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...anchise system that has served the automobile industry for generations is giving way to the popularity of auto superstores such as CarMax and AutoNation, a consequence of channel consol... and unacceptable error ratios. Automation and technology need to be mut...

...statutory limits for a Nonstandard Auto policy. Producers must do their homewo...producers will continue to profit from newly created specialty niche insurance...

... corporate and consumer), and are becoming fee-based service providers. Furthermore, many are consolidating and becoming super-retailers to counterbalance the power of bigger airlines and global alliances. The exclusive franchise system that has served the automobile industry for generations is giving way to the popularity of auto superstores such as CarMax and AutoNation, a consequence of channel consolidation and rising consumer expectations. This recent transformation is propelling auto makers such as Ford and General Motors to buy out their independent dealers and form separate equity-owned distribution companies, similar to what Coca-Cola did with ... , and rising consumer expectations and empowerment. Interestingly, these are the same forces that are already impacting other industries in profound ways. Financial pressures in the personal computer industry caused by declining margins, rapid product obsolescence, and growth of the consumer market created havoc among franchised distribution companies such as ComputerLand and Entre. This resulted in the formation of a two-tier distribution system (distributors and dealers) as a means of addressing both financial constraints and market demand. Now companies such as Dell and Gateway are trying to shift the distribution system ... eliminated as the middleman) by the Internet, although only for selective product lines, e.g., low-margin commodity products that consumers are willing to purchase without an agent's advice. At the same time, there will be fee-based reintermediation (in which intermediaries are introduced into new relationships or their roles and responsibilities are expanded) . And insurance agents will emerge as infomediaries. Finally, both insurance companies and independent agents will learn to cooperate and collaborate with each other to serve end users more effectively and efficiently. At the same time, ...