Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best Interests
Nov 18 2007 // A Massachusetts lawmaker who is a former independent agent recently charged that local independent agents opposing some of the state’s auto insurance reforms are only interested in their own agencies’ values...
People
Nov 18 2007 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) elected new officers during its annual meeting in Boston recently. Robert Joyce, chairman and chief executive officer of Westfield Group, was elected as the...
Good Agency-Carrier Relationships Travel a Two-Way Street
Nov 18 2007 // Agents might think they have their hands full trying to attract and retain quality employees but they are not alone. Insurance carriers face challenges getting and keeping quality agents, too. For a company like St. Paul...
Nov 18 2007 // People Lockton Companies LLC appointed Frank Scardino as president of the company’s Dallas property and casualty operation. In his new position, Scardino is responsible for setting the vision and long-term strategies...
People
Nov 18 2007 // Munich Reinsurance America Inc. announced that John P. Phelan will retire as planned on Dec. 31, 2007, after serving nearly six years as chairman and CEO. Anthony J. Kuczinski, who is president of Munich Re America’s...
Congress Considers Disaster Legislation to Alleviate Coastal Insurance Crisis
Nov 18 2007 // House passes measure opposed by Bush and insurance industry remains at odds on best solution Disaster legislation is hot on the minds of congressional leaders this month as a handful of bills made their way to both the...
New Players Enter the E&O Market … But Some Agents May Not See Rates Decline
Nov 18 2007 // Despite a rosier outlook in the agents’ errors and omissions (E&O) insurance market compared with years past, many insurance agents still faced rate increases in their E&O coverage in 2007 and anticipate...
Locked Into the Customer
Nov 18 2007 // The force behind Lockton’s phenomenal organic growth Insurance Journal is pleased to launch a new series of profiles of privately-held property/casualty independent insurance agencies that qualify for the annual...
Looking for Profits at Marsh
Nov 18 2007 // MMC’s CEO Cherkasky searches for more insurance commissions The Marsh & McLennan Companies, or MMC, has seen its once dominant position atop the brokerage world assailed by changing conditions, Eliot Spitzer,...
Recognizing, Encouraging and Nurturing Outstanding Customer Service Reps
Nov 18 2007 // Today’s top CSRs possess indispensable attributes, including good communication skills, trust, integrity, and more Agencies that offer their employees the option of working remotely achieve an advantage when it comes...
Feature Non-Owner Producers in Agency Promotions
Nov 18 2007 // Whom does your marketing promote: the agency or the agent? Traditionally, property/casualty promotions focus on the office in general and not the individuals who actually sell the insurance. At first blush, this strategy...
Construction Litigation Puts Agents at Risk
Nov 18 2007 // When contractors get sued, sometimes agents get caught in the middle Construction is an inherently dangerous activity. Hundreds if not millions of dollars are at stake with each project, and if something goes wrong,...
USRisk Brokers Announces Senior Staff in Oakland
Nov 16 2007 // USRisk Brokers Insurance Services Inc. announced that Joan Edwards has joined its Oakland, Calif., office as branch manager, and Chris Ramos has joined the office as senior underwriter. USRisk Brokers is a California...
Fla. Title Co. to Pay $5 Million in Penalties
Nov 16 2007 // In violation of the Florida Insurance Code and federal law, First American Title Insurance Company agreed to pay $5 million in penalties and costs after allegedly paying “kickbacks” to builders, bankers, real...
GAINSCO Rolls Out Monthly Auto Policy in Texas
Nov 15 2007 // GAINSCO Auto Insurance, which specializes in minimum-limits personal auto policies, announced it has introduced a new monthly auto policy for Texas customers. The new product, which provides a single month of personal auto...
Agents Tell Treasury Financial Regulation Study Questions Biased
Nov 15 2007 // A notice published in the Federal Register seeking comments for a broad Treasury Department review of financial regulation is biased in favor of federal regulation of insurance and foreign business entities, according to...
NIF Group, NOVA Casualty Offers New Program for Social Service Agencies
Nov 15 2007 // Manhasset, N.Y.-based NIF Group, Inc., a program administrator and specialty brokerage firm, recently announced that NOVA Casualty will offer a new market for social service agencies. NIF Group will underwrite the program...
Peerless Insurance Returning to Mass. Auto Under Managed Competition
Nov 14 2007 // Liberty Mutual Group today announced that one of its companies – Keene, N.H.-based Peerless Insurance – intends to return to the Massachusetts private passenger auto insurance market next year after a 20-year...
Lloyd’s Reports on Chinese Market
Nov 13 2007 // Lloyd’s has released a research report on China’s rapidly developing insurance market, which it said “explores the key trends in the Chinese non-life insurance market and the opportunities they present...
Mich. Agents Sign Agreement with SeaPass to Provide Multi-line Quotes
Nov 13 2007 // The Michigan Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) recently announced that it had signed an agreement to join the SeaPass Multi-Carrier Hub™ platform, as a commercial lines tool for independent agents for real-time...