Property/casualty insurance rarely gets the spotlight in a governor’s State of the State address. Most years, it’s a footnote—if mentioned at all. However, this year is different. Gov. Kathy Hochul put home and auto insurance front and...
You’ve identified your niche, now you need an insurance carrier
Developing a niche for your insurance agency works if you have relationships with enough insurance carriers that write a wide range of insurance policies to offer your clients choices to fit their unique needs. That is why it’s vital to have the right carrier...
Agents with contractor clients: Take advantage of an underutilized program
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which authorized an additional $1.2 trillion in federal construction projects. It also reauthorizes and funds the U.S. Department of Transportation’s existing Disadvantaged...
Client retention in a changing market
It’s no secret that the competition for client loyalty is intensifying. Pricing, automation and digital tools have leveled the playing field, making retention a key differentiator, not just for service teams, but for the entire business. Retention reflects the...
Help clients weather the winter: A road safety guide for insurance agents
As winter approaches the Northeast, drivers across the region face some of the most challenging road conditions of the year. Each season, more than 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement,...
N.J.: Climate change task force legislation: What it means for insurance producers
If you’re an insurance producer in New Jersey, there’s a new piece of legislation you’ll want to keep on your radar—S-4722. This bill would set the stage for the creation of the Joint Blue Ribbon Task Force on Impacts of Climate Change on Property Insurance. Let’s...
Behind the verdict: A recap of PIANJ’s latest Deep Dive
If you’re hearing more about social inflation, and wondering how it’s impacting your clients—and your bottom line—you’re not alone. That’s exactly why PIANJ hosted a recent Deep Dive Panel titled “Behind the Verdict: How Litigation Trends Are Driving Insurance Costs.”...
You don’t know what’s coming: Proactive relationships can help during worst-case scenarios
I want to talk about cat events. No. This isn’t related to a grouping of our feline friends, rather it’s the term most insurance companies use to describe an area-wide catastrophic weather event—such as the floods that hit Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, parts of...
Should the United States create a national natural disaster fund?
Trends in the insurance industry have shown that carriers are raising rates, limiting coverages or pulling out of entire markets—often citing catastrophic losses tied to natural disasters. From wildfires in California and tornadoes in the Midwest, to hurricanes along...
Leadership changes at DFS: What insurance producers should know
The New York State Department of Financial Services will see a change in leadership this October. Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris will step down after four years of service. Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed Kaitlin Asrow as acting superintendent, effective Saturday,...