Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing how you can win $1000 in Catalyit consulting time, Lee Harvey Oswald's life insurance claim and 2022 workplace trends. 

Catalyit Tech Stack Survey

Take a quick and easy survey to win some fantastic prizes. We're working with Catalyit to kick the next round of tech resources into high gear. To do that, we want to learn what tech agencies are using now and how you feel about them. 

There's no right or wrong answers, and feel free to ask others on your team as you are filling it out. Those who complete the quiz are entered to win gift cards and the grand prize, $1000 Catalyit consulting time! Take the survey here: https://s.surveyanyplace.com/techstack

JFK Killer Lee Harvey Oswald's Life Insurance Claim Sells for Nearly $80K

During Boston-based RR Auction, the life insurance policy of Lee Harvey Oswald sold for nearly $80,000. Oswald's mother received only $863 when she filed his death claim. According to History.com, "Oswald was shot and killed by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby at the Dallas police headquarters shortly after he was arraigned for the murders of the president and a Dallas police officer, J.D. Tippit. Ruby was found guilty of murdering Oswald and sentenced to death, but both his conviction and death sentence were overturned and he died before he could be retried." Associated Press reported that Oswald's mother was adamant about her son's innocence, but she was criticized for trying to profit off her son's death. 

Workplace Agility and Innovation Will Rule 2022

A workforce transformation is happening, and these are the three trends that employers should be watching: 

1. Helping employees navigate rising health care costs - as inflation ripples through the economy, experts believe that health care costs are next. With people returning to their post-pandemic "normal" many of those elective surgeries that were put off during the pandemic will be at the front of people's minds. With this, there will be a surge in demand that will impact health care costs. 

2. Boosting the efficiency of HR teams - digital transformation has been a key phrase at the IIAW for the last two years as everyone needed to implement new technologies, systems and processes to ensure business continuity in the move towards remote work. Experts anticipate organizations build on their current tech-stack. (P.S., if you need more guidance about your current tech-stack, head to catalyit.com! Catalyit puts all the agency tech guidance you need in one place.)

3. Improving engagement for a hybrid workforce - we've covered news stories like this before, so it's no surprise that hybrid work and increased flexibility as popular among employees, but engagement can struggle when working from home. This year, experts expect to see a strong focus on engagement. Read more about these trends 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.

Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are welcoming a new IIAW team member. We are also discussing challenges insurance companies have to overcome while digitizing and some things you need to know about InsurCon2022.

New to the Team: Tyler Wheeler

Please join us in welcoming Tyler Wheeler, our new Agency Accounting Specialist! Tyler will help us to expand our Agency Accounting Services which includes day-to-day bookkeeping, payroll processing, direct agency bill reconciliation, financial statement preparation and interpretation, prepare annual budget plan and work with your external accountants for tax and auditing needs. These services are best fit for agencies lacking financial acumen on staff, agencies with mature staff looking forward to retiring, agencies looking for additional bookkeeping knowledge and support. Stay tuned for our May magazine where we will feature Tyler and you can learn more about him! For more information about our accounting services, please contact Matt Banaszynski, IIAW CEO by phone at 608-256-4429 or by email at matt@iiaw.com. 

5 Challenges That Insurance Companies Have to Overcome While Trying to Digitize Themselves Fully

Amico Hoops, a news source focused on transformative and emerging technology, has reported the 5 challenges that insurance companies have to overcome while trying to digitize themselves fully. Digitalizing can help to improve your workflows and your internal and external processes. Here's what could be holding you back: 

1. Adapting to Newer Trends and Technology

2. Improving Digital User Experience

3. Verifying Customer Identity Digitally

4. Dealing with Large Volumes of Customer Data

5. Ensuring Security

Read more about why these challenges are hard to overcome for some insurance companies here. 

InsurCon2022

We are getting closer to our annual convention, InsurCon2022 and we are looking forward to seeing everyone on May 9th and 10th at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells! If you haven't registered just yet, don't worry - there's still time!

