Darren Hamilton

We're Looking for Brokers
Are you interested in running for RIBO council?

As a member of RIBO council for the past five and a half years, I've had the opportunity to contribute to the regulatory process and raise concerns about issues facing our industry.

If you are interested in representing your fellow broker and are committed to protecting the rights of the consumer, I strongly encourage you to run for election.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, September 17, 2001 at 4 p.m. Included with this edition of the Bulletin, you will find all the necessary election information along with the yellow nomination sheet.

At this point, let me provide you with a little information on the commitments expected of a council member. The Board usually meets the second Wednesday of every month in the RIBO office. On that day, there is a board meeting, a meeting of the Qualification and Registration Committee and possibly another committee meeting. Travel and overnight (if necessary) expenses are covered by RIBO. There may be the occasional month when there are two meetings, however this is a rare occurrence. In addition to regular board meetings, some directors sit on a complaints panel, requiring them to attend two to three hearings a year.

If you are interested in running for council and you have any questions about the election process, feel free to contact myself, any of the directors listed on the back of the Bulletin, or Susan MacKenzie, RIBO's Communications Co-ordinator.

Have a great summer!

Yours truly,

Darren Hamilton

The 20th Annual Meeting of members of the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario will take place Friday November 9^th, 2001 at the Toronto Marriott (Eaton Centre). A formal notice of meeting, Annual Report and Proxy will be mailed to each registrant in good standing in early October. All registrants are eligible to attend and to vote on matters properly brought before the meeting.

Barry Downs
Chairperson

Once again renewal season is upon us. It is every individual's responsibility to ensure your license is renewed. If you have not received your license by October 10th, please contact the RIBO office.

If you registration should be lapsed for non-renewal, a penalty fee of $125, in addition to the normal reinstatement and registration fee, must be paid. This costly penalty can be avoided by ensuring that your application reaches us before the August 31 deadline. Brokers who allow their registration to expire may also lose any grandfather rights.

The other important deadline to ensure continued compliance and avoid suspension of your license is to make sure your continuing education requirements have been met by September 30. If you live in a remote area and/or have Internet access, consider taking one of the Internet courses listed in the continuing education summary.

Due to increased costs in obtaining background information for "suitability checks," our entry-level examination fees will increase from $150 to $160 effective August 1, 2001.

Over the last few months we have received inquiries regarding the sale of travel insurance. In the province of Ontario all brokers who wish to sell travel health insurance must be properly licensed to do so. RIBO administers a travel health exam that can be taken at any time. For an application, please contact Laurie Reynolds.

The only exception to the legal requirement that a broker have an a license to sell travel insurance occurs when the coverage is included as part of a homeowners or other P & C packaged policies.

Over the last three months we reviewed 21 requests for secondary business exemptions of which five were for the sale of mutual funds, RRSPs, RESP, etc.

If RIBO staff or I can be of any assistance over the next few months, please do not hesitate to contact us. I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable summer.

Over the last few months we have received numerous complaints from the public with regards to portfolio rollovers. The consumers maintain that:

A)	Their file has been re-marketed without their permission or preview.
B)	In the case of direct bill policies, the confidential banking information was provided to a new company without their authorization.

RIBO would like to stress the importance of keeping your clients informed regarding the status of their insurance policies. We suggest that you provide written notice to your clients of the upcoming change or insurance company at least 45 days prior to the expiry date.

This letter should:

1.	Outline your intention to re-market.
2.	Indicate that the existing information (including banking information) may be provided to the new insurance company.
3.	Give instructions to contact your office immediately if they have any objections to the above.

Notice is hereby given that the annual election of council members will be held on Monday, November 5, 2001 at which time three council members are to be elected for a term of three years. Registrants have the opportunity to nominate candidates, including incumbents if they agree to have their names put forward for election to serve another term. A nomination form with instructions is enclosed in this edition of the Bulletin. Eligibility for election is set out in RIBO By-law No. 21, Section 1 (2) as follows:

Each person who is an individual member of the corporation (RIBO) and,

a)	who is qualified to vote at an election of Council, (a person is registered under the Act and not in default with respect to payment of fees),
b)	who is a Canadian citizen ordinarily resident in Ontario or a permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration Act, 1976 (Canada) and ordinarily resident in Ontario, except a permanent resident who has been ordinarily resident in Ontario for more than one year after the time at which they first became eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship,
c)	who is nominated in accordance with Section 8,
d)	whose conduct is not the subject of a complaint referred to the Discipline Committee, or the subject of disciplinary proceedings before the Discipline Committee, is eligible to stand for election to the Council in accordance with this Regulation.

Nominations must be received in writing by the Manager at the RIBO office no later than 4:00 p.m., on September 17, 2001.

