Articles

The following articles are available for your review.

Please contact us if you find any errors, or have any suggestions or comments. We welcome you submission of articles for inclusion. Please complete the Contact Us form or e-mail us at inquiry@firstconsulting.com.

A Refresher:  Insurance Advertising Rules & Compliance
A short article highlighting some of the more important advertising rules according to the NAIC Model Rules.  This article was originally published in the Winter, 2012 ConnXions publication by the Professional Insurance Marketing Association.

Co-Sourcing
The article indicates how the Co-Sourcing approach is flexible so it can be customized to the specific needs of each insurance company and project.
Written by First Consulting staff
 
The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Policy Filings for an Insurance Company
An overview of the rate, rule and form filing process and the challenges a company faces in determining how to get a filing approved.
Written by Francine D. Fetyko 

Change in Reserve & Nonforfeiture Interest Rate
New maximum interest rates for reserves and nonforfeiture will effect life insurers.
Written by John Palmer

CCompliance is King: 3 reasons to consider a third-party review for your marketing materials
Today’s marketers are also jugglers who must educate, curate and entertain in an ever-expanding, increasingly global marketplace. It’s a tall order, and one that, in the insurance industry, comes with serious strings attached. For advisors, client-facing marketing materials are subject to close scrutiny from both state insurance departments and federal regulators. This means that every word must be weighed carefully, not only in brochures, newsletters and seminar materials, but also in social media posts and web communication.
 Written by Nichole Morford
  
Planning for the Worst and Hoping for the Best: How Early Compliance Intervention Can Save Money
This article indicates how experienced compliance experts can help find solutions and be particularly useful in different situations.
Written by First Consulting staff 

An Insurance Fairy Tale
A Fairy Tale on how friends can help the Average Insurance Company become the Better Insurance Company.  An article originally published in The Journal of the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP) June 2008
Written by Debby Paris

The Cost of Regulatory Compliance
A technique to accurately quantify the costs related to compliance is presented.  Reprinted with permission from The Regulator by the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) July 2006
Written by Joe Bieniek  

How Transparent Should Insurers be with Regulators?
Insurance companies are encouraged to provide information to regulators and to collaborate with regulators when the insurance company realizes it made a mistake. Reprinted with permission from The Regulator by the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) November 2006
Written by Joe Bieniek  

Best of Both Worlds:  Combining Annuity and Long-Term Care Products
A review of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) with combining annuity and long-term care products is reviewed.
Written by First Consulting staff

Critical Illness Insurance Product Development in 2012:  Innovation and Unintended Consequences
The development of critical illness insurance products and the regulatory challenges in the product in 2012 are reviewed.
Written by Stacy Koron 

Demystifying Title Insurance
An explanation of title insurance and the various acronyms heard in the business are included. 
Reprinted with permission from The Regulator by the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) Summer 2011
Written by Joe Bieniek
 
Market Conduct of Title Insurance
An overview of how market conduct examinations of title companies and agencies should be performed is presented.
Reprinted with permission from The Regulator by the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) Fall 2011
Written by Joe Bieniek

Agent Advertising
The question of, “Who is responsible for compliance review of advertising created by independent agents?” seems to be one of those grey areas of advertising compliance. If an ad might sell one of your company products, will regulators hold you responsible? This article sheds light on what states really expect for oversight and compliance based on C. J.’s experience with agencies, insurers and regulators.
Written by CJ Rathbun

Corporate Risk
“The scope of risk management extends all the way from the boardroom to the mailroom. The overall impact to the organization, though, is first addressed at the management level by the chief compliance officer (CCO). This article discusses the “next steps” for the CCO after a risk is identified, including the report, company responses due to a decision about the risk, and considerations for ongoing management of the risk.”
Written by C. J. Rathbun