Feb 3, 2014 | News
ILScorp is offering a sweetheart of a deal this February on three of our most popular insurance licensing courses. Choose any of the following programs and enjoy sweet savings until Feb. 14.
Our streaming-video LLQP is complete and comprehensive, giving you all of the knowledge and skills you need to successfully challenge the provincial LLQP examination. When you register to take the ILScorp LLQP, you will receive: access to the LLQP Life Insurance Course, in video format; a series of exam-type Case Studies; an online mock exam; your Certification Exam; six months access.
Students generally spend between 80 and 120 hours preparing for the provincial LLQP exam, so budget your time accordingly. With the ILScorp LLQP you can review any subjects you’d like before moving on in the course.
To register, use the Promo Code: SWEETLLQP
In Ontario, your first step to becoming an insurance broker is passing the RIBO exam. ILScorp’s online RIBO Licensing Exam Preparation course will guide you through the information. Everything you need to succeed is included in the course. It is like being in a classroom, but with the comfort and convenience of working online. The ILScorp RIBO Licensing Exam Preparation course includes a mock final exam, so you can test yourself before sitting down for the real deal. You get six months access to the course, materials, quizzes and exams, so you can take your time studying and challenge the provincial licensing exam when you are ready.
More than 80% of students who use this video course to prepare for the RIBO exam are successful!
To register, use the Promo Code: SWEETRIBO
To become an insurance agent in Ontario, you’ll first need to obtain an Other Than Life (OTL) insurance license. This interactive ILScorp online video licensing course is a virtual classroom combining the dynamic instruction of Todd Hochban with the ease and convenience of online learning. The courses are divided into easy-to-manage chapters. Numerous exercises and mock exams help to reinforce your knowledge retention. You will receive access to this course for six months and can work through and review the material at your own pace.
To register, use the Promo Code: SWEETOTL
Visit the website at www.ilscorp.com or call us today at 1-800-404-2211 to get started! All promo codes are valid on new purchase only from Feb. 3-14, 2014.
Jan 31, 2014 | News
Fear of public speaking (known as Glossophobia) is one of the most common fears in North America, with 74% of people reporting they suffer from speech anxiety. Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and can even be beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips from Toastmasters on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. (“One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.
Learning how to speak confidently in both business and social settings can be a challenge, but is also an important skill for success in the workplace. Stay tuned for an exciting new course coming from ILScorp!
Jan 30, 2014 | News
Looking for a career with a future? Consider insurance. While automation may claim as many as 47% of current jobs by 2033 according to a recent Oxford University study, the insurance industry is growing and more people will be needed.
According to Statistics Canada, more than one million Canadians were employed in the insurance and financial sector in 2012 – and there’s always room for more. Think about it; that’s one million Canadians gainfully employed and enjoying a rewarding insurance career!
The insurance industry is still expanding, with more opportunities for newcomers to the industry. Consider these facts from Insureconomy, a review of the insurance sectors in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia:
- From 2004 to 2010, total employment in the insurance industry across New Brunswick grew by 49 percent – faster than all other provinces in Canada.
- The insurance industry has been growing steadily in Ontario since 2005, with insurance carriers increasing their workforce by 18 percent. Overall, the insurance industry increased total employment by over 12 percent – well above the provincial employment growth rate of only 4 percent.
- Direct employment in Nova Scotia’s insurance industry has been on the rise since 2005. From 2005 to 2008, 655 new jobs were created by the insurance industry.
If you’re planning a career that spans beyond the next decade, you may want to strike the following jobs off your list. Why?
“In the future, it’s very likely that many of today’s jobs, from cashier to teller, will be automated and the need for real people to take on these roles won’t be needed as technology will catch up and take on these responsibilities,” says Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor community expert.
“Themes people should be aware of include low-skilled jobs being likely replaced by automation first, such as telemarketer or typist, whereas jobs requiring creativity or a social aspect to them are not as at risk.
Bank Teller
When was the last time you used the services of a human bank teller? Chances are, unless you had to perform a complicated transaction, an ATM got the job done. Mark Gilder, director of distribution strategy at Citibank, told MarketWatch recently that “at least 85% of the things you can do at the teller, you can do at the ATM.” Citibank is experimenting with video-based tellers and ATM-based loan applications in Asia.
