Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Burns & Wilcox Brokerage Adds Gross as Managing Director in Dallas
Feb 12 2014 // Burns & Wilcox Brokerage has hired David Gross as managing director in its North Dallas office. Gross, who most recently served as vice president and senior broker-casualty for CRC, will report to Burns & Wilcox...
Leavitt Group Agencies Combine In Utah, Nevada
Feb 12 2014 // The Leavitt Group has merged five of its agencies in southern Utah and Nevada. The merger includes Dixie Leavitt Agency, Hunt-Leavitt Insurance Agency, Leavitt Group Benefits Services of Southern Utah, Bringhurst-Leavitt...
Florida Trooper Case Raises Driver Data Privacy Issues
Feb 12 2014 // Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Donna Jane Watts was on routine patrol early one morning when a Miami police car whizzed past at speeds that would eventually top 120 mph. Even with her blue lights flashing and siren...
Mass. AG Office Says 7.7% Workers’ Comp Rate Hike Unnecessary
Feb 11 2014 // At a recent public hearing, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office expressed its opposition to the workers’ compensation average rate increase proposal and argued that the rate should be lowered...
Independent Agencies Post Performance Highs: Reagan
Feb 11 2014 // Independent insurance agents and brokers posted new highs in revenue growth and profitability in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to a survey of large and mid-sized agencies by Reagan Consulting. The consulting firm...
Worldwide Broker Network Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Feb 10 2014 // The Worldwide Broker Network, the network of independent property/casualty brokers and employee benefits consultants, has begun a year-long celebration of its 25th anniversary. More than 90 executives from 27 different...
Disclosing Broker Fees to Ensure Full Compliance
Feb 10 2014 // An area of intensive scrutiny by the California Department of Insurance surrounds the charging and disclosing of broker fees. The department regularly receives a high volume of customer complaints concerning the failure to...
E&O Insights: How Well Do You Know Your Own E&O Policy?
Feb 10 2014 // As many agents know, there are various standards to which they will be held in the event of litigation. There are also standards to which customers will be held. One of those standards involves a duty the customer has to...
Why Agencies Need to Pay More Attention to Insurer Insolvency
Feb 10 2014 // A myth is sneaking into the industry that insurer insolvency is not as important today. Belief in this myth is important to many entities. A number of companies, agencies and other firms benefit if less attention is paid...
Study Looks at Options to Depopulate Texas Coastal Wind Insurer
Feb 10 2014 // Loss exposure for Texas’ wind and hail insurer of last resort along the coast increased by around 319 percent between 2005 and 2012 – from $23.26 billion to $74.17 billion, and its policy count grew by...
Texas-Based MHBT Recognized as Top Performing U.S. Insurance Brokerage
Feb 10 2014 // MHBT Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, was recently recognized as the “Top Performing Agency” in the country in its revenue category in a report by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America...
Cowles & Connell of N.J. Adds Dooskin as Property/Casualty Broker
Feb 6 2014 // Cowles & Connell of N.J. announced the addition of Darren Dooskin to the position of associate vice president and property/casualty broker. Dooskin will be responsible for the marketing and production of...
Mayor of West, Texas, an Independent Agent, Named Trusted Choice Hometown Hero
Feb 6 2014 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) has named Tommy Muska of Muska Insurance Services in West as its newest Trusted Choice Hometown Hero. Hometown Hero recognizes Trusted Choice insurance agents who go above...
Indiana Man at 90: Insurance Agent, Crossing Guard
Feb 5 2014 // Norman Horrar has a full-time job, which at 90 years old is impressive in its own right. But Norm, as his friends call him, is an agent with Callaway Insurance. He also works part time as a crossing guard for the city of...
West Virginia Agencies Join Lawsuit Alleging Pain Pill Abuse
Feb 4 2014 // Two West Virginia agencies are joining a lawsuit against an Ohio drug company, alleging its negligent practices have helped fuel the state’s pain pill abuse epidemic. The Department of Health and Human Resources and...
Program Brokerage Corp. Acquires South Carolina’s Sirles
Feb 3 2014 // Program Brokerage Corp. (PBC), a wholesale subsidiary of insurance broker Hub International Limited (Hub), sad it has acquired the assets of Sirles Insurance Group Inc., a South Carolina-based commercial insurance...
Austin Agents Honor Watkins Insurance Group President with Service Award
Jan 30 2014 // Patrick Watkins, president of Austin, Texas-based Watkins Insurance Group, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Independent Insurance Agents of Austin (IIAA. The award is not offered every year, only when a...
Senate Passes Flood Insurance Delay, Agent Licensing Bill
Jan 30 2014 // The Senate passed a bill Thursday to delay certain flood insurance rate hikes and create a national registry for licensing insurance agents by a vote of 67-32. (See how senators voted at end of story.) The bill delays the...
The Hartford School Of Insurance Launches Small Commercial School
Jan 30 2014 // The Hartford School of Insurance has introduced a small commercial training program designed to educate new agency professionals on technical insurance and sales knowledge focused on the needs of a small business...
Oklahoma-Based INSURICA Acquires Joe West Co., Related Agencies
Jan 30 2014 // INSURICA Insurance Management Network, based in Oklahoma City, has acquired Tulsa-area agency, Joe West Company, and related agencies, Lon T. Jackson Agency and McMasters Insurance Counselors/Keystone Insurance Agency,...