Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Truck Speeding Fix Among Safety Rules Halted by Trump Anti-Regulation Order
Jul 7 2017 // Years of pleas from parents whose son was killed by a speeding tractor-trailer, buy-in from some truckers and the promise of fewer highway deaths convinced U.S. officials in September to propose requiring speed-limiting...
Fearless Brokers on Disruption by Insurtech: ‘Bring It On’
Jul 5 2017 // Executives of retail and wholesale property/casualty brokers, who have heard predictions about disintermediation for years, are not worried about the latest wrinkle in the stories of their demise—the rise of insurtech...
Texas Agencies, Higginbotham, Jeannette Blanton Insurance Merge
Jun 30 2017 // Fort Worth, Texas-based Higginbotham has partnered with the Jeannette Blanton Insurance Agency Inc., a branch office of Dallas-based Independent Insurance Group Inc. Jeannette Blanton Insurance is located in Ennis, Texas....
Alliant Hires New York’s Kenny to Facilitate Eastern Expansion
Jun 30 2017 // Alliant has hired Kevin T. Kenny to its Alliant Americas division. In his new role, the New York-based executive vice president and managing director will play an integral role in expanding the middle market...
California Broker Launches National Expansion into Captive Insurance Market
Jun 29 2017 // Sacramento, Calif.-based Owen-Dunn Insurance Services has embarked on a national expansion with the launch of ODI Group Captive to meet demand from mid-size business owners for captive insurance. In addition to creating...
Arkansas Insurance Agents Name State Auto Company of the Year
Jun 27 2017 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas (IIAAR) selected Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Insurance Companies to receive the group’s Company of the Year award. State Auto was presented with the award at the...
USI Wins Competition to Acquire Wells Fargo Insurance Businesses
Jun 27 2017 // Wells Fargo is selling its commercial insurance business to national brokerage USI Insurance Services. USI said it has agreed to acquire Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA that includes commercial insurance brokerage and...
Independent Agents Get a Great Big Thank You from Superior Access
Jun 27 2017 // Our Way to Thank and Give Back to the Independent Agent Austin, TX – June 27, 2017 – Superior Access, the Ultimate Online Market Tool for the Independent Agent, is excited to announce the 50 Days of Independents...
As Agents’ Needs Change and Startups Emerge, Big ‘I’ Looks to Remain Relevant
Jun 26 2017 // Spencer Houldin is chairman of the nation’s largest and oldest agents’ association, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big “I”). He is also co-president of the family-run...
Former Flatiron, Cantor Fitzgerald Execs Launch Premium Financing Firm
Jun 26 2017 // Denver-based National Partners, a new premium finance company, said that it will open for business and begin processing loans on July 2. Since its formation in July 2016, NP has been building out its software system and...
Survey: Agents Suggest How Carriers Can Move from ‘Good’ to ‘Great’
Jun 23 2017 // One would expect to see high levels of satisfaction between an independent agency and its top carrier, but that isn’t always the case. Peeling back the layers usually reveals fertile ground for improvement and shows...
Insurtech Startup Buys MGA in California with Product for Agents in Mind
Jun 22 2017 // Insurtech startup Bridger has purchased Pleasanton, Calif.-based SCJ Insurance Services in a step toward launching what the firm contends will be “simpler, cheaper, and easier-to-manage automotive...
2 Common Workers’ Comp Mistakes
Jun 21 2017 // Thank you, Kevin Ring, for this guest post. Kevin is our guest instructor this week at Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance and is Lead Workers’ Compensation Analyst at the Institute for WorkComp...
$6 Million Invested in New U.S. Wholesale Broker XPT Led by Veterans Ruggieri, Smith
Jun 20 2017 // London-based private equity firm B.P. Marsh & Partners has invested $6 million in a startup New York-based specialty lines insurance distributor that is headed by several well-known wholesale insurance executives. The...
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants Acquires Connecticut’s After Inc.
Jun 20 2017 // EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has acquired After Inc., a product warranty analytics firm based in Norwalk, Conn. The...
Travelers Launches Online System in UK, Providing Quick Mgmt Liability Quotes
Jun 19 2017 // Travelers Insurance Co. Ltd. in the UK has launched a new online system that enables UK brokers to receive management liability quotes and bind coverage for their clients in a matter of minutes. Accessed through the My...
Delaware Raises Minimum Auto Liability Limits for the First Time in 30 Years
Jun 19 2017 // Delaware Governor John Carney has signed into law legislation that will increase the state’s minimum auto liability insurance limits. The state last adjusted the minimum auto liability insurance limits approximately...
People
Jun 19 2017 // West Des Moines, Iowa-based GuideOne Insurance has named Jessica E. Clark as the company’s new chief executive officer. Bringing nearly 20 years of leadership experience in property and casualty insurance, Clark...
High Agency Valuations Not Going Away, MarshBerry Exec Tells Conference
Jun 19 2017 // Valuations of insurance agencies are as high as they have ever been, and there does not appear to be any lessening of interest among suitors, according to an industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A) consultant. John...
Minding Your Business: Agency of the Future
Jun 19 2017 // Yogi Berra once said: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Ignoring that wisdom, what will the insurance agency business model look like in 10 years or 20 years? Right now there...
