Apr 16, 2014 | News
BC Insurance agents – your CE deadline is coming up on May 31, and the BC Insurance Council wants to make you aware of a number of key points about your continuing education requirements.
In an email sent out last Friday, the council strongly recommends that you review the CE section on Council’s website to ensure you are aware of your responsibilities, as it appears there are common misconceptions on the CE requirements.
Some key points from their email:
- Your licence year runs from June 1 to May 31.
- You must complete CE for each year licensed, including your first year, regardless of when you obtained your licence. The CE for your first year must be completed at the time of your first annual filing. As an example, if your first licence was effective March 15, 2013, the next filing date is June 1, 2014. For your June 1, 2014 filing you will be required to have two full years of CE credits; one for your March 15, 2013 to May 31, 2013 licence year and one for your June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014 licence year.
- If you have been licensed for any part of a licence year (active or inactive), you must complete the full CE requirement for that year.
- There is no carry-forward of credits.
- The LLQP course and exam taken to qualify for your life licence do not qualify for CE.
- Courses taken prior to obtaining your licence do not qualify for CE.
This is not all of the information you require to meet your CE obligations. The insurance council urges you to read the entire section on your CE responsibilities, including how to determine if a course qualifies, the number of hours needed, and what information you need to maintain on file for a CE audit.
ILScorp is here to help if you still need to complete your CE hours. Subscribe today to our General Insurance Course Catalog and enjoy these benefits:
- access to over 180 accredited general insurance training courses in both text and streaming video formats, including personal lines, commercial lines, auto, farm, professional management and personal skills courses.
- save money compared to purchasing individual courses.
- have a digital record of your completed course work, which we keep on file for up to seven years.
- save time by completing your general insurance continuing education requirements entirely online, no paperwork or commute.
Enjoy the same benefits with our Life/A&S course subscriptions, which offers more than 75 courses.
Buy online today or call us at 1-800-404-2211 with any questions!
According to the email from the insurance council, Council has increased the number of CE audits it conducts and has been disciplining licensees found to be in breach of this licence condition. In its reviews, Council has typically not accepted a licensee’s lack of knowledge regarding their responsibilities as a defence. Remember it is your responsibility to understand and meet your responsibilities as a licensee.
Apr 15, 2014 | News
ILScorp is proud to have partnered with Stephanie Hendrie for our new online course: Secrets for Exceptional Speaking. Ms. Hendrie is teaching her techniques to business leaders and students around the world. Most recently, she taught a lesson from the Secrets Course to students at the Tsinghua University Graduate Program (the Harvard of Beijing) via Skype. The Secrets Course may soon expand to high schools and universities in China!
ILScorp produced an online version of “Secrets for Exceptional Speaking” to meet the growing need among professionals in all industries to develop better communication skills. This online video course teaches an innovative approach to public speaking, presentations, and communication skills, using the trade-marked Hendrie Method.
“My performance as a speaker greatly improved. I felt I could be me, at last, and know that my talks will be effective, that my audience will be attentive and retain the key message,” said John Westman, Former President, Bank One, Arizona & CFO Bank One Corp. “I have referred this course to many of my colleagues and they too have experienced extraordinary results. The Hendrie Method has my highest recommendation. Its simplicity and profound impact are astounding.”
With this online course, exclusive to ILScorp subscribers, students will:
- discover techniques to apply to different communication and interpersonal situations
- know how to bring your words to life with appropriate emotion
- sound conversational and connected in several different styles
- be able to communicate any information and connect with any listener
- enhance your reputation, improve your self-confidence and advance your career!
After completing the Secrets for Exceptional Speaking online course, which includes practice exercises and worksheets, students will be confident speaking to large and small audiences on a variety of topics.
Whether it’s speaking at your brother’s wedding, presenting to the board of directors, addressing a lecture hall, or your coworkers at a weekly meeting, the Secrets course will help you share information confidently and communicate effectively.
This course will give you techniques that you can apply to different communication and interpersonal situations. By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate any information, know how to bring your words to life with appropriate emotion, and sound conversational and connected in several different styles.
“Let me take a moment to describe my delight with your class and process, the Hendrie Method,” said Bruce Sparks, Area Sales Manager, Hewlett-Packard Company after completing the live version of the course. “A colleague and I took the class. Then I sent my entire staff. I’ve found immediate improvements impacting my ability to connect with people in any setting, to large groups and small one-on-ones. I watched my colleagues give the best presentation ever just a month after our session.”
This course is used by executives from Fortune 500 companies to train themselves and their employees, and is now available to you, online, to work through at your convenience.
