Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Brokers’ Stocks Up Slightly for the Year; Banks Active in Brokerage M&As
Sep 1 2008 // Stock Prices: The brokerage sector as a whole is up 2 percent for the year. Arthur J. Gallagher’s (NYSE:AJG) stock has faired well compared to peer Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO). Gallagher’s stock is up 6.5...
A Winning Culture
Sep 1 2008 // Lots of companies claim to have a great working environment, but when a company backs up its claim with awards, who can deny it? Insurance Journal Top 100 Agency Profile The IMA Financial Group Inc. RANKING: No....
Surplus Lines Results Remain Strong, Despite Heightened Competition
Sep 1 2008 // Brokerage M&As Expected to Continue for the Near Term; Time’s Almost Up for Congress to Pass Reform Bill Surplus lines insurers continued to outperform the property/casualty industry in underwriting and...
The Complete Condo Package, Part 2
Sep 1 2008 // How to Fit the Right Pieces Together for an Association or Unit Owners’ Coverage Picture Piecing condominium association and unit-owner insurance programs together necessitate determination and complete information....
Wholesaler Value is a Story That Needs to Be Told
Sep 1 2008 // Soft Market or Not, Stay Focused on Providing Superior Service, Value to Agents There is an old saying in the insurance industry that goes something like this: “Please, God, give me one more hard market and I...
AmWINS Insurance Brokerage Names Manassero VP in California
Aug 29 2008 // Brian Manassero has joined AmWINS Insurance Brokerage of California’s Chatsworth office as a vice president. He will specialize in property and product liability placements, and has 12 years of insurance industry...
Untrustworthy Insurance Agents Will Lose Licenses in Washington
Aug 29 2008 // Insurance agents in Washington state can lose their licenses if they are deemed “untrustworthy.” In an important decision, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler...
No Absolutes in Agency Training and Recruitment
Aug 29 2008 // Recruiting and staffing in the insurance industry has never been as “hot” as it is right now, said Susan Henry, senior vice president, The Jacobson Group, an executive search, professional recruiting and...
Heartland Analyst Likes Insurance Broker Brown & Brown
Aug 28 2008 // There’s value to be found in this rangebound market in areas like insurance brokerages, North American natural gas as well as some industrials, a fund manager said. Brad Evans, who helps manage more than $2 billion...
Soft Market Exposes Value of Risk Control for Golf Insurers
Aug 28 2008 // For the golf industry, 2008 business is at best a bogey — probably worse. And for the agents, carriers and program managers who cater to the golf and country club world, that’s made for a rough market,...
Harn and Lechler Form New Insurance Brokerage
Aug 27 2008 // Sorn Harn and Horst Lechler have formed Harn & Lechler Insurance Services LLC, a wholesale insurance brokerage specializing in placing tough and difficult casualty and property risks with admitted and nonadmitted...
Texas Agent William C. Barmore Passes
Aug 27 2008 // Retired Texas independent insurance agent William C. (Bill) Barmore, Jr., age 81, and a resident of Pasadena, Texas, passed away Aug. 23, 2008. Barmore was born Jan. 6, 1927, in Cameron, Texas, to Cecil and Selma (Klatt)...
Pennsylvania Chiropractor Charged in Staged Bus Accident Claims
Aug 27 2008 // A former Bucks County, Pa., chiropractor has been accused of fraudulently billing two insurance companies for more than $27,000 for treatments to patients who claimed to have been injured in staged bus accidents. Attorney...
How Agencies Can Access Capital in the Current Credit Crunch
Aug 26 2008 // Every morning, stories of financial sector gloom and doom fill the airwaves. A slowing economy has affected the ability of individuals and businesses to pay their bills. The term “credit crunch” has become a...
Aon to Acquire Broker Benfield for $1.75 Billion
Aug 22 2008 // Chicago-based Aon Corporation and UK-based broker Benfield Group Limited announced that their respective boards of directors have reached agreement for Aon to acquire Benfield for £3.50 ($6.55) per share in cash and...
Combined Group Offers Agent Direct Express Service for Travelers Select Agents
Aug 21 2008 // The Combined Group now offers a fully automated service for Travelers Select commercial insurance lines. Combined’s Agent Direct Express™ and Quantum’s Real Time Express™ service offerings now...
North Carolina Young Agents to Dedicate Habitat for Humanity House
Aug 21 2008 // The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina’s Young Agents announced the dedication of a Habitat for Humanity house. The Young Agents partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County to build a house in...
New York Agents Want Export List Expanded
Aug 21 2008 // Agents say that the search of the admitted market ends up being just a time-waster for them and their clients. They already know which risks their insurers will accept and not accept. Insurance agents and brokers from...
New Jersey Court Limits Broker Duty of Care
Aug 21 2008 // Agents in New Jersey are praising a recent court decision that limits an agent’s duty of care when a client misrepresents himself. The ruling stems from a suit brought by Harbor Commuter Services, a ferry operator in...
Editor’s Note: The Debate Continues
Aug 21 2008 // If there are to be rules, let them apply to everyone equally. Agents, brokers and carriers across the nation are following the debate over whether contingent commissions should be permitted and how much compensation...
