Latest Agencies Headlines

For regional carriers, predictive modeling is about more than pricing

Dec 11 2006 // Frank J. Coyne, chief executive officer of Insurance Services Office, recently warned that insurers unable to keep up in the technological arms race face a grim prognosis. The industry leader said a chasm is growing...

Declarations

Dec 11 2006 // Contingent commission ban “Many industries — not just the insurance industry — rely on performance-based compensation, which is legal, honest and brings many benefits to the insurance marketplace, as it...

Zurich agrees to terms to close multi-state bid-rigging probe

Dec 11 2006 // In separate but related move, N.Y., Conn., Ill. tell four insurers contingent commissions no longer an option Ten states, led by Texas and its Attorney General Greg Abbott, have come to terms with Zurich American, closing...

Declarations

Dec 10 2006 // Are the elves at work? “Just because it’s close to Christmas doesn’t mean the governor has to be Santa Claus. That’s not what the special session should be.” — Louisiana State Rep. Steve...

Suit against Miss. agent over flood policy advances

Dec 10 2006 // A federal judge has ruled that a Gulf Coast couple can sue their insurance agent for negligence after he allegedly allowed their flood insurance policy to lapse only days before Hurricane Katrina wrecked their...

People

Dec 10 2006 // The Des Plaines, Ill.-based Property Casualty Insurers Association of America announced that Deirdre Manna, former acting director of the Illinois Division of Insurance, has joined PCI as vice president of industry and...

Private equity market bullish on E&S brokers

Dec 10 2006 // By mid-November more than $500 billion in private equity transactions had occurred in 2006, $100 billion in October 2006 alone, according to Andrew Rosen, a partner with private equity firm HM Capital Partners. Dallas,...

Dec 10 2006 // People The van Aartrijk Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.-area marketing and communications firm, is augmenting its branding and public affairs capabilities with the promotion of one executive and addition of another,...

Dec 10 2006 // People The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. announced the election of the following officers and directors: President Len Kaplan, executive vice president and CFO, Delta General Agency, Houston; Vice President Lana...

Declarations

Dec 10 2006 // Are the elves at work? “Just because it’s close to Christmas doesn’t mean the governor has to be Santa Claus. That’s not what the special session should be.” — Louisiana State Rep. Steve...

People

Dec 10 2006 // The Des Plaines, Ill.-based Property Casualty Insurers Association of America announced that Deirdre Manna, former acting director of the Illinois Division of Insurance, has joined PCI as vice president of industry and...

Zurich agrees to terms to close multi-state bid-rigging probe

Dec 10 2006 // News Currents Ten states, led by Texas and its Attorney General Greg Abbott, have come to terms with Zurich American, closing their probe into the insurer’s involvement in alleged bid-rigging and unfair compensation...

Five keys to captive success

Dec 10 2006 // Whether you’re talking about road contractors or hospitals or agents and brokers, every organization has in-house expertise. And you want to use it. You need to bring members together to share best practices. The...

It’s ‘haves’ vs. ‘have-nots’ in insurance technology race for survival

Dec 10 2006 // News Currents Spurred by intensifying competition, breakthroughs in analytics are transforming insurance markets, according to an industry leader. Sophisticated insurers able to harness large volumes of high-quality data...

More Punch for Programs

Dec 10 2006 // Today’s managing general agencies and carrier partners in the specialty program marketplace are enjoying profitable times while looking over their shoulders at new carriers and agents eager to enter the ring,...

Bolton & Co: Providing resources for customers produces profits

Dec 10 2006 // Developing a Web presence is not the primary focus at Bolton & Co. Insurance Brokers — developing the skills of employees and building relationships with customers is the chief concern. After all, when employees...

Florida Agents’ Communications Director Honored with Award

Dec 8 2006 // The President’s Award – The Professional Insurance Agents of Florida’s top honor – went to Communication Director Mary Frederick during a recent board of directors meeting in Key West,...

Calif.’s Strongwood Buys N.Y.-Based Northeast Agencies Network

Dec 7 2006 // California-based Strongwood Insurance Holdings Corp., owner of Networked Insurance Agents in the western states, has acquired Northeast Agencies Inc., a Buffalo, N.Y.-based aggregator of commercial and personal lines for...

S.D. Agent Sentenced to Prison

Dec 7 2006 // An insurance agent who had his license revoked was sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding clients out of $43,875. The judge handed down a 10-year prison sentence, of which eight years were suspended if Clifford...

Networked Insurance Agents Appoints McIntosh Territorial Sales VP

Dec 7 2006 // Grass Valley, Calif.-based Networked Insurance Agents, has appointed Tony McIntosh as territorial sales vice president, in San Francisco’s East Bay and Napa Valley regions. The new territory includes Solano, Contra...