Insurance Journal

Agency E&O Buyers Report Higher Premiums

By Andrea Wells Fewer agencies reported increases in premium on their agency errors and omissions renewal policies from 2023 to 2024, according to Insurance Journalis annual Agency E&O survey, which polls buyers of the coverage on pricing and tre...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Agency E&O Claims Trends to Watch

By Andrea Wells Special relationships, fiduciary duties, the hard market and disasters, are areas of exposure that agencies need to watch over when it comes to agency E&O, the experts say. Here’s why. Special Relationships One area that is...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Don’t Risk the Agency – E&O Tips on Trials and Trends

By Andrea Wells When it comes to agency errors and omissions liability thereis nothing more important than playing it safe. One proven way is ensuring that everything is documented properly. But because there is always the threat of an E&O &#8230...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

USI a ‘Well-Oiled Machine’ in Year 30

By Allen Laman A thirtieth birthday marks a key milestone in a personis life. Itis the age when crashing on your friendis couch is no longer an acceptable sleeping arrangement, and when every bend of the back becomes accompanied by …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

SMA Gives Employees Freedom to Succeed

By Jahna Jacobson Scarbrough, Medlin and Associates Inc. has built its success on a foundation of trust. ìI never needed to be pushed or made to work,î said Rod Medlin, Scarbrough, Medlin & Associates Inc. (SMA) CEO. ìMy theory is …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Employees Enjoy Many Paths for Growth, Advancement at Brightway

By William Rabb The people at Brightway Insurance, based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, near Jacksonville, seem to have taken employee satisfaction and performance to a whole new level. Each employee is asked to make sure, before they leave the &#823...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Navigating the Fee Maze

Todayis insurance regulatory landscape can be a tricky one, particularly when it comes to charging fees. For property/casualty insurance brokers and agents, understanding permissible fee structures is crucial to maintaining compliance and avoiding pe...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Employees’ Needs Are Heard and Valued At The Bulow Group

By Jahna Jacobson At The Bulow Group, work-life balance is a core value that benefits employees on both sides. ìWe are super flexible as an agency,î said one Bulow Group employee who nominated their agency as one of the best …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Owner Compensation Performance Based – Part 2

Last month we discussed the three components of owner compensation that we recommend. These include the management piece, production component and how to split up the profits all based on the performance of each owner. This month is an example &#8230...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Viral Work Trends Insurance Agencies Will See More in 2025

Doesnit it seem like every week thereis a new article, hashtag, or viral video about workplace trends? It can be confusing to keep them all straight. Here are the trends that seem to generate the most interest and engagement from …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

It’s a Family Affair at Heritage Insurance Agency

By Don Jergler Itis a family affair at Heritage Insurance Agency o and not just because a husband-and-wife team run the firm. Steve Mora, the principal and CEO, who runs the Chico, California-based agency along with his wife Kelly, principal …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Man Banned From Californiais Workersi Comp System Charged for Billing Nearly $100M

A man banned for life from the California workersi compensation system after being twice convicted of fraud was charged with billing nearly $100 million as part of an extensive workersi comp fraud scheme. David Fish was charged along with a …

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

East Palestine Residents Should Receive Payments During Appeal

By Josh Funk People who lived near the disastrous East Palestine derailment last year should still be able to receive personal injury payments even while the bulk of their $600 million class action settlement with Norfolk Southern railroad remains on...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Florida Rule Bars Altering Adjustersi Reports Without Explanation

By William Rabb Almost two years after a group of independent claims adjusters alleged that insurers had deceptively altered their damage estimates and low-balled policyholders, Floridais chief financial officer has issued an emergency rule barring s...

Posted: Nov 03, 2024

Delta-8 Hemp and Texas Medical Marijuana Industries to Face Off in Upcoming Legislative Session

Jack Stinnett got life-changing news in 2020 when he learned the lump that appeared on the side of his neck was tongue and mouth cancer. He and his wife Karen quickly enrolled him at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Delta-8 Hemp, Medical Marijuana Industries to Face Off in Texas Legislative Session

Jack Stinnett got life-changing news in 2020 when he learned the lump that appeared on the side of his neck was tongue and mouth cancer. He and his wife Karen quickly enrolled him at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Data Centers Will Have to Make Minimum Power Payments in Ohio

Big data centers in Ohio will have to pay a minimum of 85% of the energy they need to cover the costs of grid improvements under a settlement submitted Wednesday by one of the state’s largest utilities. The pact was …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Minnesota Trooper in Fatal Shooting of Black Man

A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit against a white Minnesota state trooper who shot and killed a Black man during a traffic stop last year, ruling that the trooper’s actions did not violate the law. On Wednesday, …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Texas Pecan Farmers Fight to Save Water Suply

FORT STOCKTON — Zachary Swick plucked a pecan from one of the 78,000 trees at a sprawling West Texas farm — a rare sight in the desert known for oil rigs and pump jacks. He peeled away the pecan’s layers, …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Texas Pecan Farmers Fight to Save Water Supply

FORT STOCKTON — Zachary Swick plucked a pecan from one of the 78,000 trees at a sprawling West Texas farm — a rare sight in the desert known for oil rigs and pump jacks. He peeled away the pecan’s layers, …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Texas Assisted Living Facility Fined for Firing Nurse With Sleep Disorder

VibraLife of Katy, LLC, a rehabilitation and assisted living facility in Katy, Texas, will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, the fed...

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Ed Sheeran Beats Copyright Appeal Over ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Song

Ed Sheeran, his record label Warner Music WMG.O and music publisher Sony Music Publishing 6758.T persuaded a U.S. appeals court on Friday to uphold a decision that his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” did not illegally copy Marvin Gaye’...

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Regional Banks With Florida Operations Brace for Loan Defaults After Hurricanes

Several regional lenders allocated loan-loss provisions in the third quarter to cover potential defaults by borrowers grappling with recent hurricanes, primarily in Florida, highlighting the risks extreme weather and climate change pose to banks. Two...

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

KBRA Says Florida Insurers Will Weather the Storms; Cat Fund Can Handle Payouts

Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, a state-created layer of reinsurance, expects to pay out about $4.6 billion to help cover insurers’ losses in Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But that won’t trigger a surcharge on premiums. And a...

Posted: Nov 01, 2024

Allstate Says It’s Ready to Grow Homeowners Line With All 3 Distribution Channels

Allstate said it sees opportunity where others may not — in homeowners insurance. And the insurer plans to use all three distribution channels to do it. Due to rising trends in the frequency and severity of weather-related losses and in …

Posted: Nov 01, 2024