Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Closer Look: Louisiana Homeowners
Apr 17 2006 // However, insurer trade group says it can be found by those who shop After the wreckage caused by last year’s Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many home insurers in southern Louisiana are refusing to write new policies,...
Insurers unlikely to alter credit scoring as agencies pursue uniformity
Apr 17 2006 // The decision by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies to create a more uniform credit scoring system is not expected to have a major impact on insurers’ use of credit in rating personal lines insurance...
New law pushed by agents may hamper Nevada mining watchdog group
Apr 17 2006 // The chief proponent of a new law cited by Nevada in trying to block a mining industry watchdog group’s efforts to stop pollution from an old Nevada gold mine said that he didn’t envision the law being used that...
By Robert Poli
Apr 17 2006 // A national insurance license helps agents by providing uniformity of regulatory standards; eliminating rate regulation; and allowing new products to be brought to market more quickly. Not all agents oppose an optional...
Closer Look: Insurance Associations
Apr 17 2006 // Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series on Western insurance associations. Part I of this article appeared in the April 3, 2006, western region publication beginning on page 47. As people migrate to the...
Former Calif. life insurance agent convicted for faulty notes
Apr 17 2006 // Fraud Roundup California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced the conviction of former life insurance agent Bassem Btadini, 51, also known as Bob Btadini. Btadini entered a no contest plea and was convicted of...
Selling
Apr 17 2006 // Major changes in the insurance field have triggered a dramatic weeding out of this country’s sales force. Five years from now, many of you will no longer be in the insurance business. To succeed in the industry, you...
Mergers and Acquisitions
Apr 17 2006 // The answer is – to succeed at either one, preparation is the key Independent retail insurance agencies looking to grow through acquisition had better have a good plan in place if they want to run with the big dogs...
John Niedernhofer
Apr 17 2006 // Bob Williford People Barney & Barney LLC, a San Diego-based risk management consulting and insurance brokerage firm, promoted John Niedernhofer and William Peartree to ownership status within the firm. Niedernhofer...
Technology
Apr 17 2006 // Given the pace of today’s technological developments, it is often difficult for agency principals to know where to get the most bang for their buck. As most agency principals know, it is important to take a strategic...
News Currents
Apr 17 2006 // Safeco considering internet-based auto insurance sales Seattle-based property and casualty insurer Safeco is considering direct marketing its automobile insurance business over the Internet to reach additional consumers...
L.A. Broker Arrested for Allegedly Pocketing $381,000 in Premiums
Apr 14 2006 // A former Los Angeles insurance broker has been arrested for allegedly pocketing $381,966 in liability insurance premiums from clients. The California Department of Insurance arrested Bernard Warschaw, 78, on an extradition...
Superior Access Responds to Allegations by Calif. Commissioner
Apr 13 2006 // On April 8th 2006, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that it has begun legal proceedings against The Hartford Insurance Group, alleging that the company charged illegal fees. The CDI contends that...
R.I.’s Beacon Mutual Hit for Cozy Culture Favoring Insiders, Big Accounts and Elite Agents
Apr 13 2006 // Rhode Island’s largest workers compensation carrier, Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., has engaged in a pattern of favoritism benefiting select clients and agents; won and retained employer accounts by cheating on pricing...
GE Insurance Solutions Talks About Landing a Program Carrier
Apr 12 2006 // If you’re an agent or broker trying to land a program carrier, it’s one thing to have an in-force program with lots of history and experience data, but how do you market yourself to a carrier if you’re...
Head of Progressive’s Drive Brand Resigns, Effective in May
Apr 9 2006 // The man behind the wheel of Progressive Insurance’s independent agency brand, Drive Insurance, has resigned. The Progressive Corporation in Mayfield, Ohio announced on April 7th that it had accepted the resignation...
Liberty Int’l. Opens Hong Kong Office
Apr 7 2006 // Liberty International Underwriters, a division of Liberty Mutual Group, has opened a North Asia Regional Office in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. “The explosive growth of specialty insurance in Asia is underscored by...
Heffernan Insurance Merges with Advanced Insurance of Orange, Calif.
Apr 7 2006 // Heffernan Insurance Brokers, an insurance brokerage based in Walnut Creek, Calif., is merging with Advanced Insurance of Orange, Calif. The new Heffernan Insurance Brokers office will be led by current Advanced Insurance...
Scotland-based Giles Insurance Brokers Open 1st U.S. Office in Chicago
Apr 7 2006 // Giles Insurance Brokers, Scotland’s largest independent insurance broker, announced the opening of its first American office in the Chicago area. According to its written statement, Giles US Insurance Brokers, based...
Two Men Arrested in January Death of Mass. Insurance Agent
Apr 6 2006 // When the body of Edward Schiller was found slumped behind the wheel of his Nissan Maxima in a parking garage in Newton, Mass. early on the morning of Jan. 13, authorities said they believed the 39-year-old insurance agent...
