Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hilb Group Buys Virginia-Based Brokerage Engle, Paxson & Hawthorne
Apr 24 2013 // The Hilb Group announced last week the acquisition of Engle, Paxson & Hawthorne Insurance Services (EPH) of Leesburg, Va. The transaction was effective April 1, 2013. Founded over a century ago, EPH serves residents...
What Young Agents Say About Their Career Choice
Apr 23 2013 // The road to becoming a successful independent insurance agent is not always easy. The economy and often volatile property/casualty insurance market cycle are just two of the potholes agents must maneuver. Young agents in...
Most Carriers Offer Agents Training Opportunities for Online Sales: Survey
Apr 23 2013 // A two-thirds majority of independent insurance agents say their carriers are providing them with training and consulting on how to use their agency websites to increase sales. This is one of the findings in a new survey of...
IIABCal Long-Time Member Michael Remembered
Apr 23 2013 // The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California is reporting that long-time IIABCal member Lisa Michael died on April 18 from cancer. Michael, who was 43, was a principal at Tom Michael Insurance in Turlock,...
MarketScout, Ironshore Launch E&O Program for CIC Insurance Agencies
Apr 22 2013 // MarketScout has developed a new errors & omissions facility designed specifically for Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) to be offered through its relationship with Ironshore Inc., a global specialty insurance...
Towers Watson Expands Crisis Management Brokerage Lineup
Apr 22 2013 // Global professional services company Towers Watson has augmented its crisis management brokerage and consultancy operation with the appointment of three senior specialist insurance brokers. Mark Steddon, based in London,...
Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Pocketing Agent Commissions
Apr 22 2013 // ABixby, Okla., man has pleaded guilty to taking commissions earned by insurance agents working for his firm, according to the Oklahoma Insurance Department. The OID said Christopher Bland, with Business Consulants of South...
7 Ways for Independent Agents to Recover Lost Policies
Apr 22 2013 // Independent agents have a nearly endless supply of suspects to solicit. They encompass almost every consumer and business in the state(s) in which you’re licensed. Of course, some make better prospects than others,...
W.R. Berkley Corp. Divests, Connecticut Bank Acquires InsurBanc
Apr 22 2013 // InsurBanc, a federal savings bank founded by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and W.R. Berkley Corp. a dozen years ago, has joined Connecticut Community Bank N.A., based in Westport, Conn. In the...
Merger & Acquisition Activity Off to a Quiet Start
Apr 22 2013 // After a record-setting year-end, 2013 started off with a whisper. First quarter merger and acquisition activity slowed to 37 announced transactions between January and March, down from 67 the prior year. Buyers were busy...
E&O Insights: Directors & Officers Liability Is Not Your Normal Insurance Product
Apr 22 2013 // If you asked 100 insurance professionals on the agency side what one line of business “scares” them the most, it’s likely that directors and officers (D&O) liability would be at the top of the list....
Planning for Uncertainty
Apr 22 2013 // The traditional business plan includes short-term and long-term goals, and projections. But how do you plan when you can’t guess what will happen? Some things are shifting faster than you can keep up with, while...
10-Point Checklist for DO Renewals in a Hard Market
Apr 22 2013 // No one, least of all the insured, likes a price increase. But with the D&O market firming across the board – as confirmed by the Towers Watson “2012 Directors and Officers Liability Survey” released in...
50 Top Apps For Independent Agents
Apr 22 2013 // Mobility technology is changing the way the insurance industry operates. And when it comes to working on the go, nothing is as important as mobile device applications. But what apps do independent agents use most? What...
SoDA, IPISC to Offer IP Defense Insurance for Digital Agencies, Production Cos.
Apr 19 2013 // SoDA, an association focused on the digital agency and production company community, has partnered with IPISC to offer intellectual property (IP) coverage tailored specifically to its member companies. The insurance is...
Professional Risk Solutions to Offer Product Liability, Life Sciences Coverages
Apr 19 2013 // Wholesale Brokerage Professional Risk Solutions (PRS) has launched a new venture that extends its offerings to general and product liability coverages, as well as insurance options for the life sciences industry. Through...
One-Day Modern Consumer Training for Insurance Professionals Hosted by PIA of Michigan on Thursday, April 25th
Apr 19 2013 // Warwick, RI, 4/19/13 – Astonish, a leading digital marketing solutions and sales training provider for insurance agencies, encourages local insurance agency principals, CEOs, and presidents in Michigan and surrounding...
Billhartz Promoted to Senior VP in Heffernan’s St. Louis Branch
Apr 18 2013 // Heffernan Insurance Brokers promoted Brian Billhartz to senior vice president and branch manager in its St. Louis, Mo., office. Billhartz has over 22 years of experience in property and casualty underwriting, production...
N.Y. Reaches Settlement With QBE Over ‘Force-Placed’ Insurance Business
Apr 18 2013 // New York officials announced this morning that a New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) investigation produced an additional settlement with a major “force-placed” or “lender-placed”...
Shark Proof – Revisited
Apr 17 2013 // In 2010, I wrote an article on shark proofing new clients for the Insurance Journal. Because of it’s popularity, this topic expanded into webinars, and 1/2 day seminars. I thought I should revisit and update the...
