Archive for the ‘newswire’ Category

Contact: Lyn Richardson Furrh

864-630-7220

lynsouthcarolina@aol.com

February 8, 2012  (Greenville, SC ) – Ross Turner will announce his candidacy for the South Carolina Senate District 8 seat at a press conference on Monday afternoon, February 13, at 4 o’clock.  The press conference will take place at The Ryan Nicholas Inn at 815 Holland Road in Simpsonville.

Ross Turner is a small business owner with over 26 years of experience in the insurance business.  He was born and raised in Greenville, and is a graduate of Clemson University.  He is 47 years old.  Ross and his wife Julie have lived in Gower Estates for over 15 years. 

The advisory council for the committee to elect Ross Turner includes:  Luther Boliek, Ann Cox, Danny Joyner, Jim Riggs and John Uprichard.

Ross and Julie have been married for 22 years and have three children.  Their son is a senior at J. L. Mann High School.  They also have two daughters.  One is a freshman at Mann and the other is in the fifth grade at Sara Collins Elementary School.  Ross is immediate past president of the J. L. Mann High School Booster Club and has served as president of the Gower Neighborhood Association.

He also serves on the Upstate Judicial Merit Selection Committee – a body which reviews and qualifies candidates for circuit and family court judgeships in South Carolina.

Ross has served twice on the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina (IIABSC), and is a past chairman of the Young Independent Agents Committee.  He enjoys traveling across South Carolina to teach continuing education classes for the IIABSC.  He also teaches classes at the Wyatt Institute of Real Estate. 

Ross and his family are members of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church where he has served on the Board of Trustees, as Chairman of the Sisk Foundation, and on numerous committees.  He teaches Sunday school, coaches senior boys basketball, and is chairman of the Buncombe Street Youth Board. 

In the past he has served as President of the Greater Greenville Independent Insurance Agents.  He was voted one of the “Best and Brightest of Greenville” in 1997.  He was involved with the Greenville Rotary Club and served several years on the board of Camp Greenville. 

Ross is an avid reader of business trends and a keen observer who always has an opinion, and follows through with his convictions.  While Ross loves to play golf, most of his spare time is filled with coaching his children’s teams, watching their sporting events, and attending dance recitals and swim meets.  He wishes he had more time to hunt.    

Directions to Ryan Nicholas Inn:

From downtown Greenville:

• Take I-385 South towards Columbia
• Due to construction on I385, take the first exit after Woodruff Road on to Butler/Bridges/417.  (This is a temporary exit.)
• Take the second exit #33 to Bridges Road.
• At top of ramp turn left.
• The Ryan Nicholas Inn will be .3 miles on your right.

From Mauldin:

• Take Butler Road to Bridges Road.
• Cross I-385.
• The Ryan Nicholas Inn will be .3 miles on your right.

 www.ryannicholasinn.com

NOTICE TO ALL SOUTH CAROLINA EMPLOYERS:  You must verify all new hires through E-Verify effective January 1, 2012.

Amendments to the South Carolina Illegal Immigration and Reform Act were signed into law by Governor Nikki Haley on June 27, 2011.  The amended law requires all employers to enroll in the U.S. Department for Homeland Security’s E-Verify System beginning 1/1/12 and to verify the legal status of all new employees through E-Verify within three business days.  Failure to enroll in and use E-Verify to verify new hires will result in probation for the employer or suspension/revocation of the employer’s business license.

To download a copy, click here. 

75 convictions secured; total complaints amounted to nearly $14.5 million

By Ross Turner

The SC Attorney General’s office released a report last month analyzing last year’s insurance fraud cases. The report showed that a total of 75 convictions were made in 2010, and defendants were ordered to pay $316, 270 in restitution in both civil and criminal cases.  State Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office received 596 complaints of insurance fraud last year and carried over 213 cases from 2009.

Several years ago, we reported a fraud case after receiving a call from a large general contractor.  We had worked with this contractor many times before because they sub- contract several of our clients on an ongoing basis.   The insurance manager of the general contractor had received a certificate of insurance from a roofer they were using on a job. 

