Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Brokers See Changing Relationships, Expanding Technology
Oct 3 2011 // At the same time they are trying to figure out what their customers, markets and the economy are going to do, today’s intermediaries are also having to navigate changing relationships among carriers, wholesalers and...
How Can Insurance Agents Help Texas Fire Victims?
Oct 3 2011 // Many businesses and homeowners are struggling to determine the extent of their damages from what is shaping up to be the worst year in Texas history for fire losses. In handling the crisis, policyholders must quickly...
Sportscover: Providing Coverage for Sports and Leisure around the World
Oct 3 2011 // Sports and leisure activities are one of the most ubiquitous pass times the world over. Whether you participate, or just watch, virtually no one is far away from some form of sporting activity. It’s why sports, as a...
California’s ‘New’ MGA Yates: Having Fun, Going National
Oct 3 2011 // Hiring, Acquisitions, Scottish Flair On Tap for Yates, Says New CEO Thomson Thirty-three year-old Scotsman Paul Thomson was on the last leg of his “five-year plan” to get into the insurance business in the U.S....
After 30 Years, Bouhan Leaves NAPSLO
Oct 3 2011 // The National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Ltd. (NAPSLO) began serving the surplus lines industry and its wholesale broker members in 1975. Just six years into the association’s history a young...
People
Oct 3 2011 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) presented the Federal Legislator of the Year Award to U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., at its annual convention in Indianapolis. Biggert currently serves as...
Mass. Agents Prepare for Battle Over Credit Ban on Ballot
Oct 3 2011 // A Massachusetts independent agents group said it is confident that a ban on auto insurers’ use of credit scores and other socioeconomic factors will become a state law in coming months. The Massachusetts Association...
Why Agents Need Workers’ Comp Manuals
Oct 3 2011 // Workers’ compensation is a game of rules. Like all other games, from Monopoly to football, if you don’t know the rules, you’re going to find it difficult to win. We don’t normally think of insurance...
Wanted: Industry Seeks Out Specialty Marine Brokers
Oct 3 2011 // Two developments in the marine market have combined to create a tantalizing opportunity for wholesale brokers and managing general agents (MGAs) to serve the marine marketplace. While marine revenues remain fairly flat,...
High Gold Prices Raise Risk in Jewelry Industry
Oct 3 2011 // The high price of gold and increases in jewelry crimes have put the jewelers block insurance segment in a tenuous position, and agents and brokers have to do their due diligence to make sure their clients are adequately...
Millennium Brokerage Forms Long Term Care Program Through Physicians Financial
Sep 30 2011 // Millennium Brokerage Group (MBG) has launched a new long term care (LTC) program that will be available to physicians and their families through AMA Insurance Agency’s Physician Financial Partners program. Physicians...
MJ Insurance Named Best Practices Agency for 8th Consecutive Year
Sep 30 2011 // Indianapolis, Ind.-based property/casualty and employee benefit agency, MJ Insurance, for the eighth consecutive year has been recognized as a ‘Best Practices Agency’ by the Independent Insurance Agents &...
Nationwide, Harleysville CEOs Reassure Agents: Merger All About Growth
Sep 30 2011 // The merger of insurer Nationwide Mutual with regional carrier Harleysville Mutual is all about growth, not only for the companies but also for their independent agents, according to the CEOs of the two...
SEC Concedes Challenges in Probes of Rating Agencies
Sep 30 2011 // The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission faces hurdles proving wrongdoing at credit-rating agencies, the agency’s enforcement chief said, pointing to the complexity of the cases and the industry’s strong...
Insurer Retools Home Value Insurance Coverage
Sep 30 2011 // Home Value Insurance Co. has re-entered the insurance market with a product that promises to protect homeowners from falling home values. Home Value Insurance initially launched the product in 2009. The company has...
Nationwide and Harleysville Insurance Agree to Merger; Analysts Respond
Sep 29 2011 // Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and Harleysville Insurance announced on Thursday, Sept. 29, that they have agreed to a merger. Nationwide Mutual will acquire Harleysville Group for $760 million. Nationwide Mutual will pay...
Judge Lets Agent Orange Case Against Monsanto Proceed
Sep 29 2011 // Monsanto Co. has lost a bid to close part of a lawsuit alleging the company caused health injuries to residents living near a plant that made the Vietnam War-era U.S. military defoliant “Agent...
Xchanging Gains Full Control of Brokerage Services Subsidiary from Aon
Sep 29 2011 // Xchanging, the London-based business process and technology services provider and integrator, announced that it has “gained full control of Xchanging Broking Services Limited, the Enterprise Partnership it formed...
California’s Align Financial, Excellere Form Non-standard Auto Insurer
Sep 28 2011 // San Diego, Calif.-based Align Financial Group LLC has partnered with private equity firm Excellere Partners, of Denver, to form Personable Holdings Inc., an independent, non-standard auto insurance provider. Personable...
Independent Agents Worried About Nationwide/Harleysville Deal
Sep 28 2011 // Northeastern independent agents with Harleysville appointments said they are leery about the reported Nationwide/Harleysville deal and have lots of questions. According to a report by Bloomberg last Friday, giant...
