BEST PARTNERSHIP Dear (Customer Name): When a business partner suffers a fatal accident, it's a devastating time for all those concerned. The remaining partners feel a great loss after spending yea...

DIVORCE AND AGENCY VALUE: SEPARATING GOODWILL by Roy Phillips In my agency valuation work with agents and their spouses in divorce cases over the past 15 years, the issue of profe...

FROM ESTATE TAX TRAP TO TAX VICTORY by Irving Blackman You hear it all the time: 'Tax law is too complicated.' Well, it is. My job is usually to explain complex tax law in understandable langu...

GOOD NEWS ON TAXES! by Robert Nein Make no mistake. Taxes are one of the most vexing problems facing today's business owner. Of the many forms of taxation, estate taxes are considered the most...

INTERVIEWING: MODULE III-A INTRODUCTION Now that you know where to look and for whom you're looking, it's time to work on the interviewing process. This section...

KEEP EMPLOYER LIABILITY COVERAGE Danger intrudes when a company deletes Employer Liability coverage from its Workers Comp policy. If a company assumes that the basic state-mandated Workers Comp polic...

LEGAL OUTLINE FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENCIES CHAPTER SIX TRANSFERS TO THE NEXT GENERATION 6.1 Durable powers of attorney in case of disability. An agent is much more lik...

Motivation is tied closely to compensation, but the two are very different. Compensation is simply one form of motivation. There are many forms, all of which should accomplish one thing: encourage producers to sell and make them feel good about what they're doing and where they're doing it. A good motivational environment will help both Life and P/C producers. You should have a motivational atmosphere for your CSRs, as well. You should maintain a high recognition level in which all agency members can participate.

PERPETUATION FOR FAMILY AGENCIES by Brian Burke Gifting agency stock can be part of an estate-planning strategy. It can also be an attractive part of the perpetuation of a family...

PERSONAL PLANNING FOR SUCCESS by Mary Beth Bolen Here's a short quiz. Answer True or False: 1. Success is only for the educated or favored; it is discriminatory. 2. Success doesn't...