ACCOUNTING AUDITS AND REVIEWS: WORTH THE EXPENSE by Chris Burand Agencies can avoid a lot of grief by obtaining annual accountants reviews or audits. An audit can catch inno...

ACQUISITIONS: IS BIGGER REALLY BETTER? by Chris Burand Although, in general, growth is essential for agencies to retain markets and profitability, unrestrained growth via ac...

ADJUSTING EXPECTATATIONS --- AND THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND by Jon Persky Back in the 1960s and 1970s, it wasnt unusual to find people who worked for the same company for their entire...

Here's a letter I received recently:
Dear Dave:
I am the manager of a four-person Life/Benefits department of a P/C agency. The agency is set up with profit centers such as Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Surety, and Life/Benefits. Each profit center shares in the common overhead of the agency office supplies, salaries, etc.
I have no problem having my department pay for what it uses.

ADVERTISING FOR HELP by Al Diamond INSURANCE Licensed P/C agent. Benefits Call Sonja at (856) 555-5555 (Cost $27.36 for Sunday insertion) How attractive is this advertisement? Would you be ...

AGENCIES ARE GETTING HELP THESE DAYS! by Grace Bauer Every agency I talk to these days wants help. 'How can we be better?' 'How can we stay in touch with the client?' 'How can w...

AGENCY COMPENSATION SURVEY by Carol Hammes As of this writing, the government has determined that the insurance industry as a whole has 2.2 million workers who earn an average of $3...

AGENCY COMPENSATION SURVEY by Carol Hammes Doing what youve always done in terms of raises and bonuses might not be giving you the 'bang for the buck' that it used to. This docume...

AGENCY FINANCIAL PLANNING: TODAY AND TOMORROW by Carol Hammes There can be little doubt that changes are in the wind in the Commercial Property/Casualty marketplace. Some industry observers have...

AGENCY GROWTH AND THE PERPETUATION DILEMMA by Carol Hammes Despite the incredible deepening of the commercial soft market, many independent agencies have continued to grow and have been qu...