The Texas Connection - December 2014

• What Texting Does to the SpineWhat Texting Does to the SpineWhat Texting Does to the SpineWhat Texting Does to the Spine

• Faking honesty is Faking honesty is Faking honesty is Faking honesty is notnotnotnot a good E&O toola good E&O toola good E&O toola good E&O tool

• Liquor LiabilityLiquor LiabilityLiquor LiabilityLiquor Liability

the

TEXAS CONNECTION TEXAS PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS DIGITAL JOURNAL DECEMBER 2014

In This IssueIn This IssueIn This IssueIn This Issue

In This IssueIn This IssueIn This IssueIn This Issue Presidents Corner ………………………..……………… Page 3

Na&onal Member Benefits ……………..……………… Page 5

Meet The Member …….……………..………………… Page 6

Faking honesty is not a good E&O tool ………..……… Page 8

Liquor Liability …………........…..……………………. Page 11

Think About It …………………..…..…………………… Page 13

What Tex&ng Does to the Spine ……..………………… Page 13

TDI Enforcement Ac&ons …….……….……………….. Page 15

Our Partners ……..….….……..…..………………….. Page 17

Word Scramble ……..…….………………..……..…….. Page 19 Texas Trading Post ……………………..………….…… Page 20

Classifieds …………...………………..…………….…… Page 24

By The Numbers..…..…………..…..………………….. Page 25

The Last Word …………..………………………....…… Page 28

THE TEXAS CONNECTION - TEXAS PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS DIGITAL JOURNAL Page 3

SMILING IS INFECTIOUS

Smiling is infectious, You catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too!

I passed around the corner And someone saw my grin; When he smiled, I realized

I passed it on to him!

I thought about that smile, Then I realized its worth,

That a single smile, like mine or yours,

Could travel ‘round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, Don’t leave it undetected;

Let’s start an epidemic quick And get the world infected!

On behalf of the Texas PIA,On behalf of the Texas PIA,On behalf of the Texas PIA,On behalf of the Texas PIA,

May all of you have a very May all of you have a very May all of you have a very May all of you have a very

merry Christmas and a merry Christmas and a merry Christmas and a merry Christmas and a

healthy, prosperous and hap-healthy, prosperous and hap-healthy, prosperous and hap-healthy, prosperous and hap-

py New Year!py New Year!py New Year!py New Year!

TonyTonyTonyTony

Tony HarperTony HarperTony HarperTony Harper

Texas Connec�on publishes ar�cles and informa�on that should be of interest to members. The informa�on,

while valuable, is subjec�ve and we strongly recommend that you exercise your own due diligence and good

judgment when using the informa�on. Publica�on of informa�on does not in any way cons�tute a warranty of

endorsement by Texas Professional Insurance Agents, Inc.

On The Cover… On The Cover… On The Cover… On The Cover… That ‘Santa’ is our own Tom Sorrels from Tyler. He is the Immediate Past President of the Texas PIA and sits on our Board of Directors. He had the physiological requirements for the job, so several years ago, he began a second career, portraying the ‘jolly old elf’ himself. Right now, he’s some-where up on the East Coast with kids sitting on his lap… He’s telling them they can’t have a BB Gun, because they’ll shoot their eye out. Keep your lap dry, Tom!

Member Benefits from Na&onal



Shirley was born in Joplin, Missouri and grew up

on a farm in Pennsylvania. In June of 1968, she

married David Almany and moved to North Car-

olina, where she studied Business Administra-

&on at Catawba Valley College in Hickory, North

Carolina. She and David were married for 43

years. They were big fans of NASCAR and loved

to travel.

In 1994, Shirley and David opened Almany’s In-

surance in Waxahachie, Texas. It was a true

‘mom & pop’ agency, with the whole family in-

volved in the opera&on. There’s daughter: Cathy

LiDles, granddaughter Nicole Saenz, grandson

James Saenz, and grandsons Morgan and Corey

LiDles. Her daughter Sheri Cas&llo has her own

agency in Ennis, Texas. Man... talk about your

‘perpetua&on program.’

Meet Shirley Almany, of Almany’s Insurance in Waxahachie, Texas.


Almany’s Insurance have been members of Texas

PIA for 13 years. David served as a Director of the

Texas PIA un&l he passed away in June, 2012. Shirley

is currently President-Elect and will begin serving as

President of Texas PIA in October, 2015.

