process to helping you get back on track – we’re there for you.”

Northern States Agency, a Managing General Agency & Wholesale Broker for over 55 years, providing a wide range of commercial insurance:

General Liability PropertyGarage Commercial Auto Excess Auto

Our underwriters average over 10 years experience with NSASame day or next day response on submissionsGreat Service, Great Products, Great People

2145 Ford Parkway, Suite 202 St. Paul, MN 55116

P: 800-328-0828 • F: 651-646-1971 www.nsa-mga.com

We are known for transportation, BUT… Did you know we have a FULL HOUSE?

Inland Marine & Cargo Umbrella & Excess Professional Liability Miscellaneous E & O Directors & Officers

Your TOTAL Solutions Provider

• New for 2010: Workers Compensation

Every day, you pour time and energy into your business. You need to work with a company invested in helping you build your practice. MassMutual Iowa is here for you. Our broad portfolio and proven expertise will give your business the tools to help it thrive – today and for the long-term.

COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS• Life Insurance

– A comprehensive product portfolio, including Whole Life, Universal Life, Variable Universal Life1, Term Life and Survivorship Life

• Disability Income Insurance– Individual DI Insurance or Multi-Life– BOE and Buy Sell– Protect ability to save for retirement

• Long-Term Care Insurance– SignatureCare® 500

IT’S PERSONAL.BROKERAGE IS MORE THAN BUSINESS.

Rob Hill Andrea Lucas

To learn more, contact:

Rob Hill, Agency Brokerage [email protected]

Andrea Lucas, Agency Brokerage [email protected]

MassMutual Iowa1415 28th St, Suite 350West Des Moines, IA 50266515-223-6277 (Office)515-223-6560 (Fax)

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. Local sales agencies are not subsidiaries of MassMutual or its affilited compnies. Insurance products issued by MassMutual, Springfield, MA 01111-0001 and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company, Enfield, CT 06082. 1To offer or sell MassMutual and subsidiary company variable products, producers must be registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001, or a broker-dealer that has a selling agreement with MML Distributors, LLC. All products are offered by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. The products may not be available in all states. Product listing accurate as of 10/22/13. CRN201505-172592

LIFE INSURANCE + RETIREMENT/401(K) PLAN SERVICES + DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE + LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE + ANNUITIES

SUMMER 2014 | | 33

Acquisition Strategy#4LIGHT MANUFACTURERS

Des Moines Branch: 800.362.2227 | Home Office: Des Moines, IA www.emcins.com© Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2014. All rights reserved.

“ Light manufacturers like our heavy-duty insurance program.”

With a range of insurance coverages including errors or omissions, extensive loss control resources, expert claims knowledge and local service from an independent agent like you, EMC offers an insurance program designed specifically for light manufacturers. It’s just one of the many reasons why you and your commercial clients Count on EMC ®.

Tanya Wentzel, Des Moines Branch Marketing Manager

Each year the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame inducts 5 insurance professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the Iowa insurance industry. A

selection committee evaluates nominations on standards including ethics and impact on the industry. To be eligible for consideration, nominees must have

an Iowa connection, serve as a role model for young people as well as others in the insurance business, exhibit the highest standards of ethical conduct and

have significantly impacted the insurance industry. To learn more about nominating someone for the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame visit http://www.iihof.org/

Pictured at this 18th annual induction

ceremony the recipients are from

left to right: J. Douglas Reichardt,

Loren Coppock, Patrick Knueven,

along with representation of deceased

inductees John Evans of Grinnell Mutual

and Wendy Waugaman of American

Equity were inducted into the Iowa

Insurance Hall of Fame.

IOWA INSURANCE HALL OF FAME2 0 1 4 i n d u c t e e s

2014Young Agents

ConferenceHUGE Success!

Bob Skow covers import Iowa Legal Liability Issues with the group.

Insurance Leader Panel featuring from left to right Ryan Hanley, Steve Madsen, Terry McDonald, CIC and Kent Rosenberg. They had everyone asking great questions on how to succeed in this business!

Mixer with company representatives.

Jeff Jenkins an agent from Texas discusses ideas to improve sales with Iowa Young Agents.

Ryan Hanley of New York, a fellow Young Agent, discusses ideas utilizing social networking to improve agency sales.

