KERI MORRELL,
CIC, AAI, AIS, ASLI, CISR, CPSR, CPIW, DAE

I sincerely hope that everyone will enjoy a relaxing and joyful holiday season.  I know that I am looking forward to a few extra days off to enjoy with family and just get some “down time”.  Our Christmas Party this year was quite enjoyable to host.  I haven’t done the full decorating thing at my house for several years and it really helped to put me in the spirit of the season.

I’m sure the new year will bring many changes to the insurance industry, especially following the last two years of devastating hurricane seasons.  Be on the look out for higher deductibles in both commercial and personal insurance.  Also, many commercial carriers are now filing for 2% or $2,500 (whichever is greater) wind and hail deductibles.  We must be diligent in observing these policy and coverage differences and documenting them to our clients.  One thing you can be sure of is that the insurance industry will continually challenge you with changes.

Happy Holidays!!!

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale announced a mediation program on Wednesday December 21, 2005 The program is for homeowners battling insurance companies in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  For months, staff at the Insurance Department researched a similar program in Florida.  Residents in south Mississippi have complained that insurance payments are too small and that flood damage is not covered.  Homeowners were surprised their coverage did not include flooding.  Some homeowners are suing their insurers for coverage.  Dale has said that he hopes this program limits the number of lawsuits.  Under the Florida program, a consumer files a complaint, and the policyholder and the insurance company have 21 days to strike a deal.  It they do not agree within that time frame, the parties then meet with a mediator to settle.

Life and Health Licenses Are Now Renewable Online

Life and Health producers and agencies are now able to renew their licenses on-line.  Go to www.sircon.com “For Agents/Producers” and follow the procedures.

Resident producers requiring continuing education may fax a copy of their CE certificates to (601) 359-1951.  Non-resident producers are no longer required to submit a Letter of Certification from their home state insurance department.

Website Access Now Available

Access to the current license and appointment information on Agents, Agencies and Companies is now available on the Mississippi Insurance Department website.  Go to www.doi.state.ms.us.
And click on the “Agency/Agent/Company search.”  This link is updated every night.

NAIC Producer Database

The Mississippi Insurance Department is now submitting daily license and appointment information to the NAIW Producer Database.  The process usually takes two days after the license/appointment information is entered before it displays on the Producer Database.

License Renewals

Be advised that as of July 25,2005 Property & Casualty, Bail Bond, Adjuster and Title Licenses that have not been renewed for 2005 are now in INACTIVE status.  These licenses can only be renewed effective the first day of the month the application is submitted.  A 50% penalty fee is required if the license is not renewed during the month in which it is due.

Insurance Claims Paid in MS Near $7 Billion Mark

Commissioner of Insurance George Dale announced that as of Friday December 16, 2005, insurance companies have paid out nearly $7 billion in hurricane related claims for Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

The National Flood Insurance Program has now paid over $1.5 billion in claims.

The approximate total for claims paid now stands at $6,829,792,100.

Those numbers continue to rise as the Mississippi Insurance Department continues to work with companies and consumers on hurricane related issues.

As of Friday December 16, 2005 there have approximately 502,193 total claims filed.  Of those 497,793 claims filed on Hurricane Katrina and over 4,400 claims filed on Hurricane Rita.

In the three hardest hit coastal counties, over 141,000 claims have been filed, with nearly $2 billion paid in claims in those counties alone, the approximate total for claims paid in the three coastal counties is $1,947,791,008.

In Jackson County there have been over 45,000 claims filed and over $432 million in claims paid.

In Hancock County there have been over 24,000 claims files and over $350 million in claims paid.

In Harrison County there have been over 72,000 claims filed and over $1.1 billion in claims paid.

These figures do not include flood claims.

Mississippi homeowners and business owners with properties damaged by Hurricane Katrina were told by Attorney General Jim Hood that they have legal protections from foreclosure.

Hood told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger a 1980 state law requires all foreclosures to be filed in Chancery Court.

The court can delay foreclosure for up to two years, if the landowner pays a reasonable "carrying charge" instead of mortgage payments.

Landowners must swear they cannot pay the amount in arrears, has been unable to refinance the mortgage, and the property has lost more than 15 percent of its value because of disaster damage.

The court may then allow the landowner to pay a reasonable "carrying charge" instead of mortgage payments.

Hood advises landowners with property subject to foreclosure to consult a private attorney.

Visit Hood's Web site at www.ago.state.ms.us for details.

If the Hurricane Recovery Assistance Bill survives the U.S. Senate, Mississippi could receive a significant share of the $29 billion assistance, according to Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.

The House of Representatives approved the bill, which was tied to defense spending. It was uncertain whether the recovery bill had enough votes to pass after Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, attached a measure to the legislation that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling.