In addi&on to the agency, Shirley has operated a

number of other businesses over the years. There

was Almany’s Car Rentals and Sales, a Premium Fi-

nance Company, a ceramic store, a music store, a

used furniture and import store, and even a Grey-

hound Bus Sta&on and Western Union office. When

someone new was hired at Almany’s, you knew

there would be a lot of cross training!

If you are ever in Waxahachie, stop by Almany’s In-

surance and say hello... whoever you meet is most

likely a member of the family!

Agency staff interacts with carriers and wholesalers on

a variety of applica&on issues. The scenario could in-

volve when the applica&on was ini&ally submiDed or

when the carrier underwriter contacted the agency

with addi&onal ques&ons.

Lying on an applica�on to get an account wri&en is

wrong, dead wrong. If lying on applica&ons is how you

will conduct yourself, it’s advisable to find another oc-

cupa&on. There are thousands of honest, truthful pro-

ducers who present the carrier with an accurate as-

sessment of the risk and stand by the carrier's decision.

Doing anything to the contrary gives the noble insur-

ance industry a bad name.

The best prac�ce is to complete an applica�on with

the customer’s input. Ask all of the ques&ons and

don't presume to know the answer to any of them.

Where possible, visit the risk you are trying to insure.

This enables you to speak with some degree of credi-

bility on any subsequent conversa&ons. Upon the com-

ple&on of the applica&on, require the customer to re-

view it, and then require his or her signature, thereby

aDes&ng to the accuracy of the informa&on.

Don't presume that you know the answers when han-

dling follow-up ques�ons from carriers. Take down

the ques&ons, and then contact the customer to se-

cure the answers. If the customer answers your ques-

&ons over the phone or in person, document those dis-

cussions in the agency file.

(con&nued on page 22)

The great comedian Groucho Marx once said, “The se-

cret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake

that, you've got it made.” As interes&ng as it may

sound, it is probably fair to say that Groucho was not an

insurance producer. If he had been, he may have been

involved in an E&O claim or two.

\In the daily opera&on of an insurance agency, produc-

ers and customer service representa&ves will be

“tested” on their levels of integrity and honesty. How

those tests are handled can lead to significant conse-

quences. Imagine facing the following scenario:

As a producer/account execu&ve/customer service rep-

resenta&ve, you are looking to write a specific account

that, in the company's eyes, may not be a “perfect

match.” Perhaps the account had a loss or two (or

three). Maybe it’s a property account, with a significant

amount of the building vacant. Quite possibly, the ac-

count was non-renewed by the previous carrier. The list

of possibili&es is virtually endless.

As you complete the applica&on, you arrive at the ques-

&ons addressing these exposures. What are you think-

ing? Possibly, if you “bend the truth,” who will ever

know? What could possibly happen if someone did find

out?

This issue has been the central focus of more than a

handful of E&O claims. In prac&cally all of these cases,

the odds are stacked heavily against the agency. In most

of these E&O cases, somehow the carrier did find out

the truth and, when this happened, the agent caught

the full brunt of the carrier's consterna&on.


Faking honesty is not a good E&O tool


Ad Size Monthly Pre-Pay 6 Issues

Full Page $200.00 $1,000.00

Half Page $150.00 $750.00

Third Page $100.00 $500.00

Quarter Page $50.00 $250.00

Get your company’s message directly to members and independent agents.

Current circula�on includes more than 2,000 Texas insurance agents.

Ques�ons? Contact Joe Tipton at [email protected] or (972) 862-3333.


Holiday par�es, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Superbowl Sunday… party season is

here. Keep the cheer in your holidays by avoiding alcohol-related accidents.

Planning a party can be a complex opera&on — finalizing the guest list, the menu and the entertainment can tax even the most accomplished host. In this whirlwind of ac&vity, many party-givers tend to overlook their po-ten&al liability if a guest drinks too much and is involved in an accident. Such incidents can do a lot more than just spoil a party — they can leave the hosts facing huge bills if they are found liable for contribu&ng to the incident. Hosts should be aware that if they serve any type of alcoholic beverage, they could be named in a lawsuit if a guest is involved in an accident. Although auto accidents immediately come to mind, you can also be liable if an inebriated guest stumbles on your walkway while leaving your house.

State laws governing this type of liability differ widely. Currently, many states have statutory “social host laws” or case law precedent that hold hosts responsible for providing alcohol to minors or to people who are intoxicated and later are involved in accidents. These laws apply whether you own your home or rent. The standard home-owners, condominium and renters insurance policies provide some personal liability coverage. Renters are at par&cularly high risk because roughly two-thirds of them don’t carry any renters insurance.