Cashier
Cashier seems like an obvious example of an occupation that can be replaced by a machine. If you’ve been to a grocery store recently, you’ve doubtlessly noticed the rise of self-checkout machines. Indeed, the number of self-checkout machines may be as high as 430,000 worldwide — more than quadruple the number in 2008.
Receptionist
Thrifty companies can now avoid hiring someone to answer the phones thanks to software programs Virtual Receptionist, while others are being outsourced by the likes of Davinci Live Receptionist. Meanwhile, in Japan, some have also experimented with actual robots. As consumers know, though, getting your call routed to a machine is off-putting, which is one reason receptionists aren’t being replaced en masse — yet.
Telephone operator
Telephone operators — defined as people who answer phones for companies and overnight call service like doctors and so on — are a vanishing species thanks to outsourcing and ubiquitous automation. Yet Recruiter.com predicts a slight increase in jobs in the category over the next few years.
Mail carrier
Email is causing the overall amount of snail mail to drop — there were 171 billion pieces delivered in 2011 vs. 2010 the year before — and the U.S. Postal Service is having major financial problems. The combination has prompted the BLS to forecast a 28% decline in mail carrier jobs through 2022. Canada Post is also facing massive cuts as it continues to lose money.
Travel Agent
Years ago, there was no Expedia or Orbitz. To book a flight somewhere, you had to visit a travel agent, who would presumably get you the best deal possible. These days, many view the occupation as superfluous, which is why the BLS is forecasting a 12% decline is such jobs by 2022.
Typist
Can you picture a modern CEO telling his secretary to “take a letter”? Perhaps. But in these days of blogging CEOs and voice-recognition software, the notion is increasingly antiquated.
Newspaper reporter
Blogs plus aggregation services like Google News are making the average consumer less reliant on newspapers. As a result, the number of newspapers is dropping.
Data Entry Associate
Software has also mimicked data entry, obviating the need for humans to perform the job.
Telemarketer
Few will mourn their passing, but telemarketers are increasingly being replaced by robocalls, which can do the job 24/7 and maintain their perkiness no matter how many times consumers hang up on them.
So, still wondering if insurance is a good career choice? With ILScorp you can be licensed and ready to start working in just weeks or months, with no need for years of schooling. With a number of insurance licensing options, depending on which province you live in, ILS can get you licensed, or help you prepare to write your province’s licensing exam.
Jan 29, 2014 | News
Risk Management company Aon has released its 2014 Terrorism and Political Violence Map to help organizations assess risk levels of terrorism and political violence across the globe.
Produced in collaboration with global risk management consultancy, the Risk Advisory Group plc, the map indicates that Brazil was the only Latin American country to see its risk rating increase from medium to severe due to widespread and large-scale violent anti-government protests throughout 2013. The analysis indicates this unrest will likely continue in 2014, particularly ahead of the FIFA World Cup and the October general elections.
When looking at attacks on businesses by sector, the retail and transportation sectors were significantly affected in 2013, with 33 percent of terrorism attacks affecting the retail sector, and 18 percent of attacks taking place on the transportation sector. The retail sector includes venues such as public markets, which remain vulnerable to attack as seen last year in Kenya. Terrorism remains a variable threat in the Eurasia region, with Russia and Turkey the most affected by the threat through 2013. Additionally, the Winter Olympics in Russia, which will involve significant mass transportation moves, is seen as a potential terrorist target.
Despite some improvements in the ratings – eight decreases and just one increase – to the 37 country scores that cover Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014, Africa remains a continent of high political violence and terrorism risk, with 22 countries having high to severe risk ratings.
Empirically, the Middle East is the region most afflicted by terrorism in the world, with a 28% share of all terrorist attacks recorded worldwide in 2013. A new strain of Salafi Jihadism has emerged in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as evidenced by increased levels of terrorism. This is a cause and effect of the limited political recovery of post Arab Spring countries, and has contributed to widespread high-to-severe risk ratings across the region.
The data shows:
- 34 countries attained reduced country risk scores.
- Four countries attained increased country risk scores – Brazil, Japan, Mozambique and Bangladesh.
- In contrast with other regions, Europe saw notable improvement with 11 countries having civil commotion perils removed.
- Brazil was the only Latin American country to receive an increased risk rating.
- Overall country scores for Asia Pacific and Oceania region remain broadly stable with only four changes out of 29 countries and territories – South Korea, Malaysia and Samoa all attained reduced risk ratings – while increased military spending and geopolitical tensions in Japan increased the country’s rating.
