The PC Professional
Table of Contents
| Chapter 1: The Agent’s Role | 1 | |
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 | Special Designations | 2 | 
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 | Required State Education | 2 | 
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 | Multilingual Agents Being Sought | 4 | 
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 | A Tough Market for the Unprepared | 4 | 
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 | New Competition Coming from Traditional Entities | 5 | 
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 | A Value to Society | 6 | 
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 | Risk | 7 | 
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 | Understanding Insurance Terminology | 10 | 
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| Chapter 2: Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) | 18 | |
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 | A Policy Overview | 18 | 
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 | Do Employers Really Need EPLI? | 21 | 
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 | Low-Cost Protection | 24 | 
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 | New Technology Firms | 25 | 
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 | All Companies are Vulnerable | 25 | 
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 | Educating the Employers | 26 | 
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| Chapter 3: FEMA’s Flood Requirements | 28 | |
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 | Course Material | 28 | 
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 | Acronyms Agents Need to Know | 29 | 
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 | NFIP Background | 30 | 
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 | Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | 32 | 
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 | Community Participation | 33 | 
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 | Emergency Program | 34 | 
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 | Regular Program | 35 | 
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 | Community Rating System | 36 | 
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 | Building Eligibility | 36 | 
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 | Coastal Barrier Resources System and Other Protected Areas | 36 | 
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 | For CBRS Areas | 38 | 
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 | For OPAs | 38 | 
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 | Who Needs Flood Insurance? | 38 | 
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 | Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance in High Flood Risk Zones | 39 | 
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 | Recommended in Moderate and Low Flood Risk Zones | 40 | 
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 | Why Flood Insurance is Better than Disaster Assistance | 40 | 
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 | Flood Maps and Zone Determinations | 40 | 
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 | Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) | 41 | 
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 | The “100-Year Flood” | 41 | 
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 | Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) | 41 | 
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 | Pre-FIRM / Post-FIRM Defined | 41 | 
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 | Agent’s Premium Calculation Pad (form) | 42 | 
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 | Risk Modeling | 47 | 
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 | Geographical & Structural Variables | 48 | 
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 | Premium Subsidies & Cross-Subsidies | 48 | 
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 | Special Flood Hazard Area Defined | 48 | 
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 | Base Flood Elevation (BFE) | 49 | 
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 | Zone Determination | 49 | 
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 | Policies and Products Available | 50 | 
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 | Dwelling Policy – Types of Buildings Covered | 50 | 
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 | General Property Policy – Types of Buildings Covered | 51 | 
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 | Residential Condominium Building Association Policy – Types of Buildings Covered | 51 | 
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 | Preferred Risk Policy – Types of Buildings Covered | 51 | 
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 | Definitions | 52 | 
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 | Damages Not Covered | 53 | 
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 | Single Peril Policy | 53 | 
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 | Mudslides Versus Mudflows | 53 | 
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 | Property Covered | 53 | 
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 | Basements | 54 | 
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 | Appurtenant Structures | 55 | 
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 | Loss Avoidance Measures | 55 | 
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 | Debris Removal | 56 | 
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 | Improvements and Betterments | 56 | 
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 | Property Not Covered | 56 | 
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 | Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage (ICC) | 58 | 
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 | General Rules | 60 | 
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 | Statutory Coverage Limits | 60 | 
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 | Charts on Coverage Limits | 60 | 
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 | Deductibles | 61 | 
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 | Charts on Deductible Options | 62 | 
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 | Property Value Determination for Selecting Coverage Amounts | 63 | 
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 | Loss Settlement / Actual Cash Value (ACV) | 64 | 
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 | Replacement Cost Value (RCV) | 64 | 
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 | Co-Insurance Penalty in RCBAP | 65 | 
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 | Reduction and Reformation of Coverage | 65 | 
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 | Waiting Period / Effective Date of Policy | 65 | 
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 | Policy Term | 66 | 
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 | Cancellations | 66 | 
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 | Rating | 67 | 
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 | Geographic Location | 68 | 
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 | Structural Variables | 68 | 
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 | Mitigation Discounts, Floodproofing, RCV | 69 | 
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 | Claims History | 70 | 
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 | Types of Buildings | 71 | 
