Liberty buys Safeco Insurance 6.2 billion

Liberty Insurance purchased Safeco Insurance for 6.2 billion

Liberty Mutual Group Inc. agreed to buy Safeco Corp. for about $6.2 billion,
taking advantage of a 19 percent drop in the company's stock this year to strike
the industry's biggest transaction since 2004.
Liberty Mutual, owned by its
policyholders, will pay $68.25 a share in cash for Safeco, 51 percent more than
Tuesday's closing price, the companies said. The purchase will create the
fifth-largest U.S. property and casualty insurer, the biggest deal since St.
Paul Cos. and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. combined in a $17.9 billion
merger.
Safeco's sale may signal the start of an industry consolidation
predicted on April 14 by Accenture Ltd. after insurance stocks fell 15 percent
in the first quarter. The Seattle-based insurer's auto unit posted a loss at the
end of 2007 because of rising medical claims and repair costs, leading to a 33
percent decline in Safeco's fourth-quarter profit. ....Insurance

Stop Selling Insurance

Stop Selling Insurance, Good Article about taking the focus of selling your products, listening to the customer first and the offer Insurance Solutions or Insurance Services:

When you adopt the attitude of a professional and take the focus off the
products, guess who the focus falls on? You! You become the service that clients
buy. You become valuable. You become a resource. You become an expert. Clients
don’t look to insurance policies for answers, they look to you! One of the
greatest challenges in arriving at this mindset is becoming clear as to what
makes you unique so you can communicate it effectively to your prospects and
clients. I often work with my clients on clarifying their purpose and
identifying their unique strengths so that their marketing and leadership is
effective. ...... from The Insurance Coach

via Insureme Agent Blog

Insurance Agent's Online Reputation Management for Insurance Agents

Online Reputation Management for Insurance Agents:

Here is some good advice to remember about online reputation management for insurance agnets.



You Tube Video- Online Reputation Management for Insurance Agents

Insurance blog, Insurance Agent Marketing

Internet Marketing for Insurance Agents

Internet Insurance Marketing for Insurance Agents, here is a good post with some valuable marketing for your 2008 Insurance Marketing Strategy:

"What Insurance Agents MUST learn from Auto dealers, real estate agents and
mortgage brokers. if you ask industry leaders, they'll all say there is no
greater pain then the pain of REGRET.
Independent agents will need to adjust
their way of thinking in order to deal with the recent shift in the
market. As consumers increase their use of the internet LARGE direct to
consumer insurance companies will find it easier to steal market share.
This poses a significant challenge for the independent agent....' from Tim's Blog on Active Rain

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About the NAIC

"Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The NAIC’s overriding objective is to assist state insurance regulators in protecting consumers and helping maintain the financial stability of the insurance industry by offering financial, actuarial, legal, computer, research, market conduct and economic expertise. Formed in 1871, the NAIC is the oldest association of state officials. For more than 135 years, state-based insurance supervision has served the needs of consumers, industry and the business of insurance at-large by ensuring hands-on, frontline protection for consumers, while providing insurers the uniform platforms and coordinated systems they need to compete effectively in an ever-changing marketplace....." NAIC from Insurance News