Supporting and leading your employees through this hard market is going to be critical for agency leaders. They will follow your example and most team members want to do a great job. They need to understand what that means to your agency. You may be saying: "My team...
N.J.: ‘Dwelling units’ would be required to have renters insurance if new bill becomes law
New Jersey Assemblymember William B. Sampson IV, D-31, introduced A-5696 on May 18, 2023. This bill would require renters insurance for individuals entering or renewing a lease for a dwelling unit. The legislation defines dwelling unit as any room, or group of rooms,...
The New York City crane collapse of 2023
The iconic New York City skyline is renowned for its dazzling lights, towering skyscrapers—and unfortunately its unsightly construction cranes and scaffolding. On July 26, 2023, a crane—situated atop a 45-story building in Midtown Manhattan—abruptly caught fire and...
N.Y.: Revised WC loss costs effective 10/1/23
In May, an application for an overall loss cost decrease of 2.6% was submitted to the New York Department of Financial Services by the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board. The DFS approved the application as filed with an effective date of Sunday, Oct. 1,...
2023 mid-year outlook: No easy fix on the horizon for M&A and talent challenges
There are many outstanding questions about what the coming months and year may bring for the independent agent given the economic uncertainty over the last 18 months. The M&A world wants to be able to answer the following: Will M&A activity pick up steam in...
The psychology of advanced car safety technology
One of the biggest areas for recent innovation in automobile design is advanced safety features. Features like lane and obstacle sensing radar, collision warning, and heads up displays are increasingly becoming standard equipment on new cars. The technology that comes...
UBI off to a slow start
In 1998, a new technology was introduced that promised to have major implications for many industries, chief among them the insurance industry. This technology allowed systems to monitor and collect data about a user’s behavior in real time. Today, many of us use...
Don’t shoot the messenger
You are probably familiar with the turn of phrase Don’t shoot the messenger. It means not to blame the person delivering a message for the content of that message. Often, I think that all insurance agencies should have that sign up in their lobby or on their website,...
N.Y.: DFS publishes updated cyber security regulation for comment, PIA offers analysis
The New York State Department of Financial Services published a revised proposed second amendment to 23 NYCRR 500—colloquially referred to as New York’s cyber security regulation. The publication of the revised second amendment comes over six months after the...
M&A for agents: The art of making a deal 2023
Volume in the merger and acquisition sector has declined 48% in comparison to Q1 of 2022, and it has declined 27% from Q4 of 2022 according to insights from Dealogic. For many independent agents, M&A is an integral part of their growth strategy, offering a...