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...transfer tax”). Even “private placement” stock sales are considered the sale of a security subject to SEC anti-fraud rules. Thi... “C” Corporation (most agencies) Stock “S” Corporat...

...ecessary tax returns). It is more private than a testamentary trust, and is us...ire and pay for your interest? What security does your estate have? Have some ...

... high-risk strategy. Expansion through internal growth, although slower and less glamorous, works and has continually proven to be the most profitable method for growing a company. However, although growth is important (especially for small agencies), there's no extreme pressure or need for privately held, non-consolidator, non-bank owned agencies to grow quickly. With rates increasing, most agencies should easily achieve 8% to 10% annual growth. Smart, profitable, internal growth will inevitably provide bigger profits and higher agency values. Chris Burand can be reached ... The Economist reported that every time Bank of America would make an acquisition, one particular competitor would open a nearby branch to capture all the newly acquired firm's dissatisfied customers! An article in the April 16, 2001 Albuquerque Journal cited another example. Wells Fargo purchased First Security, and then sold 22 branches to Bank of the West. Meanwhile, a competitor, First State Bank, opened 40% more new accounts in one month alone, primarily due to the Wells Fargo and Bank of the West acquisitions, as customers left due ... Categories Popular Recent All Back Acquisitions: Is Bigger Really Better?4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Chris Burand 1 Verified Reviews - 5 of 5.0 1 2 3 4 5 Although, in general, growth is essential for agencies to retain markets and profitability, unrestrained growth via acquisition can be perilous. Getting big through internal growth, although slower and less glamorous, does work, says Chris Burand. How big does an agency need to be to prosper and to be safe from extinction ...

...tives within the agency. A yearly private meeting conducted by an outside cont...ognition will also enhance employee security about their performance and stren...

...secured debt. If the buyer is privately held, require an annual valuation.... ins and outs of buying and selling agencies.

... be looking for the public and/or private recognition, opportunity for growth,... Praise (in private) ...

...w some agents think this is their private business and don’t what to show this...how them how you compare with other agencies of your size. This should include...

... the average composite groups are privately held firms in which the owners tak...d improvement, which indicates that agencies might be slipping in their collec...

... have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back Protect Private Information From Outsiders — And Insiders!6/3 /2013 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Steve Anderson This content has not been rated yet. Steve Anderson presents three recent events that demonstrate clearly that protecting the privacy of client information involves ... , a provider of identification and credential verification services for businesses and the government, provided individuals posing as legitimate businesspeople with access to their database. These individuals then set up about 50 fraudulent accounts through which they could view consumer data, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and credit reports. CASE #2 Bank of America Corp. lost computer data tapes containing personal information on up to 1.2 million federal employees, including some members of the U.S. Senate. The lost data included Social Security numbers and account information, ... police. Leahy hinted that new laws might extend beyond data brokers to affect a broad range of businesses. The Senator was a Bank of America customer whose personal information was reported lost. Don't make the mistake of thinking that these incidents won't influence how you operate your agency. Although protecting client information from unauthorized outside access is still extremely important, you also need to protect this information from being stolen by perpetrators of an "inside job." Because an insurance agency has more private information than many other types of businesses about its ...

...ealize that they can’t post private consumer information on the social w...me before you launch your own. Some agencies might want a presence on a social...