Purchase the Secrets of Exceptional Speaking course from ILScorp today for only $309. This includes unlimited access for three months! Purchase online or call us at 1-800-404-2211 for more information.
Apr 14, 2014 | News
Some Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC) customers have overpaid their optional insurance for the past six years, putting an extra $36 million into ICBC coffers, the corporation has announced. However the same system of errors cost ICBC about $71 million from customers who were undercharged an average of $34 per year. The BC Transportation Minister has ordered that all affected customers be refunded the overpayment, which averaged $21 per year, per customer.
An incorrect vehicle description, is to blame says ICBC. The errors were discovered as part of the move to a new computer system, ICBC said in a press release.
Based on analysis to date, ICBC estimates on average 1.8 per cent or 40,000 optional insurance customers per year had an incorrect vehicle description which resulted in an overpayment on a portion of their optional insurance. The average overpayment per year was $21. ICBC also estimates on average 2.7 per cent or 58,000 optional insurance customers underpaid on a portion of their optional insurance per year. The average underpayment per year was $34.
“We are going to ensure all of our customers who overpaid on their optional insurance over the last six years receive full refunds with interest,” said Mark Blucher, president and CEO. “The modernization of our systems will ensure this doesn’t happen in the future and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our customers.”
ICBC is working on the five principles outlined by Transportation Minister Todd Stone including:
- the error will not result in higher premiums;
- all overpayments will be repaid with interest;
- customers who were undercharged are not to be billed retroactively;
- the problem will be fixed; and
- the board will appoint an outside auditor to review this issue.
ICBC is committed to having this issue resolved within 90 days. Updates to vehicle descriptions will be made in the coming months. New technology will use the vehicle identification number (VIN) provided by the vehicle’s manufacturer to automatically capture the vehicle description (make/model/type). Today, this process is done manually.
ICBC is working to update vehicle descriptions for affected customers, including looking back over the last six years to July 1, 2008, to refund customers who paid too much for their optional insurance. Customers who underpaid will not be charged the difference for prior years. ICBC is going as far back as its insurance system is able to accurately recalculate historical premiums for our customers.
New Driver Examinations for Class 5 Re-exams in BC
Also changing at ICBC is the new class 5 road test protocol for driver re-examinations. ICBC will apply the new standard to drivers who are already fully licensed but are having their current capabilities tested.
The new protocol allows for more time prior to and following the test for questions and concerns, to allow the driver to settle their nerves and clarify what is required of them, as well as to understand the outcome of the test and prepare for a subsequent test if they do not pass.
Also, in comparison to tests taken by new drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP), the re-examination will require fewer repetitions of driving skills, to more closely matches an older driver’s situation.
Finally, the test marking form has been simplified to be easier to understand. The standards that drivers are expected to meet during the tests have not changed.
Want to increase your ICBC Autoplan knowledge?
ILScorp offers two new courses for Autoplan agents. The introductory course provides new orientation training for those wanting to learn more about ICBC’s Autoplan insurance in BC. The coverages and exclusions course provides in-depth insurance training on ICBC’s Autoplan insurance coverage and exclusions.
Both courses are now included as part of your subscription to either the ILScorp General Insurance CE Courses or Adjuster CE Courses, or for individual purchase. Each course offers one continuing education credit hour for BC.
Apr 11, 2014 | News
Harassment in the workplace includes any objectionable behaviour that demeans, belittles, humiliates or embarrasses an employee. It also includes intimidation and threats. Ontario, Manitoba, Québec and Saskatchewan have already introduced legislation against bullying and B.C. recently enacted Bill 14 [Workers Compensation Amendment Act] to address the effects of bullying at work.
Here are seven statistics related to workplace harassment/bullying from safetystats.com:
- Three tactics used in workplace bullying are: withholding information from a co-worker; excluding certain employees from meetings and threatening or intimidating co-workers.
- 10% of Canadian workers ages 18 through 24 reported being victims of sexual harassment in the workplace at some point within the previous year. (Canadian Labour Congress)
- 7% of male workers in the US reported being sexually harassed at work. (2008 telephone poll by Louis Harris and Associates)
- 96% percent of people have experienced incivility (disrespectful behaviour) in the workplace. (The Cost of Bad Behavior, Christine Pearson and Christine Porath)
- 94% of workers who are treated uncivilly say they have attempted to get even with their tormentors. (Christine Pearson and Christine Porath)
- Four examples of harassment in the workplace are: serious or repeated rude, degrading or offensive remarks; displaying or sending sexist, racist or other offensive pictures, posters or emails; sexual harassment, such as unwelcome social invitations with sexual overtones or flirting; and threats, intimidation or retaliation.
