Latest Agencies Headlines

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

West Virginia’s City National Bank Acquires 2 Insurance Agencies

May 5 2009 // Charleston, West Virginia-based City National Bank and its insurance division, CityInsurance Professionals, reported they have acquired two local insurance agencies: the Patton Insurance Agency in Nitro and the Dickens...

Florida Insurance Broker Can’t Take It Any Longer

May 5 2009 // Well, I’m sorry but I just cannot take it any longer.To quote our very own Insurance Commissioner: “I must also finally break down and respond to some of the more recent articles. Errors in fact and rhetorical...

Agents and Brokers: Deadline to Submit for IJ’s Top 100, June 1

May 5 2009 // Insurance Journal is on the search for the nation’s leading privately-held property casualty independent agencies and brokerages for its annual Top 100 Property/Casualty Independent Insurance Agencies report.Now,...

What Agents Want

May 4 2009 // Money is the lifeblood of any business. But when it comes to running insurance agencies, money isn’t the main thing that principals look for when they do business with a certain carrier.Claims handling, it turns out,...

Agents Can Help Fight Insurance Fraud

May 4 2009 // Insurance agents can play a big role in helping states to fight insurance fraud. In fact, because they are on the front lines of insurance transactions, agents might see and hear things before the insurance company, claims...

How to Improve Productivity in a New Economy

May 4 2009 // The economy is in the tank and so is the stock market. Thousands are unemployed and many people do not know where to turn. No one is setting up charities for insurance agents just yet, but the industry is at the end of the...

‘Red Flags’ to Watch For When Choosing an MGA Partner in a Bad — and Good — Economy or Market

May 4 2009 // In today’s tough economy and prolonged soft market, some insurance firms are likely to get into financial trouble. Smaller wholesalers and managing general agencies (MGA) may be at risk. Their ability to stay afloat...

Agents, Rate Your Regional Carriers in a New Insurance Journal Sponsored Survey

May 4 2009 // Channel Harvest Research and Insurance Journal have announced a major new study in the independent agency system that will probe agents’ attitudes toward carrier relationships and the insurance companies they...

50 Reasons Why Retail Agents Choose Managing General Agency Partners

May 4 2009 // As a large broker, this is decided based on relationships, successes, volumes, commissions levels, service. In other words we are dictated by volume. Service, service, service, markets, price, service. Personal...

Social Networking in an Insurance World

May 4 2009 // Web 2.0 Tools Enhance the Face-to-Face Interactions in the IndustryInsurance firms that have used the tools of Web 2.0 appear to be won over for good, and have little to say that is negative. McAuley, Woods &...

Florida’s Soto Honored with Top Insurance Agent Award

May 4 2009 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers (the Big “I”) has awarded Alex Soto with the Woodworth Memorial Award, the highest honor the association bestows on one of its members.The Woodworth Memorial...

New York-Based Insurance Broker BWD Group Expands to Florida

May 4 2009 // With the addition of Saul Landesberg as regional vice president, BWD Group LLC opened a Florida office of its insurance and risk management brokerage operation. Landesberg, a long time resident of the Tampa area, will...

As Credit Scores Fall, Criticism of Insurers’ Credit Scoring Rises

May 4 2009 // With consumers’ credit scores dropping as lenders tighten credit terms, insurance consumer advocates are stepping up their criticism of the use of credit scores by insurance companies.They are also warning insurers...

La. Bond Broker’s ‘Straw Man’ Gets Probation

May 1 2009 // A California man described by prosecutors as a “straw man” for a convicted felon’s illegal insurance business in Louisiana has been sentenced to three years of probation. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier...

Western Security Surplus Promotes Clark to Broker

Apr 28 2009 // Jason Clark has been promoted to broker in the Dallas, Texas, office of Western Security Surplus Insurance Brokers Inc. (WSS).Clark began his insurance career as a summer intern at WSS in 2007. After graduating from the...

What Young Agents Value About Being Independent

Apr 24 2009 // Good things come to those who wait and work hard. Even in today’s challenging economic climate, young independent insurance agents remain hopeful and happy to be in a profession that allows them to work...

Louisiana Agent Told to Stop Doing Business in State

Apr 24 2009 // A Crowley, La.-area agent was served by Louisiana Department of Insurance Fraud Section Investigators with a cease and desist order, notice of license revocation and a $10,000 fine notice for alleged misappropriation,...

Texas Agents Rate Companies on 2008 Hurricane Response

Apr 24 2009 // Insurance companies responding to last year’s hurricanes Dolly and Ike were given generally good marks by independent agents along the Texas coast in a recent member survey by the Independent Insurance Agents of...

Washington Reducing Agent Fingerprint Fee

Apr 24 2009 // Washington’s Office of Insurance Commissioner has announced that the fingerprint fee for resident insurance agents and brokers will be reduced to $45.25 beginning July 1, 2009. For non-resident applicants, the...

North Dakota Insurance Agent Accused of Pocketing Premiums

Apr 24 2009 // A North Dakota insurance agent has been barred from engaging in the business of insurance under a cease and desist order issued by the state insurance department.According to the order issued by North Dakota Insurance...