Percent of business in Illinois by line:
Commercial 7% Personal 85% Life & Annuity: 8%

Are you currently appointing new agents? Yes. IA Deployment Counties Targeted: Carroll, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Douglas, Fayette, Ford, Grundy, Hancock, Iroquois, Jackson, Jo Daviess, La Salle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Montgomery, Ogle, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, Warren, Woodford. Allstate made 4 appointments in 2002.

What type of agency is your company looking for? Strong established agencies in non-metropolitan areas.

What are your premium volume requirements? (P&C) Be one of the top 3 carriers in agency. (Life) $5,000 minimum annually in financial services.

Are you currently doing any niche-marketing program? Yes. Worksite voluntary benefits.

What is your company's most aggressive line of business? Preferred auto and financial services.

Do you use credit scoring? Yes, on new business only.

Do you currently download/upload with your agencies? Yes, download.

What methods do you use to distribute your insurance products? Independent agencies, exclusive agents, call centers, Internet.

What do you think makes your company different, or stand out from all the rest in Illinois? Why would an agent want to contract with your company? Allstate's brand name recognition and financial stability and our stability in the marketplace.

If we had agents agree to sell homeowners policies with actual cash value endorsements, would you write more business in southern Illinois? Not at this time.

What are the major ways in which you are interfacing electronically with your agents today? Are you pleased with the results? All P&C applications and service are completed via Internet… we also send general communications to agencies via email.

Additional Comments: Allstate purchased American Heritage Life in 1999. They compete with AFLAC. They were the 3rd largest writer of voluntary benefits-they go into businesses and try to fill the gaps: Disability, Life, Accident, Mini-med, Cancer, Dental, etc. They were very strong in southeast and are now growing in other parts of the country.

Allstate has over $850 million in P&C premium in Illinois. In order to achieve proper pricing, Allstate took rate increases in both auto and home in 2002 and anticipates small increases in 2003. Allstate has limited mold coverage to $5,000 PD. Nothing in wind and hail or deductibles. The company wants to continue to grow in policies and premium.

Allstate's independent agent program was designed in 1975 to service the outlying areas. Countrywide, the company has over 2,300 independent agencies (65 in Illinois) with over $1 billion in premium.