The findings of this year’s PIA Market Trends Survey have indicated that the insurance industry is in a hard market cycle. Now, let’s look at how the professional insurance agents who took the survey responded regarding changes in insurer and underwriting behavior,...
New York reaches settlement with Lyft, Uber
New York Attorney General Letitia James unveiled two historic settlements valued at a combined $328 million with ride-sharing conglomerates Lyft and Uber on Nov. 1, 2023. These settlements mark the conclusion of extensive investigations into both companies, revealing...
Warranties vs. insurance: what’s the difference?
Upon buying a new piece of technology—new phone, new TV, new game console—often the salesperson will ask you if you would like to purchase an extended warranty with it. Warranties and insurance may seem similar on the surface, but in fact they have more than a few...
PIA Market Trends Survey: Rising premium rates, other factors indicative of a hard market
Professional insurance agents may be aware that the insurance industry is amid a hard market. This means you also may have noticed that your insureds’ premiums have risen, and insurance coverage is more restricted, among other changes. PIA Northeast conducted a survey...
Health insurance, new diabetic drugs and the future of weight loss
In the U.S., weight-loss drugs have received renewed attention thanks to recent medical advancements. Frequently, Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are included in this conversation—even though not all of them are marketed as weight-loss drugs. For example, Ozempic notes...
N.Y.: What is it like to obtain a photo inspection?
I received a deadline of Sept. 29 to finish and submit this article—it was assigned to me on Sept. 15. Having a 14-day window to draft an article for PIA Northeast News & Media is more than enough time. Coincidently, those 14 days also signify the time frame my...
Are you selling umbrellas with holes in ’em?: If your clients get wet, you could too!
We (independent agents) are raised to sell umbrella liability insurance policies, but why? We are told to sell umbrellas because people can get sued for an auto accident or a slip-and-fall, and other outrageous scenarios. Basically, when you make a mistake and cause...
Veterinary medicine trends affect pet’s care
The COVID-19 pandemic left a major mark on the American workforce that can be seen in every industry. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce provided a brief overview of these trends in a September 2023 report. The report characterizes this phenomenon of industries seeing high...
Rising pedestrian fatalities and auto insurance
Traffic fatalities have been on the rise in recent years. According to the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2022 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities in the United States have increased from 32,479 in 2011,...
What to know about New York’s windstorm policies
Like most things, insurance policies should be straightforward to understand. If you were to educate yourself about policies or ask your independent agent to clarify something, it shouldn’t lead to you agonizing over the details. In the case of homeowner’s insurance...