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Will You Be Welcoming a New Employee?

While new hire season 2020 may look very different than 2019, new employees are still joining agencies every day.  We have connected with many hiring managers and new hires to learn what's different about the onboarding process.  A lot is different especially when agencies' employees are working from home or a smaller staff rotates in-office times.  Below are tips if you are hiring over the next 60 days: 1.  Number One Priority: Have A Plan! This was always a proven strategy but now more than ever.  Map out the first three weeks day by day.  The first impression sets the stage for future expectations.  A…

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Reminder: Cybersecurity Certification of Compliance Due June 1

​This is a reminder that, even with a pandemic going on, insurance agencies and brokerages must file the Certification of Compliance required by New York's cybersecurity regulation for financial services companies. You have until Monday, June 1. In the past, the deadline for filing the certification was Feb. 15. However, in late 2019 the New York State Department of Financial Services announced that it would propose a change to the regulation, moving the deadline to April 15. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the department announced that it was giving all financial services companies an extra 45 days to file. The department's website now states that…

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NYS DFS Delays Producer License Expirations Through July 8

​The New York State Department of Financial Services today announced that it was extending the expiration of individual insurance agent and broker licenses through July 8. The move grants producers an additional 45 days to renew their licenses. On March 25, the department announced that it was suspending the expiration of producers' licenses for 60 days, through May 24, due to anticipated difficulty for producers to meet continuing education requirements during the current pandemic. All licenses with expiration dates between those dates were automatically extended to expire on May 25. Today's announcement pushes that expiration date back to July 9. For example, a license scheduled…

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