36 | | SUMMER 2014

IOWAINDEPENDENT

AGENT

2 0 1 4 w i n n e r s

BRADY ANDERSONTom & Sharon AndersonNXT Insurance Agency

Marion, IA

JACK CURRANScott & Lori Curran

Abens Marty Curran Ins. AgencyHumboldt, IA

MARY KATE HORAKPaul & Lynn Horak

Horak Insurance AgencyWashington, IA

GRACE LAUKevin & Kim Lau

Gifford Insurance AgencyElkader, IA

LEVI PINGREYJulie Pingrey

Coon Rapids Insurance Agency Coon Rapids, IA

ALI ROSENBERGBrook & Dawn Rosenberg

Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management

Des Moines, IA

The term “newsjacking” was first described by David Meerman Scott in his book Newsjacking, published in 2011. In his book, Scott

describes how to inject your ideas into a breaking news story and generate tons of media coverage.

In racing, drafting is a technique that is used to gain a small but import-ant advantage over the person in front. By “drafting” behind the person they are able to use less effort to maintain their speed—giving them the slight advantage.

In a similar way, newsjacking is a powerful tool that anyone can use to draft off the momentum created by a breaking news story. You can take advantage of the media created by the news story, interject your own point of view, and offer further help and infor-mation to your audience.

For those who are paying attention, it can create a level playing field—liter-ally anyone can newsjack.

Two weeks ago I was able to news-jack the breaking news story about the recently discovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer and Windows XP. I was able to, in Scott’s words, inject my ideas into a breaking news story and generate additional exposure to my audience.

Chip, a senior editor at LinkedIn Pulse, contacted me via email asking: “Hope all is well on your end. We’re seeing a lot of discussion on LinkedIn about the Internet Explorer XP security hole. Would you have any interest in writing something about it? If so, we’d be sure to promote it widely. Many thanks, as always, for considering.”

I don’t know about you, but when a senior editor at LinkedIn asked if I’d be willing to write an article they will “widely promote,” I stopped what I was doing and began writing an article.

My angle was the increased like-lihood of a data breach due to the combination of a security hole in Internet Explorer, and the lack of support for updating Windows XP. Forty-seven states have data breach laws and if a breach occurred due to this IE / XP flaw, the firm would likely face unwanted regulatory scrutiny. You can read the full article here.

I worked on the article that after-noon and, after letting it sit overnight, published it the next morning on LinkedIn. I sent the information to Chip. His reply: “Steve, fantastic work! This is a terrific piece, and I love the angle you seized on here. Really appreciate you jumping on the news so quickly. We’ll make sure to promote it

widely.” That article generated over 7,000 views, 175 likes, and 49 com-ments.

How you can take advantage of newsjacking opportunities:

1) Be observant.News opportunities are everywhere—if you just pay attention. Spring storms provide you with opportunities to talk about insurance coverages as well as disaster recovery tips. Bill Wilson at the IIABA Virtual University used newsjacking when he wrote an article about the insurance coverage impli-cations for the recent landslide in Darrington, Washington.

2) React quickly.You need to be able to react quickly. There is a constant stream of fresh news so you shouldn’t wait a few days or a week to bring your point of view about a current news event. I suggest you have some broad topic ideas with content already written that you can draw upon to customize for a particular event.

3) Write well.Learning how to express yourself in words is a skill that can be developed. Have someone else read what you’ve written to make sure it makes sense.

The Three Steps to TakeAdvantage of Newsjacking

Steve Anderson, [email protected]

MARK YOUR CALENDARS STEVE ANDERSON WILL BE AT THE 108TH IIAI CONVENTION

SUMMER 2014 | | 37

38 | | SUMMER 2014

You may have noticed that I let my arti-cle sit overnight and reviewed it again in the morning before publishing. This is to make sure that the article commu-nicates well.

Pay attention to newsjacking oppor-tunities—it will help you increase your reach and position you as an authority.

An Alternative to Adobe Acrobat ProThe standard electronic document format for the insurance industry is Adobe System’s PDF. Professional strength PDF software is a must for all insurance organizations. Many use Adobe Acrobat Pro but, at a retail price of $450, it can get expensive to add to every desktop.

