POWER TO AGENTS

A collection of articles from Dean Auten, owner of Auten Insurance Services of Brunswick, GA, former Georgia Legislator, Legislative Liaison of Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance, recipient of Insurance Expo 2003 "VIP" (Valuable Insurance Person) Award and a great American!

What Rights?

Call "800 WHO CARES

Hang In There!

What Independent Agents need to be successful

Don't Pee on Me and Tell Me It's Raining!

Commission Reductions

Cream of the Crap

Cry Babies?

Is Ignoring the Law Fraud?

Tough times never last. Tough people do

Why Be A GIAA Member?

Unite In Strength

NAAA Introduces Model Contract

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NAAA Introduces Model Contract

Click Here to Download Model Contract

NAAA members have long voiced concern about the one-sided contract language currently presented in agency contracts. The "take it or leave it" attitude of some companies forces agents to accept contract terms and conditions that they would otherwise decline if they were not coerced into signing.

Often, the contract language is so one-sided that the agent has literally no rights under the contract. Recent Company actions on commission changes and books of business cancellation have proven this point. Members have been seriously impacted by the lack of protection afforded under current agency agreements.

The NAAA believes that contracts need to be fair to both agents and companies. Fair contracts provide a framework of trust between agents and companies. Contracts should not be focused on how to end the relationship but on how to form a partnership between the Company and the Agent.

The NAAA is presenting a "Model Contract" that it believes meets the requirements of fairness and partnering. The NAAA hopes that companies interested in furthering a partnership with independent agents will consider using the Model Contract or at the very least modifying their current contract to incorporate the provisions protecting agents.

Member agents are encouraged to at the very least review their current contracts to see if they afford the protections provided for in the Model Contract. Before signing any new contract, members should review the new contracts and compare it to the Model Contract. Members should also consider asking their companies to use the Model Contract as their agency agreement.

Since the NAAA is not aware of any other agent trade association that has proposed a model contract, it expects considerable reaction and discussion about the contract to occur. Member agents and companies are invited to submit comments to NAAA.

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