2022 MEGA Seminar (for CIC, CRM and CPRM Designees)

This session will explore the various nuances within contract policy language that affect both property and liability policies.

In this session, participants will explore significant concerns found within the ISO Personal Automobile and Homeowners policies – such as ownership, liability, and loss assessment coverage - and develop ways to explain them to their clients.

Agents will take an in-depth look at the risk management needs of family offices, specifically; specifically Directors & Officers Coverage, Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Coverage, and other methods of protection for families of exceptional wealth.

This class examines the risk management strategies necessary to minimize cyber attacks. Agents will learn about insurance coverage solutions in order to better understand the concepts and exposures related to the cyber crime industry.

This session will provide an overview of current events and their impact on the insurance industry. The discussion includes how recent changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it relates to employer sponsored health insurance; the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and identify possible insurance solutions to their use.

Participants will be introduced to the three major government programs available to most U.S. citizens. They will learn the requirements to qualify for the programs, the benefits these programs have, and the gaps that exist.

ATVs, dirt bikes, Segway, watercraft, and other motorized toys – Oh My! In this session, participants will gain an understanding of exposures for owning and renting recreational vehicles and learn just how much coverage is provided through the ISO Personal Automobile and Homeowners policies – including available endorsements. As well, participants will explore coverage within recreational vehicle policies, motorcycle policies, watercraft policies, and the Personal Umbrella policy.

What is a crisis? It’s more than a hurricane or a flood. Learn to identify crisis situations that could have a significant impact on your clients' business, agency, or organization. Discover how to prepare a crisis management plan to prevent or lessen the damage a crisis can inflict. Using an interactive and case study approach, prepare for an active shooter event and the understand proper responses.

Modern manufacturing procesess have introduced many risks that present complex pollution exposures. As comprehensive liability policies are driven by their exclusions, this session will explore the numerous pollution liability types, endorsements, and risk transfer techniques applicable to various commercial exposures.

In this session, participants will understand ethical challenges that insurance professionals face, difference between legal and ethical responsibilities and their fiduciary duties and obligations to the customer, insurer, and peers.

In this session, participants will use real claim examples to discuss problems and possible solutions to Homeowners Policy exclusions that limit or remove coverage for dwellings rented to others, personal liability, co-habitation, motorized vehicles, home-sharing, and ownerships. Participants will also discuss ISO Personal Auto Policy exclusions for furnished vehicles, non-owned autos, and various uses.

Do you know what to do when a crisis occurs? Uncover the insurance implications and general principles of crisis response for active assailants, product recalls, and data breach/cybersecurity incidents. Analyze a data breach claim and form a plan of action.

With the increase in recent high profile active shooter/workplace attacks, more businesses are taking precautions to prevent acts of violence. Learn the Crisis Management steps of preparation and prevention for this unique exposure. One important step is Obtaining Active Shooter Insurance Coverage – learn the details.

In this session, participants will examine the latest ISO Personal Auto Policy coverage form to discuss concerns, challenges, and potential solutions related to the gig economy of personal ridesharing through Transportation Network Companies like Uber, Lyft, Zipcar, and other similar app-based programs.

Participants will learn how life and health insurance products take the uncertainty out of business planning. The program will specifically discuss the risks that face every business owner, death, disability and retirement, and how to mitigate these risks.

Agents examine the various obligations that commercial clients have to their stakeholders. Understanding the structure of D&O policy language will allow them to protect their clients from many management liability hazards.

Agents will compare and contrast the ISO Commercial General Liability (CGL) Policy with Excess or Umbrella policies that might sit over the top. Understanding the similarities and differences between the language within each form will enable agents to recognize where gaps may be created and have a more in-depth understanding of why those gaps exist.

This session will enable participants to identify the reasons for cyber liability coverage by examining various exposures related to cyber risks, coverage limitations in standard liability insurance, and major provisions commonly found in cyber liability insurance policies.

This session will explore the liability exposures and coverage solutions for businesses that do not own automobiles. Attention will be given towards specific BAP endorsements that affect Who Is an Insured, Garagekeepers coverage, and leased autos.

