Latest Agencies Headlines

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

World’s Top 15 Commercial Lines Brokers Write 43% of Business: Finaccord

Nov 12 2014 // The world’s top 15 insurance brokers write more than 43 percent of the commercial lines property/casualty business globally, according to a new ranking by London research firm Finaccord.The same report says that the...

3 Birmingham Brokers Join EPIC in Alabama As Agency Principals

Nov 11 2014 // EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property/casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced that Crawford McInnis, Brian Tanner and Wilson Long have joined the firm as principals in...

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers in California

Nov 10 2014 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. SGB-NIA provides retail property/casualty, risk management and employee...

FBI Reports Decreases in Violent, Property Crimes

Nov 10 2014 // The estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased 4.4 percent in 2013 when compared with 2012 data, according to the latest FBI figures. Property crimes decreased 4.1 percent, marking the eleventh straight...

Professor, Former Agent, Adjuster to Head New Alabama Insurance Center

Nov 9 2014 // Dr. Lars Powell has been named the inaugural director of the newly-created Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research at The University of Alabama.Powell is a professor of finance and holds the Whitbeck-Beyer...

Litmus Analysis on S&P’s Decision to Withdraw ‘Public Information’ Ratings

Nov 6 2014 // A report from London-based Litmus Analysis examines the decision by Standard & Poor’s to withdraw “its entire North American and EMEA ‘pi’ (public information based) insurance ratings. This...

Big Data: It Isn’t Just for Carriers

Nov 5 2014 // This is the era of big data and while it’s no surprise that insurance carriers are big players, the fact is that agents and brokers of all sizes also have a growing stake in big data.While the insurance industry has...

North Carolina Agent Charged for Allegedly Embezzling Client’s Funds

Nov 5 2014 // A North Carolina insurance agent has been charged with embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretense, the state’s Department of Insurance announced. According to the department’s announcement on Oct....

Boston Insurance Brokerage Hires Bordonaro as Broker’s Assistant

Nov 4 2014 // Boston Insurance Brokerage Inc., a national wholesale broker based in Boston, hired Joanne Bordonaro as broker’s assistant in the Property & Casualty Division. Bordonaro spent the last 10 years at Liberty...

Confie Seguros Acquires 2 New York, 1 California Brokers

Nov 4 2014 // Confie Seguros, a national provider of personal lines insurance, has acquired three insurance brokerages, two in New York’s Buffalo area and one in California. Confie Seguros acquired The Insurance Market Agency Inc....

Aon Benfield Buys Safe Brokers to Enhance Presence in Greece, Cyprus

Nov 4 2014 // Aon Benfield, the reinsurance intermediary and capital adviser of Aon plc, has acquired Safe Brokers to strengthen its investment in the Greek and Cypriot markets.Safe Brokers is an independent reinsurance broker with...

Nash to Retire as President of N.H. Association of Insurance Agents

Nov 3 2014 // Robert L. Nash Robert L. Nash, president of the New Hampshire Association of Insurance Agents (NHAIA), has announced his retirement effective Dec. 31, 2014. Nash, president of NHAIA since 2001, has spent 43 years in...

USI Completes Acquisition of 7 Willis Retail Insurance Brokerage Locations

Nov 3 2014 // USI Insurance Services said it has completed its previously announced acquisition of seven retail insurance brokerage locations from Willis North America Inc., part of Willis Group Holdings.Under the agreement, USI...

Boston Insurance Brokerage Hires Roderiques as Workers’ Comp Underwriter

Nov 3 2014 // John Roderiques Boston Insurance Brokerage Inc., a national wholesale broker based in Boston, has hired John Roderiques as an underwriter of workers’ compensation, to further develop and manage the firm’s...

Experts: Insurance Distribution Future Online and Personalized

Nov 3 2014 // The future of insurance distribution was recently discussed at the CPCU Society’s annual All Industry Day in California.The day-long conference at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City last month included panels...

Erie Insurance Enters Kentucky

Nov 3 2014 // Erie Insurance Group has begun to offer its products in the Kentucky market. The Erie, Pennsylvania-based insurer said its entry into Kentucky marks its first geographic expansion in more than 10 years.In preparing for its...

Claims Trends

Nov 3 2014 // In terms of agency E&O trends, carriers are closely eyeing an uptick in claims severity.According to Curtis Pearsall, president of Pearsall Associates Inc., a risk management consulting firm specializing agency...

4 Trends to Watch in Professional Liability for Accountants

Nov 3 2014 // There’s no shortage of accountants in the United States today, and the growth of this industry is not expected to slow anytime soon.In 2013, there were 1.17 million accountants and auditors and 1.59 million...

Predictions on the Demise of the Independent Agent Are Premature Yet …

Nov 3 2014 // This column has covered a number of important technology issues facing agents, including security, social media, mobile technology, and the customer experience. A groundbreaking study issued last month and an equally...

E&O Insights: How Important Is Your E&O Policy?

Nov 3 2014 // Errors and omissions (E&O) coverage: It’s one of the most important coverages you can secure. After all, your agency’s protection depends heavily on your E&O policy and how it works. Despite this, it...