In the early 1990s a state insurance commissioner, in a Wall Street Journal front-page article, called insurance agents the 'buggy-whip makers' of the late 20th century. Several years later, you seem to be doing just fine, and in many cases, even better than investors in other areas. Kevin Stipe offers an overview of the insurance agency as an investment vehicle in this document.

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE INSURANCE AGENCIES by Al Diamond In 1989, Stephen Covey wrote his best seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. These habits...

THE WORLDS WORST KEPT SECRET: TRANSITION PLANNING IN INSURANCE AGENCIES by Al Diamond Agencies with Perpetuation Plans to transition management and ownership from o...

TRUST: ITS THE BOTTOM LINE by Chris Burand Do your customers trust you - and, if so, what for? Wal-Mart is known for low prices. A very young boy was heard ...

TWO FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES FOR AGENCIES by Chris Burand How well is your agency developing quality producers and how effective is your management? Successful agencies fac...

UPDATE ON AGENCY VALUATION By Carol Hammes We have lost count of the number of telephone calls that we have received recently asking us what the going rate is for the sale of an insurance agency. ...

USING OPERATING RATIOS AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL TO INCREASE AGENCY VALUE by Robert Westin The days of determining value solely by applying an assumed multiple to gross commissi...

VALUATION AND STRUCTURING OF BUSINESS COMBINATIONS by Carol Hammes There are three key elements that must be considered when valuing and structuring a business combination between insurance agen...

VALUING INSURANCE AGENCIES by Al Diamond One Time, One and One-Half Times, Two Times. Multiple of Commissions, Multiple of Revenues, Multiple of Earnings. In this document, Al Diamond t...

VOODOO VALUATIONS by Chris Burand People pay dearly for simple answers. And many insurance agencies pay dearly for 'voodoo valuations' because they offer a quick and inexpensive way t...