If you're a regular reader of National Underwriter, youmight wonder who I am. If you're also a regular reader ofAmerican Agent & Broker, you're probably wonderingwhat I'm doing here.

No, I'm not in the wrong neighborhood. I work here now.

Starting in January, AA&B will be part of aredesigned and enhanced National Underwriter, and most ofour content will migrate to the pages of NU.

We've conducted enough demographic surveys to know that most ofour 40,000 agent readers still want their content in print. We'vealso rediscovered the power of more than 100 years of theformidable National Underwriter, and I'm proud and happythat our agency-focused content will now share this mightybrand.

In the January pages of NU, you'll find old friendslike Barry Zalma, Chris Amrhein, Rick Gilman and all the others—andyou'll continue to meet our industry's young movers andshakers.

I've been writing about the independent agency system for moreyears than I care to remember, and I've seen this industry weatherplenty of storms. There may be fewer agencies now than 30 yearsago, but today's successful agencies and brokerages are usingtechnology and creative thinking to achieve levels of success yourpredecessors could have only dreamed of.

That's why when “impartial” reports come out about how you'regoing the way of the buggy whip, I feel like I've already satthrough this part of the movie—more than just once.

This isn't to say that you aren't facing plenty of challenges,such as:

Keeping up with Technology.

Today's consumers expect a seamless, virtual insuranceexperience, from researching prices and coverages online to usingmobile apps to report a claim. It's no wonder that most agencies inthe IIABA 2013 Best Practices Study say they'll be investing intech updates in 2014, whether it's for Internet marketing andsocial media or upgraded agency management systems.

Balancing Retentions with New Business.

In their quest for new clients in new regions and lines ofbusiness, carriers are offering agents higher commissions for newbusiness over renewals. But front-line agents know that most newbusiness needs to be on the books for a year or more before itmakes a profit for the agency—and new business gained by pricealone will flee to another agency that can go lower.

Educating Your Clients.

Sure, they can glean information online. But do they know thatif they get four feet of water in their basement, they're notcovered unless they have a sewer backup rider? Do they know whytheir premiums might be going up? Do they understand the more theyhave to lose, the more they can't afford to buy minimum autocollision coverage limits? Geckos don't know that—and aren'ttelling even if they do, because they just want to churn newbusiness.

Bringing “sexy” back to insurance.

Wait, insurance was never sexy—except maybe in “DoubleIndemnity.” But the fact is, we need to do something to enticeupcoming generations to take over from the 55-and-up set that'scurrently heading up most independent agencies.

Perpetuation, or lack thereof.

A recent MarshBerry survey calls the internal perpetuationchallenge “the biggest long-term threat to the independently helddistribution marketplace.” The average balance sheet value amongindependent agencies dropped as a percentage of net revenues in2012, despite the trend of more agencies reporting higherprofitability. This, coupled with the difficulty in attracting,hiring and training a succession team, does not bode well forinternal perpetuation.

We hope to help you fight the good fight by living up to theAA&B tagline, “Your source for agency success,” and providingyou with the best information to help you succeed.