Business activity and the MAP … covered or not … 2016 MAP creates more problems for the independent contractor

Business activity and the MAP … covered or not … 2016 MAP creates more problems for the independent contractor By Irene Morrill, CPCU, CIC, ARM, CRM, LIA, CRIS, CPIW  – VP of Technical Affairs, MAIA  

Agents Travel to Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington DC

Agents Travel to Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington DC Agents from MAIA traveled to Washington DC to participate in the Big ‘I’ Legislative Conference. The MAIA delegation included members of the Board of Directors, Government Affairs Committee, Young Agents Committee and Association Leadership. The group took part in the conference, and took time on…

Meet a Young Agent – Mike Dye

Meet a Young Agent – Mike Dye Meet a Young Agent – YAC Co-Chair – Mike Dye 2018 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Young Agents Committee! Yes, partially because I’ve been selected to Co-Chair the committee with our veteran leader, Paul Ostrander, but mostly because we have 6 new and…

YAC Trivia Night is April 24th

YAC Trivia Night is April 24th  

Phone Upgrade at MAIA Thursday & Friday, April 12 & 13

Phone Upgrade at MAIA Thursday & Friday, April 12 & 13 Brief PSA to Our Valued Members MAIA is installing a new phone system on Thursday and Friday of this week. 

RMV: Limited Term Licenses

RMV: Limited Term Licenses Do you have customers that have a Massachusetts X or A license number? Typically, a person has up to one (1) year to drive in the United States on a valid foreign license as long as they are from one the following countries as listed in in Appendix A of the Massachusetts Driver’s…

WC News: Notice of DOI Hearing

WC News: Notice of DOI Hearing The Division of Insurance (DOI) has issued a notice of hearing to be held at 10:00 am on May 3, 2018 at the DOI in Hearing Room 1-E, 1000 Washington Street, Boston, MA.

Eastern Insurance Delivers on “Join Us For Good” Slogan

Eastern Insurance Delivers on “Join Us For Good” Slogan It’s no coincidence that the corporate slogan of Eastern Insurance Group LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastern Bank, is, “Join Us For Good.” They have been making charitable contributions to their communities through their parent company and its charitable foundation, Eastern Bank and the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, since 1999.…

WCRIB Announces Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease

WCRIB Announces Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease A March 23rd WCRIB Bulletin announced the Division of Insurance approval of a general revision of rates which will take effect on July 1, 2018.

CAR News – Decision to Amend Rule 2 Takes Effect

CAR News – Decision to Amend Rule 2 Takes Effect CAR has  reported in Bulletin 1048 that  proposed changes to Rule 2 have taken effect on March 29, 2018.

Consider Serving on MAIA’s Board of Directors

Consider Serving on MAIA’s Board of Directors A myriad of challenges face the independent agency system here in Massachusetts, as well as nationally. The explosion of M&A activity, increasing market share of direct writers, and the influx of direct to consumer insurtech products have accelerated the pace of change in the industry.  As a result,…

ACT News – ACT Seeks Agent Input on IoT

ACT News – ACT Seeks Agent Input on IoT The Agents Council on Technology, will be taking a deeper dive into the risk factors associated with  the Internet of Things or IoT.  ACT’s Changing Nature of Risk Work Group is seeking individuals who want to partake in the discussion and be involved in crafting a revised document on…

MassAHU Presents Benefest 2018

MassAHU Presents Benefest 2018 MassAHU is proud to present the 2018 BENEFEST on May 3, 2018 at the Double Tree Hotel in Westborough, MA.

Renting an Auto on Vacation (putting it all together for the last time…or not)

Renting an Auto on Vacation (putting it all together for the last time…or not) By Irene Morrill, CPCU, CIC, ARM, CRM, LIA, CRIS, CPIW  – VP of Technical Affairs, MAIA   

RMV: New Driver’s License & ID Card Types

RMV: New Driver’s License & ID Card Types REAL ID & Standard Credentials Will be Offered Starting March 26, 2018 Get to know the difference between the newly offered REAL ID and standard credentials that will be available beginning on March 26th. Remember that current cards will be valid until expiration, but anyone renewing or…

RMV: New Dealer Plate Decal Types

RMV: New Dealer Plate Decal Types Beginning on March 21, 2018, the Section 5 Division of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will be issuing two new Dealer Plate Decal types:     

RMV: Information for Runners on Lawful Presence

RMV: Information for Runners on Lawful Presence The MA RMV has provided some guidance to runners with regard to the new requirements concerning “lawful presence”. 

RMV: Lawful Presence Requirement Letter

RMV: Lawful Presence Requirement Letter On March 26, 2018, in accordance with state law, all Massachusetts vehicle and trailer owners unable to present either a driver’s license, a valid Massachusetts ID, or a Social Security Number (SSN), will be required to prove lawful presence in the United States prior to being able to process a…

National Alliance Outstanding CSR of the Year Nominations

National Alliance Outstanding CSR of the Year Nominations

REMINDER: RMV ATLAS End User Spreadsheet Due Today (3/16)

REMINDER: RMV ATLAS End User Spreadsheet Due Today (3/16) Reminder for insurance agencies that will be accessing RMV data using the ATLAS eServices Portal: You must complete the End User Spreadsheet.

