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 Agents and the Senior Market

Long-Term Care Represents Opportunity for New Specialists The graying of America could be a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs, including young insurance producers. As the nation’s population continues to gray, the people who work in the many businesses and organizations …

Big Data: It Isn’t Just for Carriers

This is the era of big data and while it’s no surprise that insurance carriers are big players, the fact is that agents and brokers of all sizes also have a growing stake in big data. While the insurance industry …

How to Navigate Today’s Agency E&O Market

While many agencies stick with their agency errors and omissions (E&O) carrier, those that do shop around tend to do so when premiums are rising. According to Insurance Journal‘s exclusive 2014 Agency E&O Survey, more agencies may be shopping around …

10 Insurance Myths

Men may be more gullible when it comes to insurance myths than women but even women think a number of popular myths about insurance are true, according to a survey by online insurance seller insure.com. Insure.com said it recently surveyed …

Big Data: It Isn’t Just for Carriers

This is the era of big data and while it’s no surprise that insurance carriers are big players, the fact is that agents and brokers of all sizes also have a growing stake in big data. While the insurance industry …

Hands-Free Distraction

As the city in which I reside – Austin, Texas – gets ready for a new law to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, I have been contemplating an investment …

Best Agency to Work For – Overall

Team Environment Built On Solid Partnership McGriff-Williams Insurance – Gainesville, Florida Teamwork. Respect. Opportunity. Commitment. Those are a few of the words used to describe the atmosphere in the nation’s overall Best Agency to Work For – McGriff-Williams Insurance based …

Spouses and Success

How much do you credit your wife or husband with your work performance? Is it really the woman behind the man, or the man behind the woman, making the difference? According to new research from Washington University in St. Louis, …

Fighting Cybercrime

HSB, a specialty insurer that is part of Munich Re, along with Trail of Bits, a New York cybersecurity firm, recently presented a “Hacker Lab” to provide risk mitigation resources for small business owners. The event showed that cybercriminals view …

Insuring Products of the Mind

The rapid growth in patent infringement litigation in 2013 – almost 6,500 cases, or an increase of 25 percent over 2012, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers – might appear to be a strong motivator for at-risk businesses to buy intellectual property insurance. …