Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Combined Agents Reports Commercial Premium Growth of 64% Over Decade

Mar 30 2011 // Combined Agents of America, LLC (CAA), based in Austin, Texas, reported the group wrote more than $414 million in combined property/casualty premiums in 2010 and has increased commercial premium written by 64 percent since...

Simanoff Joins Morstan General Agency

Mar 30 2011 // Richard Simanoff has joined Manhasset, New York-based Morstan General Agency as senior broker. In his new role, Simanoff will expand brokerage business, assist in the building of a large lines division, help to open new...

9 Alternatives to Individual Health Insurance Mandate; Will They Work?

Mar 29 2011 // There are alternatives to the controversial federal government mandate that requires almost everyone to purchase health insurance, although experts are divided over how effective the alternatives might be in helping to...

Towerstone Adds Ortiz, Proctor in Dallas

Mar 29 2011 // Dallas-based Towerstone Inc., a wholesale insurance broker and managing general agency, has added Emmanuel Ortiz as account manager and Justin Proctor as account executive.Ortiz will work in Towerstone’s managing...

MarketScout Names Muston a Senior Broker in San Diego

Mar 28 2011 // MarketScout Wholesale LLC has expanded in San Diego with the addition of Tere Muston as senior broker. Muston joins MSW with 23 years of industry experience marketing property, casualty professional and management...

Who’s Worth What in the Independent Agency System? Find Out … Join IJ’s Survey

Mar 25 2011 // Insurance Journal is polling insurance agents and brokers nationwide in its annual search to find out who’s worth what in the independent agency system.Don’t miss out on your chance to participate. The 2011...

Commentary: Pending State Legislation to Implement NRRA is Fly in the Ointment

Mar 23 2011 // Pending state legislative proposals, such as California’s AB 315, that would implement the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010 (NRRA) are akin to the fly in the ointment.The NRRA becomes effective on July...

Louisiana Agent Fined $100K for Alleged Misappropriation of Premiums

Mar 23 2011 // A Deville, La., insurance agent has been accused of attempting to defraud insurers by submitting false business and receiving more than $127,000 in unearned commissions.Robert Lee Daniel III, 29, was served on March 18 by...

Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson File Lawsuit Against Former Insurance Broker

Mar 23 2011 // Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages from their former insurance broker. According to celebrity gossip Web site TMZ, which discovered the lawsuit, Hanks and Wilson...

Insurers, Brokers Settle Spitzer-Era Bid-Rigging Case for $37 Million

Mar 23 2011 // Lawyers for a majority of the 15 insurance company and broker defendants in a long-running suit accusing them of bid-rigging are scheduled to be in court today outlining a proposed settlement that will cost them about...

Pennsylvania Ponders Workers’ Comp for Small Business Owners

Mar 23 2011 // Agents in Pennsylvania will urge lawmakers today to pass legislation that would allow insurers to cover owners or partners of small businesses through a workers’ compensation policy.The legislation changes insurance...

London Broker Sees Some Libya Claims, but Situation is Unclear

Mar 23 2011 // London-based Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker United Insurance Brokers (UIB) has indicated that there may be some insurance exposure as a result of the unrest in Libya, and the decision by the UN to sanction...

Texas Broker Bowen, Miclette & Britt Acquires Florida Agency

Mar 22 2011 // Texas-based insurance broker Bowen, Miclette & Britt Inc. has expanded into the Florida market though the acquisition of Huckleberry Sibley & Harvey Insurance & Bonds.The acquired agency, HSH, has a client base...

Texas Wind Pool Reminds Agents of Switch to Direct Deposit Commissions

Mar 22 2011 // Texas agents who sell policies for the Texas wind insurance pool need to provide banking data to the association in order to begin receiving monthly direct deposit commissions.The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has...

BIBA Calls for Realistic Regulation of UK Brokers

Mar 22 2011 // The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) released the key findings of its Future of Regulation research on Monday March 21 at a Parliamentary Reception in the House of Commons, to an audience of MPs, civil...

House Moves On Flood Insurance Changes

Mar 21 2011 // A Republican draft of legislation to reform the federal flood insurance program would renew the program for five years, phase out most rate subsidies, tie coverage limits to the rate of inflation, vary the deductible by...

Expanding Flood Insurance Options: Good Idea?

Mar 21 2011 // Expanding a federal program that is already $17 billion in debt might seem like a non-starter of an idea on budget-conscious Capitol Hill these days.However the idea is included in a Republican proposal to reform the...

Agency E&O Liability for Failing to Procure Coverage

Mar 21 2011 // Insurance agents can be sued by their clients for breach of contract or negligence when they fail to procure appropriate insurance coverage. Generally, an insurance agent or broker who undertakes to procure insurance for a...

Come along for a ride with Jason Verlinde

Mar 21 2011 // I recently went on my own ride to Michigan for the Michigan YIP’s Winter Get-Away! I was invited to teach a class on Generational Differences and the turnout and response from the class was tremendous – it was...

People

Mar 21 2011 // Jennifer McPhillips was promoted to senior director of federal government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and will serve as one of the association’s...