For many people, par&cularly those with high net worth or prominent posi&ons, the minimum limits included in their homeowners policy will not provide enough liability coverage, since these people are more likely targets of lawsuits. Evaluate your customers exis&ng liability coverage. Their coverage should not exclude alcohol-related incidents or cases where the policy owner has been negligent — for instance, by serving alcohol to someone who is clearly intoxicated.

They might want to consider buying an umbrella policy that supplements their homeowners’ coverage. Say that

their homeowners’ liability coverage limit is $300,000. An umbrella liability policy would kick in once that


Texas PIA Offers Members Satisfying E&O Solutions

“Fifteen minutes could save you 15%.... Everyone knows that' but did you know that not all E&O policies are the same?

E&O is like other types of insurance' you buy it hoping you’ll never need it' but if you do' E&O can be the differ-ence in whether you stay in business or not.

How about it? Do you know what your policy covers'. And more importantly, what it doesn’t?

Texas PIA offers members, quality E&O markets and coverage. And members say they have saved as much as 40% when they switch to exclusive PIA pro-grams.

Call today and get an analysis of your coverage and a competitive quote from multiple markets. Call Texas Insurance Professional Ser-

vices:

Ray Reyes or Bob Dixon

(214) 618-2365 (832) 375-0787

[email protected] [email protected]

Think about it:

Wrinkled was NOT one of the things

I wanted to be

when I grew up!

A new study suggests that looking down at a cell phone is the

equivalent of placing a 60-pound weight on one's neck.

OLGA KHAZAN NOV 18 2014, 11:42 AM ET

Sixty pounds is roughly the weight of four adult-sized bowling

balls. Or six plas&c grocery bags worth of food. Or an 8-year-

old.

It is also, according to a new calcula&on published in the jour-

nal Surgical Technology Interna&onal, the amount of force ex-

erted on the head of an adult human who is looking down at

her phone.

Kenneth Hansraj, a New York back surgeon, found this figure

using a computer model of a human spine. An average human

head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds, and &l&ng it down to

check Facebook, send a text, or to Google the weight of an a

human head increases the gravita&onal pull on said cranium.

"As the head &lts forward the forces seen by the neck surges

to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49

pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees," Hansraj

writes in the paper.

According to Nielsen, Americans spend about an hour on their

smartphones each day. Unless you train yourself to stare

straight ahead into your iPhone screen, you could be con&nu-

ally stressing your spine. "These stresses," Hansraj writes,

"may lead to early wear, tear, degenera&on, and possibly sur-

geries."

Of course, physical therapists have been howling about the

scourge of "Text Neck" for years. But it's certainly eyebrow-

raising to learn that looking at TwiDer in the supermarket

checkout line is the equivalent of giving an aardvark a piggy-

back ride.

Time to get Google Glass? Un&l, that is, scien&sts find that the

device is crushing the nose-bridges of America.

From The Atlan&c… check it out: hDp://www.theatlan&c.com/


What Tex�ng Does to the Spine

TDIACTIONS

LATEST INDICTMENTS AND CASE

DISPOSITIONS POSTED

Maldonado, Jose Date of Action: 11/7/2014 Location: Dallas Action Taken: Sentenced to 1 year defer red adjudi-cation and 80 hours community service Violation: Insurance Fraud, Class A misdemeanor

Malone, Sherrie R Date of Action: 11/6/2014 Location: Dallas Action Taken: Sentenced to 2 years defer red adjudi-cation, 80 hours community service and fined $1,500.00. Violation: Insurance Fraud, Class A misdemeanor

Welsh, Christine E Date of Action: 11/6/2014 Location: Galveston Action Taken: Sentenced to 2 years defer red adjudi-cation, 120 hours community service and ordered to pay $8,494.00 in restitution. Violation: Insurance Fraud, State Jail Felony

Franco, Daniel C Date of Action: 11/3/2014 Location: San Antonio Action Taken: Sentenced to 1 year defer red adjudi-cation, 80 hours community service and fined $4,000.00. Violation: Insurance Fraud, Class A misdemeanor

Hayes, Antoinette

Date of Action: 10/31/2014

Location: McKinney

Action Taken: Sentenced to 6 years probation and

160 hours community service.

Violation: Money Launder ing, First Degree Felony

Nancy Carrizales Date of Action: 10/30/2014 Location: San Antonio Action Taken: Indicted Violation: Insurance Fraud, State Jail Felony

ContactUs

Call for more information about

member services and products.

