3 Things Your Agency Can Do Today for a Better Tomorrow 

​We are now in our sixth month of the COVID-19 Era, with little hope for an early end. Social distancing and masks will continue to be parts of our lives for now. The changes that seemed shocking to insurance agencies in March have now become Just The Way Things Are.   But people are still buying homes (there were almost 22,000 closed and pending sales in New York in June,) cars (auto sales were at an annual pace of 14.5 million units in July,) and businesses are hiring back some workers, though not as quickly as they shed them in the spring. Commerce is continuing as much as it can during a time…

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Here’s What To Do If the DFS Emailed You About Cybersecurity

​​A lot of members have been contacting us today about emails they received from the NYS Department of Financial Services about the Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies regulation. These emails stated that the recipient had not filed the Certification of Compliance required by the regulation. The deadline for submitting the certification was June 1, 2020. If individuals within your agency got these emails, here are some possible explanations and steps you can take:If it appears that the email was addressed to you as an individual, it is very possible that you inadvertently checked incorrect boxes when you filed the Notice of Exemption for your individual license…

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On Our Mind… Attitude, Adjustments and Anxiety

​By Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA, AVP of Learning & DevelopmentOk, something a bit personal for today.  I was sitting in the waiting room (with my mask on!) for some blood work in advance of my doctor's appointment next week, and I started listening to the other people around me.  I started noticing them- one was obviously a patient from a nearby nursing home with her aide; a young boy with his Mom and ab​out four other middle-aged people.  It was very interesting to me that some people were simply reading a book while they waited, others had their phones out and another had a crossword…

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