Percent of business in Illinois by line:
Commercial: 70% Personal: 30%

Are you currently appointing new agents? Yes

What type of agency is your company looking for? An established independent agent, broker, or general agency that has consistent access to the affluent personal lines market.

What are your premium volume requirements? $500,000 premium volume to participate in our incentive compensation program within 3 years of agency appointment.

Are you currently doing any niche-marketing program? Our approach to personal lines is niche marketing. Our products are designed for the affluent customer who appreciates superior coverage over bottom-line price.

What is your company's most aggressive line of business? We are eager to write personal lines account business on homes $750,000 and higher in value.

Do you use credit scoring? Yes. Credit scores are reviewed in conjunction with loss activity on both new and renewal business.

Do you currently download/upload with your agencies? Yes. Upload and download are available and encouraged.

What methods do you use to distribute your insurance products? Strictly through the independent agency network. We also offer an excellent Service Center arrangement to our agents that can be customized to include cross-sell programs and up-sell programs. The agency is also free to include or exclude any customers they choose from the Service Center agreement.

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? Fireman's Fund offers the following to its agents and customers: 1. An outstanding personal lines niche product designed to meet the needs of affluent customers. 2. A claims department that receives a "very satisfied" rating from more than 95% of customers surveyed after a loss. 3. An in-house residential consultant program designed to accurately measure the replacement cost of insured's homes. 4. A very competitive incentive compensation agreement that can reward agents for both profitability and growth. 5. A customer service department that is continually recognized by the agency force for its promptness, friendliness, and product knowledge.

If we had agents agree to sell homeowners policies with actual cash value endorsements, would you write more business in Southern Illinois? No

What are the major ways in which you are interfacing electronically with your agents today? Are you pleased with the results? We offer our agents internet-based auto quoting and policy issue. Policy upload and download are available as well.

Are you planning enhancements to these interfaces in the future? Product enhancements have been continuously added to the auto quoting system since its introduction in 2002. Home quoting via the Internet will appear in 2003.