Sportsmanlike Conduct

Agents score for clients with the NFL's financial planner program

Best's Review cover: Sportsmanlike Conduct Sportsmanlike Conduct
NFL players know football, but need help handing their sudden wealth. The result: a union-sponsored designation program that may be duplicated in other sports leagues. By Ron Panko. Agent/Broker. Page 35.

Designations, Designators & Degrees
Insurance professionals have opportunities to increase their knowledge of the industry through classes leading to an insurance designation and programs leading to a degree. Agent/Broker. Page 41.

Up in Smoke
Are wellness programs causing federal ERISA protections to slowly fade away? By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Regulatory/Law. Page 54.

A Different Spin
The Unum plan is proactive rather than reactive; employees are not penalized for off-duty behaviors, but rather rewarded for avoiding self-destructive behaviors. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Regulatory/Law. Page 55.

Coming Up Short
Renovations and pricey personal items are contributing to the undervaluation of insured American homes. By Ron Panko. Property/Casualty. Page 58.

Spend Some Time Putting Out Fires
Agents and brokers should offer tops to their home-owning customers that reduce the risks of wildfire damage. By Scott Spencer. Property/Casualty. Page 63.

A Record Year?
'U.S. Tornado - Catastrophe Review' reveals that the number of twisters in the first quarter of 2008 has surpassed the previous four-year average. By Joe Niedzielski, Carole Ann King, Stephen Brown Klinger. Property/Casualty. Page 65.

Breaking with Tradition
Millions of wealthy niche households go begging for savvy financial advisers. By Walter H. Zultowski. Life. Page 66.

Prime Time
The onslaught of retiring baby boomers will change not only the way life insurers design products, but also the face of their work force. By Steven Callahan. Life. Page 69.

Rules vs. Judgment
A swing toward rules-based underwriting may influence an underwriter's judgment. By Hank George. Life. Page 73.

Hire Power
Filling a senior management post demands a professional talent search. By Susan De Baker. Agent/Broker. Page 74.

Musical Chairs
Brokers and insurers must fight to retain their clients when key employees leave. By Meg Green. Agent/Broker. Page 76.

Key Poaching Lawsuits
Whether seeking restitution or temporary restraining orders, lawsuits brought by insurance companies and brokers against rivals for allegedly poaching employees are plentiful. By Meg Green. Agent/Broker. Page 77.

Wisdom Teeth
Insurers look for ways to keep the bite in binding arbitration. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Property/Casualty. Page 80.

When All Else Fails . . .
There are two basic types of arbitration involving insurance: intercompany arbitration and arbitration for injury claims, said Dennis Baus, president of Premier Arbitration of Cumming, Ga. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Property/Casualty. Page 82.

Change in the Air
Life reinsurers try new strategies and products to offset declining ceded premiums and other market changes. By Meg Green. Reinsurance/Capital Markets. Page 84.

Adjusting to Change
Pending Florida legislation will change how public adjusters conduct business. By Philip C. Silverberg, Ira S. Bergman. Regulatory/Law. Page 88.

The Out-of-Towners
Proposed Florida House Bill 661, which deals with public adjuster conduct, also addresses the problem of nonresidents who come to Florida after a storm and set up shop. By Philip C. Silverberg, Ira S. Bergman. Regulatory/Law. Page 89.

New Exposures Reach Sky-High
When overly eager prosecutors pursue aviation clients, who pays for their costly defense? By Richard M. Dunn, Paige B. Segrera. Regulatory/Law. Page 91.

No Final Answer
A recent court decision raises the question: When will asbestos claims end? By Tancred V. Schiavoni III, David Marden. Regulatory/Law. Page 92.

No Final Answer
Sidebar: A.M. Best Statement on Asbestos By A. M. Best Special Report. Regulatory/Law. Page 94.

IT 'To Do' List
Business growth will drive tech spending for the next two years, report top insurance information technology executives. By Lori Chordas. Technology. Page 95.

All in the Game
Here's why technology architecture matters to business executives. By Mark McLaughlin. Technology. Page 100.

Stack Market
Employers now offer consumer-driven health care plans that feature 'hybrid' benefits. By Jerry L. Ripperger. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 102.

An Opportunity Waiting to Happen
Disability Insurance Awareness Month is a good time for producers to speak to their clients about this important financial protection. By Marvin H. Feldman. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 104.

Risks, Rewards and Shifting Paradigms
From the mortgage crisis to worldwide pandemics to climate change, insurers face an expanding catalog of perils. By Frank J. Coyne. Property/Casualty. Page 107.

The $7 Million Nose Job
An expert wine tester has his gifted proboscis insured by Lloyd's. By Robert O'Connor. Property/Casualty. Page 108.

Gift of Good Health
A first-of-its-kind gift card helps recipients pay health, wellness and personal care expenses. By Lori Chordas. The Last Word. Page 112.

Career Wise
How can an organization address the industry's shrinking pool of available talent? By Gregory P. Jacobson. Briefing. Page 18.

IT Tell-All
Best's Review recently surveyed 135 top insurance information technology professionals about what they see as their top priorities for 2008 and 2009. By Lori Chordas. Technology. Page 98.

Health and Retirement Benefit Trends
Employers increasingly use benefits packages to gain a competitive edge in recruiting By Meg Green. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 39.

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