Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Brightway Insurance Opens New Agencies in Florida, Tennessee

Apr 25 2019 // Brightway Insurance opened new stores in Florida and Tennessee on April 15.The new franchise owners include: Steve Moser who opened Brightway, The Steve Moser Agency of Belle Meade in Nashville, Tennessee. This is...

Reading Forms: Is It Really Necessary?

Apr 24 2019 // We are grateful for friend of the Academy, Chris Burand, President of Burand & Associates, LLC for this timely article. Thanks, Chris!Now, let’s get to his question: Is it really necessary to read forms? Of...

Southern California Agent Arrested for Bogus Policy Scam

Apr 23 2019 // Angel Estrada, 22, a formerly licensed insurance producer and owner of Angel Estrada Agency, swindled a national insurer out of more than $140,000 in commissions by writing bogus commercial insurance policies to earn large...

The Lowdown: The Silent Battle Between Agencies and Companies

Apr 23 2019 // P&C insurance companies are scared. Not all are scared, of course. Some are big enough, some are smart enough, and others are ignorant enough to not be scared about the future of insurance distribution. The ones that...

Wuthrich Named Executive Director of Houston Independent Agents Group

Apr 22 2019 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Houston (IIAH) has named David Wuthrich as the group’s new executive director. Wuthrich is a native Houstonian and has worked in the insurance industry for many years. Most...

Travelers’ Close to Lead Valent Group’s Alabama P&C Brokerage, Service Dept.

Apr 22 2019 // Valent Group, the risk consulting and insurance division of EBSCO Industries (EBSCO), has hired Kurt Close to lead its Birmingham, Ala.-based property and casualty broking and service departments.Close comes to Valent...

Dodson Named NetVu Executive Director

Apr 17 2019 // The Vertafore technology users network, NetVU, has named Linda Dodson as executive director.Dodson’s career has included work in an insurance agency and with agency carriers. She began her insurance career with Rand...

Hanover Offers Agents Small Business Platform Using CoverWallet Technology

Apr 17 2019 // The Hanover Insurance Group is debuting a digital platform to help independent agents acquire new small business customers including freelancers, contractors and other self-employed professionals.Calleed Insurago, the...

Miami Agent Accused of Pocketing $476K in Homeowners Insurance Scheme

Apr 17 2019 // A licensed Miami insurance agent has been arrested after she allegedly obtained and transferred more than 300 homeowner insurance policies without homeowners’ knowledge or consent and pocketed nearly $476,000 from...

Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Acquires Connecticut’s Wilson Agency

Apr 16 2019 // Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. (S&S) has acquired The Wilson Agency Inc. of Shelton, Conn.The Wilson Agency is a third generation, family owned and operated agency serving Fairfield County and the...

People

Apr 15 2019 // American International Group has named Carla Ferrara as head of communications for AIG’s Investments organization. Ferrara will be based in New York and report to Elaine Rocha, chief operating officer of AIG...

Closer Look Patrick Stephens

Apr 15 2019 // If Florida’s Stephens Were Not a Broker, He’d Find Another Job in InsuranceBeing a young insurance broker in Florida is never boring for Patrick Stephens, who started in the industry three years ago....

Students from Eight Colleges Participate in Virtual Agency Competition

Apr 15 2019 // College students from eight universities recently formed teams and spent a month running a simulated insurance agency as part of a virtual online competition developed by PriSim War Games, a provider of computerized...

Good Training: Why Agencies Should Invest in People

Apr 15 2019 // Employees should have continual training. They should be trained in “conflict resolution, hospitality and emotional intelligence,” according to Richard Branson of Virgin Cos.Employees need to truly understand...

Young Agents Survey: What Young Agents Want

Apr 15 2019 // Young agents don’t always feel supported by their elder peers. They say training is sometimes lacking for newbies in the agency world. They don’t see enough diversity in leadership. And they continue to say...

What Young Agents Think

Apr 15 2019 // This issue of Insurance Journal features exclusive results from the 2019 Young Agents Survey where young agents nationwide shared their views on the insurance industry and their experience as an agent (see page 30 for the...

Closer Look: Heather Rogers

Apr 15 2019 // Virginia’s Rogers Wants Community to Know Her Name for HelpingHeather Rogers was working at a local country club when a member called and asked her if she had ever thought about a career in insurance. “To be...

Why the Industry Must Embrace Change

Apr 15 2019 // Change is a great way to build, personally and professionally. If we want to stay relevant in our industry, we have to learn how to embrace change. Today, we are changing at the fastest pace our industry has ever seen....

Canada Insurer The Co-operators Buys Robinson & Associates Insurance Brokers

Apr 12 2019 // Canadian insurer The Co-operators announced it has purchased Robinson & Associates Insurance Brokers in Niagara Falls and Ridgeway, Ontario.Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The brokerage’s...

Young Small Businessowners Don’t Like Insurance Agents. Uh, Not Really.

Apr 12 2019 // Patricia Ross, Raphael Strumlauf and Kate DeNeveu each have at least one thing in common: They’re generally happy with their business insurance.Each owns a business at the downtown pedestrian mall in Charlottesville,...