As we find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season, it may be an interesting exercise to consider how agents and brokers are positioned to respond to some of the traditions that are a part of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years. What do agents and brokers have to...

There are in excess of 35,000 independent insurance agents and brokers in the United States, and the vast majority of them are privately held.

As we approach the end of 2009, many agents and brokers are focusing on business and strategic planning for 2010 and beyond.

As the sun sets on 2008--a tumultuous year for the U.S. economy--uncertainty permeates all industries, including insurance distribution. While no one can exactly predict the future, these are some of

With no end in sight to the soft market, the question that agency leaders must ask themselves is: "Are we going to play offense or defense?" The answer is going to depend on the agency's situation,

It may seem like a distant phenomenon, but current public broker valuation struggles can signal an opportunity for financially sound independent agencies, both in the mergers and acquisitions market

It is fair to say the most successful agents and brokers excel most frequently because they are outstanding sales organizations. But we can also suggest that most, if not all of the most successful

The level of merger and acquisition activity within the insurance distribution system has been active for years. Up until recently, the volume of activity has been driven by financial institutions,