Just exactly who says independent insurance agents are not getting their fair share?

A representative of the IIABA (Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America), that’s who!

Wesley Bissett claims that insurance companies are requiring independent agents to do more, and should receive contingent commissions for their additional work. Read the rest of this entry »

It just makes sense that Hilb Rogal & Hobbs (HRH) will close its Richmond, Va., headquarters and join its soon-to-be parent firm, Willis Holdings, at Willis’ swank new digs in New York City, pending approval of its recently announced acquisition by the London-based brokerage.

HRH has slightly more than 75 employees at its Richmond HQ (its local retail shop employs about 150), and Willis houses about 600 in the 200,000+ s.f. offices that it moved into about two years ago, which serves as the base for its U.S. operations. There will likely be much redundancy in the administrative, accounting, HR and marketing functions, so why would Willis continue with two HQ’s hundreds of miles apart, with one being far outside the Wall Street environs that Willis enjoys?

And while Willis might offer some HRH staff the option to move and work in New York City, some might speculate that not all will relish the move from a more genteel location to the hyper-speed pace of The Big Apple.

In some locations where Willis and HRH each have a presence, such as in Baltimore where the offices are literally across the street from each other, one could further speculate that those offices will also eventually share the same address; after all, by the end of the year they will share the same name, Willis HRH. Read the rest of this entry »

The Consumer Federation of America is at it again, this time setting its sights on a meaty target, indeed: New Yorkers.

In its latest attempt to tarnish the reputation of the insurance industry, the organization is saying that New Yorkers are being overcharged by insurers for their home and auto insurance. In a press release, the group alleges that insurance companies aren’t just overcharging, they are lowering reimbursement rates. Read the rest of this entry »