Latest Texas Headlines

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

Texas Windstorm Insurance Assoc. Chief Favors Gradual Rate Hikes

Aug 26 2010 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association recently filed for 5 percent increases in both its residential and commercial rates, effective Jan. 1, 2011. While indications are those hikes won’t bring the rates for the...

Swantner & Gordon Insurance Merging with Higginbotham & Associates

Aug 25 2010 // Swantner & Gordon Insurance Agency, headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Fort Worth-based Higginbotham & Associates have jointly announced the merger of their operations. The combined firm has more than 500...

Texas To Review More Insurance Premiums

Aug 24 2010 // The Texas Department of Insurance is about to change its longtime policy of allowing uncontested insurance rate increases of up to 50 percent without interference, officials said. State regulators will require insurance...

Day Installed as President of Central Texas Society of CPCU Chapter

Aug 20 2010 // Meredith Day was recently installed as president of the Central Texas Chapter, Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, in Austin, Texas. She received her CPCU designation in 2006 and is currently pursuing the...

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Seeks 5% Rate Increase

Aug 20 2010 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has filed for 5 percent increases in both its residential and commercial rates, effective Jan. 1, 2011. The state’s insurer of last resort provides wind and hail coverage in...

Extraco Insurance’s Daniel Named Customer Service Rep of the Year

Aug 16 2010 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America has presented Patricia A Daniel of Extraco Banks N.A., dba Extraco Insurance with its National Accredited Customer Service Representative of the Year award. Based...

Snapshot: Declarations

Aug 16 2010 // Health Care Challenge “While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate — and tax — a...

2010 Education & Training Directory

Aug 16 2010 // Insurance Journal is pleased to publish the 2010 Education and Training Directory. This exclusive resource directory has been designed to help independent agents and brokers find educational and training opportunities to...

101 Sales & Marketing Ideas*

Aug 16 2010 // From … how to research and obtain referrals, why it’s important to listen to clients, what to do with social media, where to advertise and what to say … to how to use a questionnaire, court records, a...

Declarations

Aug 16 2010 // Health Care Challenge “While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate — and tax — a citizen’s...

TV and Radio Advertising: Texas Agency Makes It Work

Aug 12 2010 // Is advertising on radio and television a cost-effective way to help expand an independent insurance agent’s book of business? It may not be for everybody, but Criss Sudduth says a one-two punch of broadcast ads have...

Texas Oil & Gas Association Earns $3.5M Texas Mutual Dividend

Aug 11 2010 // Texas Mutual Insurance Co. announced a $3,566,002 dividend to the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TxOGA) purchasing group. The dividend was based largely on the group’s premium volume and loss ratio. TxOGA has...

Texas Warns Insurers on Auto Claims

Aug 11 2010 // Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin has released a bulletin reminding auto insurance providers that it is against state law to “directly or indirectly limit the insurer’s coverage under a policy covering...

Exxon Sues Federal Government for Texas Refinery Cleanup Costs

Aug 9 2010 // Exxon Mobil Corp. is suing the United States to recover more than $45 million in clean-up costs at its refining and petrochemical plants in Baytown, Texas, saying the government controlled the facilities during World War...

Groups Earn Combined $840K in Dividends from Texas Mutual

Aug 6 2010 // Texas Mutual Insurance Co. announced that four purchasing groups have earned a combined $839,151 in workers’ compensation dividends. The dividends were based largely on each group’s premium volume and loss...

Texas Commissioner Orders $551K in Fines and Restitution in June

Aug 5 2010 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during June 2010 included four license revocations, three license denials, and fines and restitution totaling $551,012. Copies of...

Beck Named CEO of Texas-based Business Insurance Now

Aug 4 2010 // Darren Beck has been named chief executive officer of Business Insurance Now, an online marketplace for commercial insurance for small businesses. He will also serve as a member of the Allen, Texas-based company’s...

Business Moves

Aug 2 2010 // RSI International, Insurance Network Texas-based RSI International Inc. has acquired Insurance Network Corp. (INC), a managing general agency based in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1996, Insurance Network Corp. specializes...

People

Aug 2 2010 // Stephen M. Franz was named senior vice president of Dallas-based managing general agency and wholesale broker Capstone Underwriters LLC. Franz has been with Capstone since 2004. Prior to Capstone, he held positions at all...

Number of Texas Uninsured Vehicles Declines

Aug 2 2010 // Since the launch of the TexasSure auto insurance verification program two years ago, the number of uninsured vehicles on Texas roads has declined, the Texas Department of Insurance reports. The TexasSure electronic...