Agents & Brokers News

Voters Select Whitman Over Calif. Commissioner Poizner, Reject Prop. 17

Republican Meg Whitman will face off against Democrat Jerry Brown in the race for California governor in November. Whitman won the Republican ticket for governor with 64.2 percent of the vote, defeating Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner who received 26.9 percent …

Business Moves

Marsh & McLennan, Kroll, Altegrity Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc. agreed to sell investigations unit Kroll to a firm led by former Marsh CEO Michael Cherkasky for less than the insurance broker paid for Kroll six years ago. MMC plans …

Business Moves

BBVA Compass, Crest Insurance Cody Ritchie and other senior members of the BBVA Compass Insurance Agency of Tucson, Ariz., acquired the firm’s assets to form a new company called Crest Insurance Group. The sale returns the agency’s ownership and management …

Latin Agents Group Launches in New York

Country Sees Growing Power of Hispanic Agents and Customers A group of New York insurance agents has launched a new trade group for Latin insurance producers as well as brokers who serve the Hispanic community in the Northeast. Elmer Rivera, …

People

U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. named Julie Sylim a vice president and branch manager for the company’s Oakland, Calif., office. Julie has more than 20 years of insurance experience, most recently in the wholesale arena. She previously was the underwriting …

The Great Unbundling

Rightly or wrongly, the six-year-old battle over the payment of contingent commissions is reshaping the way the insurance-selling industry gets paid. It’s a practice that, at least for the big brokers, is vanishing. It’s a change that in some circumstances …

Maximize Your Book with Personal Umbrellas

Plus 5 Simple Steps to Follow When Writing Coverage Do your insureds live in a house? Do they drive? Do they entertain? Do they have boats, motorcycles or other toys? Do they have rental property? Of course they do and …

State Farm Won’t Add New Flood Policies

State Farm Insurance Co. has decided to discontinue writing new flood insurance policies with the National Flood Insurance Program but the company says it will still service existing policies and that State Farm agents will continue to help their customers …

How to COPE with Apartments

COPE is generally associated with property underwriting rather than as a risk class-based underwriting acronym. However, the traditional use and definition of COPE can be broadened to highlight the top concerns of underwriters reviewing apartment complexes. Classically, COPE means: Construction, …

Storm Management

The Atlantic hurricane season forecasts are in and they aren’t pretty. All the major forecasters have predicted the season will be much more active than last season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects an “active to extremely active” …