FINANCIAL RATINGS DON'T TELL ALL by Chris Burand In the past year, it hasn't been unusual to see reports of companies that have had their debt ratings lowered, although their ...

FIND A CHALLENGE AND IMPROVE MORALE TODAY by Grace Bauer With agencies trying to keep up with renewals, remarketing everything, and j...

At least 30,000 attorneys in the U.S. claim that they're practicing employment law. Statistically speaking, what holds true for any profession is true for employment lawyers: Half are above average and half are below average. How do you distinguish one from the other? How can you find out which lawyers or firms are in the top 5%? Don Phin discusses the questions you should be asking.

How do you know what to change to make your agency run better? You're proud of your accomplishments, but can't seem to make the progress you desire year-by-year. In this document, Al Diamond recommends that during your planning process, instead of focusing outwardly on your competitors, the industry, or the economy, try focusing inwardly instead.

FINDING AGENCY PERSONNEL by John Caswell 'Good help is hard to find.' That old adage has never seemed more true, given the increasing difficulty employers are experiencing when looking to fill an ...

FINDING MARKETS: THE SPECIALTY PROGRAM CONSULTANT by Andrew Barile While a reinsurance intermediary operates between the ceding insurance company and the reinsurance company market, the...

Paying attention to business is one of the major benefits of a recession. Ford figured it out. So did Starbucks by bringing back the founding CEO, closing nearly 1,000 marginal stores and most significantly introducing their own instant coffee. This could be a brilliant move. While proudly passing up their $4 cup of coffee, we take the instant stuff home and keep a little Starbucks in our lives.

FIVE STEPS TO HIRING SUCCESS by Don Phin Many business owners struggle with the problem of hiring employees who care about the company. You can achieve this goal by following five ...

FOCUS ON EMPLOYEES: THE KEY TO SUCCESS by Jack Burke Another lifetime ago, when I managed Hertz Car Sales, I made a point of hand writing little notes to our Hawaiian salesperson. Somehow, this...

Headlines in trade magazines and major newspapers announce thrift charters being approved for insurance companies, agreements being reached between federal bank regulators and state insurance departments, and financial services reform. In many ways, banks continue to increased their involvement in the Property/Casualty insurance market.