Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing today's ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court, we are announcing tech solution, Catalyit, and the behavioral changes to driving during the pandemic. 

Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down Statewide Mask Mandate

Today (Wednesday, March 31st), the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked Gov. Tony Evers from issuing any new public health emergency orders to mandate face masks without the approval of the Wisconsin Legislature. The statewide mask mandate was set to expire on Monday, but now ends immediately following the ruling. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau told Wisconsin lawmakers in January that the state's FoodShare program could lose its extra funding of about $50 million a month if the state's emergency were extended." Read more here.

Introducing Catalyit!

The IIAW is proud to announce tech solution, Catalyit! Catalyit is simplifying technology for insurance agencies. The number of ways that you can leverage tech to increase profits and serve customers is nearly unlimited. Catalyit offers tools, guides & reviews, community, training and consulting to give you all the agency tech guidance you need in one place. Learn more about Catalyit by heading to their website www.catalyit.com. If you sign up for their email list, you'll receive their Top 10 Tech Tips today, and you'll be the first to hear when their free assessment is available. 

Catalyit is launching in June 2021! Click here for more details.

Distracted Driving Behaviors Increased During Pandemic

According to Insurance Journal, one in four drivers think that roads are safer today than they were before the pandemic, yet a growing number of drivers are texting or emailing while driving - in part as more of them feel pressured to be available for their jobs wherever they are."

A national survey of more than 1,000 consumers and business managers was conducted for the 2021 Travelers Risk Index on distracted driving. Respondents reported on their dangerous driving behaviors including: 

• Texting or emailing (26%, up from 19% pre-pandemic)

• Checking social media (20%, up from 13% pre-pandemic)

• Taking videos and photos (19%, up from 10% pre-pandemic)

• Shopping online (17%, up from 8% pre-pandemic)

Travelers reported that such driving behaviors may have contributed in part to more hazardous road. According to the National Safety Council, "Motor vehicle deaths were up 8% in 2020 from 2019 - the highest percentage increase in 13 years." Read more about the findings from the 2021 Travelers Risk Index 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. Don’t forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news as its happening on our Online Community. You can join the Online Community (exclusive to IIAW members)  here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing InsurCon2021, how renovations made during the pandemic could impact home insurance and record amount of debt Americans paid off in 2020.

Save the Date for InsurCon2021

Join us August 10-11 at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells for InsurCon2021. We are looking forward to seeing you all for this safe, in-person event, as well as welcome our keynote speaker, Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Theismann. Safety is at the top of our mind, and we will be following all guidelines outlined by the Kalahari, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC. The Kalahari's new convention center gives us the space to follow all safety precautions, while still being able to enjoy this amazing event. We have a great lineup of speakers for this year's event! In addition to Joe, we'll also be welcoming Beth Ziesenis and Bill Pieroni. Beth, aka Your Nerdy Best Friend will provide a light-hearted, entertaining look at tools and apps that will help you increase efficiency. Bill will offer an in-depth, yet enthusiastic, discussion of the independent agency carrier arena. We are looking forward to seeing you all in-person this summer! Head to our website for more information and to register today. 

Renovations During Pandemic Could Impact Home Insurance

According to NerdWallet, three out of every five homeowners did a home improvement project during the first half of the pandemic. Turning a bedroom into a home office likely won't have an impact on home insurance, but other remodels that have become popular during the pandemic could. According to 10 News San Diego, "Renovation insurance is something to consider to cover expensive materials or unexpected issues that might come up during a project. Backyard pools have become a hot commodity as well. Some home insurance companies see them as added liability, which could increase your premium. They may also require fences or other security features. 

"When you think about removing fireplaces, security systems, upgrading electricity or plumbing, those are things that in a big way can improve your home. And then, if you think about the roof as one of the biggest things that's going to protect your home from weather or other elements," said Stephen Kates, a certified financial planner and analyst at Bankrate. None of these changes should drastically change your home insurance policy unless you've done a total gut of the home. 

Americans Paid Off a Record $83 Billion in Credit Card Debt in 2020

While COVID brought many hardships, for some people this has led to better budgeting. While being forced to stay home, consumers have been paying down debt and saving more than they have in decades. Along with this, many are leveraging low interest rates to refinance and lower their monthly bills. According to a Credit Card Study by WalletHub, Americans repaid almost $83 billion in credit card debt during 2020. The study also found that by the end of last year, the average household credit card balance fell to $8,089. Many experts expect a surge in spending once people are vaccinated and COVID-related restrictions are lifted. 

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. Don’t forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news as its happening on our Online Community. You can join the Online Community (exclusive to IIAW members) here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to the month of March. In this week's Big I Buzz, we're discussing a few upcoming events that you won't want to miss, how insurance agents can avoid being victims to hackers and the Join Task Force on Payroll Fund and Worker Misclassification's recommendations for Gov. Evers. 

