The international insurance market offers a variety of benefits to independent agents and brokers. It provides a perfect tool for solidifying your Commercial Lines accounts and insulating them from inroads being made by alphabet house brokers. International insurance operations also offer an entree to new product lines and markets that will expand your facilities abroad. For example, U.S. agents can introduce their expertise in such lines as Auto, Medical, Surety, and Workers' Compensation to third-world countries that are privatizing these coverages. Canadian brokers can expand their expertise in out-of-country private Medical insurance and, potentially, Workers' Compensation.

It's popular to hate the press these days. Between visions of Princess Diana's mangled black sedan and MSNBC's apparent broadcasting credo of 'all Monica, all the time,' it's easy to see why. Many who don't go so far as to hate the press still distrust it, thinking that a broadcaster's emotional ties begin and end with the Nielsen ratings. Again, given today's programming, this isn't difficult to understand.