- About 60 % of workplace bullies are men, who tend to bully male and female employees equally. (New York Times)
Make your work place a better, safer place to be, and be compliant with existing bullying legislation, with the help of anti-bullying courses (for employees and employers) and office etiquette courses from ILScorp.
Apr 10, 2014 | News
On April 8, security researchers announced the discovery of the Heartbleed Bug, a security flaw in OpenSSL (a popular data encryption standard) that gives hackers who know about it the ability to extract massive amounts of data from many online services used by the public every day.
ILS takes your privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. We at ILScorp assure you that your personal information in our systems was not, and will not be, jeopardized by this security vulnerability. We do not use the OPENSSL certificates that this security flaw is affecting.
Some popular sites that may have been affected include: The CRA, which shut down its online tax filing capabilities for Canadians on Wednesday; Yahoo; Flickr; OkCupid, Eventbrite; Indiegogo; Imgu and many others.
The breakdown revealed this week affects the encryption technology that is supposed to protect online accounts for e-mails, instant messaging and a wide range of electronic commerce. Security researchers who uncovered the threat are particularly worried about the breach because it went undetected for more than two years.
What is the Heartbleed Bug?
The Heartbleed Bug is a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. This weakness allows stealing the information protected, under normal conditions, by the SSL/TLS encryption used to secure the Internet. SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for applications such as web, email, instant messaging (IM) and some virtual private networks (VPNs).
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Heartbleed Bug, please visit http://heartbleed.com
Apr 9, 2014 | News
Two provinces are focusing on two very different but serious road safety issues with new campaigns. Beginning this month, Manitoba Public Insurance and six police agencies across the province are partnering in a dedicated enforcement project aimed at drivers who continue to use hand-held electronic devices. Meanwhile a new survey in BC says a majority of residents there are worried about the safety of aging drivers as the number of seniors grows in the province, but say they don’t know how talk about the issue with loved ones, a new poll suggests.
Th BC poll was released Tuesday by the BCAA, as it launched a senior drivers tool kit, an online resource to keep senior drivers safe on the road. The tool kit can be found at bcaa.com/seniordrivers and is meant as a conversation guide to help people discuss the issue. According to BCAA, the number of seniors in projected to grow by 30 per cent over the next couple of decades.
In Manitoba, the programs is adding enforcement to tackle a growing concern.
“This partnership is the continuation of a similar, highly-successful project staged last November, “said MaryAnn Kempe, vice-president, Community & Corporate Relations, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Our corporation will be providing funding which will allow for additional enforcement to help reduce a very dangerous driving behaviour. Last November’s enforcement campaign resulted in 1,800 Provincial Offence Notices being issued to motorists who were using an electronic device while driving.”
The enforcement campaign is a joint initiative between Manitoba Public Insurance and the RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service and Brandon Police Service, as well as police agencies in Winkler, Morden and Rivers.
“Reducing fatalities on our roadways is accomplished by the proactive combination of education, awareness and law enforcement,” said Kempe. “According to recent polling conducted by our corporation, drivers who use hand-held cell phones is consistently rated as the most serious safety problem in the province.
Almost nine in 10 Manitobans say that cell phone use while driving is a serious problem. About 25 road deaths each year in Manitoba are attributed to distracted driving, according to Manitoba Public Insurance claims data, beginning in 2005. The penalty for using a hand-held electronic device while driving is a $200 ticket in addition to two demerits
Back in BC, the survey conducted for the BCAA by Insights West, found 71 per cent of respondents, including senior drivers, said more education on road safety for aging drivers is needed.
Nearly half of those surveyed with a senior in their lives said they didn’t have enough information to know whether their aging loved one is able to drive safely, while 32 per cent said they feel anxious whenever their loved one gets behind the wheel.
Although most respondents reported being concerned about senior drivers, 63 per cent said they have not talked to an aging family member about their driving. The survey also suggests that many people are afraid to broach the subject, with 41 per cent reporting they don’t know how to have a conversation about driving and safety with a senior.
The survey also found that most seniors (94 per cent) have taken at least one step to adjust their driving habits to stay safe including, no longer driving at night, avoiding high traffic hours and getting regular eye and hearing exams, but only five per cent said they have talked to a doctor about it.
Sources: mySteinbach.ca, & article by Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun
Insurance agents in BC and Manitoba: Your Continuing Education Deadline is May 31, 2014. Get started on completing you CE hours today with ILScorp, and complete your hours on your schedule at your convenience, anywhere you have an internet connection.
CE with ILScorp: Fast, Easy, Done!
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