Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Editor’s Note: The Spitzer Error
Aug 21 2008 // To conclude the Liberty Mutual ruling marks the end of the Spitzer era may be wishful thinking. Liberty Mutual downplayed its recent victory when the New York Supreme Court declared that contingent commission agreements...
People
Aug 21 2008 // W.R. Berkley Corp. named William M. Rohde Jr. president of Acadia Insurance Co., succeeding Bill Thornton, who now is chairman of Berkley Regional Specialty Insurance Co. Walter E. Stradley remains president of Berkley...
Nevada Countersignature Law Officially Null and Void
Aug 21 2008 // protectionist requirement that served only the self interests of small protectionist agents. The battle to defeat countersignature laws is finally over, now that the July 9, 2008, deadline has passed for Nevada to file a...
Study: Buyer Satisfaction Better When Local Agent Plays a Role
Aug 21 2008 // Insurers who disappoint buyers during the shopping and sales process run the risk of losing sales from new and existing customers. Buyers who purchase their auto insurance policies through local agents give higher average...
NATIONAL COVERAGE
Aug 21 2008 // S&P Says Nationals Safe, While Midwest- Focused Insurers at Risk N2 | Washington Report House Subcommittee Moves Key Federal Insurance Regulation Bills N4 | Home Insurers Bitten by $350 Million in Dog Claims Average...
Contingent Commissions Legal, N.Y. Court Rules
Aug 21 2008 // Agent groups praised Liberty Mutual for fighting the battle in court and winning. In a twist to a scandal that has rocked the insurance industry in the past several years, a New York appeals court has ruled that contingent...
Obtaining Optimal Catastrophe Coverage
Aug 21 2008 // The complexity of the cat insurance market can make it difficult to keep pace with the coverage options. The savvy wholesale broker keeps tabs on which surplus lines insurers have the appropriate capacity for In the midst...
House Subcommittee Moves Key Federal Insurance Regulation Bills
Aug 21 2008 // By Andrea Wells In a busy month for insurance issues on Capitol Hill, the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises marked up bills creating a federal...
New MPL Endorsements Create Opportunities for Agents
Aug 21 2008 // Miscellaneous Professional Liability Classes • Advertising agencies • Answering services • Audio/visual consultants • Business/management consultants • Communications/media/public...
Insurance Specialty Group Acquires E.L.M. Insurance Brokers
Aug 19 2008 // Insurance Specialty Group LLC has completed its acquisition and merger with E.L.M. Insurance Brokers Inc. of El Segundo, Calif. The company said the combined company will be a “$150 million marketing...
Access E&S Insurance Services Names Menegus Senior Broker
Aug 19 2008 // Access E&S Insurance Services of La Mesa, Calif., has named Mike Menegus senior broker, responsible for bringing in new agents and new business with an emphasis on professional lines including errors and omissions,...
Agents’ Group Promotes Wright to Assistant Vice President
Aug 19 2008 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York has promoted Regina Wright to assistant vice president of finance. Wright most recently served as director of finance for the DeWitt-based trade group for...
American E&S Promotes Insurance Broker in San Francisco
Aug 18 2008 // American E&S Insurance Brokers appointed Vivian Plein to broker after five years with the company. She will focus on general liability and property coverages. Plein has 14 years of experience in the insurance industry.
Hudgins to Join Staff of the Virginia Big I Insurance Agents
Aug 18 2008 // Following a brief retirement, Joe Hudgins, formerly vice president of Underwriting for ALFA Alliance Insurance Co., will join the staff of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia as the association’s new vice...
California Legislature Passes Agent-Broker Bill
Aug 15 2008 // Assemblyman Joe Coto’s Assembly Bill 2956, which will clarify the duties of an agent versus those of a broker, has passed both the California Assembly and Senate. The bill will now be held at the Assembly desk until...
Downey Insurance Broker Booked for Grand Theft
Aug 14 2008 // Insurance broker, Prakash Akatrai, aka Peter Akatrai, surrendered himself at the Downey, Calif., Police Station and was booked on six counts of felony grand theft by embezzlement, according to the California Department of...
Florida Insurer Groups Align to Educate Public, Media
Aug 14 2008 // Professional Insurance Agents of Florida and the Florida Insurance Council have agreed to work together to form an agent/insurance company alliance aimed at educating the public and the media on insurance matters. PIA...
California Broker Stabbed by ’40-Year-Old Virgin’ Actor
Aug 14 2008 // An actor who appeared in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” has been charged with attempted murder after his girlfriend was stabbed more than 20 times, authorities said. Shelley Malil, 43, remained in custody on $2...
Farmers Insurance to Pull out of North Carolina Homeowners’ Market
Aug 14 2008 // Farmers Insurance Group notified its North Carolina agents that the insurer will pull out of the homeowners’ market across the state before year’s end. Independent agent Greg Reeder of Reeder Insurance Services...
There’s No Crying in Insurance
Aug 13 2008 // Hearing Aon, Marsh and Willis complain about a supposed lack of a level playing field is a bit like the Yankees or Red Sox carping about the Royals or Twins. There may be some truth to the big brokers’ complaints at...
