Group Benefit Broker.

com
Stevenson Insurance Agency Limited

Criteria Important to our Group Clients: 1. Strong negotiation skills that reflect the values of Small Business as they relate to the employee benefit program. i. A benefit plan that is sustainable with stable rates while still meeting the ongoing needs of the employee group. 2. Ongoing and proactive analysis of options available to your company as they relate to the employee benefit program. 3. Provision of recommendations to make informed decisions prior to renewal dates. 4. Provision of clear, concise information that is easily understood by decision makers of your company 5. Ongoing support and education to the staff administrators of your business. Broker Summary: STEVENSON INSURANCE AGENCY LIMITED (1988) 60 Collier St., Suite 101, Barrie, ON L4M 1G8 Bus: (705) 728-3549 Fax: (705) 728-6981 Email: dmccurdy@stevensoninsurance.ca Email: derek@groupbenefitbroker.com Our employee benefit brokerage firm performs the market function of representing life insurance companies & their products. We deal primarily with major Canadian life insurance companies, but also do business with specialty needs companies where necessary. This side of our business has been in full time operation for over 25 years with Doug Conway, CLU, CH.F.C., and Derek McCurdy who joined the firm over 6 years ago. Doug has an Honours BA from the University of Guelph (1970). He has spent his career in the insurance business including advanced marketing, sales management and since 1988 as a broker of individual and group benefit products. He currently serves as President of Stevenson Insurance Agency Limited. Doug has a CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) (1975) and a CH.F.C (Chartered Financial Consultant) (1985). Derek McCurdy has been with the firm since 2005 and serves as Vice-President with a focus on servicing our current employee benefit clients. Derek is fully licensed to market all life insurance company products including life, disability, retirement and employee benefits. He is a graduate of Georgian College in Business Administration and started his working career in the customer service industry. He provides advanced communication and business skills to our brokerage team.
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Group Benefit Broker.com

Stevenson Insurance Agency Limited

We offer long time dedicated service and enjoy the continued relationship of working with clients on a long term basis. It is our objective to provide our clients with access to life insurance companies that are financially strong and able to provide the level of quality service that meets all the needs of our clients. We presently have long term business relationships with all major life insurance companies that offer employee benefit plans. We feel that no one company can fulfil all the market needs we encounter so establishing and maintaining relationships with our providers is very important. This is one of the key factors that separates brokerage firms from one another. Criteria Important to Your Business: What is the scope of services we can provide to our clients as they relate to employee benefit programs?

Maintain a professional presence that includes licensing, Errors & Omissions coverage, continuing education, computer & communications systems and keeping up to date with the ongoing needs and trends of the marketplace. Maintaining an active client base to cover the financial needs of staying in business. No one client can do this and our client base has grown on the basis of referred leads. Maintain relationships with those insurance carriers operating in Ontario who have products and service levels that solve the employee benefit plan needs of our client base. Contact those providers with the employer/employee data and obtain quotations. Summarize quotations in a clear manner so that clients can make informed decisions. Providers tend to use different insurance terms to describe similar benefits and we provide a translation service with continuity. Present recommendations in a manner that communicates clearly the options available to an employer. Formalize contractual arrangements with chosen providers. As brokers we are paid on the basis of a Companys Standard Commission Schedule and not on a flat fee basis. We have no contractual production targets with any provider & therefore can always keep the best interest of any client in the forefront. During the course of a year, be in position to answer administrator queries that generally centre on employee claim problems. Obtain renewal offers and present them to employers for annual consideration. Our preferred method is always in person but do respect the wishes & time restraints of the employer. We maintain rate records and present these on a rolling basis.

Criteria Important to Your Business: What is the role of the Broker? The primary role of a broker is to assist employers in maintaining an arms length and open market relationship with their employee benefit plan provider. We monitor market conditions through continuing education and observing industry rate and service trends. This knowledge
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Group Benefit Broker.com

Stevenson Insurance Agency Limited

allows us to advise employers and make employee benefit plan recommendations. This can only be accomplished by accessing all carriers and maintaining relationships. We do not feel that one provider can meet the long term needs of an employer nor should an employer place themselves in that position. We keep records and use formulas that allow us to monitor renewals, keep them fair and advocate strongly for the employer. At times this includes performing a rate test from all providers even though a provider change may not be particularly desired. The renewal decision can sometimes be made more easily by knowing that the rate offered and benefit level is competitive. We provide our clients with the objective information necessary to make important employee benefit plan decisions. The one stop shopping service provided by a broker should save an employer time and money. Our broker services include keeping a history and track record of rates, experience and changes that ensures this information is not lost or forgotten through employer administration turn over. Complete client confidentiality is met including Privacy Act conformity. The perceived value of using a brokerage firm can only thrive if the needs of the client are met. Criteria Important to Your Business: Strong negotiation skills that reflect the values of your company as they relate to the employee benefit program. A Sustainable plan with stable rates while still meeting the ongoing needs of the employee group. Sustainable and stable employee benefit rates are a direct result of employee benefit plan design, demographics (age, sex, marital status & occupation) & claims experience. A broker has no control over these variables. Our long history and relationships with our carriers has been built on honesty, integrity as well as the accuracy of information provided at the time of quotation request. At renewal we negotiate with the carriers for our clients using our talents and abilities that protect our common environment. We keep providers in focus with your expectations and monitor rate renewals using our proven formulae. We do maintain an objective ability to return to the marketplace for audit purposes. Criteria Important to Your Business: Ongoing and proactive analysis of options available to your company as they relate to the employee benefit program & provision of recommendations to make informed decisions prior to renewal dates. Benefit analysis is provided annually at the time of renewal of an employee benefit plan as renewal rates are accepted and guaranteed by the provider for a one year term. Rates reflect the claims experience that the plan design generates. As an example coinsurance (eg.80% or 100%) of drugs will drive the claims result for that benefit. This is monitored over a 12 month period and a rate renewal is offered based on the total of the year. This is not done on a quarterly or semi-annual basis as it is best to use a rolling 12 month average.
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Group Benefit Broker.com

Stevenson Insurance Agency Limited

A renewal offer from the provider is made about 6 weeks prior to the annual renewal date. This is a small window to work with and each year, it can become a pressure packed decision time. We believe that we have been able to perform these tasks to the best of our ability and communicate summaries of quite complicated issues in a clear and concise manner and on a timely basis. Deadlines are presented to us and we provide the information on time. Once we get the experience under control and the cost of the plan within your desired budgets, we would be in a more favourable or an appropriate position to make recommendations on additional employee benefits and plan options. These include: Best Doctors, Employee Dependent Nursing Care, and reducing employee absenteeism. Criteria Important to Your Business: What makes our brokerage services unique to others in the industry? A Broker acts as an intermediary for both the provider and the employer. We perform a balancing act to satisfy both and we have successfully demonstrated the expertise required over a long period of time. The top insurance carriers generally operate through the broker system for organizations of your size & have found that it works. All parties have different needs and to have an entity in between maintains a balance. If either party does not wish to continue the contractual relationship, then it can be severed. At that time, the broker then proceeds to find another carrier provider. If the client goes direct, then they would have to find a broker and begin the process again. We do not perform the function of a Third Party Administrator as the added cost tends to be prohibitive for our target market. Summary: We feel strongly that we have the abilities and experience to provide a long-term broker relationship. We have been doing this successfully and will strive to continue to do so. We look forward to the opportunity to work as the Broker of Record for your company. Douglas A. Conway, CLU CH.F.C, President Derek N. R. McCurdy, Vice-President

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