David Domino joins Board of Directors of Farmers Alliance

David Domino, CPCU, ARe, has been elected as a Director for the Farmers Alliance Companies, effective March 1, 2024. Dave joins the Farmers Alliance team, providing guidance, direction, and oversight for the Companies’ property and casualty insurance operations. According to Brian Lopata, President and Chief Executive Officer, “I am extremely pleased that Dave has joined our Board of Directors. His knowledge and experience from the reinsurance side of our industry bring a fresh perspective, enhanced by his strong commitment to our companies’ mission and vision.” He added, “Dave’s focus on building client relationships throughout his career will also benefit our employees, agents, and customers, as our Directors work to support the company’s strategic plan.”

A native of New Jersey, he is currently Chairman of the Regional/ Mutual Segment at Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, where he has worked in reinsurance brokerage for more than 20 years. His extensive industry experience also includes time as a reinsurance underwriter and client executive before joining Guy Carpenter. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA, where he studied Economics, and holds the CPCU and ARe industry designations. Domino and his family reside in Philadelphia.

Chairman of the Board, Keith Birkhead also commented, “We are so pleased to have Dave join our Board of Directors, and look forward to his contributions. It is already clear that he understands and appreciates the culture we’ve developed at Farmers Alliance, and is committed to supporting and growing our company in the future.”

Adapting to Change – 2023 Annual Report

The 2023 Annual Report is now available. Looking back at the last year, there were many challenges and obstacles facing Farmers Alliance and our entire industry. Inflation continued to soar, driving claim costs to all-time highs. Severe convective storms raced across the country, accounting for nearly seventy percent of insured catastrophic losses. Increased reinsurance rates and retentions, along with reduced capacity, transferred significantly more volatility to primary carriers. Click the image below to read more.

2023 Annual Report

Navigating a Hard Insurance Market

Hard Insurance Market

Since 2019, the insurance market has firmed, creating many challenges for the insurance industry. It’s been a difficult time for the insurance industry as a whole, and like other insurance companies, Farmers Alliance is making changes that affect both our policyholders and agents. We’re doing our best to make sure our agents are informed about the changes we are making and why we have to make them so that they can communicate that with their customers. Here is some general information we’re sharing with our agents to prepare them for those conversations.

What is causing the hard insurance market?

The insurance industry has been experiencing many unprecedented changes simultaneously over the past several years.

  • Weather events over the past five years have generated record losses for the insurance industry, and the premiums collected were not adequate.
  • Farmers Alliance 2023 results: $268M Premium, $35.8M Underwriting Loss, $11.5M Investment Gain, $19.6M Net Loss.
  • The reinsurance companies that have provided the backstop for large losses have seen the same results and are unwilling or unable to continue to provide coverage. Retention levels have increased by 50%.
  • The inflation rates for repairing damaged property have grown exponentially over the past several years, adding to the cost of losses. This is estimated at 30%+ over three years.
  • The financial markets, including interest rates and equities, have been very volatile, reducing the income needed for insurance companies to offset the increase in losses.

How long will the hard insurance market last?

The insurance market will likely remain in its current state for several years.

How is the hard insurance market affecting policyholders?

Insurance companies must shift more of the exposure to loss to policyholders by means of higher premiums and coverage reductions.

  • Explain to your customers that the frequency and severity of weather events over the past several years, combined with the growing cost of repairs due to inflation and volatility in the financial markets, has generated a record number of losses for the insurance industry.
  • These challenges are not limited to just a few insurance companies but are systemic throughout the industry.

What can FAMI agents do?

  • Sell the value of yourself, your companies, and the coverage provided. Let your customers know you will continue to do the best job of providing them with a superior product from a great company.
  • Take the time to explain the value provided by the coverage they are buying.
  • Thoroughly explain deductible options and loss settlement provisions (Actual Cash Value ACV).
  • Since all companies are dealing with these challenges, it may not be in the best long-term interest of your insureds to chase a lower premium when facing renewal increases.
  • Encouraging your customers to renew their policies helps to build a positive history with the insurance company, which can help them retain their coverage following a loss.

What can policyholders do?

  • Talk with your insurance agent about your coverage and your options

The employees at Farmers Alliance are committed to continuing to offer you a superior product with a fair premium and unmatched customer service. We know some of our changes are difficult for you and your insureds, but we are doing what is necessary to continue to provide you with a great business partner for many years to come. We know it is going to be tough, but we will be here to help when we can.

The Importance of Higher Education

Higher Education Day 2023 is an annual event celebrated to promote higher education and its importance in shaping the future of individuals and society. It is a day to recognize and appreciate the value of education beyond high school and to encourage more people to pursue higher education.

Farmers Alliance believes that higher education is an essential part of personal and professional development for any individual. That’s why we offer different channels for employees to develop their skills and knowledge.  

LinkedIn Learning

We provide access to LinkedIn Learning to our employees, which gives them a valuable resource to develop new skills and advance their careers in specific areas they choose. We frequently do LinkedIn Learning challenges, encouraging employees to complete specific topics and share takeaways with their co-workers.

