Josephine Santiago, Gerente del Departamento de Fianzas de Antilles Insurance Company, ha sido electa como “Mujer del Año 2010” dentro de la industria de seguros por la Asociación de Mujeres Profesionales de Seguros de Puerto Rico  (AMPS).

La AMPS es una organización sin fines de lucro, compuesta por cerca de un centenar de socias, todas mujeres profesionales de la industria de seguros de Puerto Rico y afiliada a la National Association Insurance Women (Internacional).  Para ser reconocida como “Mujer del Año”, las socias de la AMPS someten sus nominaciones de acuerdo a criterios como asistencia a las reuniones, liderato, distinción en su profesión, proyectos cívicos y proyectos profesionales, entre otros.  La Junta de Directores evalúa todas las nominaciones recibidas y escoge la “Mujer del Año” por haber cumplido con los criterios antes mencionados, además de considerar que ésta se haya destacado profesionalmente dentro de la industria de seguros, demuestre interés por la educación continua, tenga alianzas con otras compañías, agencias y personas en la industria de seguros, por su desempeño profesional y por su compromiso con la AMPS.

Josephine Santiago es una socia activa de la AMPS desde el 1995 y en su trayectoria dentro de esta asociación ha fungido como miembro de su Junta de Directores, ha sido tesorera y sub tesorera de la directiva.  El propósito principal de la AMPS es educar, compartir conocimientos y hacer que la mujer se integre al mundo de los seguros, industria en la que actualmente predominan los hombres.

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Antilles Insurance Company estrena esta semana en los medios, su nueva campaña publicitaria, la cual demuestra por qué es importante estar asegurado en tiempos de dificultad económica con una compania con excelente solvencia economica y por qué Antilles Insurance Company es la mejor opción para ello.

Los anuncios incluyen ejecuciones en prensa escrita y televisión y en ambos se utiliza el elemento humano para acentuar la conección sentimental más allá de lo material. La campaña está complementada por su página de Internet en donde están presentes los artes de la campaña, cuenta con un blog y con las últimas noticias de la Industria de Seguros.

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Antilles Insurance Company acaba de estrenar en los medios su nueva campaña publicitaria, la cual cuenta con la nueva línea: “Nuestra Solidez… Tu Respuesta”, basándose en los años de experiencia, servicio y liquidez con la que cuenta Antilles Insurance dentro de la industria de seguros.

Los anuncios muestran elementos en los que hay siempre uno solo que resalta entre los demás por ser más sólido, resistente y llamativo. Con esto, se quiere demostrar la imagen de la compañía ante sus competidores.

De igual forma, Antilles Insurance se presenta como el “negocio seguro” para sus asegurados ante las eventualidades o accidentes que pueden suceder en cualquier momento, tales como fuegos, daños a la propiedad causados por huracanes, accidentes y/o robos.

“Para nosotros es importante dejarle saber a nuestros clientes que en Antilles Insurance tienen una excelente compañía aseguradora que les responderá de manera rápida y efectiva en las situaciones menos esperadas; y por medio de esta campaña podemos comunicarlo”, comentó Patrick A. Alemán, vicepresidente de mercadeo de Antilles Insurance Company.

La nueva campaña fue conceptualizada y desarrollada por la agencia de publicidad EKO y los anuncios estarán presentes en prensa escrita, televisión e Internet. En todas las ejecuciones siempre se destaca el color rojo del logo de la compañía, así como la dirección de su dinámica página de Internet.

BY CB STAFF

When renting a car while traveling for business or pleasure, it’s customary for the car-rental company to offer insurance coverage for a few extra dollars a day. And while many opt for the additional charge, others assume they are already covered by their own auto-insurance plan or their credit card provider. However, Jaime J. González, president, CEO & chairman of Antilles Insurance Company, warns that there are a number of pitfalls in turning down the car-rental company’s insurance and assuming that the coverage you have through your own policy or credit-card company is the same. “When I rent a car, I always buy the liability and physical damage policy offered by the car-rental company,” he said.

“If you rely on your personal auto-insurance policy or the coverage offered by your credit-card company, it could turn into a real nightmare if you have an accident or the car is stolen.”

