Articles by Andrew G. Simpson

Simpson is a freelance writer and editor. He retired as Chief Content Officer for Wells Media Group in July, 2022 after 18 years with the company.

Allstate’s Drivewise Telematics App Adds Shopping Rewards, Challenges

In addition to offering auto insurance savings to its insureds, the Allstate Insurance mobile telematics app known as Drivewise now allows drivers to earn safe driving points they can spend on merchandise, gift cards and local merchant offers. Any driver …

Nationwide Rebrands Crestbrook, Expands Affluent Client Offerings to 4 States

Nationwide Private Client insurance products and services for affluent clients are now available in four new states: Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, and Tennessee, bringing the total number of states served to 16. Nationwide Private Client business formerly went under the name …

How to Know What Insurance Customers Want

What do today’s customers want from insurance providers? They want understanding, interaction, even a relationship. But they vary in when and how they wish to learn, interact and build a relationship. Insurance providers have to understand not only when but …

Beyond Katrina: Lessons in Mitigation, Insurance and Community

Among the lessons to be learned from Hurricane Katrina are that communities and all stakeholders should prioritize flooding as the greatest risk, devote more resources to preventive measures rather than post-event disaster relief, and address current infrastructure weaknesses, according to …

Brokers Call for Implementation of National Licensing Reform Law

Insurance producers are calling upon the Obama Administration to begin implementation of a licensing reform measure signed into law eight months ago. When President Obama signed the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) in January, he also signed …

Marketers Have Lost Control of Insurance Buying Process

After careers spent crafting and controlling their companies’ messaging to customers, insurance marketing and advertising professionals have lost control. Customers and prospects have taken over. Increasingly, today’s insureds and prospects care more about what other parties have to say than …

AIG Sees Opportunity in ACE-Chubb Marriage

ACE Limited’s acquisition of Chubb Insurance could create opportunity for American International Group (AIG), which is already a major player in the high net worth market along with both ACE and Chubb. Asked during an analysts’ call about the ACE-Chubb …

Liberty Mutual Had a ‘Messy’ Second Quarter

“Things got a bit messy in the second quarter.” That’s how David Long, chairman and CEO of Liberty Mutual Holding Co., summarized his firm’s second quarter results, which saw a 36 percent decline in consolidated net income to $249 million, …

Survey: How Health Insurance Brokers, Navigators Perform Under Obamacare

Insurance brokers play an important role in helping people obtain non-group health insurance from the health insurance marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and tend to serve different people than the navigators and other market assistance programs, according …

Organically Speaking, Independent Agencies Are Very Profitable

Independent agencies are enjoying a period of high profitability boosted by healthy organic growth despite continued soft pricing in commercial lines. Independent insurance agents/brokers posted median organic growth of 5.9 percent for the second quarter of 2015, slightly higher than …