Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Colorado Workers’ Compensation Insurer Pinnacol Defends Agent Perks
Aug 17 2009 // Colorado’s dominant workers compensation insurer last week defended its spending on travel and entertainment for its agents, telling Colorado lawmakers it’s good for morale and helps lower costs in the long...
Louisiana Revokes Shreveport Area Agent’s License
Aug 17 2009 // A Shreveport, La., area agent has been issued a cease and desist order, license revocation notice and fine notice for alleged misrepresentation, the Louisiana Department of Insurance reported. Tanya Mclain Weems was served...
For Agents, There’s No Time for Recreation & Leisure
Aug 17 2009 // When asked to pen a piece to end this issue, I asked myself, “what is the best way to end an issue focused on recreation and leisure?” I truly have no idea; agents have no time for such frivolity. Our time is...
Work Hard Play Hard
Aug 17 2009 // Insurance Triathletes Prove their Endurance, Self-Discipline There are far easier ways to spend one’s leisure hours than slogging through tough early-morning runs, pedaling through sunburns and saddle sores and...
Training Service Staff to Help Boost Agency Revenue
Aug 17 2009 // Refocus CSRs to Roles Where They Fully Engage Customers Thanks to automation advances, insurance agency tasks that took hours can be done in a matter of minutes. Multiple data entry and one-by-one Web site visits have been...
Insurance Journal Wins Business Publication Editorial Awards
Aug 17 2009 // Insurance Journal magazine has won gold and silver editorial awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ western regional awards competition, recognizing the magazine for its editorial...
Watercraft Rentals: It’s Good to Know What’s Covered and What’s Not
Aug 17 2009 // It’s summer, do you know where your homeowners insurance customers are? Perhaps they’re out on a lake somewhere, playing on rented jet skis or blowing with a gentle wind in a borrowed sailboat. Do they know...
Seeking to Boost Agency Business, Progressive Offers Web Site Help
Aug 14 2009 // Progressive Insurance wants to ramp up its agency business and plans to turn to a source of strength for its direct sales channel – the Internet – to help make that happen. As Glenn M. Renwick, president and...
Federal Judge Dismisses Agents’ Lawsuit Against Brooke Corp.
Aug 14 2009 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing bankrupt Brooke Corp. and its financing arm of racketeering and fraud, saying the claims are not specific enough. Scores of insurance agents sued Overland Park, Kan.-based...
Florida Insurance Agents Say State’s Home Mitigation Effort Is Failing
Aug 13 2009 // Florida’s efforts to encourage homeowners to harden their homes to better withstand big storms by giving them insurance premium discounts is not getting the job done, according to a report from insurance agents in...
M&A Activity Continues at a Snail’s Pace Compared to 2008
Aug 13 2009 // Insurance brokerage mergers and acquisitions in the second quarter of 2009 was nearly half of what is was during the second quarter of 2008. Just 39 transactions were announced from April through June compared to last year...
Demetriou General Agency Acquires H. Al Roth Agency in New York
Aug 13 2009 // New York-based Demetriou General Agency Inc. has acquired H. Al Roth Agency in Manhattan for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition comes as Demetriou announced expansion plans for its Madison Avenue headquarters to...
Georgia Agents’ Group Elects Hansard President
Aug 13 2009 // Members of the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia (PIA of Georgia) elected E. Scott Hansard to serve as president. Hansard is the owner of Hansard Insurance Agency, located in Cumming, Georgia. Others elected as...
Progressive Insurance Names Barone to Head Agency Distribution Business
Aug 13 2009 // Progressive Insurance has named Karen Barone as National Distribution Leader for its Agency Business. Barone’s new responsibilities include maintaining and advancing Progressive’s leadership role in agent...
Oak Street Funding Secures More Than $50M in New Capital
Aug 12 2009 // Oak Street Funding said it has secured more than $50 million in new capital from two major banks in an effort to expand opportunities for agents and brokers to borrow money to achieve their strategic goals. The new capital...
Car Dealers in the Storm: Dealers Left Standing Will Be Stronger, Leaner
Aug 12 2009 // Some automobile shoppers may be abandoning car makers but insurance carriers and brokers remain dedicated partners, experts say. Yet no one can deny that tough times have fallen on many of the nation’s car dealers...
Survey: Agents Report Recession Not as Disruptive as Initially Predicted
Aug 11 2009 // Main Street businesses may still be trying to recuperate from the recession, but independent insurance agencies report that it has not been as disruptive as initially predicted, an exclusive survey reveals. The survey...
Agents, Meteorologists Gear Up for Annual Texas Hurricane Tour
Aug 10 2009 // For the fourth year in a row insurance spokesmen will team with meteorologists from the National Weather Service and independent insurance agents to warn Texas coastal residents of the potential dangers of hurricanes. This...
Texas’ June Enforcement Actions Result in $441K in Fines, Restitution
Aug 10 2009 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during June included 18 license revocations, five license denials and fines and restitution totaling $441,318, the Texas Department of...
Heffernan Insurance Brokers Raises $47,000 for Avon Breast Cancer Walk
Aug 7 2009 // Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Heffernan Insurance Brokers announced that it raised over $47,000 for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. This is the second year Heffernan’s “Ta-Ta Sisterhood” team participated in...
