CREDIT SCORES: CATCH 22 by Fred Dent Its important to build and maintain good credit reports. In addition, its now essential to monitor credit reports faithfully ...

Roughly defined, disintermediation means removal of the middle man. Do a linear projection based on historical forces and you'll conclude that the disintermediation of the agent from the Personal lines process is inevitable. After all, when Warren Buffet, Conning & Company, banks, large insurance companies, and others agree on something, they must be correct, right?

DO BANKS OVERPAY FOR P/C AGENCIES? by James M. Campbell Since 1998, the banking industry has been the most active acquirer of Property/Casualty insurance agencies....

DOES A BANKING RELATIONSHIP MAKE SENSE FOR YOU? by Chris Burand Banks are buying agencies, agencies are developing relationships with banks, insurance companies are opening banks, and a dozen...

EVALUATING BANK OPPORTUNITIES by Carol Hammes Faced with shrinking profit margins from their traditional products and services, financial institutions have been searching for ways...

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS - 'WE ARE SPECIALISTS' Dear (Customer Name): IT'S JUST GOOD COMMON SENSE . . . to consult (Your Agency Name) when you're looking for Financial Institution insur...

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.

Cross-marketing between banks and insurance agencies remains largely virgin territory. Most of the potential has not even been charted, let alone mined.
In working with banks as partners, owners, or co-venturers, insurance principals should recognize the pros and cons of the affiliation to neutralize the negatives and build on the positives.

HELLO, DOLLY: MOVING BEYOND OLD PARADIGMS by Michael Manes The announcement of the cloning of a sheep several years ago created quite a controversy. The possibility of cloning peopl...

HOW GOOD IS YOUR COMPETITION? A Competitive Position Analysis Agencies can benefit from comparing themselves to their closest competitors: other independent agents, direct writers, even b...