Chris Burand
Some Tips for Making Life Easier for Your Heirs
This is not an estate financial planning advice article. This is a practical advice article about the small stuff that eats up time....
Search
Chris Burand
- Aug 30, 2018
- 3 min
Livin' in the Past
"...it's such a drag when you're livin' in the past" -- Tom Petty I was conducting an E&O audit and as is common, the owners, staff,...
20
Chris Burand
- Aug 27, 2018
- 3 min
Stop Selling Commercial Lines as if it were Personal Lines
Some prospect calls Agency X to insure their home and auto. The CSR gets the data required to determine the replacement cost on the...
40
Chris Burand
- Aug 27, 2018
- 4 min
Being a Claims Advocate while not Breaking your Company Contracts
Virtually every company/agency contract has the same clause regarding agents advising clients on claims. It states something like this,...
30
Chris Burand
- Aug 23, 2018
- 5 min
Insurtech, Transparency & Communism
The title alone may elicit anger, bewilderment, curiosity and who knows what other emotions. The reason these movements and cultures are...
30
Chris Burand
- Aug 14, 2018
- 5 min
Important Perspective of Insurance Agents
By pure chance, at a completely non insurance event, I found myself seated next to a deputy commissioner of insurance for a prominent...
10
Chris Burand
- Jul 19, 2018
- 6 min
Small Agencies
First, my heart is with small agencies and their owners. They have a tough time wearing so many hats.
60
Chris Burand
- Jul 5, 2018
- 4 min
Understanding the Differences between Valuation Reports
Most owners of small businesses, many executives/owners of medium businesses, and even quite a few executives/shareholders of large business
50
Chris Burand
- Jul 19, 2017
- 5 min
E&O Audits for Small Agencies (or any agency) Should Not be Feared
I’ve heard quite a few owners of small agencies avoid E&O audits because they feared the results would cause more damage than the...
00
Chris Burand
- Mar 5, 2017
- 5 min
How Some Agents are Ruining Insurance for Everyone
Here’s a true story: A close friend asked me about her auto insurance. Her daughter, who does not live with her, was still on her auto...
40
Chris Burand
- Dec 14, 2016
- 4 min
Commoditization: Who's to Blame?
Agents are a good target for the blame. I saw a question posted by an experienced agent: "Does an umbrella policy cover…?" The question...
00
Chris Burand
- Apr 13, 2015
- 4 min
A Word about S-Corporation/LLC Status
I find many agency owners have firm opinions regarding the importance of S-Corporations and LLC’s. These opinions are not always fully...
30
Chris Burand
- Feb 18, 2015
- 5 min
The Pressure to Get Bigger
Being the owner of an average independent insurance agency can be fun but maybe not as fun as it used to be. Agents are feeling...
10
Chris Burand
- Dec 12, 2013
- 4 min
Why Great Loss Ratios are Not the Goal of All Insurance Companies
Many agency owners take great pride in generating low loss ratios year after year. Maybe without even knowing it, this group has created...
00
Chris Burand
- Jun 27, 2013
- 5 min
Is the Future Positive for Small, Traditional Agencies?
As with most broad looking-into-the-future answers, it depends. It depends on knowledge, commitment, and recognizing reality. Knowledge I...
00
Chris Burand
- Jun 19, 2012
- 5 min
What do Companies Want?
Many agents possess a significant fear that they are not big enough. To some degree, this feeling of inadequacy is nothing new. No matter...
20
Chris Burand
- Mar 14, 2012
- 4 min
The Adversity of a Desperate Market
In almost 25 years in this industry, I have never seen such desperation. One of the unfortunate results is that many good agencies that...
20
Chris Burand
- Dec 8, 2011
- 4 min
Death in an Agency
I have unfortunately worked with the families, estates and partners of several agency owners who have passed away. Most, but not all, of...
20
Chris Burand
- Nov 26, 2011
- 5 min
What's in a name?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ~William Shakespeare Cheech and Chong had a funny...
00
Chris Burand
- Nov 26, 2011
- 4 min
Outside Looking In
I found myself arguing an extremely silly point with an agency owner at a conference. Everyone but the agent saw the silliness of his...
00
