Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Tower Group Pens Reinsurance, Pooling, Expense Pact with CastlePoint

Apr 5 2006 // Tower Group, Inc. in New York has entered into a strategic relationship with CastlePoint Holdings, Ltd.,a Bermuda-based holding company that it has sponsored. The move gives Tower reinsurance backing, additional...

N.H. Agents Plan Education Conference; Commissioner to Speak

Apr 4 2006 // The Professional Insurance Agents of New Hampshire Inc.’s 2006 Annual Conference will be held Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at the Marriott Courtyard and Grappone Conference Center, Concord, N.H. More than 100 insurance...

Insurance Journal Reports on How Zurich Pacts Affect Agents; Promise of Mid-Sized D&O Market

Apr 4 2006 // Independent agents representing Zurich Insurance in the U.S. will have to disclose their income before binding any commercial lines policies for Zurich and some Zurich agents may be denied contingency compensation under...

Rating Agencies React to Fairfax 10-K Filing; Part 1 – A.M. Best Affirms Ratings; Off Watch

Apr 4 2006 // The rating agencies have taken different actions on Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiaries, including Odyssey Re Holdings in which Fairfax has an 80 percent stake, following the Group’s filing of its Form...

Rating Agencies React to Fairfax 10-K Filing; Part 2 – Fitch Maintains Credit Watch on Group

Apr 4 2006 // The rating agencies have taken different actions on Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiaries, including Odyssey Re Holdings in which Fairfax has an 80 percent stake, following the Group’s filing of its Form...

Rating Agencies React to Fairfax 10-K Filing; Part 3 – Off S&P Credit/Watch

Apr 4 2006 // The rating agencies have taken different actions on Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiaries, including Odyssey Re Holdings in which Fairfax has an 80 percent stake, following the Group’s filing of its Form...

Hub Closes on Acquisition of 3 Mass. Agencies from Citizens Financial

Apr 4 2006 // Hub International Limited has closed its acquisition of three Massachusetts insurance brokerages of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. . As part of the transaction, Hub also entered into a previously announced strategic...

VanDelinder to Speak at San Antonio Agents’ Luncheon

Apr 4 2006 // David VanDelinder, executive director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, will be the featured speaker at the Independent Insurance Agents of San Antonio April 18 membership luncheon. VanDelinder will present...

Sure, We Can Bind Your Policy, With <em>CHECK BIND</em>!

Apr 4 2006 // Online Check System Used by Los Angeles County now Available to Insurance Professionals and Hundreds Have Already Signed Up Although the ability to accept checks by phone, fax, or the Internet has been around for a while,...

American Financial Group Inc. Offers Option for Senior Convertible Notes

Apr 4 2006 // American Financial Group, Inc. announced that through June 30, 2006, holders of its Senior Convertible Notes are entitled to convert their notes to AFG common stock resulting from the increased trading value of AFG’s...

Assurex Global Adds New Partners in Europe and Pacific Rim

Apr 4 2006 // Columbus, Ohio-based Assurex Global has added new partners in Australia, Switzerland and Austria. OAMPS Insurance Brokers, Ltd. in Australia; GWP Insurance Brokers in Switzerland; and Assurance Partners Versicherungsmakler...

Insurers unlikely to alter credit scoring as agencies pursue uniformity

Apr 3 2006 // The decision by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies to create a more uniform credit scoring system is not expected to have a major impact on insurers’ use of credit in rating personal lines insurance...

New uniform credit agencies’ scoring system not likely to impact insurers

Apr 3 2006 // The recent announcement by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies that they have created a new credit scoring system aimed at simplifying the loan process likely will not have a major impact on insurers’...

Leverage agency resources by retaining your talent

Apr 3 2006 // (Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles offering “best practices” suggestions for the hiring process in the independent agency. More information is available at iiat.org under Agency...

Leverage agency resources by retaining your talent

Apr 3 2006 // (Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles offering “best practices” suggestions for the hiring process in the independent agency. More information is available at iiat.org under Agency...

Times Have Changed. Are you still driving this business?

Apr 3 2006 // Can independent agents compete in the nonstandard auto market? The big boys are better organized, financed and dominating the byways. They also are not creating a level playing field. More often than not, large insurers...

WHO TO CALL?

Apr 3 2006 // Multi-State Agencies IBA West (Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington). Web site: www.iba west.com PIA West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington). Phone: (888)...

Western insurance associations: How the West is run

Apr 3 2006 // Editor’s note:This is the first article in a series on Western insurance associations. Part II of this article will appear in a future issue. As people migrate to the West to enjoy the weather and opportunities for...

When insurers play the ratings game

Apr 3 2006 // Publicly traded property casualty insurance companies must serve many masters. To be competitive in the marketplace, they must offer products that meet the needs of consumers, at prices that are competitive with the...

Consumer group accuses Geico, other insurers of unfair underwriting

Apr 3 2006 // A U.S. consumer group has made claims that Geico Corp. uses rate-making methods that directly base eligibility and premiums solely upon the educational background and occupation of consumers. The Consumer Federation of...