ADJUSTING EXPECTATATIONS --- AND THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND by Jon Persky Back in the 1960s and 1970s, it wasnt unusual to find people who worked for the same company for their entire...

AGENCY VALUATION, MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS: IS IT A NEW DAY? by Robbie Smith The significant loss of surplus from the 9/11 catastrophe, together with an already compelling need for r...

CONTINGENCIES: WHAT'S ALL THE HULLABALOO? by Rob Ekern The contingencies controversy can give agents a competitive advantage. If I had a thousand dollars for every pound of pape...

DISSOLVING SHAREHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS by Paul Di Stefano, CPA Issues involving the breakup of partners or shareholders can be more complex than one might consider at first blush. A break...

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 ...

HOW TO EVALUATE AND PAY CSRs By Bill Schoeffler and Catherine Oak The value of a great customer service representative (CSR) can't be underestimated-just ask any agency owner ...

PERPETUATION: ITS NOT JUST A MONEY THING by Chris Burand When agency owners think of perpetuation planning, they often think only of the financial aspect: Selling their agencies. I...

SELLING YOUR AGENCY: 'C' CORPORATIONS by Larry Morrison, CMA, CLU, ChFC and Gary Jacobson, JD How to slash the tax bill from selling your agency. INTRODUCTION In our...

Insurance agents and brokers have good reason to feel slighted. Like being stuck outside the New Year's party without an invitation, agents have had many reasons for envy as investors in other sectors congratulated themselves for another incredible year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by a whopping 68% from 1996 to 1998, which was its strongest two-year performance since 1955. Even the insurance companies got invited to the party, with property and casualty insurers enjoying a 64% increase in value during the past two years.

WORKING HARDER? MAKING LESS? by Jon Persky During the past few years, many agency owners have been saying, Im working harder than I ever have, but making less money. ...