One of my larger CL clients has me handle his personal lines - I'm not a personal lines person, so I need help from those with more experience than me. The insured has a teen driver in the household with some major driving issues, including three at-fault accidents during the past year and two speed...

Our firm has worked with both Beacon and NMS Data. We have had much better luck wiht Beacon (my only experience is with Beacon).

I started a program with Beacon last July, and my ROI is already over 1,000% - just in year one. Well worth the investment.

Okay, I can finally come out of the health care reform closet. My large, regional agency receives significant income from health benefits commissions, and we could potentially lose a lot if effective reform is implemented. That said, after delivering 10-30% increases to business owners and managers ...

Recommend this one, manufactured by DynaQuip, a plumbing wholesaler/manufacturer. www.watercop.com A few carriers will provide discounts (5-8%) for installing - Fireman's Fund, Chubb, and a couple others. Costs is $300-$700, depending on the size of the system you need. I have seen live demos, and w...

There are many carriers that write long-haul trucking, but you need to know the following: - What is their DOT Compliance rating? - What are they hauling? - Contract or common carrier (or mixture of both)? - Do they require filings? Where? What type? - What type of equipment are they running? How ol...

I know another guy that's had a similar experience with Banker's Life & Casualty. He went ahead and spent the money and purchased what turned out to be a better source of leads from a reputable vendor... and is doing a bit better, now. The leads BL&C provided had the exact same results that...

The Hartford has the only one that works, Xact Pay, but it requires Quickbooks Payroll processing. Class of business is limited. When quoting the comp, I always ask if they have Quickbooks. If so, I always offer The Hartford. It's a relatively easy set up, and clients won't shop it since they no lon...

I'm currently a commercial P&C agent, but my background is working for a large, national advertising/marketing firm that worked with many Fortune 500 insurance companies doing direct response lead generation campaigns (many of you have seen the work in print and on TV). The type of leads they're...

Many shops also have associated tow operations, which can bring on a whole new set of challenges. Of course, you have the auto liability and physical damage for the tow trucks, but you need to make sure that the "on hook" coverage (a type of cargo policy) is sufficient for the vehicles the...

Try American Modern Home. They do mobile home parks, but not sure if they'll do an individual mobile home. Property coverage is going to be very tough.

Establish 1-2 niches and "own" those industries. If you are blindly cold-calling, you are spinning your wheels. But if you have a niche, preferably commercial accounts with sizable premium potential ($25k+) and work that niche hard, you will get to a point where you no longer need to "...

I will repeat my story again and again. My first customer as A PFS rep was my son and daughter-in-law (ages 28 and 30). Their policy wsa effective February 28 and on May 1 my daughter-in-law died - suddenly and unexpectedly. I was able to deliver a check to my grieving son that will alleviate the n...

LLC consisting of one member develops land he owns by building one home on it. Upon completion, he does not sell it rather he keeps it and rents it out. Is this a personal or commercial risk? I say commercial but insured says "well I am the LLC and its just me, so can't we just write the polic...

My advice: Walk away. Acuity is the best market for this company, and you won't beat them on price or coverage. They have the best short-haul trucking program (including sand/gravel guys), they almost always pre-inspect, so they know what they're writing, and they have good service. If they were wit...

In my humble opinion: If you don't find a niche, you will become a quote processor rather than a trusted business adviser. You will not know the markets that serve the industry, and you'll always be competing with people who have more leverage with key markets than you do. Find 2-3 niches and serve ...