April, the month in which independent insurance agents typically flock to Washington to lobby their elected representatives, is just around the corner. Thanks to characters like Jack Abramoff, lobbying lately has fallen under a shadow. That's

FOR THE past decade or so, we've covered flood insurance in the February issue. The thinking was that spring historically has been the time when snow melts, rains fall, rivers rise and homes flood. Consequently, February should be a good time

RIGHT IN TIME for the holidays, Congress voted to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act for another two years and sent the bill (S. 467) to the president for his expected signature. For months, the House and Senate had backed substantially

WHAT IS the proper role of government in insuring disasters--both natural and man-made? That has been one of 2005's great debates in the insurance business. This year's unprecedented hurricane season has renewed calls for a federal backstop for

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

THE SETTING was New York, and the date was 9/11. But the disaster on everyone's mind this time was Hurricane Katrina, not the attack on the World Trade Center. As members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America gathered last

WITH the arrival of September, the fall convention season gets into full swing. There will be no shortage of issues to talk about--starting right off with Hurricane Katrina's effect on the insurance industry. According to the earliest

WITH the arrival of September, the fall convention season gets into full swing. There will be no shortage of issues to talk about--starting right off with Hurricane Katrina's effect on the insurance industry. According to the earliest