The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned on May 4, without setting a date to reconvene. It was one of the shortest legislative sessions in recent history. As has been the case in recent years, the session kicked off with a deluge of bills being...
Come hell or high water, homeowners need to understand flood insurance
With spring underway, bringing large amounts of rain and snowmelt, it’s more important than ever that agents are doing their best to educate homeowners about flood insurance. Recent data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicates that the U.S. has...
PIANY legislative priority passes Assembly
On May 9, the New York state Assembly passed S.8127, which would simplify the excess-line insurance placement affidavit requirements brokers must complete before placing insurance in the excess marketplace. The bill passed the state Senate on March 23, so the final...
When it comes to selling, a sophisticated approach is not always better
Almost everyone acknowledges that regardless of the industry involved, revenue generation has become more challenging over the years. Today several selling and business development tools are available to independent agents that make it is easy to lose sight of the big...
Mentoring: Opportunities for perpetuation and growth
In April 1982, I had the opportunity to become a partner in a property/casualty insurance agency. That was the good news. The not-so-good news was that the opportunity was with a start-up agency with no carrier contracts and no clients. However, we continued to...
Salary transparency can help to retain top talent
We live in an information age, in which colleagues share more of their personal selves in the workplace. Today’s employees want full transparency on all levels. Gone are the days when it was taboo to discuss money, wages, bonuses and pay with your colleagues. However,...
New risks in the virtual world
During the first few months of the pandemic, the phrase the new normal was everywhere and it was meant to describe what things would be like going forward. It was meant to describe what we have always done, but would be done differently than it had in the past. For...
Increase Law & Ordinance coverage for homes in SFHA flood zones
Did you know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s substantial damage rule applies to any building damage … not just flood damage? That’s right, even common homeowners policy perils such as wind, fire and/or water damage could trigger the requirement for a...
N.J.: PIANJ-priority liability legislation passes state Senate
The weather in March may come in like a lion and out like a lamb. But legislatively, March ended with a mighty roar as two of PIANJ’s priority bills passed the state Senate recently, both with 37-0 votes. Liquor liability insurance Legislation (S-775) sponsored by...
NOAA predicts a mild, warm Northeast this spring
Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its climate predictions for April, May and June. After a winter that was mild for some—and not so mild for others—this spring could be a much-needed break. However, some of these predictions come...