Having the right people in a company cannot be underestimated! And having everyone on the same page is crucial. Everyone needs to know the goal, the strategy and their role or results are compromised.

In yesterday's Super Bowl we got to watch two teams of excellent athletes compete for the coveted title of Super Bowl Champion. The goal was clear. Part of the strategy for the Saints was to keep the ball from the talented quarterback Peyton Manning. We got to watch two excellent quarterb… Continue

Why do some Business Professionals perform better than others? Do you want to be know as a "Successful Business Woman/Man"? I bet - YOU DO.

The Success Formula used by successful business professionals is the way in which they Build their Prospect Lists. Online Lead Generation is the latest trend used by business professionals. They hunt for prospects, do in-depth research on them and finally approach them. The easiest way to build prospect lists is by leveraging the… Continue

Are you an employee benefits provider or working with retiring boomers? If so, you should be talking to us about the ONLY low cost immedaite annuity program available in the US. We have a program that features 8-10 carriers offering institutional pricing and lower than retail commisions. This program is a great solution for companies that offer a defined contribution program and would like to assist their retiring employees in identifying a way to create their own pension. Their is pending legis… Continue

The insurance laws and statutes of most states, over the years, have prohibited actions such as rebates, and misleading advertising. Many states, i.e. NY, NJ include prohibiting advertising such as SAVE, DISCOUNT, SALE, and have prohibited COMPARISON unless reasonably documented and accurate. Life Ins.Cos are required to make full comparisons on well prepared forms before inducing the client to change Insurance carriers. SO WHAT IS THIS STUFF WE SEE EVERY DAY ON THE TUBE, IN PRINT, ON BILLBOARDS… Continue

In his now famous book "The Big Switch" Nicholas Carr puts forth an hypothesis that computing as a utility is the new wave. He draws the analogy to the development of the electrical grid and the movement away from a generator for every business. By the end of the book you are supposed to feel that we are being inextricably drawn to this new world by hidden forces that resemble Adam Smith's invisible hand. Well yes and no. It may be simple economics and a dose of new enabling technologies. Beside… Continue

Without question, Google is the sultan of Internet search, used for roughly 72% of all searches.

In another move towards a smarter Internet, Google recently announced a groundbreaking addition to its search results called Social Search (you will need a Google account to use). Once an account is set up, users create a profile linking all of their social media outlets to the account. Whenever t… Continue

Insurance Fraud and Insurance Claims Expert, Barry Zalma, explains that it is not only not nice to lie to your insurance company, it is fatal. In the February 1, 2010 issue of Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) Mr. Zalma debunks the claims that the use of the equitable remedy of rescission is a form of post-loss underwriting designed to refuse legitimate claims. In Nieto v. Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Co., No. B214669 (Cal.App. Dist.2 01/19/2010) the insurer’s right… Continue

The thought of suiting up, commuting and sitting in an office for eight hours a day is the definition of agony for many young professionals. Millennials, Generation Y, people born from 1974-1980; whatever you want to call them, this segment has been exposed to the internet and mobile communication for most of their professional lives. And for many, this exposure has instilled a sense of connectivity carried from work to home to play.

In referring to Millennials, an article on Brighthub.com stat… Continue

It is now apparent "we the people" has been heard. The people of Massachusetts made it very clear. They announced to President Obama and the Congressional Congress "no" to the Health Care take-over.Scott Browns victory in Massachusetts sends a message to Washington, let me be the 41st vote against health care takeover. This battle is not over. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are already considering trying to jam the heath care takeover through before Senator-elect Brown can be seated. On… Continue

Cast your vote here --

http://polls.linkedin.com/p/74392/wvzhz

Thanks,
Susan Douglas
Solomark Associates

The new issue of our publication, The CIMA Letter (www.cimaworld.com/cimaletter) includes a look back at the factors that kept the property and casualty market from hardening in 2009 -- despite predictions that it would -- and some observations to support our view (shared by many) that not much will change in the months ahead.

We also have an article on older workers and safety issues. More are postponing retirement for a variety of reasons, and… Continue

FHA Press release

In an effort to stabilize home values, HUD Secretary Donovan announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties.

HUD will allow FHA financing for buyers of REO property. This is a temporary waiver of policy, good for one year. The hope is that it will help… Continue

A 25-year-old male non-smoker has a 24 percent chance of having a critical illness (cancer, heart attack or stroke) prior to turning age 65. The same-aged male who smokes has a 49 percent chance according to the first National Critical Illness Risk Assessment Study published by the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.

"Cancer, heart attacks and strokes happen at all ages and most people are not prepared fo… Continue

A guest post by Robyn Sharp Captive Agents

The concept of developing a brand for your business has been around for a long time. But branding has changed over the last few years as blogging, internet marketing, and social media have grown. A business can’t just have a nice logo and a good tagline and call it a day. You must get creative and make your business unique fro… Continue

YOU probably serve on a board; you have a favorite charity. Here's what CEOs are thinking about YOUR favorite charity for 2010

Fixed-Rates Down Slightly While ARMs Are Mixed

30-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 5.06 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 14, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 5.09 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.96 percent.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.45 percent with an average 0.6 point , down from last week when it averaged 4.50 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.65 percent.… Continue

I would like to see the major health care insurance providers cover more non traditional therapies like Massage and Acupuncture, and allow broader coverage with Chiropractic. It has been scientifically proven that these so called "non traditional" therapies usually secure better results for their patients than the "traditional" treatments.

The Non traditional therapies cause less stress on the body and help the body to heal itself without all the exposure to drugs or chemicals. Many people woul… Continue

As unemployment remains at 10% the temptation to commit fraud to avoid car payments, mortgage payments or simply to make a little dishonest money becomes unbearable. Barry Zalma, a California based insurance coverage lawyer, insurance fraud expert and consultant calls on insurers to be vigilant and report to the insurer’s SIU whenever three or more red flags of fraud are discovered. In the current issue of Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (“ZIFL”) Mr. Zalma explains the importance of insurer vigil… Continue

Does anyone know of an individual who may be interested in this position in Southeast Florida? INSURANCE ACCOUNTING MANAGER. This is a newly created position for a well established existing P & C insurance company. Requires Property & Casualty Insurance Accounting experience, including statutory reporting and GAAP. Additionally, SEC and Corporate Income Tax experience is also desired. Salary is negotiable based on experience and could possibly go to $95K or so, and provides excellent ben… Continue

Happy 2010 everyone! As an independent agent, not only do you have personal resolutions to make, but business resolutions as well. To help you come up with some great ideas, we surveyed our top producers and asked them what their resolutions are for 2010. Here are the top five resolutions you need to make for 2010:

Get More Education – We are all constantly bombarded with new government regulations, technology, products, and so forth. In the Information Age, what you don’t know is a significant… Continue