- 33% of all high and severe risk countries globally are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Neil Henderson, head of Aon Risk Solutions’ Crisis Management Terrorism team, said, “Having unrivalled access to regional data and fact-based insight enables our global clients to begin planning ahead of these trends by performing necessary risk identification and consider preventive risk management solutions. This insight allows our clients to plan overseas expansion or international growth and supports them in their efforts to be resilient to a terrorist or political violence threat.”
Ian Nunn QGM, head of Aon Risk Solutions’ Crisis Consulting team, added, “Clients are naturally keen to penetrate key economic markets around the world, and seek highly attractive opportunities where they can maximize greater returns from their investments. It is important for businesses to recognize that this will also pose significant new political, security and operational risks that will have to be combined with tough regulatory and legislative pressures. A clear understanding of exposure and risk including the possible rapid change in the political and security situations within their operating regions is necessary to ensure appropriate mitigation measures are in place to manage such exposure. The Terrorism Risk Map is one of the key components of Aon’s global WorldAware Safe Travel Solutions to assist clients in understanding and managing global risk.”
The map measures political violence and terrorism in 200 countries and territories to help companies assess the risk levels of political violence and terrorism.
Jan 28, 2014 | News
Canadian drivers are increasingly researching their vehicle insurance options online before visiting their insurance agent or, also increasingly, purchasing their insurance directly online.
Insurance agents need to be educated on the options available to consumers, and be able to present the advantages of dealing with them over making online purchases. Meanwhile insurance companies are seeking to make it easier for consumers to purchase directly from them.
A new competitor has recently entered the Canadian market. Drivers in Canada now have a new way of discovering Canadian insurance agencies, by using the Auto Pros company website. A new group of Canadian auto insurance policy providers have joined the online quote centre setup.
The Canadian companies that are currently available for research online are now able to quote motor vehicle policy plans. Every provider that is represented in the international system has the ability to quote prices based on the location of each driver.
This new and simplified way of obtaining pricing is a recent upgrade to the Auto Pros services this year. The inclusion of American and Canadian agencies in the lookup system is extending the research options for different policy types that drivers use most often for vehicle protection.
The Canadian provider agencies now found in the research system has increased the numbers of policies that drivers can review. Apart from basic insurer protection, policy types that can be customized are offered by select agencies and quotes are now presented online.
ILScorp offers vehicle insurance courses for agents working in BC and Ontario. Two ICBC Autoplan courses are now available at both beginner and advanced levels. Both courses review: ICBC Autoplan coverages and exclusions; accident benefits; underinsured motorist protection; hit-and-run & UMP; third-party liability; and what ICBC covers. The ILScorp Certified Ontario Auto Expert Course leads you through the coverage, common client concerns and questions, errors and omissions avoidance, options, and important considerations in giving advice about private automobile coverage in Ontario.
Stay informed and enhance your professional skills with continuing education courses from ISLcorp.
Jan 27, 2014 | News
Congratulations to all of our Share and Win prize winners. Thank you to everyone who visited our Facebook page, to share with us what you want to learn in 2014. See all of the entries on Facebook.
It was a pleasure for us to hear from you that ILScorp has the courses that you want to take to expand your professional horizons this year. Whether it’s earning your insurance license or more designations, improving your professional skills or gaining experience in specific areas of insurance, ILScorp is here to help!
Congratulations to the following winners, who shared what they want to learn in 2014:
- Tracy Harnden Johnson: “I would like to get my designation.”
- Carolyn Suttle: “I want to learn how to study and pass my CAIB exams easier in 2014. My old brain needs help. I’ve attempted many times without success and have heard from many that your program is the best way to go.”
- Lesley Barrie: “I want to learn more about the management side of insurance and therefore, look forward to taking CAIB4.”
- Julia Mary Corsie: “I want to learn more about personal lines and to pass my CAIB 2 in 2014!!”
- Heather M. Sweetman: “I want to learn the skills to write a long answer exam, specifically CAIB1”
Each of our five winners will have $500 to spend on their choice of ILScorp online insurance training. They can choose from a subscription to our Continuing Education catalogues, the ILS introduction to General Insurance Licensing Program, our CAIB exam prep courses, and more.
We will contact each of our winners on Monday Jan. 27. CONGRATULATIONS!
