Reader’s Choice

Never lose sight of what the reader wants. That has been the motto for Insurance Journal throughout its 85-year history of publishing news and information for our most important customers — independent agents and brokers.

To accomplish this mission, editors at IJ want to hear from our readers. We want to know their views and opinions, how they see the market, and what they believe the future of the insurance industry looks like. This exclusive issue of Insurance Journal is a testament to that mission.

Together for the first time, readers can enjoy the results of three of our most important and popular reader surveys in 2010: the Agency Salary Survey, the Young Agents Survey and the Agency E&O Survey. But these three surveys represent just a portion of how IJ measures readers’ views on today’s market trends.

Online reader polls have become a popular communication tool. Here are highlights from some of 2010’s most popular online reader polls:

• What P/C insurer has the best ads on TV? Readers said Geico (30.21 percent) beat out other insurers (Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Travelers and Progressive).
• Will agencies, employees and small business customers be helped or harmed by the recent health care reform legislation? A strong majority of readers (59.66 percent) believe their agencies, employees and customers will be harmed.
• Is making business income (BI) coverage available under the federal flood program at actuarially-sound rates a good idea? Just over half of IJ readers (50.22 percent) believe that adding BI coverage to the flood program is a good idea.
• When will the soft market begin hardening? No one has a crystal ball, but a close majority (47.22 percent) of IJ readers believes rates will begin hardening sometime after September 2011.
• Which insurance professionals are most often underpaid? A third of IJ readers (33.87 percent) believe customer service representatives are most often underpaid for their valuable services. The next most underpaid position according to the poll is underwriters (23.65 percent).
• Should Congress attempt to repeal President Obama’s health care reform law? Slightly more than half of IJ readers (51.35 percent) said yes, to repeal all of the law. But nearly a third (29.13 percent) voted to give it a try.

Big changes are on the horizon for independent agents and brokers in 2011. We look forward to staying abreast of important trends facing your business while never forgetting our mission. Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous 2011 from all of us at Insurance Journal.

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