Agency Management

Are there any E&O or regulatory issues related to delivering policies on a thumb drive rather than the paper files? SwissRe VP and Sr. Underwriter Richard Lund addresses these issues.

Every state and the District of Columbia grants insurance carriers an “underwriting period.” Insurance carriers are granted broad authority to cancel a newly-written policy during this statutorily-limited period.

Insurance agents have a deep desire to help their clients any way they can; but sometime, agents undertake to help in ways and areas where they are not qualified (or…

Following a communal catastrophe, such as a hurricane, victims go through several phases of recovery. Agents must know to expect these phases and how to prepare for them. It’s the…

Every professional agent knows to never answer the question, “How much liability coverage do I need?” But even if you don’t overtly answer the question, you may be leading or…

The greatest benefit you have as an independent agent is that you are the “local” professionals – you know both insurance and the area. When you communicate with your customers…

Employees are your greatest expense, but they are also your most valuable asset. The loss of great or even just a “good” employee has a tremendous effect on the agency.…

Can an insurance carrier and its agent hold a client hostage? Short of any statutory prohibition, the answer appears to be yes. Without a law to the contrary, the contractual…

How do you get new clients? If you are like most independent agents, most of your clients come to you by word-of-mouth from other clients. These clients are invaluable because…

Apparently the FIO has set its sights on becoming the protector of the insurance consumer, maybe in partnership with state regulators or to the exclusion of state regulation – it’s…