Latest Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Commercial Insurance Directory Goes National
Jan 3 2007 // InsureMyWork.com, an informational website about commercial insurance, started an online directory of business insurance agents two months ago. The directory started in California and is now open to all 50 states. Media,...
Texas Agent Replaces Gecko Ads with ‘The Middle Man’ Campaign
Jan 3 2007 // The Al versus The Gecko ad campaign has been replaced by “The Middle Man.” According to Al Boenker, CEO of Al Boenker Insurance Agency in North Texas, the term middle man has long been a negative in American...
IBA West Files Reply Brief with Calif. Office of Administrative Law
Jan 3 2007 // Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) submitted a reply brief on Dec. 21 to the California Office of Administrative Law, as a follow up to an earlier petition filed in September protesting then Commissioner...
Strategic Independent Agents Alliance Forms Illinois Master Agency
Jan 3 2007 // Strategic Independent Agents Alliance (SIAA) recently announced that Total Insurance Services of Northbrook, Ill. has established Northern Illinois Strategic Insurance Alliance as SIAA’s newest master agency. The new...
MetLife Pays $19 Million to Settle Spitzer Investigation
Jan 2 2007 // MetLife Inc., the largest group life insurer in the nation, will pay $19 million and change some of its business practices to end an investigation of payments made to brokers to steer clients its way, Attorney General...
Ind. Commissioner Revokes License When Agent Gambles Away Premiums
Jan 2 2007 // An insurance agent will lose her license after state officials said she spent customers’ money on gambling and clothing instead of using it to pay their premiums. Investigators said Daneile Frydrych, owner of All...
Abacus Insurance Brokers Renames Online Technology Division
Jan 2 2007 // Los Angeles Abacus Insurance Brokers Inc. has changed the name of its online wholesale technology division APM Platform to Abacus.net. The name change is effective January 3, 2007. “Abacus.net better reflects the...
Tennessee Insurance Broker Arrested on $1.8M Wire Fraud Charges
Dec 29 2006 // A Smithville, Tenn., insurance broker was arrested Dec. 27 on 15 federal counts of wire fraud, according to officials. According to the federal grand jury indictment, B. Don James defrauded investors of more than $1.8...
Bliss & Glennon Expands into Ala., N.H.
Dec 29 2006 // Bliss and Glennon Inc., a managing general agency and surplus lines broker based in Redondo Beach, Calif., opened two new regional offices in Manchester, N.H., and Birmingham, Ala., in late December in an effort to broaden...
Latin American Agents Name Hurtado Business Development Chief
Dec 29 2006 // The Latin American Agents Association has named Past President Rafael Hurtado director of business development at the association. Hurtado agreed to strengthen his support and dedication to the association by taking on...
28.5 Million Holiday Party Hosts Likely Underinsured, Study Says
Dec 28 2006 // Most of the 28.5 million Americans who plan to host a party between Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl are underinsured, according to a new study by Trusted Choice. Of those 28.5 million party hosts, 21.3 million do not have...
Former La. Insurance Agent Arrested on Fraud Charges
Dec 28 2006 // A former Oakdale, La., insurance agent was arrested and issued a cease and desist order on charges of fraud and misappropriation of funds, Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced recently. John Craig...
Declarations
Dec 25 2006 // All I want for Christmas is … “On our Christmas wish list is to have somebody come back into the residential artisan contractor market. Pricing has gone way up for small guys in the artisan...
Commissioners, compensation rules, earthquakes made for shaky ground
Dec 25 2006 // In the era when cowboys and gold panners roamed, the West was characterized as a wild yet adventurous place to live. Judging by 2006’s insurance industry headlines, those sentiments don’t seem to have...
2006: Agents fight to keep their pay and insurers wise up to the future
Dec 25 2006 // The fight to save contingent commissions topped the minds of agents across the nation as a few select states drove public policy efforts to end their use by insurers. The industry grabbed hold of predictive modeling and...
2006: a big year for P&C buyers and sellers of all shapes and sizes
Dec 25 2006 // JANUARY Hallmark Aquires Aerospace Holdings Fort Worth, Texas-based Hallmark Financial Services Inc. has completed its acquisition of Aerospace Holdings LLC, which markets general aviation insurance products. Hallmark...
October, November see 29 M&As; stock prices continue to vary
Dec 25 2006 // Stock Prices: Stock prices have varied year-to-date among brokers. Brown & Brown Inc.’s (NYSE:BRO) stock was down 4.4 percent through Nov. 30, 2006, while Hub International Ltd.’s (NYSE:HBG) stock was up...
2006: Soft market offers up many new insurance products
Dec 25 2006 // E&O, Professional/Management Liability New P/C Insurance Agents’ E&O Rockwood Programs partnered with certain underwriters at Lloyd’s of London to offer professional liability coverage specifically...
Private equity market increasingly bullish on insurance and E&S
Dec 25 2006 // Historically, the insurance sector has not been high on the list of preferred investments for private equity markets, but since 2001 interest in insurance and reinsurance has been on the rise, not only with private equity...
Insurers, agents worry Conn. coastal rules could make matters worse
Dec 25 2006 // Insurers aren’t happy and agents are worried about new restrictions on coastal property underwriting being imposed by Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Susan Cogswell in a reversal of her previous policy. They warn...
