Carrier Relationship Mismanagement (CRMM) is practiced every day by 90 percent of agencies and brokers. That's the bad news. The good news is it leaves the door open for a lot of opportunity.

Sometimes writers and consultants are too long winded. They take a roundabout way to avoid bitter reality. But for those who prefer brevity, I'll get to the point: This market sucks. It is the worst insurance market since 1933.

Agents are facing the softest market since 1933 and many are scrambling to find growth anywhere they can. Some agents are truly scared, and when a person is scared, emotions often trump logic. Quick fixes, even if illogical, become irresistible.

I have written many articles in the last 15 years regarding trust ratios, commingling funds and trust money.

Why pay producers 35 percent on new business rather than the 30 percent an agency might pay for renewals?

Agents are boiling over with frustration at carriers who are focused entirely on growth regardless of loss ratio.

An agency owner dreads the scenario that an employee leaves the agency and takes customers, prospects, employees and proprietary information with him or her to a new job. When this happens, the agency loses more than its investment in the employee.

A penny saved can be worth a lot more in business. When an insurance agency saves a penny through better carrier compensation, it can be worth a dime or even more.