Monthly Archives: January 2022

MLK, Ron Brunell, and You

  • Post category:News

Last week, I chatted with Big I NY Board Chair Ron Brunell. If you've met Ron (if you haven't, you really should), you know he's an incredibly smart, successful, outspoken, multi-generation leader from downstate. You m​ay also know that the man has a heart the size of NY and when he speaks, he means it. Ron was a few minutes late to our chat because he was answering a call from another independent agent entrepreneur, a man he's mentoring through the Big I Diversity Council's Right Start program.I've heard Ron many times share how meaningful this program is to him. What does he do? He…

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Albany Update: Anti Arson Application Repeal Bill Passes Assembly

​On December 12, the NYS Assembly passed Big I NY-supported legislation to eliminate an unnecessary ​burden on customers by repealing the anti-arson application statewide. Section 3403 of the Insurance Law requires the completion of an “anti-arson application" for people seeking property insurance for fire or explosion to complete. If a policyholder fails to complete this application, which is required upon initial application for insurance and on each subsequent renewal of the policy, the insurer must cancel the policy. Technology has advance dramatically since the application was first required, and the law has outlived its usefulness. Insurance companies today are required by law to have fraud prevention plans, which are filed with…

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New Insurance Disclosure Law: Changes Soon, Confusion Now

What Happened:On December 31st, Governor Hochul signed the “Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act"​ (CIDA) on the condition that the legislature would swiftly pass several changes to the bill, referred to as “chapter amendments." The bill as signed​ requires, among other things, defendants in a lawsuit to automatically disclose all insurance information, including the policy application, within 60 days of answering for new actions and by March 31, 2022 for all pending actions. The chapter amendments agreed upon by Governor Hochul and the legislative leaders would exempt the policy application from automatic disclosure. These amendments are expected to be passed soon, but at the time of writing…

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