Latest Agencies Headlines

House Committee Passes Federal Insurance Office Act

Dec 2 2009 // The U.S. House Financial Services Committee has passed a measure to create a scaled-back federal office that would be a national insurance information agency with some authority in the area of international insurance...

Insurance Agent Accused of Peeping Pleads Not Guilty

Nov 24 2009 // An Illinois insurance executive accused of secretly making nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews pled not guilty during his arraignment in a Los Angeles federal courtroom on Monday. Michael Barrett is charged with one...

Kelley Named to Colorado’s Regulatory Agencies Department

Nov 23 2009 // Gov. Bill Ritter has appointed attorney Barbara J. Kelley of Denver to be the new executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, effective Dec. 1. She replaces Rico Munn, who became the executive...

M&A Wrap-Up: Insurance Brokerage Mergers Took a Third Quarter Vacation

Nov 23 2009 // Deal making wasn’t at the top of the list of summer activities this season, but deal vacation was. Third quarter merger and acquisition (M&A) activity continued declining to just 30 announced transactions...

Indiana Agents Group Names State Auto Company of the Year

Nov 23 2009 // Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Insurance Group has been named 2009 Company of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana (IIAI). According to the IIAI, this award recognizes the company that most demonstrates...

Health Care Reform Dominates Trade Group’s Lobbying Agenda

Nov 20 2009 // Until this year, health care was a minor blip on the radar of insurance agents’ policy efforts in D.C. But with a major reform bill imminent, key trade groups are devoting nearly all of their time to try and tweak...

Ohio AG Sues National Ratings Agencies Over Securities Information

Nov 20 2009 // Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has filed a lawsuit against national securities and credit ratings agencies Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch over what the AG’s office called “false...

North Carolina FAIR, Beach Plans Get New Board Members

Nov 20 2009 // North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced the appointment of five new members to the N.C. Joint Underwriting Association and the N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association, better known as the FAIR and...

Texas Agent Volunteers for 7th Home Building Trip to Nicaragua

Nov 19 2009 // In 2005, when Cory Brooke, a partner of TCOR Insurance Management in Beeville, Texas, traveled to Nicaragua with other insurance executives as a volunteer for non-profit Bridges to Community, he was the only Texan in the...

Insurance Associations Concerned on Financial Stability Improvement Act

Nov 18 2009 // In an open letter addressed to Barney Frank, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, the largest U.S. insurance trade associations expressed their concerns over the recently passed...

California Insurance Agent Arrested for $6 Million Scam

Nov 18 2009 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said that William A. Sassman, 41, of Sacramento was arrested early Nov. 16 on 43 felony counts of grand theft, 40 felony counts of selling unauthorized securities, 16 felony...

Main Street America Launches Personal Lines System in Michigan

Nov 18 2009 // The Main Street America Group has introduced its new Main Street Connection for Personal Lines quoting and policy issuance system in Michigan. The super regional’s independent insurance agents now have 24/7 access to...

Insurance Agent Seeks GOP Nod in Pennsylvania Congressional Race

Nov 17 2009 // An insurance agent from Meadville, Pennsylvania says he’ll seek the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District in northwestern Pennsylvania. Fifty-one-year-old Steven Fisher says he’ll challenge...

California Agent Collected Bogus Premiums While on Bail

Nov 17 2009 // California’s Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has announced that Louise May Batchelor, 55, of San Diego was sentenced Nov. 6 to 365 days of work furlough, five years probation and ordered to pay restitution...

San Diego Agency Names New President

Nov 17 2009 // Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego is pleased to announce that Thomas A. James will join the agency as President and Andrew James will join the agency as a Broker. Most recently with the Willis Group, Tom brings over 30...

Louisiana Agent, Agency Sanctioned for Unlicensed Employee

Nov 16 2009 // A Marksville, La., agent and her agency have been issued cease and desist orders, summary suspensions and fine notices for allegedly allowing an employee to conduct the business of insurance without a license, the...

Nov 16 2009 // In the insurance world, forces of nature are rarely celebrated. Events such as hurricanes, fires, tornadoes and floods can confound the most exacting calculations, drain profit and sink insurers. But then there is Adam...

It’s Time to Review Essential Procedures for Managing E&O

Nov 15 2009 // Systems, Checklists, Guidelines, Manuals Among Tools Useful in Reducing Agency Errors I have been an insurance broker since 1974. However, my principal occupation is attorney, practicing in insurance law. I have had many...

People

Nov 15 2009 // The National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) recently honored John Latham, regional president with Markel, for his contributions as an excess and surplus lines professional. He received the...

Agencies Outsourcing to China to Reduce Backlogs, Free Up Resources

Nov 15 2009 // ReSource Pro Gains by Offering Half-Price, Off-Hours, Highly-Efficient Back Office As more insurance agencies look for new ways to improve productivity and lower expenses, more owners and managers are investigating the...