Democrats have long opposed any measures to open up the refuge for oil drilling. This move could delay much-needed federal financial help for Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, say some on Capitol Hill.

The bill includes $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants that, according to Cochran spokesperson Jenny Manley, will be used by Gov. Haley Barbour to provide assistance to homeowners whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane's storm surge.

State and local law enforcement are tapped to receive $125 million. The money supports law enforcement in the Katrina-damaged areas. It also includes a provision for paying for additional officers in areas that have experienced a sudden population increase because of hurricane evacuees.
The bill includes:
* $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants to spur economic development and help homeowners without flood insurance rebuild or repair their homes.
* $4.4 billion for storm-related Defense Department expenses and facility damage.
* $2.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers to continue storm and flood repairs
* $2.8 billion to repair damaged roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
* $1.6 billion for education, including $645 million for schools that took in students, $750 million for schools affected by the hurricanes and $200 million for higher education.

Hurricane Katrina victims seeking federal temporary housing assistance reportedly do not need to complete a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application to be considered for such assistance.

Temporary housing assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does not require that an applicant file for an SBA loan. FEMA's temporary housing assistance is available to applicants displaced from their pre-disaster primary residence or whose residence has been rendered uninhabitable as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina.

Assistance is also contingent on an applicant's insurance coverage and whether it provides for housing needs. But in no case will an SBA loan application be required for temporary housing assistance.

Eligibility determinations for applicants requesting FEMA's temporary housing assistance will not be held up because the applicant has or has not filled out an SBA loan application, or has filled out such an application incorrectly, unnecessarily or superfluously. FEMA will process applications for housing assistance regardless of whether the applicant has applied for an SBA loan.

The only FEMA assistance program that requires an applicant to complete an SBA loan application is FEMA's Other Needs Assistance program. This program covers disaster-related costs such as furniture, medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses, and transportation expenses. An applicant will not be considered for other needs assistance until they have applied and been denied by SBA.

The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to qualified homeowners, renters, landlords, certain private non-profit organizations and businesses of any size that sustained losses due to the disaster. These loans are designed for disaster victims who are either uninsured or not fully covered by insurance.

SBA loans are the primary source of long-term recovery assistance. Actual loan amounts and terms are determined by the SBA and based on each applicant's financial condition.

"Taking on a loan probably isn't the first thing that folks think of when they're recovering from a disaster," FEMA Acting Director R. David Paulison said. "But there are strong advantages to an SBA loan. First, it is tied to the lowest possible interest rate to make recovery as affordable as possible. Second, an SBA loan lets you decide what to do with your money; you set the priorities for how it will be spent."

The SBA also makes mitigation funds available to many disaster victims who have already been approved for low-interest disaster loans. SBA funds are intended to help borrowers by offering an increase up to 20 percent of their approved physical loan amount to help pay for mitigation measures.

As essential aspect of quality leadership is effective communication. In Leaders Talk Leadership: Top Executives Speak Their Minds, the authors Meredith D. Ashby and Stephen A. Miles point out that being a good communicator involves more than having the ability to deliver a visionary statement that inspires people. Leaders must be open and honest about what they do and thinks.

Leading others has never been an easy undertaking. During these difficult times the challenges for leaders are far greater and run deeper throughout the association. Effective communication establishes trust, vision, hope, pride, security and faith – all ingredients necessary during good times, but even more so when turbulent times filled with potential bad news lie ahead.

An article in the November 2003 issue of Association Management, published by the American Society of Association Executives, identifies 10 communication tips that make for effective leadership, especially in hard times.

1. Think before speaking. In tough times people will not only hold onto every word a leader says, but they will also expend energy to sort out precisely what leaders are not saying. Leaders need to tailor the message so that a clear picture of the issues is presented to the audience in a meaningful and controlled way.

2. Stay focused by combining the short- and long-term pictures. Leaders need to be effective at sorting through the real issues. By pointing out past challenges and using specific examples to underscore their message, leaders remind others that they will pull through this time as well as in the past.

3. Handle emotions effectively. Leaders need to be fluid. Leaders cannot leave or display how angry or frustrated they are. If they do, they become part of the problem.

4. Be hopeful, instill hope, and do something. Leaders need to link their messages to the broader mission or vision of the organization. Leaders need to present a clear plan of how they can achieve desired end results. Leaders need to offer a positive approach for dealing with bad news.

5. Recognize that quality gossip is good. When bad news needs to be delivered, people appreciate an informal heads-up in advance of a more formal gathering. This provides an opportunity for people to talk among themselves and to console each other and maybe even come up with some effective tactics.

