Latest Agencies Headlines

Laptop Stolen from Broker Has Villanova Insured Driver Data

Nov 8 2006 // A laptop computer stolen from an insurance brokerage firm contained the names, birth dates and driver’s license numbers of more than 1,200 Villanova University students and staff members, the school said Thursday. No...

Zurich Launches Global Underwriting for Multinational Products

Nov 7 2006 // Zurich Financial Services Group has announced the launch of an innovative approach to multinational insurance coverage, which it described as incorporating “all foreign premium tax and licensing obligations into a...

Colorado Casualty Adds Real-Time Functions for Agents

Nov 7 2006 // Colorado Casualty, a member of Liberty Mutual Group based in Denver, has added real-time policy inquiry, endorsement quoting, and electronic endorsement submissions to the roster of functions available through Personal IQ,...

Flying solo now, former Zurich executive ‘gooses ‘ agents

Nov 6 2006 // A retired insurance industry executive turned turbo-charged motivational speaker told a group of independent insurance agents that they are the greediest people he has ever met. Ray Thomas, a former Zurich North America...

IIABA president: contingency commission crisis threatens agents

Nov 6 2006 // For a small to mid-size independent insurance agency, contingency commissions can determine whether the business survives, according to many in the industry. That explains why Alex Soto, a Miami agent who is also president...

E. coli expedites need for recall and business interruption coverage

Nov 6 2006 // On Sept. 13, epidemiologists in New Mexico, Wisconsin and Oregon began discussing a cluster of E. coli infections and warned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they suspected fresh-bagged spinach as the...

The virtual, global economy humbles insurance leaders

Nov 6 2006 // Insurance agents and executives have a lot to worry about as the fast-paced virtual economy takes hold. According to futurist Edie Weiner, they are right to be worried. She says there are a lot of risks ahead and given the...

Survey: Commercial market softens, insurer appetite increases

Nov 6 2006 // The commercial property/casualty market continued to soften during the third quarter, with indications that some insurers are finding an appetite for business in which they previously were not interested, according to the...

Social services agencies need extra care and an agent’s helping hand

Nov 6 2006 // While they may require more attention, nonprofits offer opportunity for growth and profit, says industry specialist Insurance Journal’s Andrea Ortega-Wells, Mogelnicki explains why the nonprofit social services...

Everything old (or hot, modified, exotic, muscle, etc.) is valuable again

Nov 6 2006 // Insurance producers, follow the money. It’s going into collector vehicles of all makes, models and years. Here are three facts to illustrate. 1) Collectors spend money — lots of it — to buy and restore...

U.S. legal precedents assume larger role in corporate oversight

Nov 6 2006 // European PLUS conference explores an emerging international D&O market Maybe it’s part of the globalization process; maybe it’s due to the increasing sophistication of private investors and fund managers,...

Ease of doing business can make the strategic ‘profit’ differential

Nov 6 2006 // Let’s start with three basic ideas about property/casualty insurance distributed through independent agents and brokers — a sector with more than $200 billion in written premium annually. 1) P/C insurance...

News Currents

Nov 5 2006 // Insurance political contributors favor Republicans Four of six top official recipients from the Midwest Insurance-related contributors to this year’s midterm Congressional races are favoring Republicans 2-to-1 over...

News Currents

Nov 5 2006 // Ohio enters into $7 million settlement agreement with Zurich The Attorney General and Ohio Department of In-surance offices announced that they have reached a settlement with Zurich American Insurance Co., resolving...

Nov 5 2006 // People The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina announced the election of Kathy Lance of The L.N. Davis Co. in Waynesville, as its new president. Lance, the first female to hold the office, has been a member of...

Flying solo now, former Zurich executive ‘gooses ‘ agents

Nov 5 2006 // A retired insurance industry executive turned turbo-charged motivational speaker told a group of independent insurance agents that they are the greediest people he has ever met. Ray Thomas, a former Zurich North America...

E. coli expedites need for recall and business interruption coverage

Nov 5 2006 // On Sept. 13, epidemiologists in New Mexico, Wisconsin and Oregon began discussing a cluster of E. coli infections and warned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they suspected fresh-bagged spinach as the...

People

Nov 5 2006 // Chris Hughes, with Swingle, Collins & Associates, is the new president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas. Swingle Collins reported that Hughes joins officer ranks with firm president, Frank Swingle, whose...

News Currents

Nov 5 2006 // IIABA president: contingency commission crisis threatens agents For a small to mid-size independent insurance agency, contingency commissions can determine whether the business survives, according to many in the...

The virtual, global economy humbles insurance leaders

Nov 5 2006 // Insurance agents and executives have a lot to worry about as the fast-paced virtual economy takes hold. According to futurist Edie Weiner, they are right to be worried. She says there are a lot of risks ahead and given the...