Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Soft Market Challenges

Oct 6 2008 // Soft market conditions could last for another nine months to five years, predict representatives from the agent, broker, carrier, reinsurance, and excess and surplus lines sectors of the insurance industry.“I...

California Governor Signs Agent-Broker Bill

Oct 6 2008 // California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Assembly Bill 2956, clarifying the duties of an agent versus those of a broker.The bill, Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West explained, establishes four situations in...

Cracking Under Pressure

Oct 6 2008 // Old, New Business Breaking AwayThe financial woes of American International Group (AIG), a giant insurer that does considerable business with thousands of producers in a variety of markets and often writes risks other...

It Pays To Specialize

Oct 6 2008 // Despite challenging soft market conditions, today’s program administrators should be able to seize the day’s market opportunities thanks to their specialty knowledge and expertise, says William Kronenberg III,...

Competitors Offer to Fill the Gaps

Oct 6 2008 // There have been some subtle and not-so-subtle moves by competitors in reaction to AIG’s troubles.Navigators Pro increased its capacity for directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance, citing the...

Technology: A Brave New World

Oct 6 2008 // MarketScout presented its second eInsurance Symposium in Dallas, Texas, in September 2008. The symposium was preceded by hurricane Ike by a day and then the conference was held during “hurricane AIG.” Bill...

Lurking Cyber Risks

Oct 6 2008 // A family-run crafts store opens in a strip mall and, after much hard work and long hours, begins to flourish. The store takes credit cards, contracting with a merchant bank to handle the logistics. The tech savvy teenager...

For Agents, Their Carriers’ Claims Service is Top Performance Measure

Oct 6 2008 // Independent insurance agents want their property/casualty insurance carriers to provide quality claims service above all else, according to an exclusive survey of agents’ attitudes about the insurers their agencies...

Fractured Loyalty: Customer Versus Company

Oct 6 2008 // A producer’s response to request to move AIG business could depend on whether that producer is an agent or a broker.“If the producer is a broker, working only for the client with no agency agreement with the...

New Jersey Agent Elected to PIA’s Board of Directors

Oct 3 2008 // The former president of the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey has been elected to the board of directors for the trade group’s national association.Andrew C. Harris will represent New Jersey’s...

Habay Joins Reinsurance Broker Collins in New York

Oct 2 2008 // Gregory Habay, a New York-based reinsurance broker, has joined Collins as senior vice president, Robert Kimmel, executive vice president and co-leader of Collins’ broker force, announced. Habay most recently was a...

Madden to Serve as President of Dallas Independent Agents Group

Oct 2 2008 // Darleen Madden has been elected to serve as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas (IIAD) for a term beginning Sept.1, 2008, through August 2009. Madden is co-owner of Glenn-Madden & Associates...

Texas-based Combined Agents of America Adds 37th Member

Oct 1 2008 // Austin, Texas-based Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA) announced it added EFGI Insurance & Bonds LCC of San Antonio as its 37th member agency. EFGI is the fourth agency to join CAA this year.EFGI Insurance &...

American E&S Appoints Insurance Broker in Fresno

Oct 1 2008 // American E&S Insurance Brokers has appointed Frank Cardoso senior vice president and broker in its Fresno, Calif., branch. Most recently serving as president of Network E&S Insurance Brokers, Cardoso has nearly...

Broker Uses AIG’s Problems to Create a ‘Super’ Product

Oct 1 2008 // “We hoped we were wrong,” said Peter Taffae, managing director of Executive Perils Inc., of the financial troubles that recently befell American International Group. In early June 2008, Taffae and several of...

California Agents Alliance Launches George Joseph Educational Foundation

Oct 1 2008 // The Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers has created the George Joseph Educational Foundation to support insurance training for association members, provide educational scholarships for the next generation of insurance...

Brownyard Names Exclusive Agent in Southwest for Pest Control Program

Oct 1 2008 // Brownyard Group, a program administrator, has appointed Lovitt & Touche as its exclusive agency in Arizona and Nevada for the Brownyard pest control program, PCOpro. Lovitt & Touche, with headquarters in Tuscon,...

Introducing Sullivan Brokers, Wholesale Insurance Solutions, Inc.

Oct 1 2008 // Los Angeles, CA, October 1, 2008 – The Sullivan Group has announced the formation of Sullivan Brokers Wholesale Insurance Solutions, Inc. Combining the strengths of professional broking practices from Sullivan...

Access General Agency Launches New Web Site

Sep 30 2008 // Woodbury, NY, September 30 2008 – Access General Agency (AGA), the leading provider of homeowners insurance solutions to independent brokers in the United States, has launched a brand new fully-interactive web site...

New York Young Insurance Professionals Elects Officers

Sep 29 2008 // The New York Young Insurance Professionals, an affiliate of the Professional Insurance Agents of New York trade group, elected new officers at its annual business meeting earlier this month.Those new officers are: —...