Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Customer Experience Starts With Marketing Communications

Jul 1 2019 // In my last column, we discussed agents’ critical task of delivering the best possible customer experience to differentiate themselves from competitors. To do that, agents need to closely examine every task they...

Resolving Claim Disputes: Step 1…The RTFP Doctrine

Jul 1 2019 // If you have been following this 12-part series, welcome to the home stretch. In the first six articles, we’ve examined why claims are denied and how to avoid or prevent such denials, concluding with an introduction...

People

Jul 1 2019 // American International Group said Kathleen Zortman will join the company as president and CEO of Private Client Group, General Insurance. In this new role, Zortman will lead AIG’s global high net worth portfolio,...

Ray Elected Chair of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas

Jun 28 2019 // Mark Ray of Borden Insurance Agency in Corpus Christi has been elected to serve as chair of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) for 2019-20.Additionally, Gaylon Brown of TexCap Insurance in Dallas as was...

XS Brokers Hires Delmonico-Long, Hall to Florida Business Development Team

Jun 28 2019 // XS Brokers (XSB), an independent insurance underwriting and wholesale brokerage group, has hired Michelle Delmonico-Longo as Business Development manager and David Hall as senior vice president, Business Development for...

BondExchange Upgrades Surety Bond Platform to Include Self-Service

Jun 27 2019 // BondExchange has upgraded its surety bond platform to give agents their own branded portal to directly distribute bonds to their clients.The original platform launched in 2016 and now serves over 25,000 agents across the...

Supreme Court Scales Back Doctrine Giving Deference to Regulatory Agencies

Jun 27 2019 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday constrained the power of federal agencies, scaling back a legal doctrine that calls for judges to give agencies deference to interpret their own rules but declining to eliminate it as...

What Passed, What Didn’t: New Florida Laws Taking Effect July 1

Jun 27 2019 // The Florida Legislature looked at and passed many pieces of legislation in the 2019 session that will impact the insurance industry. The following are summaries of what passed — and what didn’t. HB 7065 – AOB...

Georgia Court: Insurer Can’t Deny Coverage Despite Misinformation on Application

Jun 27 2019 // An insurer that extended its workers’ compensation coverage for 90 days after discovering the employer had violated the terms of its policy could not then deny coverage for a claim on the grounds that those terms had...

Former Washington Agent Pleads Guilty to Writing Fake Auto Policies

Jun 26 2019 // Lilibeth Brulotte, a former Washington insurance agent, pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to third-degree theft in connection with writing fake auto insurance policies.Brulotte’s sentence was deferred...

Former Ohio Insurance Agent and Investment Adviser Gets 5 Years for Fraud Scheme

Jun 26 2019 // Former Dayton, Ohio-area insurance agent and investment adviser has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of insurance fraud and conducting a “Ponzi” scheme targeting elderly...

BHSI Names QBE’s Walker as UK Head of Customer and Broker Engagement

Jun 26 2019 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced it has expanded its team in the UK with the appointment of Mark Walker as head of Customer and Broker Engagement.“I’m extremely pleased to have Mark...

Arthur J. Gallagher to Acquire Minority Stake in Prague-Based Broker Renomia

Jun 26 2019 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced it has signed an agreement to purchase a minority stake in Prague-based Renomia.The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019....

Specialty Broker Ed Expands to Bermuda

Jun 25 2019 // Reinsurance and specialty broker Ed said it has received regulatory approval from the Bermuda Monetary Authority for its new operation in Bermuda. Ed Bermuda will provide its multiline broking services through TradEd, its...

Ironshore Environmental Adds Contractors Pollution Liability Product to Online Portal

Jun 25 2019 // Ironshore Environmental has streamlined its Contractors Environmental Legal Liability (CELL) policy to be underwritten by broker partners through its online Quote & Bind Portal.The Ironshore CELL product responds to...

Lloyd’s Suspends Broker Over Harassing Email

Jun 25 2019 // Lloyd’s of London has suspended a senior broker at Guy Carpenter & Co. for sending colleagues a sexually suggestive email about a female employee and is planning to take similar action against a second person who...

North Carolina to Host Flood Insurance Conferences; Will Offer Agents CE Credits

Jun 25 2019 // The North Carolina Department of Insurance has set up five flood insurance conferences statewide between July and September designed to educate the public, insurance and real estate agents of the need to purchase flood...

Argo Deploys Insurtech Platform from AVYST to Streamline Risk Submissions

Jun 21 2019 // Argo Group International Holdings, the Bermuda-based specialty re/insurer, has adopted an insurtech platform that enables managing general agents, wholesalers and independent brokers to submit, quote and bind risks...

What to Expect in Agency Technology

Jun 21 2019 // To say the agency technology space is robust is an understatement.Right now, the industry is seeing an “onslaught of technology available to enable agents and brokers to better manage, not only their business, but...

North Carolina Insurance Fraud Round-Up: May

Jun 21 2019 // The North Carolina Department of Insurance announced multiple fraud enforcement actions during the month of May 2019.Insurance fraud costs American consumers approximately $80 billion a year. According to North Carolina...