Happy New Year!

Well, it has finally happened. We’ve made it into 2004 with a bang. This Jan. 12 issue marks a watershed moment in Wells Publishing—and insurance industry history! While this may be just another edition of Insurance Journal West to you, this is actually one of five regional editions of top-notch insurance coverage reaching agents and brokers across the country. Along with our well-established Texas/South Central magazine, we now have three additional regions: East, Southeast, and Midwest.

With our expansion, we hope to become the most comprehensive resource for insurance news and information for not only agents and brokers, but also for insurance companies, CSRs, wholesalers and MGAs, trade associations and politicians. We will strive to be the best resource in the industry.

2004 looks to be promising for the industry. The market appears to be easing up. Trade associations are moving and shaking to provide the industry with unified support when it comes to legislation and continuing education. For a look at what lies ahead this year, check out page 20 for Bob Hartwig’s (of the I.I.I.) Earlybird Forecast for 2004. Demotech and Tillinghast offer their thoughts too, on pages 26 and 33, respectively. And for our cover story, see page 18, where California Senator Jackie Speier discusses past, present, and future legislation.

Be sure to see our new National insert, which contains valuable information being shared with your peers from East to West. According to a Dec. 2003 readers’ poll on our Web site, www.insurancejournal.com, insurance agents across the U.S. think the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s Virtual University is one of the most influential forces in the industry today. Thomas J. Slattery reports on that development in our National section. Also in that section, regular IJ columnists, Catherine Oak and Bill Schoeffler, take a look at trends that may affect your business in 2004.

We here at Insurance Journal have a couple of New Year’s resolutions of our own. As always, we want to continue to be the place you turn to for insurance news. We also want to provide you with the information you need to maximize your agency’s potential.

Your feedback is very important to us, so tell us what you want to read about in the New Year. Send us your news tips and story ideas. We’d love to hear from you! E-mail me at cbeisiegel@insurancejournal.com.