Latest Agencies Headlines

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

State Farm Pulling Out of Florida Property Insurance Market

Jan 27 2009 // Florida is losing its largest property insurance company.State Farm Florida Insurance announced today it is beginning the process that will allow it to non-renew policies and halt all sales of homeowners or other...

North Dakota Agents Report More Interest in Flood Insurance in Fargo

Jan 27 2009 // North dakota insurance agents are seeing more Fargo homeowners interested in flood insurance, after a winter of heavy snow and forecasts of spring floodingKen Kraft is an American Family Insurance agent in south Fargo. He...

Region’s Best Practices Agencies

Jan 26 2009 // Each year since 1993, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and Regan Consulting study leading agencies and brokers in the country. After the 2008 study, a total of 189 agencies from around the country...

Indiana Pulls Insurance Agent License of Pilot in Florida Jail

Jan 26 2009 // An administrative law judge in Indianapolis on Friday permanently revoked the Indiana insurance license of a financial adviser accused of bilking investors before trying to fake his death in a Florida plane crash.Judge...

South Carolina Blues Opens Retail Insurance Store Staffed by Agents

Jan 26 2009 // South Carolina BlueCross and BlueShield has opened its first retail insurance store in the state. The new store opened last Friday in Mount Pleasant. The store offers health insurance policies for both adults and children....

Study: Recession Pressuring Middle Market to Value Price Over Service

Jan 26 2009 // As the U.S. economic slowdown deepens, middle-market companies are reassessing their relationships with insurance brokers and adopting a more bottom-line approach to securing insurance coverage.Historically, middle-market...

New York Insurance Agent Charged in Bank Heist

Jan 26 2009 // A part-time insurance agent was arrested in his Rockefeller Center office and charged with pulling off a knifepoint bank robbery in the suburbs and making his getaway in a luxury sport utility vehicle, police said.Edward...

Declarations

Jan 25 2009 // Name Change“While this name change reflects our vision for today and the future, it also brings into focus our long and rich history in this state.” —The Springfield-based Professional Independent Insurance...

Customer Retention Should Be Priority No. 1 for Agency Managers

Jan 25 2009 // In this economy, there are many things that agents should be looking at in terms of how they manage their agencies, but what should be the top priority?Juan Andrade is executive vice-president for sales and distribution at...

Customer Retention Should Be Priority No. 1 for Agency Managers

Jan 25 2009 // In this economy, there are many things that agents should be looking at in terms of how they manage their agencies, but what should be the top priority?Juan Andrade is executive vice-president for sales and distribution at...

Don’t Cheap Out on the Training

Jan 25 2009 // Use your agency management system to the max. Measure your productivity. Communicate consistently and effectively with your staff, customers and carriers. And above all, don’t cheap out on the training.Do those...

Customer Retention Should Be Priority No. 1 for Agency Managers

Jan 25 2009 // In this economy, there are many things that agents should be looking at in terms of how they manage their agencies, but what should be the top priority?Juan Andrade is executive vice-president for sales and distribution at...

People

Jan 25 2009 // Risk management and insurance services provider IMA of Texas Inc. announced additions to its Health Care, Employee Benefits and Surety departments.Michael J. Jacoby has been hired as vice president and national director of...

Even Best Practices Agencies Struggle To Grow in Soft Market

Jan 25 2009 // The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (the Big “I”) recently released its annual “Best Practices Study,” a study of the leading agencies and brokers in the country The independent...

People

Jan 25 2009 // American International Group Inc. (AIG) named Russell Johnston president and CEO of AIG Environmental, a unit of AIG Commercial Insurance.Johnston joined AIG in 1990 serving in senior management positions within...

Agents Speak Out on ‘Putting Back the Pieces’ After Brooke

Jan 25 2009 // Technically, Brooke Franchise owes me $7 million, but who knows if I will ever see it,” said Roger Cunningham, former Brooke franchisee and agent/ owner of RKC Financial in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas,...

New Season Kick-Off

Jan 25 2009 // You sometimes have to go backward a little before you can take two steps forward.With the nation still reeling from the events of 2008 — the constricting economy, the housing and credit crises, the Wall Street...

Wholesaler Innovation Helps Close the Gaps

Jan 25 2009 // Before the 1980s, employers bore all the risks associated with employment litigation. As this litigation and the financial costs associated with employee claims against employers increased, employers began investigating...

North Dakota Revokes Agent’s License Over False Jewelry Claim

Jan 23 2009 // North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm recently revoked the insurance license of Crystal Gayle Just, a Bismarck insurance agent who officials said confessed to filing a false police report and an insurance claim for...

Who’s Worth What in the Independent Agency System?

Jan 23 2009 // It’s that time again! Insurance Journal is polling insurance agents and brokers nationwide in its annual quest to find out who’s worth what in the independent agency system.More than 1,000 agencies nationwide...