Fortunately, there are very capa-ble alternatives. One that I have been testing is the new version of Nuance Communications PDF soft-ware – Power PDF Advanced. It is a full-featured, professional PDF program that costs at least one-third the price of Acrobat. A 30-day free trial is also available.

Nuance also offers the Power PDF Standard at $100, but the PDF Advanced ($150) is what you will want.

Some of the features of the advanced version include:• Redaction to black out sensitive

information, including the ability to automatically search and redact.

• Bates stamping and advanced header and footer functionality.

• Secure delivery, encryption, and digital rights management capabilities.

• Integration with file-sharing sites such as Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs, or Office 365.

• Integrated Dragon Notes speech recognition, enabling users to add notes to PDF files by dictating text. Nuance sends the speech recording to its servers in the cloud to process.

• Integrated OCR using the same technology as Nuance’s OmniPage.

• Watched folder and batch sequence capabilities to automate common tasks and move files from one location to another.

• Word processor-like ability to edit PDF content, including graphics and charts.Of course, it also includes the

features you would expect to find in a professional PDF program.

One of the most useful features just might be FormTyper. Originally included in the Nuance PaperPort software, this program has improved significantly. It allows you to take a scanned image of a form and automati-cally convert it to a fillable version.

Fields are automatically added and you are provided with the ability to edit field properties. For example, you can enforce field formatting, validate

field information, and apply mathemat-ical functions to field data. You can also add fields to the form if the auto-matic conversion misses them. Field types include: text box, button, radio button, check box, combo box, list box, and digital signature.

I’m sure there is a power PDF user who could find shortcomings in this program over Acrobat, but I couldn’t. I was able to do any of the tasks I would want with a PDF program.

Nuance Power PDF Advanced is currently available for $149.99. You can try Power PDF Advanced for your-self by downloading a free 30-day trial before deciding to get the full version.

Achieving High Performance By Preparing To Win For Independent Agents

Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa

Prepare to Win!108th Annual Convention, Trade Show and EXPO

An Independent Agent’s Educational and Networking Event of the Year!September 17 & 18, 2014 • Sheraton Hotel, West Des Moines

Don’t Miss It!!

You’re an independent agent.

Don’t forget your helmet.

Protect.Our superior coverage and expert claims teams are in your corner in the event of a claim.

Prevent.Our risk management resources keep your agency from making common preventable mistakes.

Prosper.When you know you have the best E&O protection, you can focus on growing your most important asset–your business.

www.independentagent.com/EO

The Big “I” Professional Liability Program

The Big “I” and Swiss Re are jointly committed to providing IIABA members with leading edge agency E&O products and services. The IIABA and its federation of 51 state associations endorse Swiss Re’s comprehensive professional liability program.

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation, Overland Park, Kansas.Westport is a member of the Swiss Re group of companies and is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ©2014 Swiss Re

INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF IOWA4000 Westown Parkway, Suite 200West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PaidDes Moines, IA

Permit No. 2538

S I L V E RFarmers Mutual Hail Insurance CompanyGreat American Insurance Companies

GuideOne InsuranceLeMars Insurance Company

Merchants Bonding Company

Accident Fund/United HeartlandACUITYAuto-Owners InsuranceDiversified Insurance ServicesHastings Mutual Insurance CompanyInternational Ag Insurance SolutionsLiberty Mutual InsuranceM.J. Kelly Company of IowaNorth Star Mutual Insurance Company

G O L DContinental Western Group

Grinnell MutualIntegrity Insurance

QBE Regional InsuranceRain & Hail, LLC

Secura InsuranceSelective Insurance GroupSociety InsuranceState Auto InsuranceTravelers InsuranceWest Bend MutualWestern National InsuranceWestfield Insurance

B R O N Z E

2014INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF

IOWA PROGRAMS SPONSORSA Special Thank You To The Following Sponsors For Supporting

IIAI’S Conferences and Programs in 2014.

P L A T I N U MAllied Insurance

EMC Insurance CompaniesThe IMT Group

Independent Agents Service CorporationIowa Mutual Insurance Company

Pekin InsuranceProgressive

United Fire Group

viewpointsummer2014

Documents

iowa insurance agents

iowa mutual insurance

secura insurance

emc insurance

pekin insurance

liberty mutual insurance

iowa home office executives

iowa market share report