Rough Notes
Better support needed for workers changing jobs “Even when the new employer automatically enrolls the new employee, the plan features of the old employer may not line up with the new one.” —Kelly Hahn Head, Retirement Research Vanguard By Thomas A. M...
Posted: Dec 11, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS It’s plausible that product liability applies Norfolk & Dedham Mutual Fire Insurance Company (Norfolk) happened to provide commercial property coverage to 10...
Posted: Dec 02, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Not bad faith, bad timing After a large network of thunderstorms with powerful, straight-line winds passed through, the home and property of Colin Henderson and W...
Posted: Dec 02, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Insurer’s information request creates a defense obligation In 2014, Phillip Riley and his spouse (the Rileys) sued various members of the lumber industry includin...
Posted: Dec 02, 2025
Questions to ask as you shift your thoughts from action to reflection Leave your phone on silent, tucked away in your bag, or perhaps even turn it off (gasp)! It’s okay. You’ll be okay. By Meg McKeen, CIC A new year is approaching, signaling a clean...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
A closer look at charitable giving in the insurance industry [P]rioritizing the right [charitable] initiatives can foster a healthy team culture, reinforce your company’s mission and, most important, help people who need it the most. By Katy Rodrigue...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
The behavior that will make or break your organization People often think that circumventing conflict keeps relationships strong and supports organizational progress and effectiveness. The opposite is true. Conflict avoidance negatively impacts organ...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Never is it more important to be completely open and transparent There’s a reason people are cynical. They hate to be lied to. And lack of full disclosure is the same as lying. By Cheryl Koch, CPCU, ARM, AAI, ACSR, AFIS, and Mary Belka, CPCU, ARM, AR...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Avoiding detrimental effects on future value and long-term potential In the rush to build brokerages and capture record valuations, shortcuts may drive short-term growth but ultimately erode equity value and long-term viability. By James Graham, CVA...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Do less better, and get more that matters done [A]sk: What do I want more of next year? What do I want less of? This is how we connect goals to values, rather than vanity metrics. By Carolyn Smith, APR, CRA, TRA As an insurance agent or risk consulta...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
For The Gibson Agency and its parent company, Thompson Insurance Group, their local Ohio food bank started as a philanthropic partnership and turned into an insurance client. The food bank’s network of 160 community partners opened inroads to new rel...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
The Trailstone Insurance Group team, including (below) Remi, one of Mark Rodgers’ two Australian Shepherds who frequent the office. Intentional approach to growth transforms mom-and-pop agency into regional powerhouse in a dozen years By Dennis H. Pi...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
A step-by-step guide By Daniela Ivey As we head into 2026, agencies are ramping up their technology spending, and AI investment is at the top of the list for many. Nearly one in three employees at independent agencies already use AI in their work, an...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Founder Richard Ollis with his three sons, who all joined the agency. From left: Fletcher, Alfred, Richard and Lawrence Ollis Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors continues to grow By Lori Widmer Thanks to smart business decisions and...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
How Agents Can Place Tough-To-Write Accounts Moving complex accounts from “unplaceable” to placed using the right strategy By Kayte Haney When a standard carrier declines an account, it doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation. In a market wher...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
A look at the technology preventing severe non-weather water losses By Christopher W. Cook A few years ago, when this writer’s son was three, he was obsessed with a specific episode of Blippi. In it, the titular character finds various objects at a p...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Finding value in pursuing emerging niche markets and tech-forward strategies By Anurag Shah The past several years have brought opportunities for independent agents amid a hard market, evolving carrier appetites and shifting client expectations. Duri...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Guiding clients past the risk pitfalls By Mark Wooditch Los Angeles is still recovering from January’s massive wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and displaced some 200,000 people, according to an update by the International M...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
Still looking good from above, but trouble spots on the ground By Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU If buyers are paying less and providers are earning more, that’s what you call a “win-win” situation. For those on both sides of the workers compensation equ...
Posted: Dec 01, 2025
More reasons why the coverage you expect might not be there In this dispute, the insurer won but the insured did not lose. That sorry fate fell to the claimant, who unwittingly surrendered its right to compensation by excusing the defendant from sh...
Posted: Nov 19, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Please, you pay first In a tragic accident, Michael Swanson struck and killed a motorcyclist. Swanson was sued for causing a wrongful death. He was insured under...
Posted: Nov 03, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Attorney fees were subject to offset Two Maryland police officers were injured in the line of duty and were compensated under two different sources, a Workers Com...
Posted: Nov 03, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Sorry, you have no class! Lynn Freeman was involved in an automobile collision. She was insured under a policy issued by Progressive Direct Insurance Company (Pro...
Posted: Nov 03, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Executive’s arson moots innocent co-insured argument The Press Bar and Parlor was owned by Horseshoe Club, LLC, and operated by Timeless Bar, Inc., (Timeless) whe...
Posted: Nov 03, 2025
Is AI a blessing or burden? [T]he most ardent, relationship-driven agencies are recognizing the need to embrace new tools that will improve efficiency, productivity and profitability and ensure that they stay relevant. By Cheryl Koch, CPCU, ARM, AA...
Posted: Oct 31, 2025