The PC Professional

Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1: The Agent’s Role

1

 

Special Designations

2

 

Required State Education

2

 

Multilingual Agents Being Sought

4

 

A Tough Market for the Unprepared

4

 

New Competition Coming from Traditional Entities

5

 

A Value to Society

6

 

Risk

7

 

Understanding Insurance Terminology

10

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

18

 

A Policy Overview

18

 

Do Employers Really Need EPLI?

21

 

Low-Cost Protection

24

 

New Technology Firms

25

 

All Companies are Vulnerable

25

 

Educating the Employers

26

 

 

 

Chapter 3: FEMA’s Flood Requirements

28

 

Course Material

28

 

Acronyms Agents Need to Know

29

 

NFIP Background

30

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

32

 

Community Participation

33

 

Emergency Program

34

 

Regular Program

35

 

Community Rating System

36

 

Building Eligibility

36

 

Coastal Barrier Resources System and Other Protected Areas

36

 

     For CBRS Areas

38

 

     For OPAs

38

 

Who Needs Flood Insurance?

38

 

Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance in High Flood Risk Zones

39

 

Recommended in Moderate and Low Flood Risk Zones

40

 

Why Flood Insurance is Better than Disaster Assistance

40

 

Flood Maps and Zone Determinations

40

 

Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM)

41

 

The “100-Year Flood”

41

 

Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)

41

 

Pre-FIRM / Post-FIRM Defined

41

 

     Agent’s Premium Calculation Pad (form)

42

 

Risk Modeling

47

 

  Geographical & Structural Variables

48

 

  Premium Subsidies & Cross-Subsidies

48

 

  Special Flood Hazard Area Defined

48

 

Base Flood Elevation (BFE)

49

 

Zone Determination

49

 

Policies and Products Available

50

 

Dwelling Policy – Types of Buildings Covered

50

 

General Property Policy – Types of Buildings Covered

51

 

Residential Condominium Building Association Policy – Types of Buildings Covered

51

 

Preferred Risk Policy – Types of Buildings Covered

51

 

Definitions

52

 

Damages Not Covered

53

 

Single Peril Policy

53

 

Mudslides Versus Mudflows

53

 

Property Covered

53

 

Basements

54

 

Appurtenant Structures

55

 

Loss Avoidance Measures

55

 

Debris Removal

56

 

Improvements and Betterments

56

 

Property Not Covered

56

 

Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage (ICC)

58

 

General Rules

60

 

Statutory Coverage Limits

60

 

Charts on Coverage Limits

60

 

Deductibles

61

 

Charts on Deductible Options

62

 

Property Value Determination for Selecting Coverage Amounts

63

 

Loss Settlement / Actual Cash Value (ACV)

64

 

Replacement Cost Value (RCV)

64

 

Co-Insurance Penalty in RCBAP

65

 

Reduction and Reformation of Coverage

65

 

Waiting Period / Effective Date of Policy

65

 

Policy Term

66

 

Cancellations

66

 

Rating

67

 

  Geographic Location

68

 

  Structural Variables

68

 

  Mitigation Discounts, Floodproofing, RCV

69

 

  Claims History

70

 

Types of Buildings

71

 

  Elevated Buildings

73

 

  Buildings With Basements

73

 

When to Use an Elevation Certificate

73

 

Grandfathering

74

 

  Elevation Grandfathering

74

 

Claims Handling Process

75

 

Helping Your Client File a Claim

75

 

Appeals Process

77

 

Claims Handbook

79

 

Requirements of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004

79

 

Mitigating Repetitive Loss Properties

79

 

Educating Policyholders

80

 

Write Your Own Companies and the NFIP Work Together

81

 

National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994

82

 

Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973

83

 

National Flood Insurance Act of 1968

83

 

The National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994

84

 

The Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004

84

 

The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012

84

 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014

84

 

Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014

84

 

Agent Resources, Section VIII – Write Your Own (WYO) Program

84

 

FEMA and Related Websites

 

85

Chapter 4: Hurricane Insurance

86

 

     Six Critical Areas

87

 

Wind Resistive Features

88

 

Opening Protection

88

 

Roof Deck / Coverings

92

 

Upgrading Exterior Doors

92

 

Upgrading Exterior Walls

95

 

Reinforcing Roof-to-Wall

96

 

Roof-to-Wall Connectors

96

 

In Summary

96

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Commodity/Crop Insurance

97

 

History

97

 

Crop Insurance Contracts

99

 

Risk Management Terms

100

 

Abbreviations

104

 

The Basics

105

 

The Crop Insurance Agent

106

 

Professionalism Essential

107

 

Knowing the Industry

107

 

Continual Education Required

108

 

Multiple Plans of Coverage

109

 

     Yield Based

109

 

