New ProductsBeginning Monday, October 7, for Agri-Pak, Homeowners, and Dwelling Property lines, the following products will be available to add to an existing policy or a new or existing quote.
A dedicated web page has been created to help you learn about these products.
Beginning next week, approximately 45 days before an eligible policy's expiration, we will send a mailing to named insured(s) to announce these products. See an example of an Agri-Pak mailing here. See an example of a Homeowners or Dwelling Property mailing here. These products are being offered through a partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler. Should a claim occur, submit it to us using the normal procedure. We will then notify Hartford Steam Boiler and they will handle the loss from there. Regarding agency management system download, below are the codes to use for these new products.
Please contact us if you have any questions. Other AnnouncementsRegarding outbuilding valuations on the Agri-Pak line, the guideline document has been updated with current values. Click here to see it. Beginning with new applications created on November 1, 2024 and after, the writing agent can select whether the new policy packet of information is mailed to the agency or directly to the named insured(s). For new and renewal policies effective April 1, 2024 and after, for the Agri-Pak, Homeowners, and Dwelling Property lines of business, the Windstorm or Hail minimum deductible on a policy will be based on the Coverage A - Dwelling limit. See the below table. Note that premium discounts will be applied for the higher deductible amounts. Coverage A Limit Minimum WH Deductible Less than or equal to $199,999 $1,500 $200,000 - $299,999 $2,000 $300,000 - $399,999 $2,500 Greater than or equal to $400,000 $5,000 If the Windstorm or Hail deductible on an existing policy is already equal to or greater than the above minimums, the deductible will not be changed. For new and renewal policies effective April 1, 2024 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Agri-Pak line of business:
For new and renewal policies effective April 1, 2024 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Homeowners line of business:
The new version of the HOBFM-200 Amendatory Endorsement form will be sent to existing policyholders at the next policy renewal on or after April 1, 2024. For new and renewal policies effective April 1, 2024 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Dwelling Property line of business:
The new version of the BFM 0503 - Roof & Siding Cosmetic Damage Amendment form will be sent to existing policyholders at the next policy renewal on or after April 1, 2024. For new and renewal policies effective April 1, 2024 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Businessowners line of business:
Coming Soon!
Home Systems Protection coverage, Service Line coverage, and Farm Equipment Breakdown coverage for select lines of business. Our goal is to have these available by June 2024. For new and renewal policies effective November 1, 2023 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Agri-Pak line of business:
For new and renewal policies effective November 1, 2023 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Homeowners line of business:
For new and renewal policies effective November 1, 2023 and after, the following changes are being implemented for the Inland Marine line of business:
The down payment and billing schedule for the Monthly AutoPay plan for new business has been changed. See page 3 of the Billing Manual for more information. For new and renewal policies effective March 1, 2023 and after, the following changes are being implemented:
*Regarding the deductible changes, a notice to the Insured will be included in their next renewal packet. Also, for Agri-Pak and Homeowners policies, the deductible premium credit factors are being adjusted slightly. Please consult the manuals for further information. **Regarding ACV changes, due to higher-than-normal inflation, we feel that the value of a dwelling or outbuilding with an ACV loss settlement is increasing. Therefore, we feel it is appropriate to increase the coverage limit of these items to provide adequate protection for the insured. For new and renewal policies effective September 1, 2022 and after, we are implementing the following changes:
Let us know if you have any questions. We will soon be releasing an online interface and mobile app that policyholders can use to access their policy and claims information.