In this session, agents will examine different cyber forms and be able to identify the differences within their insuring agreements, exclusions, and conditions. With over 170 different cyber policy forms in the marketplace, participants will gain better understanding to know which policy is best for the needs of their insureds.

In this session, participants will understand the role and function of an insurance adjuster and importance of their relationship with the insurance agency, avoiding bad faith claims, and misconceptions about coverages and exclusions under certain personal and commercial policies.

In this session, agents will identify potential pitfalls that could create problems and examine ways to solve them. Topics will include valuation, debris removal, ordinance or law, and vacancy as they pertain to the Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, as well as the Legal Liability and Leasehold Interest Coverage Forms.

In this session, participants will understand ethical challenges that insurance professionals face, difference between legal and ethical responsibilities and their fiduciary duties and obligations to the customer, insurer, and peers.

In this session, agents will learn the differences between EPL policies and the practical effects of those differences on various exposures and classes of business; including the areas of exposure for independent contractors, leased employees, volunteers, and the various third-party coverages.

Three major issues for anyone planning for retirement are senior healthcare, long term care and generating retirement income. This program discusses in detail the important decisions that both retirees and those planning for retirement must make when developing a retirement plan.

In this session participants will identify the problems and discuss possible solutions to better serve their Personal Homeowners and Auto clients. Prepare to discuss issues related to host liquor liability, coverage for students away at school, damage to residence premises rented to others or premises under renovation, earthquake and flood coverage, and more.

In this session, agents will examine the risks associated with contractual relationships, especially as it relates to the operation of autos on company business. Agents will review the key exposures related to vehicles and drivers, as well as some of the risk control and risk transfer techniques available to their commercial clients.

This session provides an introduction to e-commerce issues and opportunities, including areas of agent concentration, technology E&O issues, and common cyber threats. Agents will identify possible solutions to the unique exposures and coverage gaps present in e-commerce risks.

This session explores the variety of liability exposures and the insurance coverage designed to address these specific concerns. They will discuss the differences that exist between occurrence and claims-made triggers, the allocation of loss payments that span multiple policies, and how to remedy the coverage gaps that are presented by some of the GL exclusions.

This session will examine the transportation exposures faced by agricultural risks. Agents will review mobile equipment coverages found in farm liability forms; coverage for owned and non-owned vehicles under the Personal Auto Policy (PAP); and auto coverages available under the Business Auto Policy (BAP).

In this session, agents will explore the basic elements of insurance contracts and the major contract provisions, including waivers of subrogation, exculpatory agreements, and other indemnity requirements. The discussion will extend beyond the Commercial General Liability Coverage Form, and will include the Businessowners Coverage Form, Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance Policy, Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, and Commercial Inland Marine.

Agents will take an in-depth look at property coverage endorsements and learn to manage their client’s reasonable expectations for these enhanced property coverages. Discussion includes methods for identifying property coverage improvements and property coverage gaps created by today’s operating environment. Agents will examine tools to use for identifying Equipment Breakdown Insurance (Boiler and Machinery), Time Element, and Commercial Coverage gaps and methods for improving coverage.

In this session, participants will explore significant concerns found within the ISO Personal Automobile and Homeowners policies – such as ownership, liability, and loss assessment coverage - and develop ways to explain them to their clients.

Participants will analyze specific Business Auto coverage situations that may cause problems for insureds, agencies, and companies. Using real-life scenarios, they will examine how the BAP provides or excludes coverage. They will learn how to provide coverage for an exposure if it is excluded or limited by the policy in order to best meet their client’s needs.

In this session, participants will learn about construction agreements, rental agreements, and lease agreements. They will analyze various contracts and be able to explain the hold harmless agreement, waiver of subrogation, property requirements, subcontractor relationship to general contractor, certificates of insurance, and warranties.

In this session, participants will understand ethical challenges that insurance professionals face, difference between legal and ethical responsibilities and their fiduciary duties and obligations to the customer, insurer, and peers.

Using case law interpretation of liability policies, participants will examine hidden coverages in both personal and commercial lines policies. They will understand who is insured under the PAP, employer’s liability and the CGL, host liquor liability and the CGL, auto coverage under the Homeowners and CGL, contractor’s liability coverage, and more. They will examine endorsements that should be considered to enhance coverage.

