Navigating the Complexities of Insurance Agency Acquisitions: Insights from Industry Leaders
The landscape of agency acquisitions is as challenging as it is rewarding, requiring a delicate balance between strategic alignment, financial prudence, and cultural fit. IA Valuations’ CEO, Jeff Smith, and Director of Business Planning and Valuations, Craig Niess, led a conversation with industry experts Missy Kahl (Bickle Insurance), Vaughn Troyer (Hummel Group), and Rob Smith […]
The Ins and Outs of EBITDA and How to Leverage It
“I bought this book of business for two times 25 years ago; I was just going to do the same when I’m ready to retire.” This is one of the most common quips IA Valuations hears from the generation of agency owners getting ready to retire, and we fear it could leave much on the […]
Help! Our Community Just Suffered a CAT, How Will This Affect My Agency Value?
It’s still early in the year and your community was just ravished by another convective storm, tornado, wildfire, mass flooding, or another widespread CAT loss. This story is becoming all too familiar across the country as natural weather events are happening at a higher rate. Over the last five years, 2019-2023, the National Centers for […]
Three Ways Your Accounting Practices Affect the Value of Your Insurance Agency
In an all too common and unfortunate situation, agency principals are often suddenly forced to step away from their agency due to death or disability. In this unplanned and unexpected scenario, there is no “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” option, and it can be incredibly disruptive for the ongoing agency operations. At this critical moment, the CSRs and producers […]
The Resiliency of the Independent Insurance Agency System and How You Can Leverage It
Why has private equity fallen in love with the independent insurance agent? Many would be quick to tell you that the insurance broker and agent industry is steady. It weathers storms. Thus, private equity interest in this space has remained so high. While this sentiment is true, how do we know it’s true? How do […]
Help! I’m Not Getting Profit-Sharing This Year. What Effect Will It Have on My Agency Value?
Unfortunately, you may be one of the many agencies not receiving profit-sharing due to the inflated loss ratios caused by the hard market. While this will have an impact on your value, the good news is the hard market is likely temporary and should not have a profound impact on the value of your agency […]
Contingency Performance Trends
It is contingency season and like any bonus, it can either bring excitement or disappointment. Given the current hard market conditions, contingency season has brought more disappointment than excitement. In this article, we will break down contingency performance for small- to mid-size agencies as it relates to a percentage of annual revenue. Spoiler alert: with […]
Help! I’m Buying My Dad’s Insurance Agency and It Has Not Been Updated in 35 Years
After much consideration, you’ve made the decision to purchase your father’s insurance agency. He’s been dreaming of this moment since you were a child; this day has felt inevitable for you since childhood. He always brought you into the office on the weekends, having you file papers, shovel snow, vacuum the floors, and had you […]
New Year, New Opportunity to Focus on the Top 5 Areas that will Improve the Value of Your Agency
As the calendar turns from 2023 to 2024, many of us choose to partake in the age-old tradition of creating New Year’s Resolutions. In honor of that tradition, we have created the top 5 opportunities to improve your agency value as you solidify your plans and goals for 2024. 1. Revenue Growth YOY revenue growth […]
The Five Factors that Have the Greatest Impact on Value at Sale
After years of owning and operating an independent agency, navigating the waters of selling your agency in the open market is a tall task. It raises many difficult questions, including: When is the right time to sell? What factors are third-party buyers looking for when it comes to acquiring an agency? What should an owner […]