Upcoming Events to Put on Your Calendar NOW:

InsurCon2021 - August 10-11, 2021

Join us August 10-11 at the Kalahari Resorts & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells for our safe, in-person convention.The Kalahari is home to Wisconsin's largest indoor waterpark and brand new events and convention center. You won't want to miss our keynote speaker and Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Theismann! Our other amazing speakers include Beth Ziesenis and Bill Pieroni.

Beth Ziesenis

Beth, a.k.a. your nerdy best friend, has authored six books, and she keeps up with the latest technology to educate and entertain attendees with the fast-changing world of technology.

Bill Pieroni

Bill is the President & CEO of ACORD, the standards-setting body for the global insurance industry. His career has spanned technology, operations and top executive roles at several top insurers, brokers and consulting firms. Bill's areas of particular expertise include digitization, change management and the strategic and capability imperatives for a high performance in the insurance industry.

We will be following all safety guidelines outlined by the Kalahari, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC. As guidelines evolve as we move closer to the event, we will be clearly communicating any requirements or changes as we approach InsurCon2021.

Registration will be opening soon! Keep an eye out as we continue to release new information about the schedule of events. If you have any questions about InsurCon2021, please visit iiaw.com/insurcon2021. Exhibitors can reach out to our Membership & Event Coordinator, Andrea Michelz, (andrea@iiaw.com) for more information. 

Big "I" Virtual Legislative Conference - April 13-16, 2021

The Big "I" has your back, especially in uncertain times. While you are helping your clients, the Big I team is working around the clock to protect your industry. Join us from the comfort of your computer or mobile device, and get up to speed on the many legislative, regulatory and legal challenges to your profession happening now. Hear from legislators, carriers and industry leaders and walk away with a plan to help you lead the way and protect your industry. 

Schedule of Events: 

Tuesday, April 13th at 1 p.m. CST:
Congressional Leaders: Agenda for Small Business

Wednesday, April 14th at 1 p.m. CST:
Legislative Update: A Briefing from the Hill

Thursday, April 15th at 1 p.m. CST: 
Capitol Hill: Messages from the Middle

Friday, April 16th at 1 p.m. CST: 
Conversations: Industry Leaders and National Commentators

Hackers Targeting Insurance Agents

There has been an increase in the number of insurance agents being targeted by online hackers. According to Steve Anderson, "Hackers have been systematically tracking and collecting the email addresses of insurance agency employees. They are now targeting the passwords used by insurance agency employees, and data shows that in some cases, passwords can be acquired. When successful, hackers can access the quote applications. Phishing emails are sent to consumers using false company identity, email addresses and insurance company logos to collect additional information." 

Steve recommends taking these steps to avoid hacking, 

Agencies should use a password management program for every computer in the office (or at home for remote workers), so that every employee can have a complex and unique password for every site. 

Next, inform employees of the potential for suspicious emails. Before anyone clicks on a link, they should understand where the link will actually lead to. "In Outlook, you can do this by hovering your mouse over the link. A small pop-up will show the actual link address. If it looks suspicious, delete it," Steve says. 

If the link looks legitimate, you can then type the link address into your browser rather than clicking the link within the email. 

Finally, head to the IIABA's website to download the latest Agency Cyber Guide to forward to all of your employees. Follow-up with a short meeting to emphasize the importance of protecting client information. For more information click here. 

2021 Joint Enforcement Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification Report

The Joint Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification submitted its annual 2021 report with a series of recommendations to Governor Evers this week. A number of recommendations, including establishing an Insurance Fraud Bureau, would impact Workers' Compensation and would require the Legislature to pass enabling legislation in order for them to be enacted into law. It remains to be seen whether the Legislature will act upon recommendations from the report. For a full list of task force recommendations, head to page 8 of the report 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. Don’t forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news as its happening on our Online Community. You can join the Online Community (exclusive to IIAW members) here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.

Happy Wednesday, it's hard to believe we are already halfway through February. Hopefully, this means warmer weather is on its way! This week we are discussing how feral cats uncovered ambiguous language in a rental dwelling policy, health insurance scams to look out for and how plaintiffs in some states are defying insurer winning steak in COVID lawsuits. 

Feral Cats Uncover Ambiguous Language in Rental Dwelling Policy

The owners of a residential rental property, the Goldbergers, filed a claim for $75,000 worth of coverage after their tenant "allowed" feral cats to "access" the property and cause "accidental damage." The Goldbergers had a rental dwelling policy through State Farm. State Farm denied their claim, citing an exclusion in the policy for damage caused by "domestic animals." The Goldbergers disagreed and sued State Farm, alleging breach of contract and insurance bad faith. According to NU Property Casualty 360, "State Farm argued that the denial was appropriate under the policy exclusion, which provided that accidental losses caused by "birds, vermin, rodents, insects or domestic animals" were not covered and the insurer filed a motion to dismiss. The superior court granted the motion, reasoning that a cat, feral or not, is a domestic animal. "The feral cats were action as if they were domesticated, and a reasonably intelligent insurance consumer would understand the exclusion unambiguously apply to damage caused by feral cats. The Goldbergers filed an appeal." 

