Rough Notes: serves independent property/casualty insurance agencies, life and health insurance agencies and brokerages.

From inspiring stories of entrepreneurship to growth opportunities in the marketplace, Rough Notes provides the nation's leading — as well as up-and-coming —agents and brokers with an unbiased look at the ideas, trends and new products and services that are shaping the property/casualty industry.

Rough Notes' involvement with and reputation among agents and brokers is evidenced by the fact that their Marketing Agency of the Month and Marketing Agency of the Year have become coveted awards among the nation's top agents and brokers.

Rough Notes was the first national insurance publication to target independent insurance agents. We know agents and brokers because we’re actively involved with them — and have been for more than a century.

Rough Notes Magazine, Free Subscription

Qualify for Your Free Subscription!

Offered Free by: The Rough Notes Co. Inc.

Read the Digital Issue: Rough Notes Magazine, November 2009

FEATURES
18 MARKETING AGENCY OF THE MONTH:
An organic growth culture
New business emphasis results in best year ever in this soft market.

28 MARKETING:
The apartment market
Despite real estate market woes, apartment/condo specialists see opportunities.

32 Customer service excellence
The National Alliance names Ronie Foronda
CSR of the Year.

36 BENEFITS AGENCY:
The important place of benefits in a small market
Strong revenues, tighter client ties and a base for future growth.

46 Giving back
The Rough Notes Company Community Service Award nominations continue.

50 SPECIALTY LINES:
Protecting security firms
In spite of recession, market fares well.

58 Saying “yes” to small commercial
Travelers Select Accounts delivers on its promise to make agents’ paths easy.

72 TECHNOLOGY:
Changing the dialogue with commercial insureds
The Risk Management Center helps agencies improve clients’ risk profiles, solidify customer loyalty.

76 Weather risk management
The market is capitalized for the big one; but then what?

82 A long history of support for education
The Hartford provides support for both high school and college students.

90 Choosing a domicile
Onshore or offshore jurisdictions; each has benefits.

COLUMNS
14 Critical Issue Report
Major changes—slow to come
By Phil Zinkewicz
26 Enterprise Risk Management
Progress report
By Michael J. Moody, MBA, ARM
42 Benefits Business
HR opportunities
By Len Strazewski
54 Winning Strategies
Basic strategies for retention and referrals
By Roger Sitkins
66 Public Policy Analysis & Opinion
Financial system modernization?
By Kevin P. Hennosy
86 Risk Management
Losses from interruptions in utility services
By Donald S. Malecki, CPCU
92 Building Equity Value
Agency acquisition: the sales process approach
By Wayne Walkotten

Visit Rough Notes Website

Employee benefits is the fastest growing line of business for many leading property/casualty agencies. ROUGH NOTES covers this niche in four ways.

Every issue contains at least the following features:

• “Capitalizing on Benefits”—a feature article that profiles the employee benefits operation of a highly successful property/casualty firm.
• “Benefits Company Profile”—features companies that provide benefits products and services to independent agents.
• “Benefits Business”—a monthly column by employee benefits journalist Len Strazewski—covers market trends and product developments.
• “Benefits Products & Services”—a new column examines the wide array of benefits products, services and strategies available to independent agents.

These articles help our 121,000 readers understand:

• What the top agencies are doing in their daily operations to be the best
• How providers are working to better serve them
• What the best practices are in benefits selling

All of these help our readers to Capitalize on Benefits.

Comments (0)

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment