As the provisions of the Affordable Care Act begin to come to fruition, the role of independent insurance agents is becoming more vague. In an effort to embolden independent agents, the Consumer Agent Portal LLP, a coalition of property/casualty insurers that support independent agents, has launched a new online resource system that is designed to give agents access to the 65% market share they are missing out on. The system will take advantage of the growing electronic market, which is becoming a major playing field in the world of insurance…
Read MoreTag: Independent insurance agents
Independent agents in Florida decry new contract between property insurers
Florida’s independent insurance agents have voiced their concern regarding one of Florida’s largest property insurers taking over thousands of policies from a now defunct competitor. Agents are worried that the move may cost them dearly in the form of client exodus. Homeowners Choice Insurance, a subsidiary of Homeowners Choice Property and Casualty Insurance, has taken on more than 70,000 policies from HomeWise Insurance. While agents have witnessed such happenings in the past, there is a provision in the contract between HomeWise and Homeowners Choice that could put agents’ livelihoods in…
Read MoreInsurance agents advised to create customer contact with social media tools
Social media and mobile commerce are becoming increasingly popular among business owners and insurance agents are being advised not to miss the lesson that has been learned by more than half of all business owners already. According to a survey called SB Authority Market Sentiment Survey, performed by Newtek Business Services, The Small Business Authority, which has more than 100,000 business accounts in its portfolio – 2,200 of which were polled – 57 percent of business owners are already working to bring in new customers through the use of social…
Read MoreStudy suggests recovery for independent insurance agents and brokers
A new study from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), the largest insurance agent and broker association in the U.S., brings some good news regarding the state of the nation’s independent agencies. The 2011 Best Practices Study outlines the organic growth that is currently moving throughout the industry. The study notes that 2010 was a year of promising growth and that the trend has continued throughout this year as well. The IIABA says that independent agencies are showing real signs of recovery for the first time since…
Read MoreIndependent 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…
Read More