A PERPETUATION PLANNING PRIMER by Tom Doran No one expects the current frantic pace of merger and acquisition activity to last forever. When it does cool off, more agency own...

AGENCY ACQUISITIONS: LET THE BUYER BE SMART Every independent agency in the country will experience a change in ownership at least once in its lifetime. Close to one-third of agencies h...

Ten years ago it took $5 million in total agency revenues and about $30 million in Property/Casualty premiums to land on the top 100 agency list. Now an agency needs to have in excess of $10 million in revenues and $60 million in premiums to make the cut. Ten years ago the average independent agency in the country had $250,000 in total revenues with six to seven people. Today the average is close to $600,000 in revenues, also with six to seven people. To use a phrase from Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."

Finance, it is often said, is the language of business. This may well be true, but there are a lot of us who don't understand the language and could be described as 'financially illiterate.' It doesn't have to be that way and you don't need an accounting background to become financially literate.

ERRORS AND OMISSIONS CONSIDERATIONS by Carol Hammes The old saying 'The cobblers children go unshod' could apply to many insurance agencies today. Thousands of agents dont carr...

FORMING A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE by Carol Hammes A major challenge facing the Independent Agency System today is to provide quality products and services in a more cost effective and user-frien...

INTERNAL PERPETUATION PLANNING by Carol Hammes One of the consequences of the prolonged period of competition in the Property/Casualty insurance marketplace is that a clear dicho...

LEGAL OUTLINE FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENCIES INTRODUCTION This outline is written for the owners of small or medium sized California property and casualty independent insurance a...

MAKE A SMARTER DEAL: BASE AGENCY VALUE ON PROFITABILITY, NOT A MULTIPLE OF COMMISSIONS! by Roger E. Thomas What multiple does an agency sell for these days? 1.25 times commission? 1...

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF AN AGENCYBUSINESS COMBINATION by Carol Hammes Its what comes after the handshakes that counts. INTRODUCTION Youve done the groundwork for a ...