Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lloyd’s Innovation Drive Faces Headwinds from Some Brokers, Underwriters
Apr 26 2019 // Lloyd’s of London, the world’s oldest insurer of seafaring vessels, is facing its own perfect storm. Old-fashioned business practices, exposure to natural disasters, competition from rival centers and Brexit...
Former Washington Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty to Theft
Apr 26 2019 // Former Washington insurance agent Abu Ameena Ward has pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to one count of third-degree theft and was ordered to pay $18,666 in restitution to Farmers Insurance and $700 in court...
Insurtech, Cover, Now Selling Its Own Auto Policies in Texas
Apr 25 2019 // Cover, a mobile-first insurance brokerage, has begun selling its own auto insurance policies in Texas. The new service — an evolution from the company’s nationally-licensed insurance brokerage — combines a...
Direct-to-Consumer Auto Insurers Grabbing Market Share
Apr 25 2019 // Direct-to-consumer auto insurers appear to be gaining serious market traction, according to a report from J.D. Power. The firm reports that auto insurance revenue hit $245 billion in 2018, reflecting industrywide growth of...
Brightway Insurance Opens New Agencies in Florida, Tennessee
Apr 25 2019 // Brightway Insurance opened new stores in Florida and Tennessee on April 15. The new franchise owners include: Steve Moser Steve Moser who opened Brightway, The Steve Moser Agency of Belle Meade in Nashville, Tennessee....
Reading Forms: Is It Really Necessary?
Apr 24 2019 // We are grateful for friend of the Academy, Chris Burand, President of Burand & Associates, LLC for this timely article. Thanks, Chris! Now, let’s get to his question: Is it really necessary to read forms? Of...
Southern California Agent Arrested for Bogus Policy Scam
Apr 23 2019 // Angel Estrada, 22, a formerly licensed insurance producer and owner of Angel Estrada Agency, swindled a national insurer out of more than $140,000 in commissions by writing bogus commercial insurance policies to earn large...
The Lowdown: The Silent Battle Between Agencies and Companies
Apr 23 2019 // Chris Burand, President of Burand & Associates P&C insurance companies are scared. Not all are scared, of course. Some are big enough, some are smart enough, and others are ignorant enough to not be scared about...
Wuthrich Named Executive Director of Houston Independent Agents Group
Apr 22 2019 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Houston (IIAH) has named David Wuthrich as the group’s new executive director. Wuthrich is a native Houstonian and has worked in the insurance industry for many years. Most...
Travelers’ Close to Lead Valent Group’s Alabama P&C Brokerage, Service Dept.
Apr 22 2019 // Valent Group, the risk consulting and insurance division of EBSCO Industries (EBSCO), has hired Kurt Close to lead its Birmingham, Ala.-based property and casualty broking and service departments. Close comes to Valent...
Dodson Named NetVu Executive Director
Apr 17 2019 // The Vertafore technology users network, NetVU, has named Linda Dodson as executive director. Dodson’s career has included work in an insurance agency and with agency carriers. She began her insurance career with Rand...
Hanover Offers Agents Small Business Platform Using CoverWallet Technology
Apr 17 2019 // The Hanover Insurance Group is debuting a digital platform to help independent agents acquire new small business customers including freelancers, contractors and other self-employed professionals. Calleed Insurago, the...
Miami Agent Accused of Pocketing $476K in Homeowners Insurance Scheme
Apr 17 2019 // A licensed Miami insurance agent has been arrested after she allegedly obtained and transferred more than 300 homeowner insurance policies without homeowners’ knowledge or consent and pocketed nearly $476,000 from...
Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Acquires Connecticut’s Wilson Agency
Apr 16 2019 // Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. (S&S) has acquired The Wilson Agency Inc. of Shelton, Conn. The Wilson Agency is a third generation, family owned and operated agency serving Fairfield County and the...
People
Apr 15 2019 // National American International Group has named Carla Ferrara as head of communications for AIG’s Investments organization. Ferrara will be based in New York and report to Elaine Rocha, chief operating officer of AIG...
Closer Look Patrick Stephens
Apr 15 2019 // If Florida’s Stephens Were Not a Broker, He’d Find Another Job in Insurance Being a young insurance broker in Florida is never boring for Patrick Stephens, who started in the industry three years ago....
Students from Eight Colleges Participate in Virtual Agency Competition
Apr 15 2019 // College students from eight universities recently formed teams and spent a month running a simulated insurance agency as part of a virtual online competition developed by PriSim War Games, a provider of computerized...
Good Training: Why Agencies Should Invest in People
Apr 15 2019 // Employees should have continual training. They should be trained in “conflict resolution, hospitality and emotional intelligence,” according to Richard Branson of Virgin Cos. Employees need to truly understand...
Young Agents Survey: What Young Agents Want
Apr 15 2019 // Young agents don’t always feel supported by their elder peers. They say training is sometimes lacking for newbies in the agency world. They don’t see enough diversity in leadership. And they continue to say...
What Young Agents Think
Apr 15 2019 // This issue of Insurance Journal features exclusive results from the 2019 Young Agents Survey where young agents nationwide shared their views on the insurance industry and their experience as an agent (see page 30 for the...
