Most agencies handling Construction accounts will need to provide a Surety Bond at some point. For those agency staff that may not be familiar with Surety Bonds, they are basically an agreement between three parties: Principal, Surety, and Obligee. The Surety provides a financial guarantee to the Obligee (i.e.,...
It is interesting how often this question comes up in my discussions with insurance agents. I am not sure exactly why, although I certainly hope this is not a reason (or an excuse) why some agency personnel would choose not to pursue one of the...
For most agencies, a Broker of Record (BOR) is a common way of attracting new business. This can come from your expertise in identifying some uninsured exposures or because the client outgrew the expertise and capabilities of their current broker. When you successfully secure an...
No doubt these few words can bring about some powerful emotion, and the odds are that emotion will differ from hearing the words “Great Job” or “I love your agency.” Unfortunately, these words threatening legal action have been said more than once or twice. How do...
In the life of an independent agent, there is typically significant quote activity on personal lines, commercial lines, and employee benefits. A solid E&O best practice promoted for many years involves getting the customer/prospect to sign off on those coverages not wanted. This practice is...
Are your companies sending the policy direct? There is no doubt this is occurring more often today than in the past in both Personal and Commercial Lines. For agents, this has probably resulted in some expense and time savings since you no longer have to...
One of the main goals that Angie, Mishell, and I work with you on is heavily focused on avoiding E&O claims from happening, or if they do happen, the agency's defense has been strengthened to increase the odds of the agency prevailing. After all, the...
It certainly seems with increasing frequency the number of insurance articles that speak to a recent court decision and the judgments being awarded. Actually, some courts have awarded the plaintiff more than they were even asking for with some staggering numbers. Some refer to this...
This blog post was written by Benefit Comply with permission to reshare. It is not uncommon for brokers to wonder if they are acting as business associates for their employer clients, and if so, what their compliance obligations are in this role. In general, a business associate...
There is no doubt that life at the agency side of the business is hectic, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. It is very easy to have an element of "trust" on many issues that producers and CSRs deal with daily. One...