PIA Blog

PIA is pleased to announce a return of CPIA classes for 2025!  The Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) Designation is the first-of-its kind, hands-on, how-to training on sales and marketing topics and techniques. It is nationally recognized as the mark of professionalism, commitment to professional training and results, and exceptional technical knowledge. To earn the CPIA designation, candidates are required to participate in a series of 3, one-day Insurance Success Seminars. Seminars are designed to enhance the ability of producers, sales support staff…

North Star Mutual Insurance Company, of Cottonwood, Minnesota, has announced plans to invest $3 million in the Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation to establish the North Star Mutual School of Business and scholarship program.  (COTTONWOOD, MN – Feb. 2, 2023) North Star Mutual Insurance Company, of Cottonwood, Minnesota, has announced plans to invest $3 million in the Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation to establish the North Star Mutual School of Business and scholarship program. The investment, to be paid over…

Leading insurance organizations join forces to redefine the future of insurance education. The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) and the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society (AIMS Society) have announced they will combine entities to redefine the future of insurance education.  The coming together of the two powerhouse organizations, each with a deep history of providing top-flight education programming for independent insurance agents, will benefit both independent agents and the insurance industry as a whole. A formal agreement…

Changes to the MN Ratemaking Report, will it affect your insured? Statute and rule changes that were discussed in MWCIA’s circular 22-1804 now allow MWCIA, the Data Service Organization (DSO) for Minnesota, to include additional components in the pure premium base rates provided to insurance carriers: trend, tail, and loss adjustment expenses (LAE). Trend accounts for the difference in the cost between the experience period used in the analysis and the future period in which the pure premium base rates will be…

(Minneapolis, Minn.) Western National Insurance Group today announced that A.M. Best Company has affirmed the Group’s “A+ (Superior)” financial strength rating, effective immediately. According to A.M. Best, the rating affirmation reflects the Group’s “excellent level of risk-adjusted capitalization, strong operating performance for an extended period, and its sound business profile.” The rating applies to Western National Mutual Insurance Company and the following wholly owned subsidiaries: Western National Assurance Company, Umialik Insurance Company, Pioneer Specialty Insurance Company, Western Home Insurance Company,…

SFM Mutual Insurance Co. has received a Financial Strength Rating of “A- (Excellent)” and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-“ from AM Best Rating Services, Inc. The rating was announced in a press release  issued by A.M. Best on March 2, 2020. The ratings reflect AM Best’s assessment of SFM’s balance sheet strength, as well as its operating performance, business profile and enterprise risk management. “We are very pleased to receive this rating from AM Best,” said SFM President and CEO…

Let’s face it, passwords are frustrating! Coming up with a new combination of letters and numbers for almost every website, all while trying to remember them and make them secure! Many people have difficulty remembering the passwords they created for certain websites. Part of the reason the passwords are hard to remember is that every website seems to have different requirements for their password. Some passwords must be extremely secure and require a combination of different letters, numbers, symbols and…

Whether you are waiting at a stop light, traveling down the interstate or cruising a scenic Minnesota country road, we see it every day. People are on their cell phones. It wouldn’t be so bad if they were just talking on them, but they are texting, watching YouTube and even researching homes for sale on Zillow. Unfortunately, these people are making the roads a much more dangerous place for themselves and everyone around them. I do have to admit, my…

Minnesota lawmakers finished their agreed-upon tasks in a 21-hour special session that adjourned just prior to 7am Saturday, May 25th – just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. The marathon special session marked an end to a contentious year at the legislature – one in which divided government was apparent throughout the session. Democrat priorities heard in the House went unheard in the Senate and Republican priorities passing in the Senate did not receive hearings in the House, putting…