Texas PIA

and

Young Insurance Professionals

3632 Frankford Rd 200B

Dallas, Texas 75287

(972) 862.3333

[email protected]

www.piatx.org

“Assuming the customer is always right can lead you straight to E&O ex-posure� and lose you a company....”

- The Insurance Sage


: https://wwwapps.tdi.state.tx.us/inter/asproot/commish/da/clips2014.asp

WE APPRECIATE

OUR PARTNERS


Aggressive Insurance

21st Century Managing General Agency

Affirmative Insurance

Alpha Insurance

American Southwest Insurance Managers

Ashley General Agency

Berwick Insurance Group

Celestite Group

Columbia Lloyds Insurance Company

Integra Premium Finance

Direct General

Dovetail Insurance

Empower Insurance Group

FloodSmart

Frank Crum

Great American Insurance

Hallmark Personal Lines

Hagerty Classic Insurance

Imperial Fire and Casualty

Imperial PFS

Insurance by Design

iMGA

Louis A. Williams & Associates, Inc.

Lane and Associates

Mendota / American Bankers Insurance

Mercury Insurance

Midlands Management

National Lloyds

Nations Safe Drivers

Personable Insurance General Agency

Premium Funding Associates, Inc.

Progressive

Ramsgate Managing Insurance

Safeway Insurance

Select Insurance Markets Inc.

Superior Access

Southeast Surplus

United Auto Insurance Group

Varsity Insurance Group

Western General Insurance Company

US E&O Brokers


(con&nued from page 12)

$300,000 is used up. Umbrella policies typically start at $1 million in coverage for a premium of between $200 and

$600 a year.

There are other things they can do to limit poten&al liability from hos&ng a party. Most importantly, don’t want to

serve alcohol to anyone under 21. Even if your customers have great liability coverage, serving liquor to a minor puts

everything in jeopardy. And some policies may not provide coverage if you knowingly serve an individual who already

is ac&ng intoxicated.

Hiring a professional caterer or bartender can help limit exposure. Verify that they have insurance that covers every-

one from the consequences of a mishap. Finally, if an incident does occur, be sure your customers know to no&fy their

insurer right away. Some policies will exclude claims if “&mely no&ce” is not provided. If the plan is to hire a profes-

sional caterer or bartender, offer to help evaluate their coverage to ensure it insulates them from liquor-related liabil-

ity.

Tips for a Safe Party

• Limit your guest list to those you know well.

• Let guests know you’ll provide transporta&on home if their behavior seems ques&onable.

• Only serve party-goers whom you know are over the legal drinking age of 21.

• Stay sober and serve the drinks yourself (if you’re not using a caterer or professional bartender), so you know which guests are reaching their limit.

• Have plenty of food available, so guests aren’t drinking on an empty stomach.

• Close the bar at least an hour before people will be leaving.

• If young people are aDending a party at which alcohol is being consumed, have them turn in their car keys and return them only if you’re confident they have not been drinking.

For an overview of social host liability laws by state, including laws on furnishing alcohol to minors, please see the

website of the Alcohol Policy Informa&on System, www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/. For state-by-state informa&on

on DUI/DWI (driving under the influence/driving while intoxicated) laws, please see the website of the Insurance Ins&-

tute for Highway Safety, www.iihs.org/laws/dui.aspx.

JUST READ

TIDY ALIBIS

BRAVE RECOIL

SOURING BOAT

CRAVE EGO

MICRO CAMEL

GROUTED LAMP

CEMENT PEARL

TREE DROP

BE AN ICY FIRE

I

R

R

R

E

M

P

E

B


Arrange each of the following anagrams to form a single insurance related word. Send us your

answers to be entered in a drawing to win a fabulous prize! Feel free to call us if you’re stuck.

972.965.2025 Email to: [email protected] or fax to 972. 307.7888

A

FOR SALE:

Lalique Crystal “Lions Head” Vase

Perfect shape... $500.00 or best offer.

FOR SALE OR TRADE:

Daisy Centennial Red Ryder BB Gun

Stock has been repaired, but it’s in pre&y good shape considering its age.

$50.00 (careful… you’ll shoot your eye out!)


Looking to sell? Looking to buy or trade? Just want to haggle? Looking to sell? Looking to buy or trade? Just want to haggle? Looking to sell? Looking to buy or trade? Just want to haggle? Looking to sell? Looking to buy or trade? Just want to haggle?

More fun than EBay, safer than Craigslist. More fun than EBay, safer than Craigslist. More fun than EBay, safer than Craigslist. More fun than EBay, safer than Craigslist.

