Practice management

The insurance agency and brokerage system is stable, but challenges remain, notably for insurers in New York, according to Richard Poppa, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York who presented on a panel at the fourth annual SNL Insurance Brokerage Summit today.

Software promises to help drive variable and fixed annuity sales.

A.M. Best, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor's announced ratings updates. The following are some of the most recent:

New app to enable users to get quick quotes, connect with customer service reps or get glance-and-go updates on claims and payments.

The President does his best to mollify India while dismissing the idea of lost jobs at home as “an old stereotype.”

In its fourth annual program, INN honors nine insurers for core systems, customer service and enterprise systems innovations.

The updated identity fraud product will better protect against the most frequently experienced problems.

Many in the insurance world are still slow to recognize social media as a viable tool and an effective way to reach the customer.

Agreement will extend application outsourcing, systems integration and management consulting between Accenture and RSA for an additional three years.

Like many other areas of specialized knowledge, this information can be invaluable and will position you as a value-added practitioner.

A new report from San Diego-based Mitchell International Inc. delves into the complex relationship between the economy, the cost of replacement auto parts and claims severity.

Investment and operational losses in 2008 may have weakened many individual annuity insurers, but for larger players such as Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America (Allianz Life), the U.S. subsidiary of Allianz SE, financial strength has not been an issue.

Insurer voting is in progress as INN and Celent partner on INN’s 5th annual ranking of tech solution providers.

Survey reveals that poor customer service makes consumers more apt to commit fraud.

Enhancements increase policyholder ability to manage their account via handheld device.

MyHealth provides personalized messages to members and providers to improve health and optimize health care spending.

If a slightly improved economy is lulling insurers into a sense of relative security concerning their customer-base, they need to think twice, according to a new report by Boston-based Celent. The report, “Insurance Customer Service Trends in North America,” notes that it has never been more important to keep the clients insurers have.”

While many Asian consumers are staring to purchase policies from banks, the majority still prefer the personal touch of agents.

Insurers may want to ensure consumer adoption of their mobile wares doesn't fall short of expectations, as experts predict banks will struggle without proper promotion.

Allstate announced the launch of Tag In, its latest mobile messaging smartphone app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry users.