Rough Notes
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
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Late loss notification presumed to be prejudicial An insured who experienced and paid for a loss also ended up losing its ability to be reimbursed. L Squared Indu...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Attack was intended, not negligent Two people who were housemates ended up entangled in a criminal matter that also had insurance implications. Curtis Diblin (Dib...
Posted: Jan 30, 2026
Beyond just looking at trends, discover some tactical ways to leverage them You have to adapt to the changing landscape and evolve from “policy seller” to coverage integrator and platform liaison. By Michael Wayne The commercial insurance marketplace...
Posted: Jan 27, 2026
They’ve arrived. Be prepared. AI controls the operator as much as the operator controls the AI, but only the user and/or their employer can be liable for damage or injury to others. By Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU Imagine, if you can, an insurance po...
Posted: Jan 22, 2026
Who Will be the 2025 Agency of the Year? One of the agencies featured in a Rough Notes cover story during 2025 will be named Agency of the Year. The winner will be selected based on votes from previous Rough Notes cover agents. The nominees for this...
Posted: Dec 30, 2025
Insurance Marketing & Communications Association research finds that marketers struggle between tactics and strategic needs By Peter van Aartrijk A recent study of insurance marketing and communications professionals unveils deep organizational i...
Posted: Dec 30, 2025
A strong and stable market prepares to address “advanced air mobility” By Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU When it comes to aviation risk, today’s insurance agents and brokers may be facing what their predecessors dealt with 100 years ago at the dawn of th...
Posted: Dec 30, 2025
How independent agents give clients an insurance edge By Mike Skiados, MBA, CAE Insurance can be overwhelming, especially in today’s market. That’s where independent agents come in. More than policy sellers, they’re problem-solvers—simplifying comple...
Posted: Dec 30, 2025