If your birthday falls on Halloween, legend says you are born blessed with the gift of communicating with those who have passed away. A fine birthday present indeed, but could these otherworldly talents come in handy elsewhere? Might those "spiritual experts" working in insurance channel those skills into something more useful and relevant to their jobs?

In this month's first feature, the need for such "professionals" who can communicate with the past is evident in cases in which both insurers and insureds accept a policy that contains an error -- but it isn't discovered until after a loss. Kidding aside, there are real questions that arise in such a situation: What was the true intent of the policy? Is there documentation to prove it? Is it as simple as declaring, "My bad" and providing coverage? The experts at AEI take a look at two real-world legal scenarios to explain what can happen when this nightmarish situation occurs.

Next up in this issue is our popular continuing-education quiz, "Know Your CE." Contributor Michael Brown, AIC, RPA, is back to take us down the dark and stormy road of catastrophes. His questions will offer claim professionals knowledge about the difficulties faced in the midst of disaster management and mitigation. It's a good reminder even as hurricane season continues to wind down. After all, fickle Mother Nature is just as likely to deliver a Category-5 trick as she is to hand out near-miss treats.