The release date we have set is Wednesday, July 13. You can view a demo video of the interface here. Note that we will provide support to policyholders if they need help but we felt it was important to give you an overview of the interface. You can find an example of the flyer we will insert into policyholder renewal mailings to promote the interface here. Some key features for policyholders:
IMPORTANT Once the app is released, you will notice a "BriteApps" tab within your Bremen online interface. In that tab will be a box labeled "Notifications email" and another labeled "Contact email for Insureds". In the "Notifications email" box, enter the agency email address where you would like to receive notifications if the policyholder changes their phone number and/or email address from within the app. You can leave the "Contact email for Insureds" box blank as it is not being utilized at this time. Let us know if you have any questions. New Application Quoting EnhancementWhen submitting a new application on a Monthly AutoPay plan, the billing schedule that was being displayed in our quoting system was not real clear. We have made an enhancement to correct this. Beginning now in the Billing tab of the quoting system, when a Monthly AutoPay billing schedule is wanted, be sure to select the "Monthly AutoPay (For New Applications)" value. (See the below screenshot.) Then when you click the "View Schedule" link, a more accurate billing schedule will be displayed. Please contact our billing department or an underwriter if you have any questions.  Livestock Claim Handling ChangeEffective immediately, we will require a Veterinarian's report to accompany any livestock loss that is submitted to us. Also, submit the invoice from the Veterinarian and we will pay for it.
Please contact our claims department with any questions. Annual Meeting Highlights
Bremen Farmers Mutual held its 134th annual Policyholder Meeting on January 25, 2022. Below are the financial highlights of the meeting for year-end 2021. Written Premium 30,268,502 Reinsurance Ceded - 6,849,050 Net Written Premium 23,419,452 Net Premium Earned 23,278,685 Net Losses Incurred - 11,713,539 Expenses Incurred - 8,838,920 Underwriting Profit 2,726,226 Other Income +2,656,426 Profit Before Tax 5,382,652 Profit After Tax 4,616,772 Beginning Surplus + 39,151,765 Year-End Surplus 43,768,537 As you can see, we had an exceptional financial year in 2021, adding over $4.6M to Policyholder Surplus. With the exception of a major windstorm that occurred late in the year (December 15), the weather was relatively mild earlier in the year. This along with a strong equity investment market contributed to the results. AM Best Rating Due to our strong financial results over the past few years, effective December 1, 2021 AM Best changed our Financial Strength rating to an A- (Excellent) from a B++ (Good). This is the first time in the Company's history that an A- rating has been received. System Update We are pleased to announce that with the March 2022 renewals, we have now converted all policies to our new BriteCore processing system. Therefore, we have removed the links to the old system from the Agents section of our website. Thank you to all for your patience during this process! We started the conversion process in October of 2016 and have been gradually converting lines of business ever since. Although it has taken a while to get the conversion done, we are proud that we have accomplished it! We are changing our procedure regarding the mailing of claim checks from our office.
Effective immediately for typical property claims, we will mail claim checks directly to the named insured(s) at the address we have on file. Previously, we had been mailing the checks to the agency to deliver. Along with the claim check, we will also mail the named insured(s) a copy of the adjuster's report. Additionally, these adjuster reports will now be available to view by agents in the Attachments tab of the claim in our BriteCore online system. For best results, once at the Attachments tab of a claim, click the "List All Files" check box on the right side of the screen. Then click the document you would like to view. You can expect this to be the procedure for all typical property claims going forward. Let us know if you have any questions. Effective immediately, we are introducing an optional modification to our current HO-8 coverage form. This modification will give the HO-8 form perils and coverages similar to our HO-2 coverage form. The result will be a Homeowners policy that has an ACV loss settlement but has Broad perils and coverages similar to an HO-2.
The modification will be a new optional endorsement form called HO-8 Special Provisions (BFM-400). Click here to see the form. When quoting in the Standard plan, you will find a Coverage Form option called "HO-8 Broad Perils". This option will attach the BFM-400 endorsement form. The underwriting guidelines are simple: If a risk would not normally qualify for an HO-2, it would not qualify for the HO-8 Broad Perils option. Note, the Sewer Backup endorsement (BFM-011) can be added to the HO-8 Broad Peril policy. If you send us a change to convert a current policy to an HO-8 Broad Perils form, we will need to re-underwrite the dwelling and possibly order a new inspection. Please contact us if you have any questions. Effective September 1, 2021, for both new business and renewals for these two lines of business, there will be a +3% change for most property and liability rates.