The certificate listed The Turner Agency as providing all the insurance coverage through a standard company, but the insurance manager didn’t think the certificate looked right.  She called us to verify the coverage and sure enough-  we confirmed that it was a forged certificate.  The roofer had taken a certificate we issued in that past and put their name in the insured section.

We immediately put together a report and notified both the company that was on the certificate and the South Carolina Insurance Fraud department.  Within two days, SLED was knocking on the roofer’s door. 

Another roofer we know who pays his worker’s compensation and general liability for one crew knows that this fraud was worth about $ 40,000 – a white collar crime.

The state is doing a great job investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud with the limited funding they have.  The Insurance Fraud Division of the SC Attorney General’s office has four attorneys working to defeat insurance fraud in our state.

The state is also working in conjunction with the companies whose investigative units appear to be as aggressive as ever in tracking down fraud.  Here are more highlights from the report: 

• 2010 cases amounted to nearly $14.5 million in fraud, more than double the dollar amount reported in 2009.
• The largest amount, $11.9 million, was related to auto insurance fraud. The next largest amount, $1.3 million, was related to health and medical insurance fraud.
• Richland County had the largest number of complaints made, while Lexington County had the largest dollar value reported.
• Horry County had two complaints of premium fraud, reported at $181,660.
• Breakdown by region:
  • Midlands: 27% (60 cases)
  • Lowcountry: 25% (55 cases)
  • Piedmont: 24% (52 cases)
  • Pee Dee: 24% (53 cases)

623 Halton Road, Greenville SC  29607

www.turneragencyinc.com

864-288-9513 

Good news for our commercial customers with insurance through the Hartford!  The Hartford has released a commercial auto app for all iPhones.

The Hartford | Mobile for Business lets you:

• Request Auto ID Cards for insured vehicles
• Request Certificates of Insurance 
• Click to Call for express access to our Business Service and Claims Centers
• Access our auto accident checklist 

For more information, go to www.thehartford.com/mobile

623 Halton Road, Greenville SC  29607

www.turneragencyinc.com

A.M. Best Company has affirmed the financial strength rating for Auto-Owners Insurance Group of A++ (Superior), A.M. Best’s highest rating available.  Also affirmed is Auto-Owners Life Insurance Company’s rating of A+ (Superior).  All companies within the group also received a “stable” outlook.

In their press release, A.M. Best based the rating on “Auto-Owners Insurance Company’s superior capitalization, trend of solid operating income, experienced management team, commercial and personal product offerings, and long-standing agency relationships.  In addition, the group possesses strong risk management techniques and a well-established market position.”

Regarding the Life Company, A.M. Best stated “the rating of Auto-Owners Life reflects its integral role as the life member of the Auto-Owners group of companies, favorable level of risk-adjusted capitalization, recent trends of increased life and annuity premiums and consistent trend of operating income, particularly in its ordinary life line of business.”

This is Auto Owner’s 95th year in operation, and The Turner Agency is proud to represent them in the areas of personal lines, commercial lines, and life and health.

Denise Long and Deidra Ranew

The designation of Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) has been conferred upon both Denise Long and Deidra Ranew, Account Managers at The Turner Agency in Greenville, SC. This achievement was awarded after their successful completion of five courses covering all areas of insurance risks and exposures, followed by extensive examinations.

Denise has been an associate of The Turner Agency for four years, and serves as an Account Manager on the Personal Lines team of The Turner Agency.  Deidra is an integral part of the Commercial Lines team at The Turner Agency, and has also been with the agency for four years.

The CISR Program, available to insurance professionals in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, is distinguished from other programs of its kind by an annual continuing education requirement, which ensures that designees stay current on the important policy changes and trends within the industry.

The Turner Agency believes strongly in education.  Both Denise and Deidra are to be commended on their dedication to professionalism as evidenced by the completion of the CISR designation and their commitment to continuing education.

The CISR designation is awarded by the Society of CISR, a not-for-profit organization and member of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, the nation’s premier provider of insurance and risk management education. This year, the Society of CISR celebrates its 20th anniversary with over 71,000 participants in the Program and more than 24,000 individuals holding the CISR designation. The Turner Agency has served the insurance needs of the Upstate since 1962. Located on Halton Road, The Turner Agency is a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency offering a complete line of services, including but not limited to home, automobile, business. life, and employee benefits.

