If you weren’t at the PIANH Annual Symposium this year, let’s just say you missed more than just a great event—you missed Friendsgiving, insurance-style. On Nov. 20, industry professionals from all corners of New Hampshire...
PIA Northeast honored by Utica National with ‘Affiliate of the Year’ award
PIA Northeast’s Director of Sales Stephanie Smith, CISR, CPIA, and President & CEO Jeff Parmenter, CPCU, ARM, CPIA, attended the Utica National E&O State Sales & Appreciation Conference last October at the Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, Texas. (L-R) Alex Nix, commercial lines underwriting supervisor, Utica National; Victoria Champion, E&O commercial lines underwriter, Utica National; Rob Bartkowiak, commercial lines underwriter, Utica National; Stephanie Smith, CISR, CPIA, director of sales, PIA Northeast; Jeff Parmenter, CPCU, ARM, CPIA, president and CEO, PIA Northeast; Tracy Thompson, assistant vice president, director of regional underwriting operations, professional liability segment, head of specialty casualty, Utica National; Bill King, executive vice president, chief revenue officer, Utica National; and Cullen Stevens, executive commercial lines new business underwriter, Utica National. Photo courtesy of Jane Person Photography and Utica National.
Special relationships happen on a case-by-case basis: A look at standard-of-care lawsuits
I have written before of my love of the legal lexicon. My dedicated readers know I have some favorite legal words, like champerty and tortfeasor.[1] But as every Ying needs a Yang, there are some legal words that I shudder to see—particularly in a legal opinion. My...
Advocating for affordability: PIANY testifies before N.Y. Senate on residential property insurance
The New York state Senate held a joint hearing on Nov. 18, 2025, to address a growing concern for homeowners and insurance professionals alike: the rising cost—and shrinking availability of—residential property insurance. The hearing, convened by the Senate Committees...
N.Y.: Governor signs online insurance verification law: A win for agents, clients
In a major victory for insurance modernization and consumer protection, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul officially signed S.5331-A/A.4404-A into law—bring the Empire State into a new era of real-time insurance verification for motor vehicles....
PIANH advocacy spurs swift action from NHID on Medicare Compensation Practices
When producers speak, PIANH listens—and acts. In response to growing concerns from insurance producers about troubling trends in the Medicare insurance market, PIANH took decisive action. On Oct. 31, 2025, PIANH sent a formal letter to the New Hampshire...
Frozen pipes, ice dams, and liability claims: Ensure homes are covered for winter’s risks
When temperatures plummet, even a well-built home can be vulnerable to extreme winter weather. Across much of the United States, homeowners are finding that preparedness for severe cold, heavy snow and prolonged storms is no longer optional. Winters have become...
Conn.: NCCI 2026 WC loss cost decrease of 3.8% approved
The Connecticut Insurance Department approved the proposed workers’ compensation loss cost filing made by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, consisting of an overall 3.8% decrease. Also approved is an overall assigned risk rate reduction of 0.4%. These...
N.J.: Autonomous vehicle pilot program: A look at how a new bill may affect the industry
The future of transportation is arriving in New Jersey—and it’s driving itself. Earlier this month, Sen. Andrew Zwicker, D-16, introduced S-4702, legislation that would establish a pilot program for testing fully autonomous vehicles—AVs—across the Garden State. For...
N.Y.: DFS issues warning to agents about third-party cyber security risks
What happens when your cloud provider goes down? If you were caught in the recent AWS outage, you already know the answer: websites crash, backend systems freeze, and clients are left wondering what’s going on. For insurance agencies, these disruptions aren’t just...