Participants will advance their knowledge regarding the purpose and structure of professional liability coverage and policies, as well as, gain an increased technical understanding of exposures and coverages pertinent to both traditional professionals and non-traditional classes of business.

Buying or selling an insurance agency is a complex agency management task. Every year countless mergers and acquisitions occur. Many of these M&A are successful, and others fail. In this session, participants discuss how thoughtful management planning factors into the success and minimize the failures. They will explore internal fundamentals – sources for acquisition, assessment and criteria for selection, verifying revenue, analyzing book of business, reviewing documents, evaluating employees and expenses, deal value costs, teams (legal, risk and insurance brokers), types of insurance policies (buyer and seller), the purchase agreement, transition, and integration. Agents will learn the unique risks and challenges involved in the acquisition and management of an insurance agency.

After an overview of the history through a review of select impactful cases, participants will better understand and be able to explain how jury verdicts have gone from compensatory to “nuclear.” With that understanding as a basis, the course will conclude with an overview of risk management and mitigation strategies to avoid, or lessen, these “social indemnification” verdicts and their impact upon the insurance ecosystem.

Participants will learn the importance of planning for retirement and keeping the retirement plan current and applicable to the insured’s needs. They will evaluate various types of retirement funding mechanisms, including Annuities and Long-Term Care Insurance.

The individuals and entities who are afforded protection under a commercial liability policy can be divided into three groups – Insured, Additional Insured, or Named Insured. The decision of whom to name on the policies declaration page is one of the most significant factors that determine the extent of protection for each insured. In this session, participants will discover factors that can influence the named insured description. They will analyze automatic insureds and learn the primary reasons for adding additional insureds, as well as the advantages and disadvantages. They will focus on named insured as it relates to Commercial General Liability, Business Auto, and Commercial Property. They will discuss potential problems along with possible solutions for coverage gaps.

Participants will better understand the use of insurance coverage in estate planning. They will discuss problems, options, and opportunities. They will examine the applications, uses, advantages, and disadvantages of trusts and coordination with life insurance. They will learn about a new trend in life insurance, the Senior Life Settlement option.

Agents will take an in-depth look at the risk management needs of family offices, specifically; specifically Directors & Officers Coverage, Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Coverage, and other methods of protection for families of exceptional wealth.

Agents will explore how risk management and insurance are relevant to business owners. They will learn the characteristics of common business entities, including Sole Proprietorship, General/Limited/Professional Partnerships, C Corporation, S Corporation, Closely Held Corporation, and Professional/Professional Liability Corporations. They will discuss insurance options for business owners and key employees. They will examine and be able to explain how to use insurance for business planning issues, such as: salary continuation plans, deferred compensation plans, retirement income planning, disability income planning, and key employee indemnification. They will discuss life insurance and risk management considerations related to business continuation planning.

Participants will examine the relationship between ethics and the choices insurance professionals make to protect their agencies against errors and omissions. They will discuss the ethical responsibilities of insurance producers, different approaches to decision making, and factors that determine the standard of care. Using real-life ethical dilemmas, they will look at some of the situations faced by insurance producers from ethical and E&O perspectives.

Arson is a crime, yet it happens every day. This course will take participants on a journey through the arson investigation and a discussion on how a property policy may or may not respond.

This session will provide agents with guidelines for analyzing the exposures and types of losses associated with a food and beverage type risk. They will examine contracts and agreements usual and customary to the food and beverage industry, such as: lease of premises, equipment leases, service contracts, franchise agreements, contracts regarding bailed property, purchase orders, and dumpster agreements. As part of this process, they will also examine specific insurance policy provisions of the Commercial General Liability Coverage Form, Businessowners Liability Coverage Form, Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Policy, and Commercial Property Coverage Forms to understand how insurance coverage might match assumed exposures.

In this course, participants will gain knowledge of the general uses and legal elements of life insurance contracts to provide counsel to clients and prospects.

A complete review of the NFIP Flood program including new Risk Rating 2.0 changes.

Participants will gain a better understanding of cyber risk exposures and why businesses need cyber liability coverage. They will examine first-party and third-party exposures related to cyber risks, coverage limitations in standard liability policies, and major provisions commonly found in cyber liability insurance policies. They will review solutions that include cyberspace specific products and risk management.

