Soaring sale prices driven by expectations that new owners can boost

IN INSURANCE company offices last month, you could hear a collective sigh of relief as an important decision in a Hurricane Katrina-related case came down in favor of the carriers. In Paul Leonard and Julie Leonard v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.,

THE E&S marketplace is a valuable tool for most independent agents and brokers. Indeed, American Agent & Broker's annual reader survey consistently shows that nearly 90% of the magazine's recipients regularly work with E&S carriers,

THE INSURANCE industry is obsessed with cats--as in catastrophes. Hurricane cats--especially "Kat-rina"--have raked insurers for billions of dollars in the last couple of years. Many reinsurers have become particularly allergic to this

THE E&S marketplace is a valuable tool for most independent agents and brokers. Indeed, American Agent & Broker's annual reader survey consistently shows that nearly 90% of the magazine's recipients regularly work with E&S carriers,

IN AN ARTICLE in this month's issue, agents and brokers discuss how they interact with the E&S marketplace. One of those agents, John Tallarida, senior vice president of the Heffernan Group in Palo Alto, Calif., cited one problem retailers can

In today's hypercompetitive agency-acquisition marketplace, with its overabundance of buyers and shortage of high-quality sellers, it has been getting harder for acquirers of all types and sizes to

Strictly Sales" is written by the faculty of the Dynamics of Selling program. This month's column is from Edwin L. Lamont, CIC, CRM.]Who likes to be sold insurance? Anyone? How about you, insurance professional? Do you enjoy paying your