American Agent & Broker November 2005
Features
How to launch new programs in a changing market
Program business constitutes one of the most innovative segments of the insurance industry. Particularly for businesses that have difficulty obtaining coverage, program administrators often are able to draw on their expertise in a niche to develop
Features
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Unlocking business from financial institutions
Banks are complicated, highly regulated entities, and insuring them can be quite a challenge. It's a challenge I enjoy, however. Indeed, I've been helping such financial institutions manage their risks for 30 years, often in connection with their own
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Now is the time to focus on underwriter relationships
The softer market seems to be a topic of daily conversation. One hopes the softening will not result in the drastic under-pricing that occurred in the '90s and that instead everyone will benefit from a more moderate cycle. Be that as it may, premiums
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Tips for recruiting and interviewing prospective employees
(The following article is based on Ms. Vargas' seminar at the AAMGA University Weekend, which was held in August in Scottsdale, Ariz.) For many companies, losing an employee is like falling victim to a natural disaster. The vacancy, like a tornado's
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NAPSLO cites progress on several fronts at annual meeting
When Lawrence "Mac" Wesson Jr., 2005-2006 president of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, welcomed members to the organization's annual convention, held in September in San Francisco, he outlined several
Columns
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For The Manager: Agents have more options for working with carriers
Today's carrier marketplace is quite diverse. While diversity among carriers provides agencies with opportunities to build a strong stable of carriers, it also requires them to more carefully investigate their carriers. Neglecting to do so can
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Policy Issues: 'Tis the season to give thanks and sell flood insurance
Last month we discussed some of the broader issues the havoc of Hurricane Katrina raised. Let us continue to analyze issues raised by such storms as Katrina and Rita (and who knows how many more prior to the end of this year's already
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What's Going On: Talking with the talkers at the Target Markets meeting
If you were a program administrator, you had to like the odds. At last month's Fifth Annual Summit of the Target Markets Program Administrators Association, there was one insurance company representative on hand for every two program
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Automation: The opportunities in technology lie on the cutting edge
At IIABA's national convention, which was held in September in New York City, a panelist who had developed a successful sales plan referred to a "short-read" book entitled "Acres of Diamonds." I'm fond of
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Strictly Sales: The fundamentals of developing new producers
Strictly Sales" is written by the faculty of the Dynamics of Selling program. This month's column is from David L. Rice Jr. It's long been a challenge for agencies nationwide--how to transform new producers into successful,
Departments
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Down To Cases
Agent not responsible for uncovered patent infringement claim against farmers Intellectual property rights exposures can affect a surprising variety of clients. Farm agents may be surprised to learn that they may have an exposure if they don't
