Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Pay Attention to Smartphone Security
Nov 2 2015 // Digital security concerns related to the safety of computer systems and use of the Internet are a much discussed topic in this Tech Talk column. But what about the security of smartphones? Now the go-to communications...
Mississippi Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty to Stealing $33K in Premiums
Nov 2 2015 // A former insurance agent in Jackson County, Mississippi’s St. Martin community has pleaded guilty after pocketing more than $33,000 in customers’ money. The Sun-Herald reports that 38-year-old Chad Michael...
Industry Chasing Mobile Consumers with Ads, Apps, Self-Service Options
Nov 2 2015 // Carriers are spending big on advertising, and agencies are working to become increasingly more sophisticated and reach out to more and more people. In the world of insurance, that’s just doing business as usual. But...
Time Is Right to Review Agency E&O Limits
Nov 2 2015 // Fewer independent agencies are facing increased premiums for their agency errors and omissions (E&O) coverage and some experts say that is one reason they should consider upping coverage limits at their next...
‘Misfit’ Doctors, Lawyers: Find a Friend in E&S Market
Nov 2 2015 // Doctors and lawyers are taking up more space in the surplus lines professional liability (PL) markets, with growth and consolidation in the healthcare industry and real estate concerns among the legal field fostering...
South Carolina-Based Marine Insurance Agencies Merge to Form New Company
Oct 30 2015 // Maritime Insurance, LLC and Port City Holdings, LLC dba KSA Marine Insurance, both of Charleston, S.C., have joined to create a new entity, Maritime Insurance International. The new company combines the agencies’...
Partners Insurance Hires McDonald as Broker in Massachusetts
Oct 30 2015 // Bernard J. McDonald V Partners Insurance Group LLC has hired Bernard J. McDonald V as a licensed broker and producer. McDonald is responsible for developing new business and creating customer relationships. He provides and...
Insurance Agents & Brokers in Penn. Announces Newly Elected Directors
Oct 29 2015 // The fall marks a new administrative year for Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and its partnership of agents’ associations in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
Commercial Insurance Rates, Except Auto and Flood, Still Falling: CIAB
Oct 29 2015 // Commercial property/casualty insurance prices continued to decline moderately — an average of 3.1 percent— during the third quarter, according to a survey by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. The CIAB...
Texas Insurance Agent, Another Man Sentenced for Ponzi Scheme
Oct 28 2015 // Two North Texas men, one of whom is a licensed insurance agent, have been sentenced to five-year prison terms and must repay nearly $2.4 million solicited in a Ponzi scheme, according to U.S. Attorney John Parker of the...
California DMV Agreement Changes How Motor Vehicle Records Are Handled
Oct 28 2015 // California agents and brokers are being notified of a new change to how they can handle motor vehicle records. An agreement between representatives from the insurance industry and the California Department of Motor...
Sen. Warren Criticizes Legal ‘Kickbacks’ to Annuity Sales Agents
Oct 28 2015 // U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said 13 major U.S. life insurers had admitted to using incentives such as expensive vacations and gifts, which could encourage agents “to put their own interests ahead of their...
Hiscox USA Names Wong as National Broker Manager, Bailey as Southwest Executive
Oct 26 2015 // Specialty insurer Hiscox has appointed Rick Wong as National Broker Relations manager and David Bailey as Southwest regional executive for Hiscox USA. Wong previously served as regional manager for Hiscox USA. In his new...
Reinsurance Broker TigerRisk Hires Ex-AIG, Hanover Exec. Bensinger as Adviser
Oct 26 2015 // TigerRisk Partners has hired insurance-industry veteran Steven Bensinger, who oversaw American International Group Inc.’s finances during the early part of the global credit crisis, to advise clients. Bensinger,...
Big ‘I’ Adds Webb to Capitol Hill Team
Oct 22 2015 // Jennifer Webb has joined the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) Capitol Hill team as federal government affairs counsel. Webb joins the association’s bipartisan...
XS Brokers Announces 5 New Hires in Massachusetts
Oct 20 2015 // XS Brokers, a wholesale brokerage based in Quincy, Massachusetts, announced the following five new hires. Sean McVicker joined XS as broker. McVicker comes from AmTrust E&S where he was casualty broker placing general...
Farmers Insurance Agrees to Settle Missouri No-Call Lawsuit
Oct 20 2015 // California-based Farmers Insurance has agreed to pay Missouri $575,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming its agents violated state telemarketing laws. Attorney General Chris Koster said that is the largest amount ever paid to...
E&O Insights: How Well Are You Managing Your Agency’s Commercial Lines Accounts?
Oct 19 2015 // Ask errors and omissions (E&O) carriers about their results when dealing with commercial lines shops and most, if not all, would comment that heavy commercial lines agencies definitely generate their share of E&O...
Just My Analytical Opinion
Oct 19 2015 // How risky is that driver with that car? What are the odds a house will flood while a house one street over will not? How do all these variables come into play when setting a rate? What price will allow an insurance company...
Industry Chasing Mobile Consumers with Ads, Apps, Self-Service Options
Oct 19 2015 // Carriers are spending big on advertising, and agencies are working to become increasingly more sophisticated and reach out to more and more people. In the world of insurance, that’s just doing business as usual. But...
