Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Arizona Governor Signs Law to Close Agent Malpractice Loophole

May 19 2016 // Arizona’s governor has signed a bill to fix a loophole that exposes agents who write auto policies to malpractice suits. The bill was written in response to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling in July 2015 favoring an...

Agents Seek Better Compensation Deal with Carriers

May 19 2016 // On a first quarter results call W.R. Berkley Corp. President and CEO Robert Berkley cited a growing and alarming level of tension between carriers and distributors, driven by what he called a fight to grow margins in the...

Monarch E&S Opens New California Office, Names Five New Employees

May 18 2016 // Monarch E&S Insurance Services has opened a second San Diego County, Calif. office, this one in San Marcos. Five new employees will work out of the office. The employees are: Michelle Mitchell, senior...

On Wine Day, Consider Wineries and Vineyards a Fertile Field

May 18 2016 // If you’re one of those people who think there are enough holidays already, then you may not be happy to hear that National Wine Day is coming up – unless you really like wine, then perhaps an exception is in...

Florida Insurance Agent Sentenced to 7 Years for Insurance Fraud

May 18 2016 // The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, which operates under the direction of CFO Jeff Atwater, announced the conviction and sentencing of former Orlando insurance agent Mario Ferreri....

Kansas Insurance Dept. Adds Chat Feature to Interact with Agents, Consumers

May 17 2016 // A new interactive online chat feature on the Kansas Insurance Department’s website gives consumers and insurance agents another way to gather insurance information easily, the department announced. “This new...

Alberta Wildfires Could Cost $7B with Minimal Insurer Credit Hit: Ratings Agencies

May 17 2016 // The Fort McMurray wildfires, which have been raging through northern Alberta, Canada since May 1, are likely to be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, according to recent reports issued by catastrophe...

Former Wisconsin Agent Ordered to Pay to $516K in Restitution, $1M Forfeiture

May 17 2016 // A former Wisconsin insurance agent has been ordered to pay more than $516,000 in restitution and a forfeiture of over $1 million for allegedly of misappropriating funds, making misrepresentations about insurance policies,...

Gallagher Acquires Canadian Personal & Commericial Lines Broker, B.R. Rhymer

May 13 2016 // Arthur J. Gallagher has acquired B.R. Rhymer Insurance Agencies Ltd., a Canadian personal and commercial lines broker located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The agreement will see the business, which has been operating under a...

Burns & Wilcox Brokerage Expands Chicago Team

May 13 2016 // Burns & Wilcox Brokerage has appointed industry veteran Adrian Smith and a team of three specialty insurance brokers to enhance its brokerage capabilities in Chicago. Smith joins the Chicago office as senior vice...

Chedid Capital Acquires 75% Share of UAE Broker Al Manara Insurance Services

May 13 2016 // Chedid Capital Holding, in collaboration with a group of investors in Dubai, has acquired 75 percent of Al Manara Insurance Services Co. Ltd., an insurance brokerage firm with more than 25 years of experience in the United...

Progressive CEO Renwick to Retire; Griffith Chosen as Successor

May 13 2016 // The Progressive Corp. announced that Glenn Renwick, president and chief executive officer, will retire after more than 15 years as CEO and almost 30 years with the company, effective July 1, 2016. Tricia Griffith,...

Why Independent Agents Went to Capitol Hill to Lobby

May 12 2016 // Independent insurance agents and brokers from all 50 states convened in Washington, D.C., last month for the Big “I” Legislative Conference. Our members met with almost every U.S. Senate and House office to...

Manchester Specialty to Offer Allied Health Business Program Through Great American

May 12 2016 // Manchester Specialty Programs, a national specialty underwriting and insurance program management firm for home care, hospice and other health-related classes, is now offering allied health business insurance coverage on...

Agency Mergers Set Record with ‘Unstoppable Momentum’ in Q1: Optis

May 11 2016 // Insurance agency mergers and acquisitions hit an all-time high for the first quarter of a year, with 109 reported transactions in the first three months of 2016. The pace slightly outstripped 107 deals reported in the...

Large, Mid-Sized Agencies Grew 5%, Maintained Strong Profit in Q1: Reagan

May 10 2016 // Organic revenue growth at privately-held large and mid-sized insurance agencies bounced to 5.1 percent for the first quarter of 2016, up from 4.6 percent for the full year 2015, according to the latest Reagan Consulting...

“Biggie Award” Winners Announced at BIG Convention

May 10 2016 // BIG Independent Group Awards Accolades at Annual Southern California Event Riverside, CA- Rancho Cucamonga, CA, May 10, 2016- The BIG Independent Group, an association of independent insurance agents and brokers, announced...

Real World Best Practices For Agencies in Reviewing Insurance Certificates

May 6 2016 // How is it that a certificate of insurance — that seemingly simple, straightforward and most innocent of documents — can be so complex? The certificate of insurance acknowledges the writing and existence of an insurance...

New Chubb ‘Off to Good Start,’ Says Greenberg While Assessing Merger, Competition, Agents

May 6 2016 // The new Chubb reported its first quarter results since the Ace Ltd. deal to acquire Chubb closed in January and, according to the man who spearheaded the giant merger, the combined firm is “off to a good start”...

Specialist Lloyd’s Insurer Marketform Hires Kelsh to Build Broker Relationships

May 6 2016 // Marketform, the London-based specialist Lloyd’s insurer, has appointed Martin Kelsh to the newly created role of production & distribution director. Kelsh joined Marketform on May 3 to develop and enhance the...