Insurance Education

It’s important to Farmers Alliance that our workforce is highly skilled in the world of property and casualty insurance, and that’s why we invest in our employee’s insurance knowledge through courses offered by The Institutes and IRMI. Whether an employee is just getting started and wants to earn their Associate in Insurance (AINS) or is choosing a lifelong career in insurance and wants to earn their Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, we provide access to the appropriate training when an employee is ready and compensate them for completing it.

Pursuing a degree

As members of the Farmers Alliance FAMI-ly, employees have a unique opportunity to pursue a college degree without incurring significant costs. Farmers Alliance’s educational reimbursement program allows team members to have up to $5,250 in expenses reimbursed annually if their major benefits both the employee and the company.

I want to advance my skills to be even more effective within my department. Secretly, I want to be the next FAMI nerd!

Natalie Zink, Quality Assurance Analyst

Natalie Zink is a Quality Assurance Analyst in our Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). She is taking advantage of this benefit by earning her associate degree in computer science from Barton County Community College. “I’ve been with Farmers Alliance for almost 16 years, and I feel like I’ve found my niche,” said Natalie. “I enjoy the camaraderie I have with Project Managers and Developers in the IT department, and I want to advance my skills to be even more effective within my department. Secretly, I want to be the next FAMI nerd!”

Charitable Foundation 

Our passion for higher education extends beyond our employees, as we have a Charitable Foundation set up primarily to help fund scholarships for students of employees. All employees with children graduating high school with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and entering college are eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship for the first four years they are enrolled.

It’s clear that higher education is a big deal at Farmers Alliance. That’s why we are pleased to celebrate Higher Education Day 2023.

myFAMI Makes Managing Your FAMI Account Convenient

Farmers Alliance policyholder portal, myFAMI

The myFAMI portal makes it easy to manage your account, view your policy documents, pay your bill, or check on the status of a claim anytime it works for you. With the release of our myFAMI mobile app last year it became even more convenient. Now, you have the power of the myFAMI portal on the go with your mobile device.

Billing and Payments

Are you tired of getting so much mail? Not only can you opt for paperless policy documents, but now you can sign-up for paperless billing as well—Opt-in on the portal or in the mobile app. You can also pay your bill, set up Auto-pay, and manage your payment method.

There when you need it

Did you forget to put your insurance cards in your vehicle? Did you get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding? That is no problem with the myFAMI mobile app. Access your insurance cards whenever you need them with your phone. You can rest assured you’ll have the necessary documentation when you get into a bind.

If you’re a current myFAMI user and aren’t utilizing the mobile app, download it today for your Apple® or Android™ device. If you aren’t currently a myFAMI user, go here and click “Create Account” to get started!

Apple® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. and Android™ is a trademark of Google LLC.

2022 Annual Report

The 2022 Annual Report is now available. This past year presented many challenges in the form of catastrophic weather losses, investment market turns, rising costs from inflation, supply chain shortages, reinsurance uncertainty, and transitions for our staff — just to mention a few. Although our financial results for 2022 reflect the many challenges
we faced, we know that success is defined by more than the balance sheet and income statement. So, as we reflect on a challenging year, we acknowledge the difficulties, but also celebrate the many successes!

Click the image below to read the report.

Brett Hudson, Leadership McPherson Graduating Class of 2022

Brett Hudson Leadership McPherson

Brett Hudson, Senior Product & Compliance Manager at Farmers Alliance, recently graduated from the McPherson Chamber of Commerce Leadership McPherson class. Brett was one of 11 individuals from McPherson County that participated.

Leadership McPherson partners with the Kansas Leadership Center to administer an in-depth, educational program that focuses on developing individual leadership skills, giving participants the skills to move organizations and businesses forward. The participants met several times over a 90-day period and received training from multiple community members as well as instructors from the Kansas Leadership Center. Brett said that “much of the curriculum focused on understanding ourselves and how we can leverage different strategies for interacting with others in more productive ways.  We spent time talking to several community organizations who are working to help youth in the area and discussed options for projects we could do as a class to help them.”

As part of the class, participants were required to plan a project to benefit the youth of McPherson County.  “Most of the community groups we spoke to said that there is a lack of awareness in the community of what services they provide,” said Brett. As a result of their research, the group decided that a Community Connection Fair within the local schools would be an excellent solution to the problem. The fair would allow these community groups to come together in one place to talk with teachers and students about the resources that they can provide. “We are excited about the potential to connect these organizations with teachers and students in our community. There is such a great need for this, and we hope it’s a way we can make the lives of youth in our community better,” said Brett. The fair would be open to both charitable and for-profit organizations that provide youth services in McPherson County. They expect to complete the project by the Spring of 2023.

Farmers Alliance is excited for Brett and what the leadership class has been able to accomplish so far. We are pleased to have great leaders on our team who want to make a difference in their communities.

Farmers Alliance Companies Announce Leadership Changes

MCPHERSON, KANSAS — Brian D. Lopata, President and Chief Executive Officer at Farmers Alliance has announced three promotions within the Executive Leadership Team, following the recent meeting of the company’s Board of Directors. According to Lopata, “I am happy to recognize these individuals for their exceptional work on behalf of Farmers Alliance, and look forward to their continued contributions in these new positions.” He added, “As we look to the future for Farmers Alliance, these changes will keep us aligned strategically and operationally, positioning us well for future success.”