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 | Elevated Buildings | 73 | 
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 | Buildings With Basements | 73 | 
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 | When to Use an Elevation Certificate | 73 | 
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 | Grandfathering | 74 | 
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 | Elevation Grandfathering | 74 | 
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 | Claims Handling Process | 75 | 
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 | Helping Your Client File a Claim | 75 | 
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 | Appeals Process | 77 | 
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 | Claims Handbook | 79 | 
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 | Requirements of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 | 79 | 
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 | Mitigating Repetitive Loss Properties | 79 | 
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 | Educating Policyholders | 80 | 
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 | Write Your Own Companies and the NFIP Work Together | 81 | 
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 | National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 | 82 | 
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 | Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 | 83 | 
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 | National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 | 83 | 
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 | The National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 | 84 | 
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 | The Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 | 84 | 
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 | The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 | 84 | 
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 | The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 | 84 | 
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 | Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 | 84 | 
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 | Agent Resources, Section VIII – Write Your Own (WYO) Program | 84 | 
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 | FEMA and Related Websites 
 | 85 | 
| Chapter 4: Hurricane Insurance | 86 | |
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 | Six Critical Areas | 87 | 
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 | Wind Resistive Features | 88 | 
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 | Opening Protection | 88 | 
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 | Roof Deck / Coverings | 92 | 
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 | Upgrading Exterior Doors | 92 | 
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 | Upgrading Exterior Walls | 95 | 
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 | Reinforcing Roof-to-Wall | 96 | 
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 | Roof-to-Wall Connectors | 96 | 
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 | In Summary | 96 | 
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| Chapter 5: Commodity/Crop Insurance | 97 | |
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 | History | 97 | 
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 | Crop Insurance Contracts | 99 | 
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 | Risk Management Terms | 100 | 
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 | Abbreviations | 104 | 
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 | The Basics | 105 | 
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 | The Crop Insurance Agent | 106 | 
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 | Professionalism Essential | 107 | 
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 | Knowing the Industry | 107 | 
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 | Continual Education Required | 108 | 
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 | Multiple Plans of Coverage | 109 | 
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 | Yield Based | 109 | 
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 | Revenue Insurance Plans | 110 | 
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 | Named-Peril Plans | 110 | 
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 | Livestock Insurance | 110 | 
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 | Feeder Cattle | 110 | 
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 | Fed Cattle Risk Protection | 111 | 
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 | Dairy Revenue Protection | 111 | 
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 | Lamb Livestock Risk Protection | 112 | 
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 | Swine Livestock Risk Protection | 112 | 
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 | Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance | 113 | 
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 | Prevented Planting | 113 | 
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 | Supplemental Coverage Option for Federal Crop Insurance | 114 | 
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 | Nursery Commodity Insurance | 114 | 
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 | Pasture, Rangeland, Forage, Pilot Insurance Program | 115 | 
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 | Peanut Revenue Federal Crop Insurance Policy | 116 | 
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 | Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) for Upland Cotton | 117 | 
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 | Whole-Farm Revenue Protections | 118 | 
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 | Organic Farming Practices | 119 | 
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 | Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program | 120 | 
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 | Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program | 120 | 
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 | Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018: Highlights and Implications | 121 | 
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 | Unit Structures in Farming and Ranching | 122 | 
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 | Climate Change Affects Farming | 123 | 
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 | Climate change | 124 | 
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 | Global warming | 124 | 
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 | Changing How the FCIC Operates | 125 | 
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 | Carbon Sinks | 131 | 
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| Chapter 6: Auto Insurance | 133 | |
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 | The Auto Policy | 133 | 
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 | The Policy Declarations Page | 134 | 
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 | Part A: Liability Coverage | 134 | 
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 | Part B: Medical Payments Coverage | 135 | 
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 | Part C: Uninsured Motorist Coverage | 135 | 
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 | Part D: Coverages for Damage to the Automobile | 135 | 
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 | Part E: Duties after an Accident or Loss | 135 | 
