I continue to receive calls on the Free Legal Service Program that I operate for members of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia about the payment of referral fees. My last post on this subject looked at potential restrictions that may be placed on the payment of such fees by laws and regulations that apply […]
Read more...Category: Practical Tips
Interns – The Law Has Changed
With high schools and colleges nearing the end of this academic year, I thought it would be a good time to update my readers on the changes that have occurred in how the U.S. Department of Labor (“USDOL”) looks at the question of whether an intern must be paid for the time they spend performing […]
Read more...Can An Agency Limit The Types Of Insurance Policies It Will Issue?
The answer to the above question seems obvious. The right of a business to choose what types of products and/or services it will provide is fundamental to the successful operation of a free enterprise economy. If every insurance agency had to offer the same types of insurance policies and/or services, competition among them would be […]
Read more...Insurance Certificates – Use of Additional Remarks Schedule
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post on the legality of agents issuing opinion letters about the coverages provided by their insured’s insurance policies. The next week, I received an email from a participant in the Free Legal Service Program that I run for the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia asking me to […]
Read more...Brokerage Fees – Revisited
A recent Bulletin from the Insurance Commissioner’s Office has caused me to reconsider a blog post from almost five years ago. In the Bulletin, the Insurance Commissioner reminded brokers who handle excess and surplus lines policies that they cannot collect sums for those policies in excess of the “premiums and charges for insurance specified by the […]
Read more...Insurance Certificates and Opinion Letters
My last post about insurance certificates was almost two years ago. At that time, the consensus seemed to be that issues regarding them were declining as all the interested parties became more familiar with Georgia’s law and regulations. However, I learned from a recent participant in the Free Legal Service program that I run for members of […]
Read more...Severe Weather Issues for Insurance Agencies
Given the likelihood that Hurricane Irma will have a significant impact on the Georgia coast and potentially other areas of the state, I thought it would be a good idea to remind agency owners of the rules regarding payment of their employees if their offices are closed. My blog post in January of this year explains those rules […]
Read more...Is An Agency Required To Obtain A License When Its Agent Must Obtain a Non-Resident License?
My last blog post dealt with the question of when an insurance agent must obtain a non-resident license if they are placing insurance coverage for a risk located in another state. This post will explore the related question of whether the agent’s insurance agency must also obtain a license from the insurance department of the other […]
Read more...When Are You Required to Obtain a Non-Resident License?
Unlike most summers, this one has been very busy for my law practice. I have been involved in the sale of three of my insurance agency clients in the past couple of months, which is one reason I haven’t been as diligent as I should have in making blog posts. This post concerns an issue that has arisen in each […]
Read more...IIAG Annual Convention – What You Missed Too
My last post described what Harrison Brooks of Reagan Consulting had to say to those who attended IIAG’s annual convention earlier this month about major trends affecting the insurance industry. He also had some advice on how an agency can determine if it is doing what needs to be done to be successful in the long […]
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