Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Agency M&A in 2013 Reverted to Norm After Busy 2012: OPTIS Partners
Apr 7 2014 // Mergers and acquisitions of insurance agencies fell in 2013, with 248 reported transactions in the United States and Canada, according to a new semi-annual survey by OPTIS Partners, an investment banking and financial...
Arthur J. Gallagher to Buy Australian Wesfarmers’ Insurance Brokerage
Apr 6 2014 // Perth, Australia-based conglomerate Wesfarmers has agreed to sell the insurance brokerage and premium funding operations of its Insurance division to subsidiaries of U.S.-based broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for...
Confie Head Eyes Commercial Acquisitions for Rest of 2014
Apr 4 2014 // Confie Seguros’ president wants it known that the agency made good on its promise a year-and-a-half ago to up its buying spree and expand into standard personal and small commercial lines, all while broadening its...
Arthur J. Gallagher Buys New Zealand’s Mike Henry Brokers
Apr 4 2014 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited (MHIB), headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. MHIB has annualized revenues of approximately $4.5 million and 30 staff operating from its...
N.J. Regulator Offers Tips on Shopping for Insurance Coverage
Apr 2 2014 // New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski this week provided advice to consumers when shopping for insurance coverage. Whether buying and insuring a new car, starting a small business or...
Dallas Agents Group Names Sammons Young Agent of the Year
Mar 31 2014 // Adam Sammons has been recognized as the Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas (IIAD). The award recognizes an independent agent in the Dallas area under the age of 40 who has displayed...
Vertafore, DocuSign Partner to Offer E-Signature Services to Technology Users
Mar 27 2014 // Insurance technology provider Vertafore and digital transaction manager DocuSign have teamed up to offer e-signature services to Vertafore’s insurance clients. DocuSign’s Digital Transaction Management Platform...
Delaware’s New Legislation Adds Teeth to Certificate of Insurance Regulations
Mar 27 2014 // Delaware legislature on Tuesday passed HB 104 (“An Act to Amend Title 18 of the Delaware Code Relating to Certificates of Insurance”) that aims to curtail the improper use of certificates of insurance. Delaware...
Texas Insurance Agent Sentenced to 4 Years for Premium Theft
Mar 26 2014 // A Houston-area insurance agent whose company included the word “integrity” in its name has been sentenced to four years in prison for stealing from about 40 clients. A judge in Galveston sentenced Christopher...
Business Risk Partners, LIU Launch New E&O Policy Form for Agents, Brokers
Mar 26 2014 // Program administrator Business Risk Partners (BRP) has launched a new insurance agents and brokers professional liability form through Liberty International Underwriters (LIU), a division of Liberty Mutual Insurance....
Workers’ Compensation Fraud and the Insurance Producer
Mar 24 2014 // There are essentially two types of workers’ compensation fraud — premium fraud and claimant fraud — and insurance producers can play a role in the discovery and resolution of both, according to one investigator...
Agents’ Use of Technology Is About Attitude
Mar 24 2014 // Technology overload is a common lament among independent agents, who face a growing list of challenges in how to use it effectively. According to leaders on the front lines, however, the number one technology issue is not...
Top U.S. P/C Agency and Brokerage Acquirers in 2013
Mar 24 2014 // Insurance Journal‘s review of property/casualty agency and brokerage mergers and acquisitions occurring in 2013 found that Arthur J. Gallagher was the most active agency acquirer – as was the case in 2012. Hub...
Top 10 HOT Markets to Watch
Mar 24 2014 // Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing changes and expansions in the past year. Here are the top 10 market sectors that just might deliver hot opportunities for agents and brokers in the property/casualty...
Survey: Who’s Worth What in the Independent Agency System?
Mar 21 2014 // For the second year in row, salaries and total compensation rose in independent insurance agencies across the nation. That’s according to Insurance Journal’s annual Agency Salary Survey 2014. This year all...
Young Agents: Final Call to Say What You Think!
Mar 21 2014 // YOUNG AGENTS, this is your last chance to tell us what you think about the insurance industry, the agency you work in, and what young agents want in an insurance career. Insurance Journal is making its final call for young...
Agents Can Help Small Businesses Stay on Top of New Risks: Hartford School
Mar 20 2014 // Small businesses face a myriad of challenges throughout the business life cycle as they embark on new ventures and grow their operations. And insurance agents can serve as their guide and help them understand risks and...
Court Says Broker Fraud Protected by Bankruptcy’s Safe Harbor
Mar 20 2014 // Bankruptcy law’s “safe harbor,” which prevents customers of defunct brokerages from being sued, applies even when the broker was engaged in fraud and violated multiple securities laws, the U.S. Court of...
Lockton, Visiting Nurses Association Launch Professional Liability Program
Mar 18 2014 // The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) and specialty broker Lockton Affinity have launched a new insurance program to protect nurses and Visiting Nurse Association member agencies. VNAA is sponsoring the...
Houston Insurance Agents Honor Dean with Outstanding Service Award
Mar 17 2014 // Bob Dean, former president and CEO of Houston-based Dean & Draper Insurance Agency LP, has received a posthumous award for his unparalleled service through the years. The Independent Insurance Agents of Houston (IIAH)...
