Carriers have a growth problem, and they only have one likely solution to generate organic growth. A recent research paper, “Valuation and Long-Term Growth Expectations,” by Angel Tengulov of the University of Kansas, Josef Zechner of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Jeffrey Zweibel of Stanford University, identified key variables in determining long-term growth. In other words, what factors best predict long-term growth? A factor that improves long-term g

Hardly a day goes by without the industry press covering an employee lawsuit, usually involving a salesperson, where a competitor has poached key people. “Poaching” typically means that the new employer enticed the employee(s) to leave in violation of the employee’s contract. Sometimes the suit involves entire teams. One recent headline described how one broker poached 140 employees at one time from another broker! That would hurt! Often, the new employer is sued along with t

Around 10 years ago, I told an audience of insurance distributor associations that their lobbying efforts were poor to complete failures. The industry had failed, completely, not partially, to prevent banks from entering the industry (which did nothing but mess up the industry further because of their incompetence in running agencies). They failed to prevent the ACA (which definitely decreased commissions and created a concentration of risk for a large proportion of agencies)