Attleboro Service Center Hours Change

Attleboro Service Center Hours Change Effective March 15th, the hours of the Attleboro RMV Service Center are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The service center will no longer be closed from noon to 1 p.m.  All other services remain the same in the Attleboro Service Center.

Updated Company Auto Insurance Filings – March 2018

Updated Company Auto Insurance Filings – March 2018

NY Cybersecurity Regulation Updates

NY Cybersecurity Regulation Updates Our friends at The Big I New York have shared information with us regarding recent notices from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) related to the Cybersecurity Rules in New York. This notice is specifically for MA agents who are also licensed in New York State and subject to…

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 14th

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 14th UPDATE for Closures on Wednesday, March 14th: MAIA’s Milford Office will have a delayed open at 10 am. The Component and RMV Stream classes are both cancelled for tomorrow. We will be in touch with all registrants to reschedule.

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 13th

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 13th  MAIA will be closed due to inclement weather on Tuesday, March 13th.

RMV: Change To Payments that Do Not Cover the Full Amount

RMV: Change To Payments that Do Not Cover the Full Amount Payments that Do Not Cover the Full Amount  Effective March 26, 2018:

Changes to RMV’s Southbridge Service Center

Changes to RMV’s Southbridge Service Center Effective March 14, 2018 the Southbridge Service Center will be changing their levels of service.  Previously, two Live Transactions per Q-Matick Ticket all day (unlimited transactions) have been allowed.

Leominster RMV Opens Business-to-Business Center (B2B) on March 14th

Leominster RMV Opens Business-to-Business Center (B2B) on March 14th New Business-to-Business Center (B2B) Opens at RMV Leominster Service Center

Read Up on REAL ID

Read Up on REAL ID Get to know REAL ID – There are New Requirements for Massachusetts  Driver’s Licenses  The following information has been taken from the mass.gov guide to Real ID and should help answer questions about who needs a REAL ID, what is required, and relevant dates.   

A Bear-Raising Time for Mid-State Insurance Agency!

A Bear-Raising Time for Mid-State Insurance Agency! For years now, Mid-State Insurance Agency has done a beary great job helping to alleviate the stress and pain faced by kids during disasters, accidents and other emergency situations through the creation of Bears on Board, Inc. This non-profit, founded by Mid-State owners, Jim and Paul Pietro, provides…

ATLAS Training Links Available

ATLAS Training Links Available   ATLAS Training Schedule – Links Available MAIA is helping to spread the word about the RMV’s training schedule for ATLAS. MAIA has been asked to share this information with our members and asks that you please forward this message to all of your colleagues who will access the RMV’s system…

2018 Robert C. Dwelly Scholarship & Edward B. Caulkins Scholarship Applications

2018 Robert C. Dwelly Scholarship & Edward B. Caulkins Scholarship Applications Do you know an individual interested in earning their CIC or CISR designation? Encourage them to apply for the 2018 Robert C. Dwelly Scholarship (CIC) or the 2018 Edward B. Caulkins Scholarship (CISR).  

RMV Closure to Take Place March 22nd – 26th

RMV Closure to Take Place March 22nd – 26th   RMV Services & System Access Unavailable from 7 p.m. on March 22 until 8 a.m. on March 26

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 8th

Weather & Closure Updates  for March 8th  

User Credentials for ATLAS eServices Portal

User Credentials for ATLAS eServices Portal The following communication is from the Massachusetts RMV and is intended ONLY for insurance agencies that will be accessing RMV data using the ATLAS eServices Portal. You may also review the communication as sent from the RMV. 

REMINDER: Sign and Return RMV Access Agreement by March 5th

REMINDER: Sign and Return RMV Access Agreement by March 5th This notice is intended for those who HAVE NOT yet returned their signed Access Agreement. Please see the message below from the RMV regarding signed access agreements for the new ATLAS system. Thank you to those agents who have already returned their agreements. There is no…

NFIP Alert – Storm and Coastal Flooding Forecast Friday – Saturday

NFIP Alert – Storm and Coastal Flooding Forecast Friday – Saturday They say March comes in like a lion …  A significant winter storm is expected in the region Friday and Saturday. While snow foercasts have varied widely in the past few days, the coastal impact for flooding could be significant.

Save the Date – Young Agents Golf Tournament

Save the Date – Young Agents Golf Tournament The Young Agents Committee is looking forward to hosting the 7th Annual Invitational Golf Tournament on Wednesday, June 27th at Pine Hills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. Registration opens the first week of April for this sell-out event!

2018 Phillip J. Farrell Memorial Scholarship Application 

2018 Phillip J. Farrell Memorial Scholarship Application  Do you know a graduating high school senior who’s entering college in the fall? Encourage them to apply for the 2018 Phillip J. Farrell Memorial Scholarship. 

WC News: WCRIB Special Bulletins on Residual Market Loss Ratio and Burden Estimate

WC News: WCRIB Special Bulletins on Residual Market Loss Ratio and Burden Estimate