Happy Wednesday - we are back from Thanksgiving break to bring you all another week of Big I Buzz.

IIAW Emerging Leaders Annual Fundraiser

Yesterday was Giving Tuesday, and we saw great support for this year's Emerging Leaders Fundraiser! Last year the IIAW Emerging Leaders surpassed their initial fundraising goal of $500, donating an incredible $5,725 to the American Family Children's Hospital. This year, our fundraising goal is $1,500 and we hope you'll help us reach our fundraising goals by donating today!

We are also accepting physical donations, and you can find a list of what items each humane society is looking for here. You can bring physical donations to the IIAW office by contacting evan@iiaw.com to setup a drop off time or attend this year's Emerging Leaders Holiday Party and bring your physical donations with! 

We will accept physical and monetary donations through December 15th. 

Have you taken advantage of your free Catalyit Full Access Subscription?

Go into the New Year with your agency tech resolutions already accomplished with Catalyit.com. The number of ways independent insurance agencies can leverage tech to increase profit and serve customers is nearly unlimited. But time, know-how and fear of risk are getting in the way. Catalyit solves it for you. As an added IIAW member benefit, all IIAW agency members receive a free Full Access Subscription to Catalyit.

Here's what you gain when you activate your FREE subscription: 

Tools: An in-depth tech assessment with a custom roadmap report for your agency awaits. Get a free consult with an expert and guidance on the best approach for your tech stack. If you have questions, not to worry - call the Catalyit Help Line.

Guides & Reviews: Selection guides for each area of your tech with side-by-side comparison charts of solution provider features and reviews. 

Training: Cybersecurity, budgeting for tech workshop, insurtech trends, q&as and so much more - you'll get an entire library of on-demand learning for your team. 

Consulting: One-on-one expert support to help you implement solutions. 

Insights: You don't have to hunt for the latest tips and tech news. We send the tips and terms you need to know in your inbox each week. 

So no matter where you are on the technology spectrum - from early adopter to experienced implementer - rest assured, with Catalyit, you're in the right place. Empower your agency with Catalyit today.

The Biggest Factors Impacting Home Insurance Heading Into 2023

PropertyCasualty360 is anticipating insurance shoppers to seek more options in 2023 because of three significant market conditions. 

These are: 

• Inflation - this likely comes as no surprise, as we've been covering how inflation is affecting auto insurance over the last two weeks. The same goes for home insurance. PropertyCasualty reports, "For consumers who are already feeling their budgets squeezed by rising prices just about everywhere, higher insurance rates can be crippling... Companies can leverage bundles while lowering overhead by keeping staffing and internal costs down are able to pass more savings on to the buyer."

• Natural disasters are increasing - luckily, we don't have to worry about hurricanes in Wisconsin, but that doesn't mean we're protected from all natural disasters. "Many property owners are not properly insured against catastrophic events like floods. According to FEMA, floods are the most common and costly natural disasters in the United States. Too many homeowners discover after a flood that their policy doesn't actually include flood insurance.... It's important for consumers to understand what their policies do and do not cover when it comes to natural disasters. This type of coverage is also a big differentiator when comparing insurance companies."

• Relocations, general anxiety and rate increases trigger shopping. "According to a Consumer Pulse Survey conducted by Transunion in Q2 of 2022, topping the concerns of most Americans are inflation, the possibility of a recession and increased housing costs. As people reduce their spending in response to anxiety, they also take a closer look at their current expenses, including what they pay for home insurance. More consumers are likely to visit digital insurance aggregators in times of uncertainty."

Read more 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. Additionally, we send out monthly newsletters with content curated just for you and your role. Make sure you're on the list to receive our communications by heading to bit.ly/industrynewsforyou to stay in the loop!