Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Bay Area Man Sentenced for Selling Fake Policies
Mar 15 2007 // A former insurance broker/agent has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the sale of approximately $6 million worth of fake insurance policies the broker falsely claimed were underwritten by Lloyd’s of London,...
Ill. Agents Host Annual Industry Legislative Day March 20
Mar 14 2007 // The Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (PIIAI), in conjunction with the Illinois Insurance Association (IIA), Illinois Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (IAIFA), Illinois State Association...
Big ‘I’ Makes Changes to Federal Affairs Staff
Mar 14 2007 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) has hired Jason Spence as its new assistant vice president for federal government affairs, effective March 12. Spence comes to the Big...
Agents and Brokers: Extended Deadline to Submit for IJ’s Top 100, March 21
Mar 14 2007 // Insurance Journal’s search for the nation’s top independent insurance agencies and brokerages is winding down with just a couple of days left for qualified firms to send in their entry forms. The exteneded...
Poolman Backs Uniform Licensing, Contingent Commissions
Mar 12 2007 // North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman believes that creating a uniform producer licensing system is a top priority, not just for North Dakota, but for every state. “We’ve worked hand in glove with our...
Study: High Disability Retirement in LA County Safety Agencies
Mar 12 2007 // Employees of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s and fire departments retire on disability pensions at a nearly 50 percent higher rate than their counterparts in 19 other California counties, according to a report by a...
Editor’s Note: Bonus round
Mar 12 2007 // Last November, then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer notified four insurance companies that they could no longer pay contingent commissions to agents and brokers who sell automobile, homeowners and certain other...
The impact of contingent commissions on independent agencies
Mar 12 2007 // How much do independent agencies rely on contingency income and could they survive without it? Debate continues in the insurance industry regarding the future of contingent income. Any drastic changes in the current...
Insurance Journal’s Exclusive Agency Salary Survey
Mar 12 2007 // More independent insurance agencies gave salary increases in 2006 than in 2005, but still nearly half of all agency salaries nationwide stayed right where they were compared to 2005. On the other hand, producer commission...
Prospecting in the 21st Century: Using the Internet to find prospects
Mar 12 2007 // Former agent and technology guru provides tips on working the Web Technology expert Steve Anderson of The Anderson Network Inc., a licensed independent agent for the last 25 years, began his presentation to the Independent...
Compensation for employee benefits staff should mirror commercial lines
Mar 12 2007 // In our travels as consultants to the insurance industry, we have noticed that one of the more elusive “standards” or “norms” is compensation for employee benefits producers and staff. The difficulty...
What lies ahead for agency compensation? Agents could benefit from incentive pay plans replacing contigent income
Mar 12 2007 // Incentive pay plans for agents that some insurers are implementing to replace discontinued contingency compensation could work out better for agents than the programs they are replacing. A handful of major carriers banned...
Tim Wagner, Nebraska, Director of Insurance
Mar 12 2007 // Director of Insurance L. Tim Wagner has spent close to 40 years in the insurance industry, the last nine as the appointed Nebraska regulator. He takes his role seriously and believes the insurance industry has a real...
Julie Mix McPeak, Kentucky, Executive Director, Office of Insurance
Mar 12 2007 // Julie Mix McPeak, an attorney with more than a decade of experience in state government, was appointed executive director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance (KOI) by Gov. Ernie Fletcher last June. McPeak succeeded Glenn...
Editor’s Note: Bonus round
Mar 12 2007 // Last November, then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer notified four insurance companies that they could no longer pay contingent commissions to agents and brokers who sell automobile, homeowners and certain other...
People
Mar 12 2007 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in Houston added Danny Golden as vice president for its construction niche. Golden will assist in the service of existing and new clients as well as other members of the Gallagher...
Editor’s Note: Bonus round
Mar 12 2007 // Last November, then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer notified four insurance companies that they could no longer pay contingent commissions to agents and brokers who sell automobile, homeowners and certain other...
Declarations
Mar 12 2007 // Cloned food claims “Because meat from cloned animals could be mixed with meat from hundreds of other conventionally bred animals, even if there’s no harm related to cloning, if there’s a product recall...
Protecting customer data under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Mar 12 2007 // Insurance agents and brokers constantly deal with customers’ personal information. Yet many in the industry may not be aware of the legal requirements for handling or storing this information. How should agents and...
Understanding coverage gaps in farm/ranch policies
Mar 12 2007 // When underwriting farms and ranches, it’s important to understand the subtle nuances in risk. After all, a loss to either could mean the policyholders not only have damage to their home, but also to their...
