Over the years, FC&S has been blessed with the talents and knowledge of many editors. As part of the 1000th issue celebration, some of these editors have contributed their impressions and experiences with FC&S in the following paragraphs.

Many, many years ago when I was a neophyte personal lines underwriter, a question came up as to coverage for a camper trailer parked in a campground. The trailer was not attached to its towing vehicle. The question was what, if any, medical payments would apply to a guest at the trailer? Some stated that clearly the auto coverage responded; others argued for the homeowners.

Remember, I was the neophyte, so I was asked to visit the National Underwriter headquarters and consult the insurance bible—FC&S Bulletins. The answer I found would be the tie-breaker; the one to which the department, and the company, would adhere. And there it was—the homeowners provided coverage.

Then, of course, the Bulletins existed only in print; today, electronically. Then, questions were answered via snail-mail or in the monthly print edition; today, questions are answered within days over the internet. But although the means of delivery have changed, the message has not. FC&S continues to supply the answers today's neophytes need to excel in the insurance business.

I'm proud to have been a part.

Diane W. Richardson, CPCU

Consulting Editor, FC&S

It was in October 1966, coincidently the same period when the Insurance Rating Board, predecessor to the Insurance Services Office, introduced some significant CGL changes to replace its 1955 provisions, that I—a supervising casualty underwriter for a large Eastern insurer—joined the Fire, Casualty & Surety Bulletins. Under the tutelage of the late Bernard (Barney) P. McMackin, Editor, I eventually not only learned how to write, but also inherited from him, the inspiration to research, write and help others with their insurance problems. It has been a sincere pleasure to have been a member of the staff of this long-time, respected publication, to work with many other fine writers, to write articles for the benefit of many, and to be able to continue on that path to this very day, 46 years later.

Donald S. Malecki, CPCU

Consulting Editor, FC&S

I started at FC&S in March of 2006. I was a homeowners expert, among other things, and that has led to all sorts of interesting topics. That summer and fall I had more than one question about the cleanup of dead bodies either from people dying alone in their homes or by suicide. At any rate, there's significant clean up. This led me to write one of my earliest  columns for Claims magazine on the cleanup of dead bodies. OK, it's a little morbid, but it was certainly different, and a complicated question for adjusters. Little did I know that article would become my claim to fame. Shortly after the magazine published I received a call from the American Biological Recovery Association, looking for a speaker for their upcoming conference in San Diego since one of the featured speakers had to cancel at the last minute. Sure enough, next thing you know I'm in California discussing insurance with the cleanup folks; they were a great audience.

Of course my coworkers teased me about it for some time, even though I wrote about other things such as skunks and rodents and other structures. However the dead bodies keep coming back; I still get questions and even comments on the article, and it's been five years. I have branched out of course, as I mentioned before I have written about skunks and other animals, and have tackled tenants making drugs in the home and recently wrote about medical marijuana. As I said, homeowners insurance can be quite interesting, and where else but FC&S would I have the opportunity to research and write about all these unusual things without the men in the white coats being called? It's a great place to be.

Christine Barlow, CPCU

I worked for the FC&S Bulletins from the advent of the pollution exclusion to the invasion of Chinese mold. Keeping up with liquor liability, the status of the insurability of punitive damages, and the voluminous ISO renditions of the 1980s/1990s CGL and Commercial Property forms were my early focus. I got the honor of bringing out the National Underwriter Company's first electronic product (Shortcut—the Agents and Buyers Guide) in the DOS days. Later, budgets, forecasts, and explanations to non-insurance management was my final job.

There was an FC&S Department style created by John C. O'Connor, furthered by Barney McMackin—both Presidents of National Underwriter Company after editing FC&S—honed by Eugene F. “Gene” Wolters, and represented by its current great staff (several I had the pleasure to work with). FC&S was a special and unique institution. The FC&S developed as academic/scholarly in approach, with deadlines that ran to the end of a research string rather than on a calendar. We were taught by Gene to meander into theory and principles, and then debate it with other editors. We were not trading recipes in those long desk-side visits, no matter the lunchroom gossip—we were arguing, for example, if “permanently installed” could mean “plugged in.” Much of today's insurance coverage archive and theory was developed in Tuesday/Thursday leisurely “huddles” in Gene's office, where hundreds of coverage questions from dedicated subscribers were vetted Supreme Court style, along with every word uttered in an ISO Circular. We saw our discussions reflected in appeals courts' decisions and changes in ISO manuals. Because of that, FC&S Bulletins became the trusted comprehensive brand that it is now, with an enormous dedicated subscriber-base. I saw us grow from four to five binders and then blow out to digital and print product lines in reference, hot topics, and training.