It’s Free,It’s Free,It’s Free,It’s Free, Give it a try!Give it a try!Give it a try!Give it a try! Email your ad to: Email your ad to: Email your ad to: Email your ad to: [email protected]@[email protected]@piatx.org

FOR SALE: Gentleman’s Phillip Stein Watch

As seen on Oprah… has a built in

Tesla Coil that emits vibra�ons…

proven ‘stress reliever’

Silicon Band

Like New Condi�on…

Leather Case

In Box with all Papers

$1,200 New

$500.00 or best offer.

FOR SALE: Ladies’ Phillip Stein Watch As seen on Oprah

Has a built in Tesla Coil that

emits vibra�ons… proven

‘stress reliever’

Dual Time Zones

Cobra Skin Band with

Deployment Clasp

Like New Condi�on…

Leather Case

In Box with all Papers

$1,400 New

$500.00 or best offer.

Texas Insurance Professional Services

Ray Reyes or Bob Dixon

(214) 618-2365 (832) 375-0787


This new feature of The Texas Connec&on is a column dedicated to

Marke&ng Reps. You have the opportunity to pass on compliments

and cri&cisms, helpful hints and pet peeves… We know there are

things that Agents might do beDer… and this will give you a larger

plaZorm to spread your message. The objec&ve is communica&on

for beDer company/agency rela&ons. It can be anonymous… or we

can publish your contact info… your call… Try it! It will be construc-

&ve… it might even be fun!

Send a leDer or e-mail back to the customer that memo-

rializes the discussion and the responses, and include a

copy in your file.

Customers oTen ask ques�ons try to understand insur-

ance and how it works. How the producer chooses to

answer those ques&ons is extremely important. Provid-

ing the customer with incorrect informa&on is wrong.

Suppose a producer thinks, “The only way the customer

will know I was wrong is if they have a claim. What are

the chances of that?” The producer is wrong. An anony-

mous quote summed it up best: “I’d rather be honest

than impressive.”

Should honesty be the basis of your carrier rela�on-

ship? Yes! The consequences can otherwise be signifi-

cant. While losing one’s license is a definite possibility,

the carrier/wholesaler could decide to terminate its rela-

&onship with you. Don’t expect any carrier to be too un-

derstanding and accommoda&ng if it finds out there has

been a breach of honesty.

In the daily opera&on of an insurance agency, producers

and customer service representa&ves will be “tested” on

their levels of integrity and honesty. How those tests are

handled can lead to significant consequences. Imagine

facing the following scenario:

As a producer/account execu&ve/customer service rep-

resenta&ve, you are looking to write a specific account

that, in the company's eyes, may not be a “perfect

match.” Perhaps the account had a loss or two (or

three). Maybe it’s a property account, with a significant

amount of the building vacant. Quite possibly, the ac-

count was non-renewed by the previous carrier. The list

of possibili&es is virtually endless.

As you complete the applica&on, you arrive at the ques-

&ons addressing these exposures. What are you think-

ing? Possibly, if you “bend the truth,” who will ever

know? What could possibly happen if someone did find

out?

This issue has been the central focus of more than a

handful of E&O claims. In prac&cally all of these cases,

the odds are stacked heavily against the agency. In most

of these E&O cases, somehow the carrier did find out

the truth and, when this happened, the agent caught the

full brunt of the carrier's consterna&on.

Agency staff interacts with carriers and wholesalers on a

variety of applica&on issues. The scenario could involve

when the applica&on was ini&ally submiDed or when the

carrier underwriter contacted the agency with addi&onal

ques&ons.

Lying on an applica�on to get an account wri&en is

wrong, dead wrong. If lying on applica&ons is how you

will conduct yourself, it’s advisable to find another occu-

pa&on. There are thousands of honest, truthful produc-

ers who present the carrier with an accurate assessment

of the risk and stand by the carrier's decision. Doing any-

thing to the contrary gives the noble insurance industry

a bad name.

The best prac�ce is to complete an applica�on with the

customer’s input. Ask all of the ques&ons and don't

presume to know the answer to any of them. Where

possible, visit the risk you are trying to insure. This ena-

bles you to speak with some degree of credibility on any

subsequent conversa&ons. Upon the comple&on of the

applica&on, require the customer to review it, and then

require his or her signature, thereby aDes&ng to the ac-

curacy of the informa&on.

