Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
LevelFirst Adds Taylor as Senior Underwriter/Broker in Dallas
Jul 23 2014 // LevelFirst, a wholesale broker and managing general agency based in Dallas, Texas, announced Ryan Taylor has joined the company as a senior underwriter/broker. Taylor brings 10 years of wholesale experience to the company....
Big ‘I’ Group Names Cantor Ex-Aide Stewart to Capitol Hill Lobbying Team
Jul 23 2014 // Wyatt Stewart has joined the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) Capitol Hill team as director of federal government affairs. Wyatt Stewart Stewart, a native of Washington, D.C.,...
U.S. Risk Names Jonathan Hagan an Underwriter for the Dallas Commercial Underwriting Division of U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc.
Jul 23 2014 // Dallas, TX – July 23, 2014 – U.S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. (www.usrisk.com), the eighth largest managing general agency and surplus lines wholesaler in the nation, announced that it has named Jonathan Hagan an...
SIAA Adds 204 Member Agencies in First 6 Months 2014
Jul 22 2014 // The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance, or SIAA, signed 204 new member agencies in the first six months of 2014, including its 5,000th member agency since its inception in 1995. SIAA also reached $5 billion in in-force...
Rebates, Referrals and Rewards in Texas – What’s OK and What’s Not?
Jul 21 2014 // What are the rules governing insurance agents in Texas on rebates, referrals and rewards, and why do they matter? For starters, at a minimum, an agent could lose their license for violating rules regarding such activities....
E&O Insights: Why It’s Important to Review E&S Proposals
Jul 21 2014 // Hard market or soft, having an active relationship with at least a couple of excess and surplus lines (E&S) wholesalers is typically required for agencies to be successful. For as long as insurance has been part of...
Iowa Agent Sentenced to 41 Months for Defrauding Insurers
Jul 21 2014 // A former Des Moines, Iowa, insurance agent was sentenced to 41 months in prison for insurance fraud. Melissa Ilene Williams, of Dike, Iowa, also was ordered to pay restitution for fabricating and submitting life insurance...
Independent Agents Drawn to Tablet Applications
Jul 21 2014 // Many independent insurance agents say that tablet devices are going to be more important in the next couple of years – particularly for sales presentations and accessing carrier-based training. This is among the many...
Agents Keep Up: How People Use Mobile Technology to Communicate and More
Jul 21 2014 // An agent’s technological plate is so full it may seem impossible to decide where to start. Experts agree that embracing mobile needs to take top priority for two critical tasks: to mobile-optimize the agency website...
Deal Analysis: Why Validus Is Buying Western World
Jul 21 2014 // The combination of Validus Holdings and Western World Insurance Group fills in “missing pieces” for both organizations, Validus’ chairman said in late June, detailing finer points of a $690 million deal...
Peremption for Me, But Not for Thee
Jul 21 2014 // The Difference Between Insurance Agents and the Insurers They Represent Hurricane season 2014 had barely begun when Hurricane Arthur formed and wreaked havoc along the East Coast during the 4th of July weekend. Whether the...
Consumer Interest in TrustedChoice.com Growing, Big ‘I’ Chair-Elect Says
Jul 21 2014 // Insurance consumer interest in Trusted Choice, the national brand created for the members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or Big “I”) is growing, according the...
Surplus Lines Tax Sharing Solution Still Up for Debate
Jul 21 2014 // Things have changed a bit for the surplus lines industry since the Non-admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act, (NRRA) part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation, passed in 2010. The NRRA’s implementation has...
Senate Passes TRIA Renewal with Broker Licensing Provision
Jul 17 2014 // In a 93-4 vote, the Senate today passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2014 (S. 2244 ) that extends the federal reinsurance program for seven years. In addition to extending the Terrorism Risk...
Hearing Set in Insurance Fraud Case Against Former Kansas Agent
Jul 17 2014 // A federal judge will hear arguments on whether to dismiss the bulk of a wide-ranging indictment accusing a former Kansas insurance agent with stealing nearly $2 million from policyholders. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas...
Getting a Grip on Ridesharing Coverage
Jul 17 2014 // Ridesharing services are becoming increasingly popular among consumers looking for a more convenient alternative to taxis or other forms of public transportation, and new ridesharing companies have been cropping up...
Insurance Journal Co-Sponsors MarshBerry Market & Financial Survey
Jul 16 2014 // How are agencies targeting new business today? Will historical growth rates be sustainable? And just how much do agencies need to reinvest to achieve desired growth and enable perpetuation? These are some of the questions...
Florida’s Heritage Assumes Sunshine State Policies, Adds 150 Agents
Jul 16 2014 // Florida’s Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. said it has it assumed approximately $59 million in annualized premium from the insolvent Sunshine State Insurance Co. Effective June 27, 2014, the policies were assumed by...
Why Isn’t Current Pricing Pain Impacting Reinsurers’ Ratings? – Litmus Analysis
Jul 16 2014 // Since the disappointing pricing at the 1.1. renewal the bad news on reinsurance pricing has kept on coming. April, June and July renewals were all reported as materially down by the major brokers. S&P adopted a...
Breckenridge Insurance Services Hires Michael J. Foley as Area President to Lead West Coast Brokerage Expansion
Jul 16 2014 // KENNESAW, Ga., July 16, 2014 — Breckenridge Insurance Services, the wholesale commercial brokerage division of Breckenridge Insurance Group, has named Michael J. Foley as area president to head up West Coast brokerage...
