Paul Sheaffer Wins Producer Of The Month for April

Congratulations to Paul Sheaffer of the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency for being the April Producer of the Month!

In second was J.P. Geise of Doty & Hench and in third was John Eltringham from HMK. Year-to-date standings have Kenny Serfass of Miers Insurance remaining in first place and Paul Sheaffer keeping second place and Tyler Eberly of Harding-Yost holding third.

Next Generation Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance moves back up to first place with Trey Minskey of Christian-Baker Company moving into second place and Tim Flood of AIA slips back to third.

Diversification Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance continues his leads with J.P. Geise of Doty & Hench in second. Gene Nosovitch of HMK moves up to third.

Commercial Lines Agency of the Year
Harding-Yost continues to leads this category with HMK and AIA in the number two and three spots.

Personal Lines Agency of the Year
HMK moves up to the number one spot pushing Christian-Baker to second place with Zinn Insurance remaining in third.

Ryan Amey Promoted to Miers Insurance Vice President

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Ryan L. Amey of Emmaus, PA has been promoted to Vice President of Miers Insurance.

A graduate of Emmaus High School and the East Stroudsburg University, Ryan has over eighteen years of sales and management experience in Commercial Insurance and Agency Leadership positions. He will be responsible for Sales Training and Development, Recruiting and Administrative Roles.

Established in 1892, Miers Insurance, for 128 years has provided Insurance Brokerage, Risk Management, and Employee Benefit programs and services for businesses, families and institutions throughout the Lehigh Valley and Eastern Pennsylvania. As a member of The Insurance Alliance Network, Miers Insurance represents over 70 major insurance companies and has working relationships with international brokerage firms operating out of its office located at 2222 South 12th Street, Allentown.

Producer Of The Month Title Goes to Kenny Serfass (Again)

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Congratulations to Kenny Serfass of Miers Insurance, who took the Producer of the Month title for March, his second month in a row.

In second was John Eltringham of HMK and in third was Todd Collins also from HMK. 

Year-to-date standings have Kenny Serfass in first place with Paul Sheaffer of the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency moving up to second place and Tyler Eberly of Harding-Yost Insurance moving into third.

Next Generation Award

Tim Flood of AIA makes his first appearance in the number one spot, pushing Shane Kunkleman of PDM into second place through March with Trey Minskey of Christian-Baker moving up to the third position.

Diversification Award

Shane Kunkleman of PDM continues his leads with J.P. Geise of Doty & Hench in second.  Ryan Rispoli of HMK also remains in third.

Commercial Lines Agency of the Year

  • NOTE CHANGE IN THIS CATEGORY:  In order to qualify, an agency must have at least 3 producers participating in the Commercial Lines contest (an agency that has had at least 3 producers for 3 months of the year, will be considered to have 3 producers.  Once a producer has been added for the contest, they may not be removed unless job responsibilities have significantly changed or they have terminated their employment with the agency. 

Harding-Yost leads this category with HMK and AIA in the number two and three spots.

Personal Lines Agency of the Year

Christian-Baker continues in first place with Zinn Insurance remaining in second and HMK moving into third.

Notice for Certain Property & Casualty Policies

Dear Policyholder,

A recent Executive Order issued by Governor Cuomo, together with recent amendments to the insurance and banking regulations (the “regulations”) issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“Department”), extend grace periods and give you other rights under certain property/casualty insurance policies if you are an individual or small business and can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the novel coronavirus (“COVID 19”) pandemic (“affected policyholder”). These grace periods and rights are currently in effect but are temporary, though they may be extended further. Please check the Department’s website at https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/coronavirus for updates.

If you are an individual, generally, personal lines property/casualty insurance policies are covered by these amendments, including auto, homeowners’ and renters’ insurance. If you are an individual and an affected policyholder, please contact your insurer or broker if you are uncertain whether your policy is covered.

If you are a small business, only certain types of commercial lines property/casualty insurance policies are covered by these amendments, generally including property, fire, commercial general liability, special multiperil, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, commercial auto (including livery and other for-hire vehicles), and commercial umbrella insurance. A business qualifies as a “small business” if it is resident in New York State, is independently owned and operated, and employs 100 or fewer individuals. If you are a small business and an affected policyholder, please contact your insurer or broker if you are uncertain whether your policy is covered.

