Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Seeking to Boost Agency Business, Progressive Offers Web Site Help

Aug 14 2009 // Progressive Insurance wants to ramp up its agency business and plans to turn to a source of strength for its direct sales channel – the Internet – to help make that happen.As Glenn M. Renwick, president and...

Federal Judge Dismisses Agents’ Lawsuit Against Brooke Corp.

Aug 14 2009 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing bankrupt Brooke Corp. and its financing arm of racketeering and fraud, saying the claims are not specific enough.Scores of insurance agents sued Overland Park, Kan.-based...

Florida Insurance Agents Say State’s Home Mitigation Effort Is Failing

Aug 13 2009 // Florida’s efforts to encourage homeowners to harden their homes to better withstand big storms by giving them insurance premium discounts is not getting the job done, according to a report from insurance agents in...

M&A Activity Continues at a Snail’s Pace Compared to 2008

Aug 13 2009 // Insurance brokerage mergers and acquisitions in the second quarter of 2009 was nearly half of what is was during the second quarter of 2008. Just 39 transactions were announced from April through June compared to last year...

Demetriou General Agency Acquires H. Al Roth Agency in New York

Aug 13 2009 // New York-based Demetriou General Agency Inc. has acquired H. Al Roth Agency in Manhattan for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition comes as Demetriou announced expansion plans for its Madison Avenue headquarters to...

Georgia Agents’ Group Elects Hansard President

Aug 13 2009 // Members of the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia (PIA of Georgia) elected E. Scott Hansard to serve as president. Hansard is the owner of Hansard Insurance Agency, located in Cumming, Georgia. Others elected as...

Progressive Insurance Names Barone to Head Agency Distribution Business

Aug 13 2009 // Progressive Insurance has named Karen Barone as National Distribution Leader for its Agency Business.Barone’s new responsibilities include maintaining and advancing Progressive’s leadership role in agent...

Oak Street Funding Secures More Than $50M in New Capital

Aug 12 2009 // Oak Street Funding said it has secured more than $50 million in new capital from two major banks in an effort to expand opportunities for agents and brokers to borrow money to achieve their strategic goals.The new capital...

Car Dealers in the Storm: Dealers Left Standing Will Be Stronger, Leaner

Aug 12 2009 // Some automobile shoppers may be abandoning car makers but insurance carriers and brokers remain dedicated partners, experts say.Yet no one can deny that tough times have fallen on many of the nation’s car dealers who...

Survey: Agents Report Recession Not as Disruptive as Initially Predicted

Aug 11 2009 // Main Street businesses may still be trying to recuperate from the recession, but independent insurance agencies report that it has not been as disruptive as initially predicted, an exclusive survey reveals.The survey...

Agents, Meteorologists Gear Up for Annual Texas Hurricane Tour

Aug 10 2009 // For the fourth year in a row insurance spokesmen will team with meteorologists from the National Weather Service and independent insurance agents to warn Texas coastal residents of the potential dangers of hurricanes. This...

Texas’ June Enforcement Actions Result in $441K in Fines, Restitution

Aug 10 2009 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during June included 18 license revocations, five license denials and fines and restitution totaling $441,318, the Texas Department of...

Heffernan Insurance Brokers Raises $47,000 for Avon Breast Cancer Walk

Aug 7 2009 // Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Heffernan Insurance Brokers announced that it raised over $47,000 for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. This is the second year Heffernan’s “Ta-Ta Sisterhood” team participated in...

Insurance Broker Willis Sued by Venezuelan Clients of Stanford

Aug 7 2009 // A group of Venezuelan clients of Stanford Financial Group have sued the insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd, accusing it of contributing to a $7 billion Ponzi scheme at the Texas-based investment company founded by...

Insurance Journal Wins Business Publication Editorial Awards

Aug 6 2009 // Insurance Journal magazine has won gold and silver editorial awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ western regional awards competition, recognizing the magazine for its editorial...

Ohio Revokes Agent’s License for Falsifying CE Hours for Other Agents

Aug 6 2009 // The Ohio Department of Insurance has revoked the insurance education provider contract and license of an agent the department found to be falsifying continuing education credit hours for hundreds of insurance agents.George...

Snow Joins Pacific Wholesale Insurance Brokers

Aug 6 2009 // Los Angeles-based Pacific Wholesale Insurance Brokers LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Insurance Specialty Group LLC, appointed Victoria Snow vice president/casualty broker in the Burbank, Calif., office. Her...

Insurance Broker Marsh Revenues Fell 7% in Q2 But Profit Rose

Aug 5 2009 // Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. posted a second quarter net loss of $193 million, attributable to the declining value of its security consulting business and private equity investments. Last year for the same quarter...

Improved Profitability Forecast for Marsh, Guy Carpenter

Aug 5 2009 // Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. , the No. 2 global insurance broker, posted quarterly results in line with expectations on Wednesday and forecast improved profitability for its brokerage business, sending its shares up 4.3...

Arthur J. Gallagher Adds Two New England Offices

Aug 4 2009 // National insurance brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired two New England offices of Atlanta-based Gresham & Associates Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The offices — which are in Portland, Maine and...