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Life Health > Health Insurance

The 7 biggest announcements from life and health insurers this week

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The American College of Financial Services, a non-profit educational institution devoted to financial services, announced that General Ralph E. “Ed” Eberhart, USAF (Ret.) will receive the 2015 Soldier-Citizen Award. Eberhart, a retired four-star Air Force General, will receive the award during a ceremony in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in August. 

“General Eberhart followed his illustrious military career with a spectacular career in the financial services industry,” said Ted Digges, the executive director of The American College Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs and Chair of the selection committee. “We are proud to honor such an individual with this award.”

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, General Eberhart’s active duty military career spanned 36 years with his last assignment as Commander, U.S. Northern Command and Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. He is also a command pilot with more than 5,000 flight hours. General Eberhart is currently President and Chairman of The Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA). In addition, he serves as Chairman of 5-Star Bank and 5-Star Life Insurance Company, as well as on the board of several privately and publicly held companies including TERMA, Jacobs Engineering, Rockwell Collins, Triumph Group, VSE, and non-profit organizations such as Segs4Vets. He previously served on the U.S. Air Force Academy Association of Graduates Board of Directors, is currently a Trustee for the Falcon Foundation, and is a director on the board of the USAFA Endowment.

With AgentMethods and Radius, independent insurance agents, small agencies and insurance brokers can build, launch, and customize their insurance websites in minutes, and have a site that is optimized for smartphones, tablets and laptops. And, with the integration of Radius, insurance agents will be able to work their leads, manage clients, track commissions, market prospects and sell products. The integration allows agents to leverage AgentMethods’ drag-and-drop quote form builder to instantly send leads into Radius. All default Radius fields are supported. Additionally, the integration is ‘smart’ and can match customized fields in Radius with their website’s lead forms. The systems are easy to use together while remaining flexible enough to adapt to each agency’s unique requirements.

Assets invested in the global ETF/ETP industry have surpassed the assets invested in the hedge fund industry at the end of Q2 as ETFGI had forecasted. According to their analysis, there was $2.971 trillion invested in the 5,823 ETFs/ETPs listed globally at the end of Q2 2015, assets were down slightly from their record high of $3.015 trillion at the end of May 2015, while assets in the global hedge fund industry, according to a new report published by Hedge Fund Research HFR, reached a new record high of $2.969 trillion invested in 8,497 hedge funds, which is $2 billion smaller than the assets in the global ETF/ETP industry. 

Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America has been elevated from an A- to an A in its issuer credit rating (ICR) performed by A.M. Best Company. Renaissance Dental is the flagship product of Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America.The new “excellent” rating emphasizes Renaissance’s stable financial outlook. It also proves Renaissance can be successful within a changing and increasingly competitive insurance landscape. Renaissance was able to secure the A rating in part because of its product diversification. Renaissance now offers insurance plans that combine dental with vision, life and disability. The ratings are determined by using Best’s Credit Rating Methodology, which provides a comprehensive explanation of A.M. Best’s rating process and contains the rating criteria used in the rating process. Best’s Credit Rating Methodology can be found at www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology

The Hartford enhanced its online benefits quoting platform for small businesses with additional features and benefit plan options, allowing brokers to easily quote policies for small businesses in a matter of minutes.

“We are committed to providing our partners with intuitive tools and training so brokers can offer consultative service and comprehensive coverage to their customers,” said Donato Monaco, vice president of The Hartford Small Business Benefits Solutions. “We recognize agents want real-time quote proposals and automation to service their small business customers more efficiently.”

The Hartford’s quoting platform allows brokers to tailor group benefit plans for businesses with four to 49 employees and receive rates and proposals instantly. The online platform’s enhancements include:

  • Hundreds of additional industries;
  • Benefit maximums that are twice as high as previously available; and
  • An option to pay for premium with a credit card.

To help brokers leverage the quoting platform, The Hartford has dedicated training professionals and online tutorials. Producers currently appointed with The Hartford can access the platform through the Producer View website. Click here to connect with one of The Hartford’s small business sales representatives.

Babic Insurance Agency recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in business. The independent insurance agency specializes in personal insurance, which includes auto, life and home, as well as commercial insurance, which focuses on liability, property and workers’ compensation. “Our service, combined with our insurance industry knowledge, is an asset to our customers,” said Babic Insurance Agency owner Anton Babic. “I have lived in St. Louis Metro East communities for more than 35 years, so I understand what the people in these communities need in terms of products offered by top rated companies.” Babic Insurance Agency is a member of Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of nearly 100 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Southern Illinois that is headquartered in Clayton, Mo.

O’Connor Insurance recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in business. The company, which was founded by Robert O’Connor and is located in Illinois, specializes in a variety of insurance services including auto, homeowners, business, life, health and financial. The company also focuses on insurance for condominiums and community associations. O’Connor Insurance is a member of Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of nearly 100 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Southern Illinois.


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