NU Property Casualty reported that, "On appeal, the court began by concluding that the term "domestic animals" as it was used in the policy was ambiguous because there were at least two conflicting interpretations that were both reasonable. The court noted that under a species-based definition, the animal's species is dispositive, meaning that its current habitat and whether a human provides care for the animal is irrelevant, but under an individualized definition, the opposite is true. For example, a nontraditional animal such as a snake, monkey or bear in a home as a pet could not be considered a domestic animal under a species-based definition because those are wild animals but a bear could fall under an individualized definition if it was living with and being cared for by a human." Read more about how the court looked into the case here. 

State Sets New Vaccine Record Reports Another Day of Fewer than 1000 New Coronavirus Cases

The latest numbers from Wisconsin DHS show the number of people who have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series within the past 24 hours has broken another daily record. It's expected that Wisconsin could reach 1 million "shots in the arm" of COVID-19 vaccines early next week, including first and second doses. This new record comes as confirmed cases of COVID continue to decrease. The 7-day average fell to 806, which is the lowest 7-day average since September 5th. Read more here. 

OCI Press Release: Insurance Commissioner, DATCP Warn Wisconsinites to Watch for Health Insurance Scams

Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary-designee Randy Romanski are urging Wisconsin consumers to be wary of robocalls and suspicious sales calls ahead of the new Enrollment Period on Healthcare.gov. 

"No one from the government will call you about health insurance or ask you to verify your Social Security number or financial information," said Secretary-designee Romanski. "If you receive a suspicious call soliciting private information, don't respond and hang up." People can call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128, email DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov, or visit datcp.wi.gov to file a complaint if you believe that someone is attempting to scam you.

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. Don't forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news and conversation by joining the IIAW's Online Community, exclusively for IIAW members. You can join the Online Community here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week! 

Happy February! Yesterday, Sun Prairie's Jimmy the Groundhog predicted an early spring, so we'll take his word over six more weeks of winter as predicted by Punxsatawney Phil. In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing the new OSHA workplace safety guidelines, the just-released rules for the Tokyo Olympics this summer and the 10 "least reliable" cars on the road in 2021. 

OSHA Issues COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidelines

The new guidance from the OSHA seeks to protect all types of workers, not just the ones who are deemed to be at higher risk of contracting the virus depending on where they work. It also asks employers to shield workers from retaliation if they complain about the conditions and sets up ways for them to voice complaints anonymously. The new OSHA guidance wants employers to give workers a bigger say in developing safety protocols. 

Much of the guidance released on Friday, January 29th are similar to guidelines from the Trump administration. Many workplaces have already adopted the guidelines, like those asking workers to keep at least six feet away from each other and asking workers to wear face masks. Read more of the guidelines here. 

Olympic Officials Unveil Rules on Masks, Singing, Transport for COVID-19 Games

The Tokyo Games are planned for this summer, and Olympic officials have unveiled their new COVID-19 rules. These rules have banned singing and chanting during events, participants are mandated to wear a mask at "all times" unless they are eating, sleeping or outdoors. The new rules have also pushed to barr international federation officials and staff from using public transport without permission, a move that they will hope will ease the Japanese public's concerns about hosting the Olympic games during a pandemic. Read more about the rules and the Summer Olympics here. 

10 Least Reliable Cars on the Road in 2021

Consumer Reports has released its list of newer-model vehicles with the greatest risk of problems. CR surveyed over 300,000 car owners on their vehicle's performance and the study examined 17 different trouble areas from basic nuisances such as squeaky brakes to significant issues like out-of-warranty repairs. Only vehicles with the latest model years of data were considered for this list. Here's what they found: 

1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 - Consumer Reports gave this car a reliability score of 13. 

2. 2021 Subaru Ascent - CR awarded this vehicle an 18 or reliability. 

3. 2021 Volkswagen Atlas - CR didn't place this one much higher than the Subaru Ascent, sitting at a reliability score of 19. 

4. 2021 Jeep Compass - Slowly moving up on the CR ratings, the Jeep Compass has a reliability score of 21.

5. 2021 Volvo XC90 - CR gave this vehicle a score of 26. 

6. 2021 Chevrolet Colorado - Tied with the Volvo, the Chevy Colorado was given a 26 reliability score. 

7. 2020 Tesla Model S - At a three-way tie, this Tesla also was given a 26.

8. 2021 Jeep Wrangler - Consumer Reports rated this a 27 for reliability. 

9. 2021 Ford EcoSport - 28 reliability score

10. 2021 Volvo XC60 - Tied with the Ford EcoSport, the Volvo XC60 also received a reliability score of 28. 

Read more here: https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2021/02/01/10-least-reliable-cars-on-the-road-in-2021/

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. Don't forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news and conversation by joining the IIAW's Online Community, exclusively for IIAW members. You can join the Online Community here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week!