Latest Agencies Headlines

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

Michigan Insurance Agent Charged with $375K Client Theft

Nov 5 2020 // A Howell, Michigan, insurance agent has been charged with embezzlement and conducting a criminal enterprise, among other felonies, according to state Attorney General Dana Nessel. Alicia Holbrook-Bloink is accused of...

Former Insurance Agent Charged, Has License Permanently Revoked in Wisconsin

Nov 5 2020 // A former insurance agent in Wisconsin charged with violations of insurance laws has had his license permanently revoked and must pay a penalty of more than $37,000, the state insurance commissioner’s office...

Hub International Acquires Alberta, Canada Broker Stalco Insurance

Nov 4 2020 // Hub International Ltd., the Chicago-based insurance broker, announced that it has acquired Stalco Insurance Ltd., a Canadian insurance broker. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With locations in Wainwright,...

The Co-operators Buys Canadian Broker Linda Rioux Assurances

Nov 4 2020 // The Co-operators has purchased Linda Rioux Assurances, the Warwick, Quebec-based insurance broker. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The broker’s portfolio includes home, auto, farm and commercial...

Hub International Acquires Virginia’s The Olson Insurance Agency, Insure All

Nov 3 2020 // Hub International Limited, a global insurance brokerage, has acquired the insurance brokerage assets of The Olson Insurance Agency LLC and Insure All LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The owners of The...

DiBattista to Lead Nationwide E&S Brokerage

Nov 3 2020 // Nationwide has named Jude DiBattista to head its E&S Brokerage wholesale primary and excess casualty unit. DiBattista will lead the E&S Brokerage wholesale casualty team from New York and will report to Tom...

Candidates in Hotly Contested North Carolina Insurance Race Talk Scandal, Priorities

Nov 2 2020 // The race for the next North Carolina Insurance Commissioner features two familiar faces to state voters in what is a three-peat showdown featuring Republican Mike Causey and Democrat Wayne Goodwin. Causey, the incumbent,...

Agency M&A Activity Continues Despite Pandemic: OPTIS Partners

Nov 2 2020 // There were 170 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the third quarter of 2020 compared to 173 for the same period in 2019, according to a report from consulting firm OPTIS Partners. The Chicago-based...

Getting an Agent-of-Record: It’s Easier Than You Think

Nov 2 2020 // Sally wants to close every piece of business she works on, but she doesn’t. She’s not even close. Her price is never good enough. The coverage gap is never big enough. And even if it is, it doesn’t end up...

Agents’ E&O Under Pressure

Nov 2 2020 // The agency errors and omissions liability market has enjoyed stable market conditions for years. But that could be changing as agents and their insureds attempt to balance emerging risks in a changing insurance market. The...

Cannabis Broker Spotlight: Koelewyn of Pacific AG Embraced Cannabis Insurance from the Start

Oct 29 2020 // Editor’s note: This part of a series of profiles on cannabis brokers, in which Insurance Journal explores why and how these folks got into the business, the ups and downs of insuring cannabis, as well as a few tips...

Boston Insurance Brokerage Expands Specialty Offerings; Fell to Lead New Division

Oct 29 2020 // Boston Insurance Brokerage (BIB) has announced an expansion of its specialty offerings to include Programs & Compliance. The new division at BIB will be led by Senior Vice President Christopher Fell. BIB has a history...

Florida Property Insurance Market Inches Closer to Crisis – Part 1

Oct 29 2020 // After years of warnings that the Florida property insurance market was heading towards an availability crisis, many in the industry say the moment of reckoning has arrived. They blame unchecked claims litigation from...

Insurers Again Battled Many California Bills, but a Fight Last Year Was Biggest Recent Victory

Oct 28 2020 // The election is nearly here, and while it’s been quite a year all around, things could have been worse for the insurance industry. When the year started, insurance industry lobbyists were facing a big battle, and not...

The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Adds Foster in California

Oct 28 2020 // The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers has added Christine Foster to the Woodland Hills, Calif., office. Foster has more than 27 years of experience. She was previously with Foster & Associates She has also worked for...

Insurer Off the Hook in $200K Georgia House Fire Claim Due to Agent Premium Theft

Oct 27 2020 // A property insurer is off the hook for a $200,000 claim against a policy that it canceled, leaving a lawsuit filed against a former insurance agent who was arrested for pocketing premiums as the only apparent recourse...

Hanover Insurance Enters Maryland Personal Lines Insurance Market

Oct 27 2020 // The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. (THG) has expanded its business in Maryland to include personal lines insurance and appointed a group of independent agents in the state to serve its growing customer base. The Hanover has...

Pandemic Having LittIe Effect on Insurance Agency M&A Activity: OPTIS Partners

Oct 27 2020 // There were 170 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the third quarter of 2020 compared to 173 for the same period in 2019, according to a report from consulting firm OPTIS Partners. The Chicago-based...

MH Insurance Centre Deemed Agency of Year by Illinois Agents Group

Oct 27 2020 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL) has presented MH Insurance Centre LLC of Marion, Ill., with the IIA of IL Agency of the Year Award. The Agency of the Year Award is presented to an IIA of IL member...

Gunn Named Illinois Young Agent of the Year

Oct 26 2020 // Nick Gunn of Groveland, Ill., has named Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL). Gunn was presented with the Young Agent of the Year Award for demonstrating exceptional service...