Moratorium on Cancellation, Non-Renewal, and Conditional Renewal

If you are an affected policyholder, there is a moratorium on your insurer cancelling, non-renewing, or conditionally renewing your property/casualty insurance policy for a period of 60 days. If you do not make a timely premium payment and can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, your insurer may not impose any late fees relating to the premium payment or report you to a credit reporting agency or a debt collection agency regarding such premium payment.

Catching up on Overdue Insurance Payments

The regulations also require your insurer to permit you, as an affected policyholder, to pay the overdue premium over a 12-month period if you did not make a timely premium payment due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and can still demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This also applies if the insurer sent you a nonpayment cancellation notice prior to March 29, 2020.

Policies Financed by Premium Finance Agencies – Grace Period

If your insurance policy has been financed through a premium finance agency, and you, as an affected policyholder, do not make an installment payment, the premium finance agency may not cancel your policy for a period of at least 60 days, including any contractual grace period, and subject to the safety and soundness of the premium finance agency. In addition, if you do not make a timely installment payment to the premium finance agency, the premium finance agency must extend the due date for the installment payment by at least 60 days, may not impose any late fees relating to that installment payment, and may not report you to a credit reporting agency or a debt collection agency regarding that installment payment.

Catching up on Overdue Payments to Premium Finance Agencies

If you, as an affected policyholder, do not make a timely installment payment to the premium finance agency due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the premium finance agency must permit you to pay the installment payment over a 12-month period if you can still demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the safety and soundness of the premium finance agency. This also applies if the premium finance agency issued a non-payment cancellation notice prior to March 29, 2020.

How to Demonstrate Financial Hardship

If you, as an affected policyholder, are unable to make a timely premium payment due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may submit to your insurer or premium finance agency, as applicable, a statement that you swear or affirm in writing under penalty of perjury that you are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the insurer or premium finance agency, as applicable, shall accept as satisfactory proof. Such statement is not required to be notarized.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding your rights under the Executive Order or regulations, please contact your insurer, broker, or premium finance agency.

Notice for NY Life Policies, Annuity Contracts, and Fraternal Benefit Society Certificates

A recent Executive Order issued by Governor Cuomo, together with recent amendments to the insurance and banking regulations (the “regulations”) issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“Department”), extend grace periods and give you other rights under your life insurance policy or annuity contract if you can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the novel coronavirus (“COVID 19”) pandemic. These grace periods and rights are currently in effect but are temporary, though they may be extended further. Please check the Department’s website at https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/coronavirus for updates.

Insurance Payments – Grace Period

If you can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, your insurer must extend to 90 days the applicable grace period for the payment of premiums and fees under your life insurance policy or annuity contract. If you do not make a timely premium payment and can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, your insurer may not impose any late fees relating to the premium payment or report you to a credit reporting agency or a debt collection agency regarding such premium payment.

Catching up on Overdue Insurance Payments

The regulations also require your insurer to permit you to pay the overdue premium over a 12-month period if you did not make a timely premium payment due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and can still demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This also applies if the insurer sent you a nonpayment cancellation notice prior to March 29, 2020.

Policies Financed by Premium Finance Agencies – Grace Period

If your life insurance policy or annuity contract has been financed through a premium finance agency, and you do not make an installment payment, the premium finance agency may not cancel your life insurance policy or annuity contract for a period of at least 90 days, including any contractual grace period, if you can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subject to the safety and soundness of the premium finance agency. In addition, if you do not make a timely installment payment to the premium finance agency and can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the premium finance agency must extend the due date for the installment payment by at least 90 days, may not impose any late fees relating to that installment payment, and may not report you to a credit reporting agency or a debt collection agency regarding that installment payment.

Catching up on Overdue Payments to Premium Finance Agencies

If you do not make a timely installment payment to the premium finance agency due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the premium finance agency must permit you to pay the installment payment over a 12-month period if you can still demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the safety and soundness of the premium finance agency. This also applies if the premium finance agency issued a non-payment cancellation notice prior to March 29, 2020.

How to Demonstrate Financial Hardship

If you are unable to make a timely premium payment due to financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may submit to your insurer or premium finance agency, as applicable, a statement that you swear or affirm in writing under penalty of perjury that you are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the insurer or premium finance agency, as applicable, shall accept as satisfactory proof. Such statement is not required to be notarized.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding your rights under the Executive Order or regulations, please contact your insurer, broker, or premium finance agency.