The updated manuals that contain the changes can be found here for Agri-Pak and here for Homeowners. Note, this is the first rate increase we have taken on the Agri-Pak and Homeowners lines since December 2014 and June 2016, respectively. Also, beginning with September 1, 2021 renewals for both lines, the inflationary adjustment to Coverage A on dwellings with replacement cost coverage will be changed from 4% to 6% at renewal. This is due to the upward pressure on building material costs as well as the increased cost of labor. This will be monitored and will be changed if/when these costs return to normal. BriteCore: Dwelling Property Policies We are pleased to announce that we are releasing the Dwelling Property line of business onto the BriteCore system. This is the last remaining line of business to be converted onto BriteCore. The implementation will be in two stages. The first stage will be new applications.
The second stage of the implementation will be renewal policies.
AAIS: Dwelling Property PoliciesOur current dwelling program uses relatively old forms and endorsements adopted from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). This is being changed. Along with the system conversion of this line of business to BriteCore, we are also adopting current forms and endorsements from the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS).
Note, our underwriting guidelines and procedures are not changing due to the adoption of AAIS forms. However, there is a new manual. You can find it here along with copies of all the program's forms and endorsements. Also, while the AAIS forms offer very similar terms, conditions, and coverages, there are some differences that you should be aware of. We have put together a Disclosure Notice to help you. IMPORTANT: For renewals, a Disclosure Notice similar to this will be mailed to each Dwelling Property policyholder a few weeks prior to renewal. Your agency will receive a copy of this notice. Also, upon renewal, the policyholder will receive copies of all forms that are applicable to their policy. After reviewing the Disclosure Notice, you will find that many terms and coverages are expanding in the AAIS program compared to the ISO program. Also, the AAIS program has a completely different rating algorithm. Therefore, premium for some policies will go down and premium for some policies will go up. However, overall on average, premium for this line of business will increase by 6%. BriteCore: Homeowners This is just a reminder that we have started implementing the Homeowners line of business into the BriteCore system.
The implementation will be in two stages. The first stage will be new applications.
The second stage of the implementation will be renewal policies.
 BriteCore: Homeowners PoliciesAs you know, Bremen Farmers Mutual has been working for a while to implement a new online software system called BriteCore. To date, the Agri-Pak, Businessowners, and Inland Marine policy types are fully on the BriteCore system. At this time, we are pleased to announce that we are ready to begin releasing the Homeowners line of business onto the BriteCore system. The implementation will be in two stages. The first stage will be new applications.
The second stage of the implementation will be renewal policies.
Corn and Pellet Stove ChangeAlong with the release of Homeowners into BriteCore, we are also changing an underwriting guideline for this line of business regarding corn stoves and wood pellet stoves. In the past, we have treated corn and wood pellet stoves like a wood stove on the Homeowners line. Beginning with policies that are issued from BriteCore we are changing this guideline. Going forward, a properly installed, UL approved, corn or wood pellet stove will no longer disqualify a risk from the Preferred program and will also not be surcharged in the Standard program. If you have current in-force policies that this guideline change affects, let us know and we will make the appropriate change on the next policy renewal. Policy Search ScreenLast, we want to mention a change to the policy search interface in BriteCore for all lines of business. While the functionality of this screen is not changing much, the look and feel of it is being modernized. To help get accustomed to it, there is a help video here.
With this year’s storm season getting underway, we wanted to send a note regarding the submission process for new claims to be filed with us. This pertains to policies in both the new BriteCore system and the original processing system.
BriteCore System First, as a reminder, all Businessowners and Inland Marine policies are now being processed from the BriteCore system. Additionally, Agri-Pak policies that have renewed since 12/1/17 are also being processed from the BriteCore system. For policies that are being processed by BriteCore, the system has an easy-to-use online interface for agency staff to file a new claim. This is the preferred method for the submission of a new claim for a BriteCore policy. (For more information on how to do this, see the “Filing a Claim” video in the Claims video section of the Agent Help Site.) However, if filing a new claim directly from the BriteCore system described above does not work well with the current workflow in your agency, you may also email a loss notice to a dedicated email address of [email protected]. If you are not able to submit a new claim via the above two methods, although it is not preferred, a loss notice can still be faxed to the Company. Note, regardless of how the new claim is submitted, it will still be processed in the order it is received. Original System First, as a reminder, currently all Homeowners and Dwelling Fire policies are being processed from the original system. Additionally, Agri-Pak policies that have not renewed since 12/1/17 are being processed from the original system. For policies that are being process by the original system, there are two preferred methods for submitting new claims. You can use whichever best fits your agency’s current workflow.