Rooms under the IIAW's room block for the night of Tuesday, May 10th at the Kalahari Resorts have now sold out. If you'd like to stay at the Kalahari for Tuesday, you can contact the Kalahari directly at 608-254-5466 if you need to book your room for Tuesday night. The good news is that there are still rooms available for Monday, May 9th. Book your room for Monday now to receive our special room block rate before it's gone! Learn 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.

3 Reasons to Register for InsurCon2022

If you haven't registered for InsurCon2022 yet, now's the time! Here are three reasons why you should register for this year's must-see event:

1. New Convention Format for 2022 - Our new format is inspired by TED Talks and will feature a variety of engaging speakers!

Our speakers will focus on topics like agency technology, cybersecurity, COVID economic impacts and more! Your registration will give you access to all events (bowling on May 9th is a separate registration), lunch, dinner, two drink tickets and access to BOTH Exhibitor Showcases. iiaw.com/insurcon

2. Evening Entertainment - We're elevating our Evening Entertainment for 2022! This year, our evening will start with Networking & Cocktails in the Convention Foyer for complimentary drinks and time to network with industry friends. Then, dinner will be served and so will great entertainment! Matt Banaszynski, IIAW CEO, will sit down with Garth Wicinsky to talk about his vision for the future as he takes over the helm as SECURA CEO. Then, Mike Ansay will lead a walk down memory lane alongside industry legend, Dave Gross, as we honor Dave on his retirement as SECURA CEO. Last but certainly not least, evening entertainment will be provided by Bill Walton, NBA and College Basketball Hall of Famer. As entertaining as he is insightful, Bill is widely considered one of the best speakers from the world of sports. 

3. Exhibitor Showcases - Back by popular demand, InsurCon2022 will feature Blackout Bingo! This year, we'll have two showcase opportunities to fill in your bingo card, which means more time to network! First, during our Exhibitor Networking Luncheon, you can grab lunch from one of the available food carts and sip on a drink from the bar (lunch & two drink tickets included with your registration) while you mark off your Blackout Bingo cards and network with exhibitors. We'll have a second Exhibitor Showcase opportunity later in the day that will conclude with awarding the winners of Blackout Bingo and all the Super Door Prize winners!

Bonus! Join us for our InsurCon2022 kickoff event of Networking & Bowling at the Kalahari's Volcano Lanes! Registration for this event includes pizza, beer & bowling for the evening. Not interested in bowling? Not a problem! We have a registration option for you as well, which includes pizza & beer. The bowling alley has plenty of room for networking with industry friends, axe throwing, golf simulator games and so much more!

Secure your spot and don't miss out on the fun of InsurCon2022! Register today at iiaw.com/insurcon.

Happy Wednesday! It's officially spring, and although we've been dealing with some rain this week, the forecast is looking up. In this week's Big I Buzz we are discussing an upcoming E&O Risk Management class, how credit can affect auto premiums and the top states for alcohol consumption. 

E&O Risk Management: Less Risk. More Reward. 

Join us from 9 a.m. to noon on April 13 for a live virtual E&O course full of storytelling, statistics and E&O risk mitigation tips. This course is open to everyone and has been approved for 3 WI CE credits. These credits can not be awarded if this course was completed within the last two years. The course qualifies for 10% premium credit for Swiss Re E&O policyholders. Covered topics include: agency defenses to E&O claims (documentation, consistent procedures and exposures checklists), E&O claim statistics, E&O exposures when using social media and understanding standard of care and duty to advise. The webinar will be conducted via Zoom and everyone within an agency is encouraged to attend. Register for this course here. 

Poor Credit Can Affect Auto Premiums More Than Accidents

A new study from The Zebra has found that a bad credit score can affect your auto insurance premium more than having a  hit-and-run on your record. "Even drivers with squeaky-clean records can see their rates double if their credits tank."

There are a few states that have banned insurance companies from using credit scores to price or deny insurance policies and those are California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan. However, there are further bans being considered on using credit rating for insurance. According to NU Property Casualty 360, "For drivers with poor credit, The Zebra recommends the following tips to save as much as possible: 

• If you believe you're paying too much, don't be afraid to shop around for carriers. Some may be more willing to work with customers with less-than-ideal credit scores than others. 

