Latest Agencies Headlines

All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Insurance Agent Juror Says Giant $8 Billion Award Was Message to JPMorgan

Apr 5 2018 // Irelsie Alvarez said she and fellow jurors wanted to send JPMorgan Chase & Co. a message with their startling $8 billion verdict in a Dallas probate case — an award that’s destined to be reduced to no more...

Washington Commissioner Fines GEICO $30K for Raising Premiums on People Who Froze Credit Scores

Apr 4 2018 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in February totaling $49,200 against insurance companies, agents and brokers who violated state insurance regulations. The biggest fine was $30,000 against GEICO...

Tech-Focused Private Equity Firm Invests in Agency Tech Provider ITC

Apr 4 2018 // Texas-based ITC, a provider of websites, agency marketing, comparative rating and management software and services, announced today that it has received a majority equity investment from Accel-KKR, a technology-focused...

Illinois’ Associated Agencies Hires Bashford as Chief Operating Officer

Apr 3 2018 // Associated Agencies Inc. in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has hired 35-year-old Talicia Bashford as chief operating officer, a newly created position. As the agency’s first COO, Bashford will focus on overall operations...

Worldwide Facilities Acquires Connecticut’s Tennant Risk Services Insurance Agency

Apr 3 2018 // Worldwide Facilities has acquired Tennant Risk Services Insurance Agency LLC. Worldwide Facilities is a Los Angeles, Calif.-headquartered, national wholesale insurance brokerage and managing general agency. Tennant Risk...

RSG Completes Acquisition of New Jersey’s New Day Underwriting Managers

Apr 3 2018 // Ryan Specialty Group LLC (RSG) has completed its acquisition of the assets and operations of New Day Underwriting Managers LLC (New Day), a specialty intermediary with offices in Hamilton, N.J. New Day was founded in 2005...

Late Broker’s Estate Sues JPMorgan Claiming Wrongful Death

Apr 2 2018 // The estate of a deceased broker filed a wrongful death lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co., saying he took his life after becoming despondent because he was forced to retire. Michael A. Lorig suffered from depression...

North Carolina Insurance Dept. Adds 15 Agents to Fraud Division

Apr 2 2018 // The North Carolina Department of Insurance has expanded its criminal investigations division with the addition of 15 new special agents, according to a statement from North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike...

People

Apr 2 2018 // Independent insurance broker ONI Risk Partners (ONI) has hired Mike Loveless as a commercial risk adviser in ONI’s Fort Wayne, Indiana, office. Loveless most recently worked for JPMorgan Chase as a branch manager. He...

Agency E&O: To Win a Lawsuit or Prevent One?

Apr 2 2018 // Insurance agents and brokers have long been targets of error and omission lawsuits. It’s also true that most of them have sought advice of counsel as to how to win a lawsuit. They will often be told that the duty of...

The Competitive Advantage: Best Practices – Just Kidding!

Apr 2 2018 // Almost 30 years ago, I sat in a large carrier meeting, in an upscale hotel meeting room. The company had brought 20 or so people together from their offices around the country in multiple divisions to discuss “The...

Today’s Hot Markets: Buyers Hungry For EPLI, Cyber and More

Apr 2 2018 // Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing changes, challenges, expansions and growth in the past year. Here are five industry sectors and insurance markets that could offer opportunities for agents and brokers in...

Integro to Buy Lloyd’s Broker Tysers; Integro’s UK Wholesale Unit to Use Tysers’ Brand

Mar 29 2018 // Integro Insurance Brokers, the New York-based insurance brokerage and specialty risk management firm, announced it will acquire 100 percent of Hawkes Bay Holdings Ltd. (HBH), the privately owned parent company of Tysers...

Brightway Insurance Opens New Agencies in Florida

Mar 28 2018 // Brightway Insurance continues to expand across the country, opening new stores in Florida, Michigan and Texas this month. Two new agencies were opened in Florida: Dave Lego became the new owner of Brightway, Julington...

Ex-AIG Execs Kick-Off New High Net Worth Insurer Vault in Florida

Mar 27 2018 // It was a no-brainer for former thought-leaders from AIG to set up shop for their new high net worth insurer in the Sunshine State, a state known for beautiful beaches, a growing economy and lots of wealthy individuals. A...

CIA-Leavitt in Colorado Adds Sipla as Agent

Mar 26 2018 // Colorado Springs, Colo.-based CIA-Leavitt Insurance Agency has named Kate Sipla as an insurance agent. She specializes in commercial insurance and employee benefits. Sipla previously sold software for SocialChorus, HVAC...

North Carolina Insurance Agent Arrested for Embezzling $18K in Premiums

Mar 23 2018 // A North Carolina insurance agent has been arrested and charged with embezzling more than $18,000 in insurance premiums, according to a statement from North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. Billie Jo Kennedy,...

Worldwide Facilities Hires New Broker, Claims Manager to TUMI Division in Georgia

Mar 23 2018 // Trinity Underwriting Managers (TUMI), a division of Worldwide Facilities, has added Bill Acevedo as claims manager and Nick Blankenship as broker. The two will be based in its offices in Savannah, Ga. Acevedo, a former...

Moody’s Projects Stable Outlook for Global Insurance Brokers

Mar 22 2018 // The 2018 outlook for insurance brokers is stable, reflecting good product demand, low capital requirements, significant variable costs, and healthy EBITDA margins and cash flows, which will continue to attract investors,...

UK Broker Group BIBA Forms Agreement with WBN to Help EU Clients After Brexit

Mar 21 2018 // The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has formed an agreement with the Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) so that BIBA’s UK-based brokers are introduced to WBN’s EU-based brokers — thereby...