IIABNY Issues Disclosure Guide For Members

By Mark E. Ruquet

NU Online News Service, Dec. 28, 4:00 p.m. EST?The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York has issued a guide on compensation disclosure for its members.[@@]

The guide lays out how agents should go about disclosing their compensation to clients and the importance of full disclosure, said James B. McCampbell, director of communications for the DeWitt, N.Y.-based association.

The disclosure program is voluntary, he said, and is in response to inquiries from more than 1,900 agency members.

The guide was approved by the IIABNY board of directors in mid-November, along with a policy statement that condemns the improper practices alleged by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in a lawsuit against Marsh & McLennan Companies.

The lawsuit alleges that New York City-based MMC's subsidiary, insurance broker Marsh, engaged in steering of business towards carriers paying profitable volume-based contingency fees.

"Trust is at the heart of the agent/broker-client relationship, and there is no place for unethical behavior," the statement said.

The statement said the group supports disclosure to clients of all compensation that agents and brokers receive. However, IIABNY also supports incentive compensation arrangements between insurance companies and producers based on the profitability of an agent's book of business.

"These agreements provide an incentive for agents/brokers to work with their clients to manage their risk exposures and prevent losses," the group said. "This risk management activity directly benefits clients over time with more favorable insurance prices and coverage terms."

Mr. McCampbell said that to his knowledge, this is the first such member kit on disclosure that any association has issued.

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IIABNY Issues Disclosure Guide For Members

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