If you are not able to submit a new claim via the above two methods, although it is not preferred, a loss notice can still be faxed to the Company. Note, regardless of how the new claim is submitted, it will still be processed in the order it is received. Non-Business Hours Claims The BriteCore new claim submission interface, the dedicated [email protected] email address, and the fax line ARE NOT monitored during non-business hours. Therefore, if you have a new claim that occurs during non-business hours, is critical in nature, and needs immediate assistance, please continue to follow your already-established procedures. If you need to speak to someone in our office regarding that type of claim, you can call our after-hours emergency claim phone number of 877-488-7667. Questions? Please contact a representative in our Claims Department if you have any questions. Thank you. We would like to let you know about some changes that are occurring in our staff.
First, after a 46-year career with the company, the majority of which in the Underwriting Department, Linda Westermann is retiring as of December 31, 2017. We thank Linda for her years of service and wish her the best in retirement! Second, to take Linda's place, we have hired a new employee. Sydney Pralle began working for us on August 1. She is in the process of training and will soon be moving into the Underwriting Department. Last, we have a new representative in the Claims Department. Anthony Ring was hired on September 1. Anthony also is busy training and will be up to speed soon. If you have any questions, please contact us. Thanks!  Announcement As you may know, Bremen Farmers Mutual has been working for a while to implement a new online software system called BriteCore. We feel BriteCore is on the leading edge of technology and is a substantial improvement over our current system.
Two small lines of business, Inland Marine and Businessowners, were released into the system as of October 1, 2016. Therefore, these lines are almost entirely converted. We hope that agents that have had a chance to work in the BriteCore system have been pleased. At this time, we are excited to announce that we are now ready to begin releasing a larger line of business, Agri-Pak, into the BriteCore system. New Agri-Pak applications submitted on October 1, 2017 or after will be issued from the BriteCore system. Also, Agri-Pak renewals with effective dates of December 1, 2017 or later will be renewed into BriteCore. As of today, we are turning on the quoting capability for Agri-Pak within BriteCore. We urge you to begin learning the new system. There is training and help material that is available that will be explained below. However, a good place to start is the Quoting & Submitting New Business Help Videos. IMPORTANT: Prior to October 1, you will still be able to start a new quote and submit an application from our original online quoting interface. After October 1, you will no longer be able to start a new quote from the original system, but you will still be able to complete quotes and submit applications that were previously created. However, these submissions after October 1 will be issued out of the BriteCore system. (Please be advised that due to premium calculation rounding differences, the annual premium calculated in BriteCore may be slightly different than what was calculated in the original quoting system.) To help prepare for the rollout of a larger line of business, we have developed a new, dedicated Agent Help website. Please spend some time at this site over the next few weeks to familiarize yourself with the BriteCore system. Due to the size of our Agent force compared to our relatively small home office staff, we ask that, before calling us with a question, you consult the Agent Help site first. If you cannot find an answer there, then feel free to call us. Thanks! Below are some links from the Agent Help site to get you started. (Once at the site, click on the question to see the answer.) What is BriteCore? How do you get an username and password (if you haven't already)? What is the policy conversion schedule? What training and help is available? How will documents (declarations, billings, etc) generated from BriteCore be delivered? Are manuals available online? Last, I want to mention that while our home office staff has spent a lot of time learning the system and preparing for the release, it is still a completely new system for us also. Therefore, there may be times when we have trouble answering certain questions you have. We ask for your patience in these circumstances while we gather an answer for you. Thanks! Best Regards, Curtis Holle, President |
NoticeWhen we make a broadcast announcement to our agency force via email, letter, or otherwise, a copy of the announcement will be placed on this page so you can refer back to it later. Archives
October 2024
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