Rough Notes
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS When seizure transforms into theft DS Avionics Unlimited LLC (DSA) found itself in an unusual situation. DSA delivered its 1964 Piper PA-30 aircraft to a plane me...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Controlled substance exclusion didn’t control loss In July 2019, Christoffer, son of Denise and Owen Cox (Coxes), visited the home of his friend, Ryan Zinkweg. A...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Can’t award damages that haven’t been determined Malcolm Wiener (Wiener) faced an insurability problem due to a company’s error after his life insurance coverage...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
The L.E.A.D. framework [Menopause] is more than personal; it is a silent leadership crisis within organizations. By Meg McKeen, CIC Menopause is clinically defined by the Mayo Clinic as the permanent end of menstruation and fertility due to a change...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
True benevolence sets an example in one’s community Agency activities outside of the normal flow of business build teamwork and relationships between and among employees. By Scott Naugle Engaging in random acts of kindness for your local community ha...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
No one can say for sure Occasionally, states reference suggestions made by the NAIC in statute or rule; however, asserting that those references equate with creating an instrumentality strains credulity beyond the breaking point. By Kevin P. Hennosy...
Posted: Mar 02, 2026
Identifying key areas where your quotes may differ for your clients’ benefit Taking the time to properly review and discuss proposed limits, deductibles, and discounts shows your prospects that you are willing to take the time to understand their exp...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
How active listening opens the doors to larger accounts When producers act as fractional chief risk officers —curious, disciplined, and willing to listen— clients stop asking for quotes. By Carolyn Smith, APR, CRA, TRA Most producers know the moment...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
Should you continue to feel busy or move forward with purpose? The difference between agencies that plateau and those that progress is not talent or effort—it’s leadership clarity. By Brent Kelly After working with hundreds of large, high-performing...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
The Knight Insurance Group team Amid growth, employee-owned agency works to keep the heart and soul of who they are By Dave Willis, CPIA Photography by Tim Meyers When Knight Insurance Group Board Chairman Ken Knight gets bored on the weekend, he rid...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
Filling the talent gap presents new opportunities—and challenges By Sharon Emek, Ph.D., CIC A late-2025 Labor Market Study released by The Jacobson Group and Aon’s Strategy and Technology Group showed that hiring is on the rise within the insurance i...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
AI is changing how agencies work— but trusted expertise still leads the way By David Kallman The need for insurance hasn’t changed. But how insurance agencies work, how they grow, and how they serve clients—that’s evolving fast, as artificial intelli...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
Southern Indiana agency owner wins PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year By Christopher W. Cook Photography by Tim Meyers Each year, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) honors individuals and organizations...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
Trufla offers tech products to cover all stages of the policy lifecycle By Christopher W. Cook Webster’s defines a disruption as a break or interruption in the normal course of continuation of some activity or process. A not-so-great example, althoug...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
Alleviating the “time” problem By Cheryl Koch, CPCU, ARM, AAI, ACSR, AFIS, and Mary Belka, CPCU, ARM, ARe, RPLU, CIC The more things change, the more they stay the same. The uniquely American quest for that magical cure for all that ails us never end...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
A case of contradictory decisions By Bruce D. Hicks, CPCU, CLU The Court Decisions column is a popular part of Rough Notes magazine. One reason for this is that the court room is where the promises made in an insurance contract often become real. All...
Posted: Feb 28, 2026
And how producers can deliver them As a producer, you have a lot on your plate, and the last thing you want is for every renewal to turn into a forensic audit. By Michael Wayne Underwriters are not shy about what they want from a submission: better...
Posted: Feb 24, 2026
A tighter radius of coverage requires new consideration The experience of 9/11 raised the prospect that, in the wake of a disaster, states and municipalities might be inclined to close off wide areas quickly out of an excess of caution … . By Joseph...
Posted: Feb 19, 2026
As a leader, you can light a path for others to follow [A] “self-proclaimed leader” can simply be a “ follower in disguise.” They work diligently at finding out where the people want to go and take credit for leading them there. By William T. “Doc” H...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
The human strategy that grows your book and expands your influence Real growth is rooted in the people who believe in you, trust you, and are willing to say your name in the rooms you haven’t entered yet. These are the people who make up your persona...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
The hidden evolution path that determines whether an independent agency stalls, struggles or scales The agencies that win—especially in the modern, tech-enabled, client-demanding market—are the ones that choose to evolve rather than wait for the mar...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
Proactively investing time in the process can help secure favorable outcomes Agency perpetuation is one of the most consequential decisions an owner will make. … Formulti-generational owners, selling externally can be especially challenging...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
Byword: training and education No one is born with an innate understanding of business income, equipment breakdown, or captive insurance … . By Cheryl Koch, CPCU, ARM, AAI, ACSR, AFIS, and Mary Belka, CPCU, ARM, ARe, RPLU, CIC It’s human nature to...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
Examples of coverage forms utilized in the homeowners marketplace [R]oof-related coverage stemming from wind or hail losses is most certainly changing and will likely never go back to the way it was. By Marc McNulty, CIC, CRM One of the most signif...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
Feelings drive thoughts, behavior, and ultimately results While [emotional intelligence] levels are decreasing, demand is increasing as organizations recognize EI as a crucial skill. By Kimberly Paterson, CEC Trevor was a superstar in business deve...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026