Independent insurance agents in Ohio flock to new insurance plan that may be a major hit with homeowners

Last month, Ohio’s Home Value Insurance Company launched a new insurance product dubbed Home Value Protection Insurance. The insurance plan is the first in the nation to provide protection against falling home prices due to a volatile market. Since announcing the plan, more than 75 independent insurance agents have applied to sell it, making Home Value Protection Insurance one of the most popular policies amongst agents in the nation. Given that the plan has no equal, there is an unprecedented opportunity for agents able to sell the product. The coverage…

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How to prepare an insurance agency to be sold

The perceived value of an insurance agency is impacted by a number of different factors, but there are three among them that will have the greatest influence. These three critical factors are the same as those that would influence the perceived value of any type of investment, and are: • Market conditions • Pro forma earnings • Risk connected with earnings in the future Market conditions are vital to the sale of any form of investment, and timing can significantly influence the sale’s net gain. The parts of market conditions…

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Cover-All Technologies receives high praise for its My Insurance Center NexGen solution

Top comprehensive technology solutions provider for property and casualty insurers, Cover-All Technologies Inc., has announced the positive review it received in a report released by Celent, an independent analyst firm. The Celent report, called “Policy Administration System Vendors North American Commercial P/C Insurance 2011” examined the My Insurance Center (MIC) NexGen solution and referred to it as one of the most configurable and advanced systems that is currently offered to the industry. The ABCD Vendor View from Celent is a structure for evaluating solutions that offers vendors a perspective of…

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Insurance brokers’ role in new health care system is still unclear

With health care reform on the horizon, the role of the insurance broker is likely to change along with the shifting environment of the health system. Federally mandated health insurance exchanges are going to play a bigger part in people’s search for coverage. The exchanges will, essentially, give consumers the ability to find their own health care policies and purchase these policies electronically. While this will be a popular trend amongst the average consumer, it may also be one that health care professional’s follow, which puts brokers and agents on…

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Independent Allstate agents look toward unionization

The National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) is looking to unionize as independent Allstate agents accuse the insurer of unfair treatment. Agents are claiming that the company is manipulating independent contractor rules for their benefit as well as reducing compensation for agents. The association, which accounts for nearly 10% of Allstate’s agent force, will be holding votes over the course of the week to determine whether aligning with a union is in the best interest of its members. If members choose to unionize, the NAPAA will become affiliated with…

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