If you'll allow an old “Issue Letter” stepped-away perspective of an editor more than half-a-decade departed, I liked it best around the 100th anniversary of the National Underwriter Company. We hosted a great party around a pool in Hawaii at the Big I convention. FC&S had 87,000 individual subscriptions and a comfortably-sized great line-up of insurance analysts, who seemed to populate the insurance reference industry. I grew in insurance interpretation with Arthur Flitner (CPCU Society VP); Jeff Woodward, IRMI Senior Editor; and Don Malecki, renowned insurance geek, among others now gone (not to mention the current FC&S editors, David, Susan, Diane, Diana, and Christine). I congratulate everyone who ever touched this great service and helped it achieve its 1000th edition.

Bruce J. Hillman, JD, MMC

Eugene Wolters hired me as a staff writer on the FC&S Bulletins beginning in December 1977, when I was 25. I knew nothing about insurance but was willing to learn. I will always be grateful to Gene for giving me the opportunity to join the FC&S department. This allowed me to work with a talented, fun, caring group of people whose mission was to provide a needed service to an essential industry. My daily contacts with FC&S subscribers helped me learn about the business of insurance directly from people working in the industry. By the time I left FC&S in January 1987 as an associate editor, I had absorbed the knowledge and skills that would be the foundation for my work over the next 25 years. On this happy occasion marking the publication of FC&S's 1,000th issue, I offer my congratulations and thanks to all those who have made FC&S what it is.

Arthur L. Flitner, CPCU, ARM, AIC

Senior Director of Knowledge Resources, The Institutes

I started my insurance career more years ago than I care to remember, with a regional independent agency whose principals strongly supported education and insurance knowledge. I can remember when Rob Gleason, the president of the agency, took me into the library and showed me the FC&S Bulletins. He told me that he wanted me to use the resources in the library to better answer our clients' questions and handle their insurance needs.

I managed large commercial accounts and used FC&S often. It became a great resource for me when I was trying to advocate on a difficult claim, clearly communicate a difficult exclusion, or just learn more about what I should be discussing with underwriters when arranging coverage. I also used other resource materials, but FC&S always seemed to have the best and most concise answers to the problems I was solving.

I can remember remarking on how great it would be to work for a service like FC&S to others in the agency. And then I saw the ad for an editor. I applied, interviewed a couple times, and quickly decided that this was the place I wanted to be. That was nearly fifteen years ago, and I still remark that it was a great move on my part. I helped to shepherd the migration to online, worked on many FC&S articles and on P&C books, and met hundreds of subscribers who to this day continue to challenge my abilities.

Diana Reitz, CPCU, AAI

My FC&S career began in 1997 when I was hired by the National Underwriter Company as a paralegal. I did background research for the editors and spent countless hours at the law library checking and double checking cancellation and nonrenewal statutes and Shepardizing the court cases in FC&S.

I sat in on weekly Q&A meetings and marveled at how the editors could rattle off ISO form numbers and recite entire policy provisions from memory. Fifteen years, one CPCU designation, and numerous trips to PLRB and RIMS conferences later, I too know those ISO form numbers by heart and can converse freely in insurance-ese. I have had the tremendous opportunity to tap the minds of my colleagues—the FC&S experts—and learn the art and science of policy interpretation from the best in the business.

It has been fascinating, and sometimes humbling, to analyze the insurance implications of natural and man-made disasters as well as to discuss the everyday dilemmas that our subscribers encounter. I am excited to have been a small part of the FC&S's history and look forward to Issue 1,001 and beyond.

Susan Massmann, CPCU

I joined the FC&S staff in 1987 after spending many years as a personal and commercial lines underwriter, claims adjuster, and reinsurance underwriter. Gene Wolters hired me and helped me learn the FC&S style of thinking and writing about insurance policies, and coverage. I never ceased to be amazed at the respect and support that our subscribers paid to FC&S, no doubt due to the experience and high quality of the FC&S editors.

To still be here and writing for the 1000th edition of the FC&S Bulletins is an honor. I can think of no better job in the insurance industry. Whether we are answering subscriber questions about coverage disputes or analyzing the ever-changing insurance coverage forms, I am proud to say that FC&S articles and coverage guides still offer subscribers information in the same well thought out, comprehensive, and objective manner that the founding editors established.

As the managing editor of FC&S, I want to thank all of the editors, past and present, who have made FC&S the number one source of information for the insurance industry. Congratulations on the 1000th issue with hopes for many more to come.

David D. Thamann, JD, CPCU, ARM

Article of the Month

Those who work inside the insurance industry often have difficulty understanding and explaining the concept of coinsurance. To insurance industry customers, coinsurance is a baffling subject; often insureds mistake it to mean partial insurance, or that payment for any claim is limited to a percentage of the loss. In reality, the coinsurance clause in a commercial property policy requires the customer to purchase insurance in an amount equal to a certain percentage of the property value.

Answers to questions about coinsurance can be found here: Coinsurance. This article offers a thorough and practical guide to coinsurance. It details what coinsurance is, how it works, and how courts view coinsurance.