American Agent & Broker January 2004
Features
Workers Comp Line Shows Signs of a Turnaround
AFTER enduring several consecutive years of deteriorating results, the workers compensation insurance system is showing signs that it may be on the mend. The industry's calendar-year combined ratio, after rising for five straight years to 122 in
Features
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Employers today are looking for that perfect employee
Finding a good employee-someone who has basic office skills and is willing to learn-can be a frustrating task. Employers today are looking for that perfect employee. But what, really, is a perfect or even a good employee? What skills do businesses
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Selling to Large Design Firms
SELLING insurance to architects and engineers, the so-called design professionals, is always challenging, but perhaps never more so than in the hard market. At Johnson Insurance, we decided to change our sales approach as a result of it. Over the
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An Independent Agent Takes the Helm at the CPCU Society
IN OCTOBER, Hugh B. McGowan, CPCU, president and CEO of McGowan Insurance Group, was inaugurated as the new president of the CPCU Society. The society has about 27,000 members, representing all disciplines within the insurance industry. Among them
Columns
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Automation: Technology can lower E&O risk while improving service
By now we all know that the best way to prevent an errors and omissions claim is to offer clients more insurance. Selling multiple policies to a client is a win-win proposition. When the client buys an additional product, the agent's income and
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What's Going On: Root for Goldilocks--but keep an eye on those bears
FOR PEOPLE working in a business that seems chronically down-in-the-mouth, analysts sounded almost giddy last month as they reviewed the property-casualty industry's recent performance and speculated about its prospects in 2004. Take, for instance,
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Strictly Sales: Have a quantifiable plan to sell new business in 2004
By the time this article goes to press, many of you will have begun the planning process for the new year. I routinely ask people if they have a marketing and business plan and a defined method for selling insurance that can be measured and
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For The Manager: Obtaining the right valuation in a buy-sell transaction
Much has been written and spoken about agency valuations. In all the discussion, though, a few subtle points- critical to protecting an owner's investment in his or her agency-often are overlooked. Who will read the valuation report? Unless otherwise
Departments
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Down To Cases
Driver found to have right of action under policy issued to brother-in-lawIn November 1999, a woman sought to buy a 1996 "Chevrolet Cavalier." Being a student with inadequate credit, she was unable to purchase the car without the help of her