By Julie Turner

As a marketing/communications major, I am fascinated by commercials.  I love a good one!  Travelers, one of the companies we represented for many years, has launched a new line of commercials featuring a precious dog.  Have you seen them? 

We are excited to announce the newest addition to the commercials, featuring the same dog.  It starts Monday, June 20, but we thought you might enjoy a preview.

The name of the commercial is “Cat Burglar,” and it carries the theme – It’s better under the umbrella.^SM Check it out through the following link:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Siz4Q-valXk.

Here are some interesting facts about the star:

•  The dog’s breed:  Mutt
•  The dog’s age:  12
•  Was adopted from an animal shelter by his owner/trainer
•  Was featured in Pirates of the Caribbean (he was the dog with keys)
•  Known as a “one-take wonder” on the set
•  Had a stunt double for some of the tricky shots

We hope you enjoy it! 

After meeting several social responsibility and business requirements, The Turner Agency was authorized to now offer the popular insurance program in Greenville SC.

Greenville, SC – The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) announced today that it is making its award-winning AARP®-branded auto insurance program available through The Turner Agency in Greenville. The Turner Agency was chosen after satisfying a number of eligibility requirements, which included: demonstrating a commitment to community service; meeting a high-level of business and ethics standards; and completing a training program designed to highlight the needs of the 50+ population.

“For 25 years, the industry-leading AARP-branded auto insurance program from The Hartford has been extremely popular,” said Kathy Bromage, vice president, The Hartford. “Much of the success of this program is due to innovative product features and a commitment to truly understand and support our customers. We are thrilled to now be able to offer these benefits with our independent agent partners.”

According to research from The Hartford, the majority of AARP members prefer the advice and counsel of a local agent when making decisions about their insurance. Based on this research and strong customer demand, The Hartford is offering the AARP-branded auto insurance program through select, authorized independent agents. These products were previously only available from The Hartford by phone, the Internet and by mail.

The AARP-branded auto insurance program is designed in consultation with The Hartford Advance 50 Team, which helps to tailor our products and services specifically to the interests and needs of Baby Boomers and older adults. Other unique hallmarks of the program include:

 Lifetime continuation agreement – assures that the customer’s insurance policy will not be dropped as long as a few simple requirements are met.

 RecoverCare – helps customers pay for assistance with daily errands and responsibilities, like cooking, cleaning, shopping, dog walking, transportation and yard work if they are injured in an auto accident.

 Standard 12-month rate protection versus the traditional six month policies offered by most companies.

 For more information regarding the Hartford’s AARP Insurance benefits, call Dede Wade at 400-3505 or Denise Long at 400-3507.

About The Turner Agency

The Turner Agency is a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency providing the Upstate’s best insurance advice by protecting assets, limiting risk, and delivering customized solutions for personal, business, and life and health needs at the best possible price.

About The Hartford

Celebrating nearly 200 years, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance-based financial services company that serves households, businesses and employees by helping to protect their assets and income from risks, and by managing wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world’s most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

About AARP Financial, Inc.

In 2005, AARP Services founded AARP Financial Inc., a wholly-owned taxable subsidiary that manages the provider relationships for and performs quality control oversight for the financial products that carry the AARP name, including credit cards, auto and home, mobile home and motorcycle insurance, and life insurance and annuities. AARP Financial also provides access to proprietary investment products and services, including mutual funds and financial guidance, designed to meet the needs of investors at any life stage.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

The Turner Agency is pleased to announce that effective immediately, Lititz Mutual is offering 24/7 claims reporting service!

If you are one of our customers and have your insurance with us through Lititz Mutual, we want you to call us first regarding a claim.  Our goal is to counsel you and guide you through the claims process. 

However, if a claim occurs after hours, you can call Lititz Mutual directly at 800-626-4751 (all claims numbers can be found under the customer service tab on our website).  Calls regarding new claims will be directed to option 7 which will then connect you with the 24/7 Claims Support Unit.