Renewal applications for all active individuals and firms will be forwarded to the address of the brokerage firm. Principal Brokers must make sure renewal applications are distributed to all brokers operating in or outside of the main office.

It is the Principal Broker's responsibility to ensure that the renewal application forms for their business are properly completed and submitted on time. In addition, they are expected to ensure that all individual brokers associated with the brokerage firm comply with the continuing education requirements and renew their registration.

It remains the responsibility of each individual member to ensure that his or her registration is renewed. Please contact RIBO if you do not receive your renewal application form by July 31, 2001.

Below are the categories for registration renewals:

Sole Proprietors, Partnerships & Corporations: The renewal form must be completed and signed by the Principal Broker. For Partnerships and Corporations, any changes to share information or partners not previously reported, must be presented at this time.

Individuals: All individuals must complete and sign the renewal form. Please make sure that the continuing education question is answered in order to confirm compliance.

"Inactive": Brokers registered as "inactive" must renew their registration and complete their continuing education requirement in order to maintain their status. Forms will be mailed directly to the address RIBO has on file. Please make sure that RIBO has your current address on file.

Non-Active Firms: All Non-Active Firms will receive an application to renew their registration.

By Hilarie Morin CAIB, AIIC
Manager, Uninsured Vehicles Services - Insurance Information Centre of Canada

The Insurance Information Centre of Canada (IICC) appreciates the opportunity, in co-operation with RIBO, to give you another progress update about the Uninsured Vehicles (UV) Project, an industry and MTO initiative that will require brokers to report information directly to IICC. Project updates will appear in future editions of this newsletter.

Uninsured Vehicles Project - In Brief

Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and Mandatory Coverage Status of all Ontario insured vehicles will be registered at the Insurance Information Centre of Canada (IICC) by insurers through daily reporting and through Critical Coverage Reporting by insurers and their intermediaries (Brokers and Agents). It is expected that early in 2002, Ministry of Transportation (MTO) personnel will begin enquiring on-line against this database to confirm insurance status using your customers VINs.

Contact and Ordering Information

Details of the project are available in a video and handbook that were mailed in January, 2001 to all brokerages in Ontario using a R.I.B.O. mailing list. The packages were sent to the attention of the Principal Broker assigned at each the brokerage as noted in the R.I.B.O. records. Branch locations and remote offices are not available on this mailing list. A response form was included offering additional copies of the video, handbook and other complementary items for the Principal Broker to order as needed.

To obtain any of the following items, please contact Client Services at (416) 445-5912 Ext. 496:

• "Uninsured Vehicles Project and You" video - overview of the Uninsured Vehicles Project
• "Uninsured Vehicles Project handbook (version 3)" - compliments the video and contains the most up-to-date information
• "Understanding VINs" pamphlet - a useful tool to explain VINs and the increasing importance of having a correct VIN indicated on both insurance and MTO documents.
• "VINlink Decoder" demo and software licence application form. This is a tool with which you can check the accuracy of the VIN as the information is being collected.

To obtain the most up to date information on the project, please go to www.iicc.ca (Products & Services/Uninsured Vehicles Project). The most recent documents and articles are available in this area of the IICC website. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and two sample customer letters contain significant alterations and additions. In June there will be many changes to this area of the website, including added functionality on the Critical Coverage Reporting (CCR) Demonstration and Tutorial.

By Nadine Austin

A broker was involved in an automobile accident on route to the brokerage but was not able to produce a liability slip for the police. Later that day, the broker contacted the police and advised them of the insurer and the temporary policy number. Two days after the accident, the insurer received an automobile application for the broker with coverage effective four days before the accident occurred. The broker reported that she was too busy to produce a liability slip or to input the information into the computer when the application was written up. However as the binder number was assigned when the information was entered into the computer, it was not consistent with the number given earlier to the police.

The broker admitted to driving without insurance for 21 months prior to the occurrence. The broker resigned. It is hard to believe that anyone would drive their automobile without insurance and even harder to believe it of a registered insurance broker. Personal circumstances can sometimes lead to improprieties. Brokerage management cannot believe it but once they focus on the potential liability as an employer, they agree that it would be prudent to request a copy of an employee's automobile insurance policy annually.

2001-2002 FEE STRUCTURE

Corporations	$400
Partnerships	$400
Sole Proprietorships	$350
Individuals	$125
Non-Active Firms	$125

PENALTY FEE

Brokers who allow their registration to lapse are required to pay a $125 penalty fee to have their license reinstated. This is in addition to the registration and reinstatement fee.

