Germania Today | Fall 2019

Insightful information for you | Fall 2019 T GERMANIA TODAY

Commit cure Page 4 to the

Germania taps into the power of technology to enhance customer experience Page 6 Staying calm and collected in the wake of hail damage Page 10

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Contents

GERMANIA TODAY Insightful information for you

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Commit to the cure

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A Message from our President

Fall 2019 | Volume 45, Issue 3

Germania taps into the power of technology to enhance customer experience

Germania Farm Mutual Insurance Association 507 Highway 290 East Brenham, Texas 77833 800-392-2202 germaniainsurance.com

Introducing the new Germania website

Consolidated balance sheet

Germania Life will soon offer online quoting

Paul Ehlert

President & Chief Executive Officer Secretary/Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Director of Communication

Derrell Krebs

Going digital: Germania Today available online

Min Choi

Fee increases: what they are and how they affect you

Melisa Bosse

Elizabeth Kamenicky Editor Shane Butzow

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Designer

Staying calm and collected in the wake of hail damage

Germania Today (USPS 086230) Published quarterly by Germania Farm Mutual Insurance Association Postmaster: Send address changes to Germania Today at P.O. Box 645, Brenham, TX 77834. Periodical postage paid at Brenham, Texas and additional mailing offices. Subscription price is 50 cents per year included in yearly premium.

Recipe - Duchess potato casserole

View our latest blog

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A message from OUR PRESIDENT

Paul Ehlert President & Chief Executive Officer

fter a particularly hot and dry summer season, we at Germania are welcoming the pleasant relief autumn brings. As we settle into routines of school activities and seasonal sports, let us not forget about the importance of this time of year. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this international health campaign, we are proud to provide support to a cause that has affected so many in our Germania family on a personal level. For the second consecutive year, Germania is partnering with Susan G. Komen to support its fight to save lives. As part of our partnership with Susan G. Komen®, Germania is kicking off its second annual Quote for the Cure. For each online insurance quote requested at www. germaniainsurance.com during the month of October, Germania will donate $10 to the Komen Foundation, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $50,000. With your help, we will not only raise funds but awareness for a disease that affects so many in our community. Please encourage your family and friends to visit our newly redesigned website to request a quote located front and center on our homepage. While you’re there, explore the remainder of the site and take in its enhanced aesthetics. Germania’s website makes it easy to do business with us. We’ve simplified the

process to pay your bill online, create a member account, file a claim online, and browse our products. Germania is on a constant quest to stay up-to-date with the latest technology to ensure a convenient and efficient experience for our customers. For example, we have implemented e-signatures via DocuSign® on documents, and our claims adjusters are beginning to incorporate iPad minis to streamline assessments when working out in the field. Even our quarterly Germania Today newsletter is published solely online twice a year to reduce expenses for our policyholders and the environmental impact of printing and mailing. You can find our Germania Today archives by clicking News located under the About tab on the homepage. It is part of our culture and belief that we can only serve our policyholders well if we are continuously improving our products and platforms. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome at bit.ly/ germaniafeedback. Let us know how we can better serve you. We hope your fall is prosperous and productive. As always, thank you for trusting us to take care of your insurance needs.

Fall 2019 | 3

Commit cure to the Germania partners with Susan G. Komen® for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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reast cancer has hit close to home for many Germania employees, agents, and policyholders. It only seems natural to continue our partnership with the world’s leading breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen®, to support its fight to save lives in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the second consecutive year, Germania is offering its Quote for the Cure campaign throughout the month of October. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, Germania will donate to Susan G. Komen® $10 for each online insurance quote requested at www.germaniainsurance.com, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $50,000. “Germania is proud to continue its partnership with Susan G. Komen® to raise funds in the fight against breast cancer,” Germania President and CEO Paul Ehlert said. “We look forward to another successful campaign this year, and are focused on fighting a disease that affects so many in our community.” Founded in 1982, the Susan G. Komen® Foundation is the world’s largest nonprofit source of research funding – outside of the U.S. government – in the fight against breast cancer. Since its inception, Susan G. Komen® has invested more than $2.9 billion in research, community health outreach, advocacy, and programs in more than 60 countries. The combination of early detection and effective treatment has helped lead to a 40% decline in

Germania employees in Brenham and at the Dallas office are encouraged to participate in Pink Out Day to celebrate and honor those close to them who have been affected by breast cancer. Susan G. Komen® also offers a variety of options to support those facing breast cancer through its organization. You can make a direct donation online, create a memorial or tribute, have your gift matched by your participating employer, include Susan G. Komen® in your estate plan, and much more. To learn more about Susan G. Komen® and how you

can participate during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit www.komen.org.

breast cancer mortality from 1989 to 2016. Still, more than 42,000 men and women in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer this year. Germania encourages its employees, agents, and policyholders to participate in activities and contribute to the accomplishment of Komen’s goal of reducing the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50% in the U.S. by 2026.

In addition to the Quote for the Cure campaign for current and prospective policyholders, independent agents are enlisted by Germania to help spread the word in October. Germania is sharing promotional materials, such as T-shirts and informational handouts, to select agent partners to use in promoting breast cancer education in their communities.

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Germania taps into the of powertechnology

to enhance customer experience ow an insurer handles your claims is critical to ensure a

Most importantly, this technology will enable Germania adjusters to provide you a better overall customer experience. DocuSign®-ed, Sealed, and Delivered Another method to streamline business for our policyholders is the recent integration of DocuSign®, an e-signature solution that facilitates electronic signatures on documents. While not required to be used to submit Germania business, DocuSign® has become accessible to all agents effective in June of this year. This tool helps to reduce time spent scanning, faxing, and mailing documents between parties, as well as traveling to your agent’s office. Germania’s configuration of DocuSign® supports electronic signatures for new business applications, policy change applications, cancellations, EFT authorization forms, and e-check authorizations. If your agent requests your e-signature for these documents, a Germania-branded email will be sent to you via DocuSign® to the email address you provided to your agent. When using a laptop or desktop computer, choose a signature from a list of preset fonts or draw your own signature. On mobile devices, you can sign your name on the device screen using your finger. Key details about DocuSign®: • Electronic and digital signatures are binding. • Documents signed through DocuSign® are secure and use strong >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

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