• Make small improvements to your credit where you can.

• Take advantage of any discounts (for staying accident free, taking defensive driving courses, etc.) your carrier offers to lower your premium. 

• Even customers with decent credit should work to improve it in order to take advantage of even more savings. 

You can read more about this study here. 

10 U.S. States with the Highest Alcohol Consumption

World Population Review has ranked the top states for alcohol consumption. Compared to the rest of the world, the U.S. ranks 25th globally for alcohol consumption, with the average American drinking about 2.35 gallons of alcohol per year. Here's their findings for the top 10 states: 

10. South Dakota

9. Colorado

8. Wisconsin

7. Idaho

6. Vermont

5. Montana

4. North Dakota

3. Nevada

2. Delaware

1. New Hampshire

Wisconsin ranked #8 but reported quite a bit more alcohol-impaired driving fatalities than some of the other states higher on the list - reporting 183 fatalities just in 2019. DUI arrests were also high, with Wisconsin reporting 23,934 DUI arrests in 2019. 

Read more about the study 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.

If you’ve been active in the digital realm for a while, or if you grew up as a digital native (like me), you are likely aware of how awesome TED talks are and how popular they have become. But, on the other hand, if you are reading this and wondering what a TED talk is, let me break it down for you as it will help you better understand the format for InsurCon2022 on May 10, 2022 at the Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells. 

A TED talk is a short presentation, roughly 18 minutes long, covering topics such as technology, entertainment, strategy and more. You may be asking yourself, “Who is this guy named TED, and how is what you described any different than a typical speech at an event?” TED is a non-profit institution that partners with individuals (many of them famous) to assist in sharing ideas globally. Today, TED boasts a collection of thousands of TED talk videos, in more than 100 languages, from politicians to scientists to comedians and actors. Additionally, they add new videos day-in and day-out, so there’s never a shortage of engaging content. As an additional plus, each TED talk is available on their website or their YouTube channel for free. This means more ideas shared with more people and more conversations about the world around us. After all, we can all use a little encouragement to learn and grow The folks at TED definitely think so.

So, why does this matter and how does it affect you? Well, this year’s InsurCon will follow a similar format to TED talks during the day while paying tribute to an industry titan at night (more on that later). This TED talk style event will have each speaker taking the main stage to share their experience and insights with the entire audience. InsurCon will feature engaging speakers; Steve Anderson (Catalyit) talking about what agency technology you should be exploring, Kevin Bong (Sikich LLP), speaking on cybersecurity and recovery, Chris Calvelli and Michael Antonelli (Baird) discussing the economy and emerging from the COVID crisis, Charles Franklin (Marquette University) sharing state and national political polling data and insights into what to expect for the November election, Kelly Donahue-Piro (Agency Performance Partners) talking about how to create an amazing sales process, and finally Brian Kiley (West Bend Mutual) discussing factors that are influencing the purchasing of insurance online and what agents can do about it.

But wait, that’s not all…

We have also redesigned the exhibit showcase to provide attendees with ample opportunities to meet and network with vendors, carriers and others in an open format Exhibitor Showcase throughout the day.

Our Evening Entertainment will feature an awards ceremony, dinner, drinks, music and a keynote speaker as we pay tribute to SECURA CEO Dave Gross and welcome incoming CEO Garth Wicinsky.

Attendees will enjoy a gourmet plated dinner. We are very excited to announce NBA Hall of Famer and sportscaster, Bill Walton as our keynote speaker! We will also sit down and converse with SECURA CEO Dave Gross as he reminisces on his storied career. He will also be presented with the Association’s highest honor, the E.J. Tapping Lifetime Achievement Award. Finally, we will sit down with Garth Wicinsky and get to know him and his vision for SECURA as he takes over the helm.  We hope you will join us for what is surely to be another fantastic event full of learning, networking and paying tribute to one of the independent agency system’s biggest advocates, Dave Gross. Register now at iiaw.com/insurcon.