Latest Independent Agencies Headlines
All the headlines from our Independent Agencies Topic Page, ordered by recency.
IIAT: Independent Agents Guide Consumers Through Affordable Care Act
Nov 21 2013 // In a Nov. 14 address on the troublesome roll out of healthcare.gov and the public outcry over the cancellation of less expensive individual insurance policies, President Obama said, “Buying health insurance is never...
Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana Installs Officers for 2014
Nov 20 2013 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana Inc. (Indiana Big “I”) has installed its slate of officers for 2014. The executive committee leadership team for the Indiana Big “I” for 2014 is:...
Illinois Independent Agency, Williams-Manny, Joins Keystone Insurers Group
Nov 20 2013 // Keystone Insurers Group announced that Williams-Manny Inc. of Rockford, Ill., has become its second franchise partner in Illinois. Keystone, with partner agencies in nine states, is pursuing a strategy of rapid expansion...
Big ‘I’ 2013 Best Practices Study Finds Increases in Specializations, Profitability
Nov 15 2013 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) released its 2013 Best Practices Study which found an increase in agencies with specializations, expansion of technology...
Confie Head on McKinsey: M&As Indy Agents’ Salvation
Nov 4 2013 // It may not be quite as dire as a “merge or die” mindset, but the message from the head of Confie Seguros is that independent agents should take a hard look at the McKinsey report that claims local independent...
Rusbuldt on McKinsey 5: Where Will Agents Really Be in 5 to 10 Years?
Nov 1 2013 // Bob Rusbuldt, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America – the Big “I”- takes issue with a McKinsey report that claims local independent agents will soon be extinct. In this...
Rusbuldt on McKinsey 4: Trusted Choice, CAP as Part of Agents’ Internet Strategy
Oct 31 2013 // Bob Rusbuldt, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America – the Big “I”- takes issue with a McKinsey report that claims local independent agents will soon be extinct. In this...
Rusbuldt on McKinsey 3: Don’t Ignore Trends Favoring Independent Agents
Oct 30 2013 // Bob Rusbuldt, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America – the Big “I”- takes issue with a McKinsey report that claims local independent agents will soon be extinct. In this...
Rusbuldt on McKinsey 2: Agent-Carrier Relationships Make a Difference
Oct 29 2013 // Bob Rusbuldt, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America – the Big “I”- takes issue with a McKinsey report that claims local independent agents will soon be extinct. In this...
Why McKinsey’s Prediction of Demise of Independent Agents Is ‘Dead Wrong’
Oct 28 2013 // A recent report from McKinsey & Co. had some bad news for local property/casualty insurance agents— many of them will be out of business within the next five to 10 years. McKinsey contends that “the economics...
8 Ways to Organically Grow Your Independent Agency
Oct 21 2013 // Organic produce is popular. Free-range chicken is chic. So, why not get trendy and organically grow your agency? Naturally, inorganic growth is faster because it involves the buying of agencies, hiring producers with books...
Michigan Earns Outstanding Big ‘I’ Young Agents Committee Award
Oct 7 2013 // The National Young Agents Committee (YAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) presented the Young Agents Council of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents...
What to Know About NARAB or National Producer Licensing: Bissett of Big ‘I’
Oct 3 2013 // If and when the federal government resumes operations, a multistate producer licensing reform bill long pushed by the country’s insurance agent lobby could be among the few bipartisan pieces of business Congress...
New Hampshire’s Minkler New Chairman of Big ‘I’
Sep 30 2013 // New Hampshire independent agent Thomas J. Minkler has been inaugurated as the new chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”), with David Walker as...
Third Time’s a Charm for Producer Licensing Bill?
Sep 23 2013 // Will the third time be the charm? Insurance groups and lobbyists in Washington are hoping so, after the House of Representatives this month overwhelmingly passed a bill (H.R. 1155 ) to streamline the insurance producer...
Vermont’s Independent Agents Have Over $120M Annual Impact on State Economy
Sep 18 2013 // The results from a study commissioned by the Vermont Insurance Agents Association (VIAA) show that Vermont’s economy is positively impacted by the state’s independent insurance agencies. “These phenomenal...
The Fight for Policy Ownership
Sep 16 2013 // There are times when what agents don’t know can hurt them. And this is one of them. I refer to the all-too-often overlooked, and recently targeted, ownership of policy “expirations” — policy,...
Will Third Time Be the Charm for National Producer Licensing Bill?
Sep 12 2013 // Will the third time be the charm? Insurance groups and lobbyists in Washington are hoping so, after the House of Representatives this week overwhelmingly passed a bill (H.R. 1155 ) to streamline the insurance producer...
The Fight for Policy Ownership
Aug 19 2013 // There are times when what agents don’t know can hurt them, and this is one of them. I refer to the all-too-often overlooked, and recently targeted, ownership of policy “expirations” – policy,...
60% of Direct Buyers Eventually Return to Independent Agents: Study
Aug 19 2013 // Most customers who are lured away from independent agents by direct insurers promising lower prices will ultimately return to an independent agent. According to a recent study commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group,...
