Agency Management

Signs of life may be returning to the residential construction industry, but the recession has left banks and developers suffering an unpleasant hangover.

Think of real-time technology processing--the ability to access carrier information through an agency management system immediately--as a recently planted lawn with lots of young grass, but also some patches of brown.

After seeing damages awarded against it in one lawsuit, a Chinese drywall maker announced last week that it settled a case brought against it by U.S. homebuilder Beazer Homes for an undisclosed dollar amount.

Businesses often overlook the need to buy extra or excess liability insurance limits, but these prudent coverage purchases are an essential safeguard, protecting against asset depletion from unforeseen risks.

In the insurance industry, good communication between carriers and agents has always been essential, particularly when a carrier's ability to work effectively with agents has such a clear bottom-line impact.

Insurance agents in Tennessee challenged by the number of claims from floods and tornadoes that hit the state may also be dealing with the prospect of lawsuits over accusations that they failed to properly advise customers about flood insurance.