He explained that if you pay the extra fee to have your car insured through the car-rental company’s plan, usually all you have to do in the event of an accident or theft is turn in your keys and get another rental car. However, if you rely on your own resources, you not only face a mountain of paperwork, but there are often a number of items and expenses that aren’t covered. “If you have an accident in a rental car and you don’t have their coverage, the first thing the car-rental company will do is send you the damage information and you have to send it to your insurance company and they open a claim,” he said. “Worse, if you injure someone, the lawyers are going are to send all the paperwork directly to you and you have to deal with it yourself.” He added that if you are covered by the car-rental company’s policy, the worst that can happen in the case of bodily injury is that the police will require a sworn statement and you can be your own way. “Also, people don’t realize that if they use their own auto policy and have an accident in a rental car, their premiums go up and they pay the deductible just as if it happened in their own vehicle.”

He also pointed out that for those relying on their credit-card companies for their auto-rental coverage, most people fail to read the fine print. “If you have an accident in certain countries, you could be out of luck, as the fine print in many of these plans lists a number of countries where the coverage isn’t valid,” he said, and added that many people are also unaware that car rental loss and damage insurance provided by credit-card plans and their auto policies is considered excess coverage, which means that it should only be used as a backup. González also said that the fine print on credit-card plans can also list a number of makes and models of vehicles not covered, as well as various kinds of losses and damages. “There are a number of exclusions that are very worrisome, and unless you really study the fine print, you could be in for a very unpleasant surprise if something unfortunate happens,” he warned.

Another area that renters overlook is the loss-of-use charge, given that a damaged or totaled car is worthless to the car-rental company until it is repaired or replaced. “If a car-rental company is making $2,000 per week by renting a (given) car and it takes two weeks to fix it, they are going to come after you for that loss,” said González. “But if you take out a policy with them that is taken care of.”  He also said that if you don’t have their policy, any losses incurred will be put on your credit card until they are paid. “A lot of (insurance) providers, brokers, and agents don’t always go the extra mile and tell their clients these things,” he said. “But given all the additional paperwork, time and expenses involved if something happens and you’re not covered (by the car-rental company), the best option is to pay the extra five or six dollars a day for added peace of mind.”

Published by: Caribbean Business

Thursday, October 9, 2008 / p. 36

With hurricane season upon us and several storms churning in the Atlantic this very moment, Antilles Insurance Co. suggests you take a look at your current policy to make sure you have enough coverage for your home. “Between 60% and 70% of the island’s policyholders are underinsured and many have suffered when a catastrophe has hit because they didn’t understand how claims are calculated,” said Domingo Picorelli, senior vice president of Antilles Insurances Co.

He explained that many homeowners, after purchasing their property and taking out coverage, never bother to update their policies over the years although they add new additions to their homes, upgrade bathrooms and kitchens, purchase more expensive furniture and electronics and watch their property increase in market value. Then, when a disaster such as a hurricane strikes, they find out too late that their coverage was inadequate. “People need to check their policies to see if the insurances limit is equal to the property’s current value,” Picorelli said. “As they make changes and improvements to their home, they often still have the same limits they had with the initial mortgage 10 or 15 years ago.”

To explain the formula used to pay a claim, Picorelli noted the following example. “If you have a $100,000 home but are only insured for $50,000, which is 50% of the actual value, you will only be paid 50% of your claim,” he said. “So, if you have a $20,000 loss, you will only receive $10,000 from your policy.” He added that most people aren’t aware of this and believe they will automatically receive the entire loss amount. With Antilles having processed more than 15,000 claims after Hurricane Georges hit the island in 1998, Picorelli said that even as far back as Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Antilles has had a contingence plan to deal with the large volume of claims that come in when a mayor disaster strikes.

“Since Hugo, we have worked to improve our service to deal with losses of this kind,” he said. “We also revise this plan every year and hold seminars for our employees during the peak hurricane season to make sure everyone is up-to-date.” He said Antilles has a large number of adjusters, inspectors, engineers and other representatives in many towns throughout the island, who are ready to contact clients to help them file their claims as quickly as possible.

Picorelli said there are a number of steps policyholders can take to expedite the claims process. “While waiting for the adjuster, it’s a good idea to start taking photos and making a list and gathering estimates of whatever has been damaged.” He said. “Timing is also very important, so [policy-holders] need to call us and start documenting immediately.”

Published: Caribbean Business
Thursday, September 11, 2008 / p.53