Happy Wednesday! This week we are discussing our upcoming webinar series, traffic tickets raising car insurance rates and Progressive's pet insurance benefit for employers through PetsBest. 

Agency Leadership Webinar Series

Tune into our Agency Leadership Webinar Series starting October 1st. Our webinar series is a free member benefit. 

Thursday, October 1 at 10 a.m. - Impact of COVID-19 on the Insurance Industry

Thursday, October 22 at 10 a.m. - State and Federal Election Preview

Tuesday, November 10 at 10 a.m. - State of the Current Economy & the Next 5 Years

Friday, December 4 at 10 a.m. - E&O Claim Trends

Tuesday, January 19 at 10 a.m. - Agency Technology

See the schedule, register for the webinars and learn more about the featured speakers here. 

Common Traffic Tickets That Raise Car Insurance Rates the Most

Certain traffic tickets may not cost much, but the impact on insurance premiums can be significant. According to The Zebra (a leading insurance comparison site and independent source for industry resource and consumer education), "Drivers who get ticketed for forgetting to turn on their lights pay an average of $68 more per year for car insurance than drivers without any violations on their record. Drivers who get a ticket for speeding in a school zone will see an average insurance increase of $342 per year." 

Here are some of the riskiest tickets that can more than double an existing auto premium: 

Reckless Driving - Average rate increase of 67 percent

Driving with a Suspended License - Average rate increase of 67.4 percent

Refusing a Breathalyzer - Average rate increase of 69.8 percent

DUI - Average rate increase of 71 percent

Racing - Average rate increase of 73.1 percent

Hit and run - Average rate increase of 78.3 percent

Read more here. 

Progressive Teams with PetsBest for New Pet Insurance Benefit

"Progressive has offered consumer pet insurance plans to dogs and cats owners through PetsBest through 2009. Now, Progressive is using that offering as a springboard as they enter the voluntary benefits market for the first time. new employer clients will be able to offer a pet insurance benefit through Progressive." according to Employee Benefit Adviser. Learn more about the pet insurance benefit through Progressive and its partnership with PetsBest here. 

For more news, check out the Action News section of our weekly e-newsletter Big I Buzz. If you aren't subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week!