Agency Management

A vibrant farm industry is currently helping the crop insurance industry cope with the Agriculture Department's decision to substantively cut back its subsidy program, "but every year is a new year."

After two years of planning, the Target Market Program Administrators Association's virtual "Target University" will start offering its online coursework beginning the second-quarter 2011, with eight courses currently in the final testing stage.

ACE Ltd. has agreed to pay about $425 million in cash for the New York Life Insurance Company life insurance businesses in Hong Kong and Korea.

Insurance broker Willis Group Holdings reported third quarter net income dropped 19 percent from the previous year absent a tax credit it received last year, but organic growth remained strong across the board.

Arthur J. Gallagher reported net income increased 11 percent in the third quarter of this year, as organic growth showed positive trends.

Chicago-based insurance broker Aon Corp. said its Italian brokerage firm, Aon Italia S.p.A., has acquired Rasini Vigan? S.p.A., the seventh largest insurance broker in Italy.