Kenny Serfass of Miers Captures February Producer of the Month Award

Congratulations to Kenny Serfass of Miers Insurance for being the February winner of the Producer of the Month Award!

In second was Ryan Amey, also of Miers Insurance, and in third was Paul Sheaffer from the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency.

Year-to-date standings have Kenny Serfass in first place with J.P. Geise of Gearhart Herr in second and Tyler Eberly of Harding-Yost Insurance in the number three spot.

Next Generation Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance remains in first place through February with Jamie Myers of Christian-Baker Company moving ahead of Trey Minskey also of Christian-Baker for the second and third positions.

Diversification Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance continues his leads with J.P. Geise of Gearhart Herr in second. Ryan Rispoli of HMK moves into the number three spot.

Commercial Lines Agency of the Year
NOTE CHANGE IN THIS CATEGORY: In order to qualify, an agency must have at least 3 producers participating in the Commercial Lines contest (an agency that has had at least 3 producers for 3 months of the year, will be considered to have 3 producers. Once a producer has been added for the contest, they may not be removed unless job responsibilities have significantly changed or they have terminated their employment with the agency.

Harding-Yost Insurance leads this category with AIA Alera Group and HMK in the number two and three spots.

Personal Lines Agency of the Year
Christian-Baker continues in first place with Zinn Insurance moving into second and AIA Alera Group moving up to third.

J.P. Geise Wins January Producer of the Month!

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Congratulations to J.P. Geise of Gearhart-Herr for being the January Producer of the Month in the 2020 Accelerations Sales Contest!

In second was Tyler Eberly from Harding-Yost and in third was Dan Trump, also from Harding-Yost.

Next Generation Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance is in first place through January with Trey Minskey of Christian-Baker Company in second and Jamie Myers also from Christian-Baker in third.

Diversification Award
Shane Kunkleman of PDM Insurance leads with J.P. Geise of Gearhart-Herr and Paul Sheaffer of the Paul I.Sheaffer Agency holding the number two and three spots.

Commercial Lines Agency of the Year
The Paul I. Sheaffer Agency starts the year in first place with Harding-Yost in second and Gearhart-Herr in third.

Personal Lines Agency of the Year
Christian-Baker is in first place with HMK in second and the Zinn Agency lands in the number three spot.

Harding-Yost Insurance Receives Prestigious Personal Lines Agency of the Year Award from The Insurance Alliance Network

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The Insurance Alliance Network presented Harding-Yost Insurance with its Personal Lines Agency of the Year Award in recognition of its outstanding growth in 2019. Jane Koppenheffer, President of The Insurance Alliance Network, presented the award as part of its 2019 Accelerations Sales Contest. The Insurance Alliance sponsored the 2019 Accelerations Sales Contest to challenge its sales staff from all its agencies.

In presenting the award to Harding-Yost, Jane Koppenheffer commented:

Harding-Yost Insurance certainly earned this award in 2019. Our Accelerations contest measured the growth over new business over the prior year. Each staff member needed to contribute in order for the agency to excel. Their success is driven by their reputation for service, combined with the insurance expertise of their staff and the breadth of insurance companies that they can offer clients.

Paul I. Sheaffer Agency Receives Prestigious Commercial Lines Agency of the Year Award from The Insurance Alliance Network

Don Myers accepted the award on behalf of the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency

Don Myers accepted the award on behalf of the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency

The Insurance Alliance Network presented the Paul I. Sheaffer Agency with its Commercial Lines Agency of the Year Award in recognition of its outstanding growth in 2019. Jane Koppenheffer, President of The Insurance Alliance, presented the award as part of its 2019 Accelerations Sales Contest. The Insurance Alliance sponsored the 2019 Accelerations Sales Contest to challenge its sales staff from all its agencies.

In presenting the award to Sheaffer Insurance, Jane Koppenheffer commented:

“The Paul I. Sheaffer Agency certainly earned this award in 2019. Our Accelerations contest measured new business per commercial lines producer. Their success is driven by their reputation for service, combined with the insurance expertise of their staff and the breadth of insurance companies that they can offer clients.”