6. Be transparent when answering questions. Use simple language, address issues upfront and be willing to admit unfamiliarity or ignorance of certain questions.

7. Point out successes in a timely manner. Leaders need to not only announce any successes, but link the success to the goal or vision of the organization.

8. Follow through on commitments. One essential way to build and foster trust is to follow through on commitments, particularly as they relate to the vision and mission of the organization.

9. Listen well. Listen for more than what’s being said; pay attention to what’s not being said and try to spot unspoken expectations that are not clearly communicated verbally or in writing. It’s about picking up on what people are thinking, how they are acting and what they are not necessarily verbalizing.

10. Avoid surprises. Keep everyone informed and up to date on issues and address questions before they become problems.

Are you trying to work on a designation and keep your desk at work at clear?  Here are some time management tips that will help you!
· Take the time to plan and organize. Take a few minutes every day to examine your calendar
· Break large assignments and tasks into their component parts. For example, break a term paper into many smaller and more manageable tasks such as finding a topic, conducting literature searches, gathering articles and books, reading and taking notes, writing an outline, writing the first draft, and revising.
· Set goals and deadlines for yourself. Set realistic deadlines for each stage of completing a major assignment.
· Prioritize your lists and tasks. Look over all that you need to complete and decide what's most important.
· Be flexible. While daily to-do lists are wonderful for helping you to organize and prioritize your life, remember that there will always be interruptions and distractions.
· Go with your.  Save your most difficult work for the times when you're at your best.
· Say "No." Sometim flowes we take on too much. Whether it's extra courses, job responsibilities, or extracurricular activities, consider how important each is to you before agreeing.
· Make use of wasted time. Have you ever noticed how much time you spend commuting, standing in lines, and waiting (for doctors, advisors, etc.)? Carry pocket work to make use of that time that would otherwise be wasted. Carry a short reading assignment or flash cards for studying. Or use the time to write in your planner and organize yourself. Ten minutes here, fifteen minutes later, it all adds up and you'll find that you can get more done.

The benefits of keeping a journal have been scientifically proven. Journaling can be an effective tool for stress management and personal growth. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

1. Buy a Journal.  This seems like the obvious first step. However, what kind of journal you purchase is important. You can choose from the most beautiful blank books you can find, to a more functional notebook, to your computer. If you go with the blank book option, you can decide between lined or blank pages, with a variety of pens. Use your book to reflect your creativity, or go with functionality first.

2. Set Aside Time. One of the most difficult aspects of journaling is not the journaling itself, but finding time to write. It’s important to block off about twenty minutes each day to write.

3. Begin Writing.  Don’t think about what to say; just begin writing, and the words should come.

4. Write About Thoughts and Feelings. As you write, don’t just vent negative emotions or catalog events; write about your feelings, but also your thoughts surrounding emotional events. (Research shows much greater benefits from journaling when participants write about emotional issues from a mental and emotional framework.) Relive events emotionally, and try to construct solutions and ‘find the lesson’. Using both aspects of yourself helps you process the event and find solutions to problems.

5. Keep Your Journal Private.  If you’re worried that someone else may read your journal, you’re much more likely to self-censor, and you won’t achieve the same benefits from writing.

Instead of making New Years resolutions, I offer you a list of top five lifestyle changes to make your life a little less stressful.

Maintain An Organized Living Space: A cluttered environment can literally drain your energy and cause additional stress! Conversely, a beautifully decorated, soothing environment can be a haven where you can escape from the stressors in your life.

Learn to Organize Your Time: By keeping a schedule learning to say no to excessive demands on your time, and utilizing shortcuts in your life, you’ll be less frantic, and have more time to do the things that energize and de-stress. You’ll also have more time to do things that you enjoy in life.

Cultivate A Supportive Social Circle: Those with a supportive social circle, or even just one close friend or partner to talk to and lean on in times of crisis, enjoy healthier, less stressful lives. (And they have more fun!) If you make the commitment to meet more people, and better develop the relationships you have, you’ll find that the payoff is more than worth the effort.

Take Care of Your Body: If your body is healthy and in good repair, you’re better able to handle stressors in your life. However, an unhealthy body can cause great amounts of additional stress.

Renew Your Spirit: We carry stress in our bodies, and hold it in our minds, so a stressful experience can stay with and keep affecting us after the actual experience has ended. Managing stress in your daily life can be much easier on your mental, physical and emotional state if you take regular breaks from it.

If  lifestyle changes are stressing you out, here is a list of the top ten tension reducing activities that you can try:

Breathing Exercises.

Meditation.

Guided Imagery.

Visualizations.

Self-Hypnosis.

Massage.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

Sex.

Music.

Yoga.

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown

I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary