To the 77 percent of independent insurance agencies that don’t have a social media presence, creating a profile and trying to form “friendships” via a computer can be daunting. Once you get online, however, tools such as blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and RSS feeds actually can help an agency build more thoughtful relationships with other agents [...]

London Based specialty insurer Hiscox, which launched a significantly expanded US presence in 2006, saw its gross profits reach record levels of 481 million dollars last year. Recently, the company’s chief underwriting 0fficer, Rob Childs, sat down to discuss the profitability for the company and what he sees as the outlook and obstacles for [...]

On Feb. 28, the National Flood Insurance Program lapsed for several days because Congress failed to pass reauthorization. That was just the latest issue for this program that is becoming a major concern for independent agents. Their worries: insufficient coverage, insufficient limits and insufficient leadership in Washington when it comes to this key program. In [...]

Women between ages 55 and 65 make up the largest growing demographic of Facebook users, which makes Claudia McClain, President of McClain Insurance Services in Everett, Washington a comfortable newbie, joining the social networking site just one year ago.
In this interview with Mitch Dunford, McClain discusses social media’s affect on the insurance industry and how [...]

A proposal by regulators in New York to re-launch the New York Insurance Exchange and create a U.S.-based Lloyd’s of London competitor, is one of the most closely watched stories in the industry. Maria Filipakis, special counsel for the New York State Insurance Department is overseeing the plan, which is in the process of being [...]

On Point with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan is an audio conversation with insurance industry leaders who champion change and challenge all of us to think.
Paul Peeples, AAI, AIT, CPIM is Vice President of Information Systems at Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA). His technology background, coupled with over 20 years experience in the [...]

Insurance companies and regulators are exploring usage-based car insurance — also known as “Pay as You Drive” — a voluntary system that promises to to modify driving behavior and, perhaps, even the climate.

If you ever had doubt about the need for Fidelity & Crime Insurance –which protects employers against employees stealing from them– just check out the annual report on embezzlement put out by the Boston-based law firm Marquet International . The study has some noteworthy findings, including:
- The average loss is more than $1 million.
- [...]