Articles by Andrea Wells

Andrea Wells is vice president of content for Wells Media Group Inc., overseeing coverage for its multiple print and digital platforms. She is a veteran insurance journalist with more than 20 years’ experience covering the property/casualty industry. She has won several awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), including awards for original research for her work on Insurance Journal’s annual salary survey of retail insurance agencies and its annual survey of young insurance agents. She can be reached at: awells@wellsmedia.com.

Young Agent Leaders

There’s no better time to excel and grow in the insurance world, some say. The talent gap has opened new doors for accelerated advancement for the driven and focused young professional. This issue of Insurance Journal features exclusive results from …

The Good and Bad About Being an Independent Insurance Agent

What’s so great about being a young independent agent today? Freedom, quality of life, opportunities to grow, challenges and the ability to solve them, the people and relationships built, the compensation, and, of course, the satisfaction that comes with helping …

Workforce Wellbeing

Rising medical costs and economic uncertainty are stressing out today’s workforce. That’s according to MetLife’s 2025 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study which revealed a decline in employees’ holistic health (-5%), productivity (-5%), and engagement (-7%) across the board and found …

Today’s Commercial Property Market in ‘Better Place’ Brokers Assess 4 Current Trends: Vacancies, Alternatives, Valuations, Wildfires

Commercial property insurance rates continue to fall for most accounts after most property insurers saw profitable books in 2024. That’s good news for insureds, commercial property brokers say, as clients begin to see rate reductions at renewals for most non-cat-exposed …

Exclusions: Active Assailant Coverage – Oh My!

This market has opened the door for new business opportunities for specialists in hospitality. As restaurant owners search for ways to save money they are more willing to “shop” their insurance. “It helps to get your foot in the door,” …

Stress and Opportunity

The first quarter of 2025 has been a whirlwind. New presidential administration. Historic wildfires. Financial market volatility. Trade war and tariff talks. A looming recession. Higher costs at the grocery store. Higher car repair bills. Higher cost of wood products …

Restaurants, Insurance Agents Strive for Stability as Costs Continue to Rise

This year restaurants and bars continue to grapple with many of the same challenges they faced in 2024. The rising cost of labor and food, along with the ongoing struggle to recruit and retain employees, remain among the top concerns …

A Look at Rate Trends

Premium renewal rates were up again in fourth-quarter 2024 but continue to trend lower for most commercial lines products. Premiums increased year over year for all major commercial lines, except workers’ compensation, according to the January 2025 results of the …

Why Soft Skills Matter

This issue reveals data and compensation insights gathered from Insurance Journal’s annual Agency Salary Survey. For the third year in a row in the survey’s 16-year history, salary averages and total compensation averages (including additional compensation such as profit sharing, …

Agency Survey: Salaries, Total Income Jump in 2024 but Pay Satisfaction Declines

Insurance agency owners, producers, and support staff on average made more money in 2024, but for two years in a row, satisfaction with compensation declined, according to the latest Agency Salary Survey, published annually by Insurance Journal. Changes in overall …