In this session, participants will use real claim examples to discuss problems and possible solutions to Homeowners Policy exclusions that limit or remove coverage for dwellings rented to others, personal liability, co-habitation, motorized vehicles, home-sharing, and ownerships. Participants will also discuss ISO Personal Auto Policy exclusions for furnished vehicles, non-owned autos, and various uses.

Participants will examine the systematic process of identification and coverage analysis when writing insurance to protect commercial clients who enter into contracts or who add additional insured endorsements to their insurance policies. They will analyze significant insurance coverage issues encountered when entering into hold-harmless agreements, indemnification agreements, leases, and construction contracts. They will evaluate the significant difference in contractual liability protection in the Commercial General Liability Policy and Business Auto Policy for a Named Insured, an insured identified in the Who Is An Insured section, and Additional Insured added by endorsement.

Participants examine commercial lines issues that can be troublesome for the insured. They will examine coverages and exclusions provided in the most current ISO Crime, Commercial Property, Businessowners, Commercial General Liability, and Commercial Umbrella forms. They will identify problems and issues with the National Flood Insurance Program.

In this session, participants will understand ethical challenges that insurance professionals face, difference between legal and ethical responsibilities and their fiduciary duties and obligations to the customer, insurer, and peers.

Participants will be introduced to the three major government programs available to most U.S. citizens. They will learn the requirements to qualify for the programs, the benefits these programs have, and the gaps that exist.

ATVs, dirt bikes, Segway, watercraft, and other motorized toys – Oh My! In this session, participants will gain an understanding of exposures for owning and renting recreational vehicles and learn just how much coverage is provided through the ISO Personal Automobile and Homeowners policies – including available endorsements. As well, participants will explore coverage within recreational vehicle policies, motorcycle policies, watercraft policies, and the Personal Umbrella policy.

Using a case study approach, agents will take a closer look at Dependent Properties Time Element Coverage.  They will focus on determining what they currently know, how to identify the need for this coverage, and when changes in the program are required.

Hear a 2-hour overview of Lloyd’s structure and participation as a market for both primary and reinsurance. Learn how Lloyd’s plays a major role in the insurance marketplace globally with specialist syndicates that price and underwrite risk. You’ll also explore the US Excess and Surplus Lines market, as it relates to classes of business and industry needs. Examine how this unique avenue allows consumers with hard-to-place business to buy insurance through the non-admitted market.

Participants will explore Directors and Officers Liability, Employee Benefits Liability, and Fiduciary Liability issues faced by business owners. They will be able to explain why this coverage is needed and learn ways to offer this coverage in the most economical fashion.

Workplace violence is the second leading cause of workplace deaths. It is a significant issue for employers, insurance companies, brokers/agents, and risk managers. Participants will examine the various facets of insurance that come into play for workplace violence. They will identify the types of workplace violence, categories for violence risks, and the industries affected by it. They will examine the insurance response for workplace violence and review the policies and coverages, such as: Workers Compensation, General Liability, Directors & Officers, Errors & Omissions, Employment Practices Liability, Crime, and Cyber.

After an overview of this important insurance product, participants will be able to describe the concepts of why it is needed. They will identify differences in the Garage Coverage Form, the Auto Dealer Coverage Form, and the GarageKeepers Endorsement, including general provisions and exclusions and the relationship to their eligible insureds.

Adjustment of a business income loss is an art rather than a science. A successful conclusion is when a claimant seeks an agreement that the insured has returned as closely as possible to the same financial position that would have existed if no loss had occurred. Examine the business income and extra expense insurance risk analysis process, application completion, worksheet considerations, limit of insurance, coverage issues, and negotiating a loss of income or extra expense claim. Discuss key differences in writing manufacturing and mercantile risks.

Participants will examine the concerns that exist when clients offer property and/or use property of others via popular web-enabled services such as VRBO, Couchsurf, Airbnb, and similar platforms. They will explore the most commonly used Homeowners Coverage forms, Personal Auto Policy, Recreational Vehicle Coverage forms, Watercraft policies, and the endorsements that can be used to provide coverage for these unique exposures. They will better understand the coverage issues that may arise when these items are shared with others.