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 | Part F: General Provisions | 135 | 
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 | Other Coverage Types | 136 | 
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 | Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | 136 | 
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 | Underinsured Motorists | 137 | 
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 | Rental Reimbursement / Towing and Labor | 137 | 
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 | Extended Non-ownership Liability Endorsement | 137 | 
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 | Sound Receiving and Transmitting Equipment Coverage | 137 | 
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 | Recording, DVDs, or Other Devices | 137 | 
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 | Insurance Contracts | 137 | 
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 | Reading the Policy | 138 | 
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 | Family Automobile Policies (FAP) | 139 | 
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 | Liability Insurance | 140 | 
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 | Property Damage / Medical Payments | 142 | 
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 | States Require Liability Insurance | 143 | 
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 | PIP | 144 | 
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 | No-Fault Insurance | 145 | 
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 | Collision | 146 | 
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 | Comprehensive Coverage | 147 | 
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 | Auto Insurance Rates | 148 | 
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 | Measuring Loss Exposure | 149 | 
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 | Rates set along three basic guidelines | 150 | 
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 | Types of risk | 151 | 
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 | Processing an Auto Claim | 151 | 
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| Chapter 7: Homeowner’s Insurance | 154 | |
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 | Renter’s Insurance | 154 | 
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 | Insuring Your Home | 154 | 
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 | To Recap | 156 | 
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 | Basic, Broad, and Comprehensive Forms | 158 | 
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 | Section I of Form #1 (HO-1) | 159 | 
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 | Section II of Form #1 | 160 | 
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 | Form #2 (HO-2) | 160 | 
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 | Form #3 (HO-3) | 161 | 
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 | Form #4 (HO-4) | 163 | 
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 | Form #5 (HO-5) | 163 | 
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 | Form #6 (HO-6) | 163 | 
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 | Form #8 (HO-8) | 164 | 
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 | Form #14 (HO-14) | 164 | 
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 | Exceptions | 165 | 
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 | Natural Disasters | 166 | 
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 | Volcanoes | 168 | 
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 | Hurricanes and Tornadoes / Personal Property | 169 | 
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 | Umbrella Insurance | 171 | 
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 | Homeowner’s Liability Insurance | 172 | 
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 | Insurance policy basic format | 174 | 
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 | Declarations / Insuring Agreements / Exclusions | 175 | 
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 | Conditions and Miscellaneous Provisions | 175 | 
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 | Definitions/Perils / Hazards | 176 | 
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 | The Insurance Policy Layout | 177 | 
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 | Negligence Laws | 177 | 
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 | Loss-Adjustment Provisions | 178 | 
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 | Notice of Loss | 179 | 
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| Chapter 8: Ethics | 180 | |
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 | Professional Conduct | 180 | 
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 | What Can Individuals Do? | 183 | 
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 | Example #1 | 184 | 
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 | Example #2 | 185 | 
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 | Example #3 | 186 | 
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 | Example #4 | 188 | 
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 | Example #5 | 188 | 
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 | The Professional | 189 | 
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 | Policy Suitability Standards | 190 | 
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 | Projecting an Ethical Image | 191 | 
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 | Ethical Selling | 194 | 
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 | Setting Appointments | 194 | 
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 | Getting in the Door | 196 | 
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 | Explaining Policy Benefits and Limitations | 197 | 
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 | Minimizing Misunderstandings (list) | 198 | 
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 | Allowing Misconceptions | 199 | 
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 | Premium Rates | 200 | 
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 | Providing Client Service | 200 | 
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 | Commingling Funds | 200 | 
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 | Continuing Education to Meet State Requirements | 201 | 
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 | Due Diligence | 203 | 
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 | Quantitative Analysis of a Company | 206 | 
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 | The A.M. Best Rating System | 208 | 
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 | Additional Agent Due Diligence | 208 | 
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 | Business Ethics | 217 | 
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 | Taking the Ethical Path | 217 | 
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 | Obtaining Investigative Knowledge | 219 | 
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 | Property, Life and Casualty Fraud | 222 | 
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 | Premium Diversion | 222 | 
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 | Free Churning/Asset Diversion | 224 | 
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 | Types of Fraud | 225 | 
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 | Insurance Company Fraud | 225 | 
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United Insurance Educators, Inc.
PO Box 1030
Eatonville, WA 98328
(800) 735-1155