Andy Edwardson has been named Executive Vice President – Chief Data & Technology Officer. Edwardson joined Farmers Alliance in 1997 in Information Technology (IT), and previously held the position of Senior Vice President – Chief Information Officer. Since the launch of the Farmers Alliance 2025 Strategic Plan, he has taken on an expanded role in the areas of technology, data science, actuarial science and project management. In recognition of these growing responsibilities, Edwardson is promoted to Executive Vice President – Chief Data & Technology Officer. He has direct responsibility for overseeing the strategic direction and execution of Information Technology, Data Analytics, Actuary, and Enterprise Project Management/Innovation.


Aaron Valentine, CPCU, CPA, is named Executive Vice President – Chief Financial & Risk Officer. Valentine joined Farmers Alliance in 2019, as Senior Vice President – Chief Insurance Officer, bringing more than 25 years of management experience with a regional mutual insurer. Following the recent retirement of Paul Taliaferro as Chief Financial Officer, Valentine is promoted to Executive Vice President – Chief Financial & Risk Officer. With this change, Valentine has direct responsibility for overseeing the strategic direction and execution of Accounting & Finance, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, Claims and Billing.


Randy Lutgen, CPCU, joins Executive Leadership Team, is named Senior Vice President – Chief Underwriting Officer. Lutgen joined Farmers Alliance in 2017, bringing many years of underwriting management experience. He previously was Vice President – Underwriting & Customer Service. As Senior Vice President – Chief Underwriting Officer, Lutgen has direct responsibility for overseeing the strategic direction and execution of Underwriting, Product & Compliance, and Customer Service & Satisfaction.

These promotions are effective immediately. The Farmers Alliance Executive Leadership Team also includes Ryan Hicks, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, and Jack Rader, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing & Reinsurance Officer.

Filing an auto glass claim with FAMI is easier than ever

windshield

Farmers Alliance recently partnered with Safelite® AutoGlass to handle glass claims. This partnership combines the reliability you’ve come to expect from Farmers Alliance with the exceptional customer service of Safelite AutoGlass. File a glass claim 24/7/365 by phone at 800-362-1075 or online using a new, self-service, glass claims reporting portal.

Self-Service Claims and Repair Scheduling

File glass claims online, anytime/anywhere with the Safelite self-service portal. Just visit fami.com/ReportAClaim and follow the link to report a glass claim with Safelite AutoGlass. From there, you will enter your personal information, policy information, and the damage to your vehicle. Next, you can schedule repairs directly with Safelite at one of their local shops or have a technician come to you.

We know that you want choices when selecting a repair shop, and that’s why your shop preference will always be honored with Safelite. When filing your claim online, choose “I have another shop in mind”, and someone will follow up with you to schedule repairs with your shop of choice.

While this service is designed to make your life easier, it’s not intended to replace the support of your FAMI agent. Contact your FAMI agent if you need help filing a glass claim or have questions about filing one yourself. We are excited to offer this new service and hope you find it convenient and easy to use.

Safety Tips for Black Friday Shoppers

Shoppers

While the Black Friday deals have already begun, the Friday after Thanksgiving remains a popular day to find the best steals on gifts for your loved ones. Whether you are shopping in-person or online, it’s important to take precautions to protect yourself and your belongings. Here are some great tips to help you stay safe:

In the store

  • There is safety in numbers. Bring friends with you when you shop. It’s safer and more fun!
  • Bring and use only ONE credit card. It’s much easier to cancel one card if it is lost or stolen than a wallet full.
  • If possible, keep your keys, cash, and credit card in three different places. Avoid using a purse if possible. If you must carry a purse, never leave it unattended, and always wear it.
  • When shopping with kids, make sure you designate a place to meet in case you get separated.
  • If a deal you’ve had your eye on is running low in stock, beware of over-zealous bargain hunters. There is no deal worth getting into a fight over and it’s likely you can find it online for the same price.

In the car

  • Put all your shopping bags in the trunk or somewhere out of sight to avoid a vehicle break-in. A thief is more likely to break into your vehicle if they can see something they want.
  • Keep your doors always locked when you leave your vehicle.
  • Parking lots can be hectic, with other drivers and pedestrians. Go slow and keep your eyes peeled so you don’t hit anyone.  
  • Park directly under lights when it’s dark outside and avoid parking near large vehicles that might block your view.
  • When you arrive home, be sure to bring your packages inside. Do not leave them in your car.

Online

  • Avoid shopping over public Wi-Fi networks.
  • Shop with reputable retailers only.
  • Double-check website URLs for phishing URLs. Scammers like to create pages that look like secure sites that steal your information.
  • Learn to spot Black Friday deals that look too good to be true. It’s likely they are a scam.
  • Credit cards typically offer increased consumer protections, and they don’t tie up your funds if something were to happen.

Keep these tips in mind while grabbing the best deals that Black Friday has to offer. Stay safe and go get the deals you’ve been waiting all year for! Happy shopping!

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