Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas-Based MHBT Recognized as Top Performing U.S. Insurance Brokerage
Jan 30 2014 // MHBT Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, was recently recognized as the “Top Performing Agency” in the country in its revenue category in a prestigious report by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers...
Texas Insurance, Vietnam Veteran Lyle Ashley Passes Away
Jan 30 2014 // Lyle Ashley, decorated Navy veteran, insurance agency founder, and well-known professional in Texas insurance circles, passed away Jan. 24, 2014. Ashley, 69, received The Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars for his...
Senate Begins Amending Bill to Halt Flood Insurance Rate Increases
Jan 30 2014 // The Senate has begun adopting amendments to the bill (S.1926) that seeks to delay flood insurance premium increases called for under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. The Senate bill would halt premium...
N.Y. Gov. Orders Agencies to Review Emergency Response Plans for Oil Trains
Jan 29 2014 // New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday ordered state agencies to review and update emergency response plans for rail shipments of crude oil that pass through the state in the wake of recent derailments out of North...
Oasis Consortium of 21 Insurers, Brokers Launches Independent Cat Model
Jan 28 2014 // The Oasis Loss Modelling Framework has unveiled what it describes as “the most significant development in the modelling of natural catastrophe losses for 20 years”— the launch of an independent, global, open...
White House Balks at Flood Insurance Delay, Agent Licensing Bill
Jan 28 2014 // The Obama Administration has problems with the Senate bill that would delay flood insurance premium increases and create an agent licensing registry. The bill, S.1926, was cleared for debate on a procedural vote, 86-13,...
Senate Takes First Step on Flood Insurance, Agent Licensing Bill
Jan 27 2014 // The Senate voted 86-13 early Monday evening to proceed with debate on a bill to both delay some flood insurance premium increases and establish an optional national registry for insurance agent and broker licensing. That...
Key Flood and Crop Insurance Votes Could Come This Week
Jan 27 2014 // This week could see important Senate votes on a bill on the federal flood insurance program that is linked with an agent and broker licensing measure, as well House approval of a farm bill that includes crop insurance and...
House Dampens Prospects for Broad Flood Insurance Delay
Jan 27 2014 // The Senate (72-26) recently joined the House of Representatives (359-67) in passing a $1.1 trillion compromise omnibus spending bill that contains a delay for an estimated one quarter of those facing flood insurance...
Encourage Your Inexperienced Agent to Find a ‘Production Peer’
Jan 27 2014 // Inexperienced P/C producers frequently feel that they are working alone, lost in a sea of expectations. Their response, especially if they are young, is often to redouble their online activity. But today’s impersonal...
McKinsey Report Gets It Wrong on Independent Agents
Jan 27 2014 // For decades the experts have been betting against independent insurance agents, yet they keep winning. Why? The consultants, finance guys, and others who populate the skyscrapers on Wall Street discount the power of the...
Insurance Industry Trends for Agencies to Exploit in 2014
Jan 27 2014 // In order to be a step ahead of the competition it is best to be proactive. One can do this by understanding and exploiting current and future trends. It is easy to predict trends by understanding recurring cycles and...
Agency Models: What Defines Today’s True Independent Agency
Jan 27 2014 // The conventional definition of an independent agent is an entrepreneur who owns his or her book of business and offers multiple carriers to service their clients. That is the simplified version, and it falls short of...
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Emerges From 2013 As a Serious Player
Jan 27 2014 // Last year was quite a year for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) – or half of a year, anyway. Since opening its doors for business in June 2013 with much fanfare, the new venture has gone from four to nearly...
Judge Puts Missouri Law on Healthcare Navigator Licensing on Hold
Jan 26 2014 // A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against Missouri’s law requiring a state license to serve as a navigator to help consumers sign up for coverage through the new health insurance marketplace. U.S....
MHG Insurance Brokers Opens Office in Houston
Jan 24 2014 // MHG Insurance Brokers, a national brokerage in the United States specializing in life and health insurance for groups and individuals as well as business insurance, announced the opening of an office in Houston, Texas. The...
Canada, U.S. Safety Agencies Urge Fast Action on Oil-by-Rail Cars
Jan 24 2014 // North American regulators should phase out the type of rail car involved in last July’s deadly Lac-Megantic crash “sooner rather than later,” Canadian investigators said on Thursday, urging the United...
Wells Fargo Selling 42 Smaller Regional Insurance Offices to USI
Jan 24 2014 // Wells Fargo & Co., the largest U.S. home lender, has agreed to sell more than 40 percent of its insurance brokerage locations to focus bricks-and-mortar operations on higher-growth regions and bigger clients. USI...
Commentary: Insureds’ Agreement to Read Insurance Policy
Jan 23 2014 // A shock wave was recently sent through the insurance agent/broker community in Connecticut. In a surprising case at the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, O&G Industries, Inc. v. Aon Risk...
R.I. Regulator Offers Consumer Tips on Winter Weather Claims
Jan 22 2014 // Recent winter storms have already left a path of damage and power outages across the country. When a storm strikes, it’s important to know what to do if the home is damaged or if the insured gets involved in an auto...