GOOD NEWS: FEE DISCOUNT

Additions

3017	HSP DIRECT HEALTH INSURANCE BROKERS INC.	TORONTO
3018	BANDO & BROWN GENERAL INSURANCE INC.	WATERLOO
3020	CONTACT+ INSURANCE NETWORK LTD.	MISSISSAUGA

CAUTION:

While the information contained below is public, members should take caution that inappropriate use of this information may be considered to be misconduct.

Mary Margaret (Peggy) Stieva
Registration No. I121226
Grimsby, Ontario

MISCONDUCT: Ont. Reg. 991, ss 14(1); 16(5)

PARTICULARS OF THE COMPLAINT

• Ms. Stieva failed to discharge her duties to clients, members of the public, fellow members and insurers with integrity.
• On a number of occasions, Ms. Stieva accepted premium monies from clients, but did not remit these monies to her employer brokerage or to the insurer.

DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE'S DISPOSITION (05/10/01)

• The Discipline Committee found Mary Margaret (Peggy) Stieva guilty of the alleged misconduct.
• The Certificate of Registration of Mary Margaret (Peggy) Stieva was revoked effective May 10, 2001.

CONSENT BEING RECEIVED IN THE FOLLOWING MATTER, THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE MADE THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

W. Gary McAsh Insurance
Registration No. A01392

W. Gary McAsh
Registration No. R07500
London, Ontario

MISCONDUCT: Ont. Reg. 991, ss15(1)13; 16(4); 16(5)

PARTICULARS OF THE COMPLAINT

• As a result of a spot check of the corporate broker, RIBO investigation staff determined that the brokerage was operating in a net trust deficit.
• Mr. McAsh, as Principal Broker of W. Gary McAsh Insurance, knowingly concurred in the corporation's operation in a net trust deficit.

DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE'S DISPOSITION (03/08/01)

• The Discipline Committee was satisfied that the deficit problem had been rectified, and ordered:

  (i)	that W. Gary McAsh Insurance file with RIBO monthly position reports in Form-1, for a period of 1 year, all of which position reports must reflect that the brokerage is maintaining its net trust position in compliance with s16(6) of Ont. Reg. 991.

PRESIDENT Darren Hamilton Hamilton & Hamilton Insurance Brokers Ltd. 1701 Woodward Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2L 0R4 Tel: (613) 224-3200 Fax: (613) 224-5544	PAST PRESIDENT Art Despard Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc. 20 Bay St., Ste. 2400 Toronto, Ontario M2J 2N9 Tel: (416) 868-5500 Fax: (416) 868-5580
VICE PRESIDENT Barry Downs Partners Indemnity Insurance Brokers Ltd. 10 Adelaide St. East, Suite 400 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3 Tel: (416) 366-5243 Fax: (416) 862-2416 e-mail: barry@partnersindemnity.com	SECRETARY Lorie J. Guthrie Phair Guthrie Insurance Brokers 505 Consumers R. Suite 308 Toronto, Ontario M2J 4V8 Tel: (416) 487-5200 Fax: (416) 487-4614
TREASURER Michael A. Teixeira Axion Insurance Services Inc. 95 Mural St., Ste. 104 Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3G2 Tel: (905) 731-3118 Fax: (905) 731-4446 e-mail: mteixeira@axioninsurance.ca
MEMBERS * Public members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council to represent the public interest.
Jack Baizana Jack Baizana Insurance Brokers Ltd. 1390 Prince of Wales Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 6N6 Tel: (613) 225-7722 Fax: (613) 226-2781	Joanne Brown Marsh Canada Limited Canada Trust Tower - BCE Place 161 Bay Street, Suite 1400 Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S4 Tel: (416) 868-2955 Fax: (416) 868-7588
* James Chestnutt 4076 Deer Run Court Mississauga, Ontario L5C 3P2 Tel: (905) 277-2990 Fax: (905) 277-0639	Toots Everley Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc. 179 Howey Street, Box 39 Red Lake, Ontario P0V 2M0 Tel: (807) 727-3336 Fax: (807) 727-3750
* Al Hawco 3311 Warner Way Osgoode, Ontario K0A 2W0 Tel: (613) 826-2804	* Hassan A. Jaffer 70 Baronial Court West Hill, Ontario M1C 3J7 Tel: (416) 283-7468 Fax: (416) 724-8001
Arthur Langley Demarco-Lucenti Insurance Brokers Limited 669 Cassells Street North Bay, Ontario P1B 4A1 Tel: (705) 474-2420 Fax: (705) 474-9089	Gloria Shan 449 Walmer Rd. Apt. 705 Toronto, Ontario M5P 2X9 Tel: (416) 923-9222 Fax: (613) 923-3555

RIBO Office: (416) 365-1900 or 1-800-265-3097 Fax: (416) 365-7664
P.O. Box 45, 401 Bay Street, Suite 1200, Simpson Tower, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4