Don't presume that you know the answers when han-

dling follow-up ques�ons from carriers. Take down the

ques&ons, and then contact the customer to secure the

answers. If the customer answers your ques&ons over

the phone or in person, document those discussions in

the agency file. Send a leDer or e-mail back to the cus-

tomer that memorializes the discussion and the respons-

es, and include a copy in your file.



(con&nued from page 22) Customers o[en ask ques&ons try to understand insurance and how it works. How the

producer chooses to answer those ques&ons is extremely important. Providing the customer with incorrect in-

forma&on is wrong. Suppose a producer thinks, “The only way the customer will know I was wrong is if they

have a claim. What are the chances of that?” The producer is wrong. An anonymous quote summed it up best:

“I’d rather be honest than impressive.”

Should honesty be the basis of your carrier rela&onship? Yes! The consequences can otherwise be significant.

While losing one’s license is a definite possibility, the carrier/wholesaler could decide to terminate its rela&on-

ship with you. Don’t expect any carrier to be too understanding and accommoda&ng if it finds out there has

been a breach of honesty.

Agency management should make it a goal to ensure that all sales staff knows honesty is the only way and any-

thing outside of that will not be tolerated. Lying to your carriers has many significant consequences, including

the damage done to the rela&onship between the agency and the carrier. In addi&on, if the carrier suffers a

loss and believes it was misled into wri&ng the account,

it could rescind the policy, essen&ally leaving your agen-

cy as the “insurance carrier.” That’s definitely a posi&on

you do not want to find yourself in!

COMMERCIAL LINES CSR

Temple/Belton area. License required. Ex-

cellent salary & benefits. Send Resume to:

[email protected]

LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED CSR

North Houston Agency needs personal

lines CSR. Flexible hours... pay scale based

on experience. Send Resume to:

[email protected]

AGENCY FOR SALE

Dallas area, 2 years old, high traffic

store. Send inquiries to:

[email protected]


by Curs M. Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF, CPIA President – Pearsall Associates Inc. and

Special Consultant to the Uca Naonal E&O

Program

WANTED: AGENCY TO BUY

Considering selling your agency? A qualified buyer is looking for an

agency located in the area of Navasota,

Brenham, Bryan/College Sta�on , Madi-sonville… or in that general area.

Email: [email protected]


Everyone loves fresh cut Christmas trees, especially growers. Christmas trees are big

business. They are also beneficial in many other ways. Let’s look at the numbers.

• Approximately 150 Christmas tree farms in Texas produce 200,000 trees annually on 2,500 acres.

• Texas Christmas tree growers contribute $12 million each year to the Texas economy.

• Christmas trees have been commercially sold in the United States since about 1850.

• 350 million trees are currently growing on Christmas tree farms.

• Christmas trees were first commercially grown in Texas in 1977.

• 100,000 people are employed by the Christmas tree industry.

• 33 million real trees are sold each year in the United States.

• It takes 7 years on average to grow a Christmas tree.

• 1 billion dollars spent are annually on real trees.

• Approximately 230 Christmas tree fires annually in the United States.

• Over 18 million dollars in property damage annually in the United States.

• 80% of Christmas tree fires happen in December and January.

• An average of 150 fires related to holiday lights annually.

• 40% of Christmas tree fires are caused by an electrical malfunc�on.

• 1 in every 22 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death.

Christmas trees can also be dangerous. Let’s look at the numbers.

Put your message DIRECTLY in

front of 2,000 Texas Agents

Adver�se in The Texas Connec�on

June 3-6, 2015

The Historic Menger Hotel 204 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205


Are 30/60/25 Limits Enough for your Customer?

Financial Responsibility Limits required for Texas drivers are cur-

rently at 30/60/25. The ques�on is: Are those limits adequate?

The answer on the BI limits of 30/60 may be subjec�ve… but the

$25,000 PD limit is easier to analyze. As professional agents we

should offer to our customers, two important considera�ons:

If you are involved in an accident that ‘totals’ the other car… how

likely is it that the car will be worth more than $25,000? Explain

what happens if the other car is worth $35,000: The company will

write a check for the policy limits ($25,000) and you will be ex-

pected to pay the other $10,000.

Most customers think that if you double your limits, it doubles the

cost. Show them that is not the case. Quote to policy at 50/100/50

limits and note that the increase in premium is oTen less than 10%.

Higher limits also yield a bit more commission… but the real reason

for offering customers this op�on is that you are offering them

be&er protec�on. Of course, if we are to encourage our customers

to consider higher limits, we need markets that offer those limits.

the

Last word

Documents

The Texas Connection - December 2014