WHEN A CAREER TURNS INTO A LIFE SENTENCE by Al Diamond If you're thinking about transferring your agency to younger family members, make sure that you're helping them into...

The No. 1 complaint from customers almost invariably involves communication . . . or lack of it. According to industry statistics,...

Insurance agents and brokers have good reason to feel slighted. Like being stuck outside the New Year's party without an invitation, agents have had many reasons for envy as investors in other sectors congratulated themselves for another incredible year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by a whopping 68% from 1996 to 1998, which was its strongest two-year performance since 1955. Even the insurance companies got invited to the party, with property and casualty insurers enjoying a 64% increase in value during the past two years.

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY: AGENTS ARE FINDING NICHE MARKETS A WAY TO OVERCOME MARKET RESTRICTIONS by Damond Benningfield Competing for prospective clients costs money, with high advertising and m...

WORKING HARDER? MAKING LESS? by Jon Persky During the past few years, many agency owners have been saying, Im working harder than I ever have, but making less money. ...

WORKING YOUR PLAN FOR RENEWALS by Mary Beth Bolen Remember when 'renew same' or 'renew as is' with your initials written on the copy of a declarations page were acceptable directives for a...

Whether you watch the Super Bowl for the competitive drama or just for the commercials, Kevin Stipe asks you to consider these three similarities in strategy between championship caliber football teams and Best Practices insurance agencies.

WRITING AND CREATING YOUR AGENCY'S BUSINESS PLAN by Paige Proctor Use this proven, systematic approach to ...

X-dating is the name of the game. If you anticipate to grow; if you expect to even maintain last year's volume in this price cutting market; then you'd better believe X-dating is a must.

Expiration Date! Renewal Date! Anniversary Date! Call it whatever you wish. But without a pocket full of X-dates, you are "whistling Dixie" while some direct writer or, even worse, your fellow association contemporary, is marching off with your share of the market.