Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
People
Mar 23 2009 // Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama’s choice for secretary of health and human services. Sebelius, 60, is seen as a solid choice to head HHS because as a governor responsible for the Medicaid...
The Case for Confronting Fear
Mar 23 2009 // Study Shows Policyholders Eager to Address Economic Crisis With P/C Agents With the parallels being drawn between the nation’s new Administration and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Administration during the...
Defending Data
Mar 23 2009 // Data Security Breaches Present Emerging Risks and Opportunities for Agents Data security represents both a new market opportunity to sell insurance coverage and a new risk — especially for independent insurance...
Five Reasons Why Agents Should Pay Attention to the Stimulus Package
Mar 23 2009 // The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or the Stimulus Package, is the largest infusion of government funds into the private sector in history. Although it does not include direct benefits to the insurance...
MetLife Auto & Home Eyes California for Expansion
Mar 23 2009 // Snoopy is moving to California and is bringing with him opportunities for independent insurance agents. MetLife Inc., which uses the famous beagle in its advertising, said it plans to expand its MetLife Auto & Home...
States Gear Up for Stimulus Package
Mar 23 2009 // Impact on Insurance Industry May be Minimal, Experts Say The $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress looms as the largest mountain on the country’s newly changed economic landscape. But despite hope that the...
Fastest Growing Industries to Focus On
Mar 23 2009 // Top 7 High-Growth Industries’ Risks and Unique Exposures Planning for the “upside” must begin now. The soft insurance market will end, and the rebound from the financial bottom will happen. But...
People
Mar 23 2009 // Richard G. “Dick” Clarke, senior vice president of J. Smith Lanier & Co. in West Point, Ga., has been elected 2009 president of RiskProNet International, a network of 25 independent insurance brokers in...
How Much is Your Agency Worth?
Mar 23 2009 // Most of the calls from prospective insurance agency sellers start with, “What are agencies selling for these days?” or “What kind of multiple can I expect if I sell my agency?” Insurance agencies...
People
Mar 23 2009 // Kate Westover, vice president of Alternative Risk Financing at Innovative Captive Strategies, has received the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA). Based in Colchester,...
Transparent Conversations
Mar 23 2009 // If one were to poll every insurance agent in New York about the most important topic facing their profession, “compensation” would probably top the list of answers. Between bailouts, Wall Street’s...
As Credit Scores Fall, Criticism of Insurers’ Credit Scoring Rises
Mar 23 2009 // With consumers’ credit scores dropping as lenders tighten credit terms, insurance consumer advocates are stepping up their criticism of the use of credit scores by insurance companies. They are also warning insurers...
Opportunity Knocks
Mar 23 2009 // No one will argue that operating an insurance business today is challenging. The recession has put pressure on consumers’ wallets, causing them to consider reducing coverages; credit is difficult to come by, meaning...
It Figures
Mar 23 2009 // $568 Million Amount spent by New York City to settle damage claims in fiscal year 2008 – an amount that was about $10 million higher than the previous year. Property damage from two major storms helped drive the...
People
Mar 23 2009 // The Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) installed the association’s new officers and directors. The following will serve in 2009: President Richard E. Dinger of Crescenta Valley Insurance, who is the...
HOT Prospects Come in Unusual Packages
Mar 23 2009 // MyNewMarkets.com’s Top 10 Oddest Market Searches and Requests A “hot” risk from an agent’s view is the one sitting on his or her desk demanding immediate attention. Sometimes those hot prospects...
What’s In a Name?
Mar 23 2009 // Or: A Rose by Any Other Name Is Not an Insured Among the issues that plague coverage lawyers is that of a misnamed, unnamed or mischaracterized insured. All too often in insurance policies, corporations are designated as...
Innovative Boats Need Innovative Agents
Mar 23 2009 // Hybrid Boats Offer New Way to Sell Coverage to the Green-Minded Customer Hybrid boats are hitting the market and the growing popularity of hybrid and electric boats have directly impacted what boaters expect from their...
Greener Opportunities
Mar 23 2009 // Insurers Compete for a Growing Green Industry Jim Henson’s famous Kermit the Frog said it the best, “it’s not easy being green.” Today’s property owners and insurers understand that while...
Liaisons Keep Consumers’ Insurance Concerns at the Forefront
Mar 23 2009 // Loss of Faith in Insurance Providers Would Affect Sales, Advocates Say Insurance agents, brokers and regulators should be aware that when it comes to insurance, consumers are concerned with such issues as the use of credit...
