Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Top 10 Hot New Markets

Mar 25 2013 // Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing changes and expansions during the past year. Here are the top 10 market sectors that just might deliver hot opportunities for agents and brokers in the property/casualty...

Zurich Names Quin to Head Investor Relations, Rating Agency Management

Mar 22 2013 // Zurich Insurance Group announced the appointment of James Quin, (44, British citizen), to the position of Head of Investor Relations and Rating Agency Management, effective July 1, 2013, with a transition period starting...

Agents Seek Mobile Apps for Customer Self-Service, Sales Help: Survey

Mar 21 2013 // Independent agents and brokers want their customers to be able to “self-serve” on mobile devices, and sales and quotes are key capabilities for agent-facing applications on tablets, according to preliminary...

Outsourcing Your Digital Marketing Strategy: When do you know it’s time?

Mar 21 2013 // This post is part of a series on insurance marketing and training sponsored by Astonish. Local insurance agency owners wear multiple hats – sometimes, too many! You may want to save money and do it all yourself, but that...

N.Y. Reaches Settlement With Assurant, Largest ‘Force-Placed’ Insurer in U.S.

Mar 21 2013 // The New York State Department of Financial Services investigation has produced a settlement with the country’s largest “force-placed” insurer, Assurant Inc. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced the...

SIAA Adds 5 Agencies in South Central Region

Mar 20 2013 // The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA) announced it signed five new member agencies in the South Central region in February. The newly signed agencies are: Pluta Insurance Agency of Irving, Texas; Crump Commercial...

Agency Compensation: Who’s Worth What in Your Independent Agency?

Mar 20 2013 // From top level managers to office and support staff — every person in an agency has a role to play in helping the agency win in the sales game. When one person fails, the whole agency suffers. And when an agency suffers,...

Insurance Agent to Be Mayor of Gulfport

Mar 20 2013 // Republican Billy Hewes III will be the new mayor of Gulfport. Hewes’ opponent, Democrat Billy Barnes, dropped out of the race last week, and Hewes is the only other candidate. The general election is June...

FERMA Calls on EU Parliament to Enforce Minimum Disclosure Standards for All Broker Business

Mar 20 2013 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) is calling on the European Parliament to ensure that all insurance buyers are entitled to a minimum European standard of disclosure in the revised Insurance...

SIAA Grows 3 Agencies in West in February

Mar 19 2013 // The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance signed three new member agencies in February. February’s new Western region members include: SavePro Insurance Services of El Cajon, Calif., Express My Way of Calabasas, Calif....

Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford Moving to ‘Next Level,’ Says CEO Esser

Mar 19 2013 // On the last day of February, international independent broker Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford (CGSC) made some significant changes in the management of its U.S. operations. In a telephone interview with Insurance Journal,...

Court Throws Out Class Action Against JP Morgan Over Clearing Broker

Mar 18 2013 // A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday threw out a class action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co., making it easier for companies that clear trades to avoid being accountable to investors who are defrauded by their...

Michigan Association of Professional Insurance Agents Hosts Astonish’s One-Day Modern Consumer Training on March 28

Mar 18 2013 // Warwick, RI, 3/18/13 – Astonish, a leading digital marketing solutions and sales training provider for insurance agencies, encourages local insurance agency principals, CEOs, and presidents in Michigan and surrounding...

GJ Sullivan Co. Acquires Network E&S Insurance Brokers’ California Book

Mar 15 2013 // G.J. Sullivan Company Excess & Surplus Lines Brokers has acquired Network E&S Insurance Brokers’ book of California business. David Gorin and Sherri Gust will join GJS E&S, and will operate from...

The Woodlands Financial Group Has a Focus on Growth

Mar 14 2013 // Richard “Gordy” Bunch, president and CEO of The Woodlands Financial Group, readily concedes that starting a personal lines-focused insurance business in Texas in 2001 – while the state was in the throes of...

ACE Private Risk Survey: High Net Worth Families Overpaying to be Underinsured

Mar 14 2013 // Most wealthy individuals and families who insure their assets with carriers geared primarily for the average U.S. household overpay for coverage that leaves their wealth unnecessarily exposed to the risk of severe...

Basso Joins The Council of Agents and Brokers

Mar 14 2013 // Phil Basso is joining The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers as senior vice president for Leadership and Management Resources, the commercial insurance brokers’ group said. Basso will be responsible for...

Feds Bust $100M North Carolina Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme

Mar 13 2013 // Federal investigators have unraveled a massive scheme among dozens of insurance agents, claims adjusters, brokers and farmers in eastern North Carolina to steal at least $100 million from the government-backed program that...

Calling Young Insurance Agents: Tell Us What You Think

Mar 12 2013 // Are you a young insurance agent, 40 years old or younger? Do you know a young insurance agent? Insurance Journal is once again searching for young insurance agents to participate in this year’s Young Insurance Agents...

Agency M&A Advisory Firm Sees ‘Lack of Quality Acquisition Opportunities’

Mar 12 2013 // A mergers and acquisitions advisory firm focusing on the insurance agency sector says it is hearing more this year about “a lack of quality acquisition opportunities,” which could lead to fewer deals this year...