     Revenue Insurance Plans

110

 

     Named-Peril Plans

110

 

Livestock Insurance

110

 

Feeder Cattle

110

 

Fed Cattle Risk Protection

111

 

Dairy Revenue Protection

111

 

Lamb Livestock Risk Protection

112

 

Swine Livestock Risk Protection

112

 

Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance

113

 

Prevented Planting

113

 

Supplemental Coverage Option for Federal Crop Insurance

114

 

Nursery Commodity Insurance

114

 

Pasture, Rangeland, Forage, Pilot Insurance Program

115

 

Peanut Revenue Federal Crop Insurance Policy

116

 

Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) for Upland Cotton

117

 

Whole-Farm Revenue Protections

118

 

Organic Farming Practices

119

 

Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program

120

 

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

120

 

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018: Highlights and Implications

121

 

Unit Structures in Farming and Ranching

122

 

Climate Change Affects Farming

123

 

Climate change

124

 

Global warming

124

 

Changing How the FCIC Operates

125

 

Carbon Sinks

131

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Auto Insurance

133

 

The Auto Policy

133

 

The Policy Declarations Page

134

 

Part A: Liability Coverage

134

 

Part B: Medical Payments Coverage

135

 

Part C: Uninsured Motorist Coverage

135

 

Part D: Coverages for Damage to the Automobile

135

 

Part E: Duties after an Accident or Loss

135

 

Part F: General Provisions

135

 

Other Coverage Types

136

 

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

136

 

Underinsured Motorists

137

 

Rental Reimbursement / Towing and Labor

137

   

Extended Non-ownership Liability Endorsement

137

   

Sound Receiving and Transmitting Equipment Coverage

137

 

Recording, DVDs, or Other Devices

137

 

Insurance Contracts

137

 

Reading the Policy

138

 

Family Automobile Policies (FAP)

139

 

Liability Insurance

140

 

Property Damage / Medical Payments

142

 

States Require Liability Insurance

143

 

PIP

144

 

No-Fault Insurance

145

 

Collision

146

 

Comprehensive Coverage

147

 

Auto Insurance Rates

148

 

Measuring Loss Exposure

149

 

     Rates set along three basic guidelines

150

 

     Types of risk

151

 

Processing an Auto Claim

151

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Homeowner’s Insurance

154

 

Renter’s Insurance

154

 

Insuring Your Home

154

 

To Recap

156

 

     Basic, Broad, and Comprehensive Forms

158

 

Section I of Form #1 (HO-1)

159

 

Section II of Form #1

160

 

Form #2 (HO-2)

160

 

Form #3 (HO-3)

161

 

Form #4 (HO-4)

163

 

Form #5 (HO-5)

163

 

Form #6 (HO-6)

163

 

Form #8 (HO-8)

164

 

Form #14 (HO-14)

164

 

Exceptions

165

 

Natural Disasters

166

 

Volcanoes 

168

 

Hurricanes and Tornadoes / Personal Property

169

 

Umbrella Insurance

171

 

Homeowner’s Liability Insurance

172

 

     Insurance policy basic format

174

 

Declarations / Insuring Agreements / Exclusions

175

 

Conditions and Miscellaneous Provisions

175

 

     Definitions/Perils / Hazards

176

 

The Insurance Policy Layout

177

 

Negligence Laws

177

 

Loss-Adjustment Provisions

178

 

Notice of Loss

179

 

 

 

Chapter 8: Ethics

180

 

Professional Conduct

180

 

What Can Individuals Do?

183

 

     Example #1

184

 

     Example #2

185

 

     Example #3

186

 

     Example #4

188

 

     Example #5

188

 

The Professional

189

 

Policy Suitability Standards

190

 

Projecting an Ethical Image

191

 

Ethical Selling

194

 

Setting Appointments

194

 

Getting in the Door

196

 

Explaining Policy Benefits and Limitations

197

 

     Minimizing Misunderstandings (list)

198

 

Allowing Misconceptions

199

 

Premium Rates

200

 

Providing Client Service

200

 

Commingling Funds

200

 

Continuing Education to Meet State Requirements

201

 

Due Diligence

203

 

     Quantitative Analysis of a Company

206

 

The A.M. Best Rating System

208

 

Additional Agent Due Diligence

208

 

Business Ethics

217

 

Taking the Ethical Path

217

 

Obtaining Investigative Knowledge

219

 

Property, Life and Casualty Fraud

222

 

Premium Diversion

222

 

Free Churning/Asset Diversion

224

 

Types of Fraud

225

 

Insurance Company Fraud

225

 

 

 

 

 

United Insurance Educators, Inc.

PO Box 1030

Eatonville, WA 98328

 

(800) 735-1155

 

mail@uiece.com