Help! I’m 65 and Want to Sell My Insurance Agency
The highly anticipated day has finally come: you are getting ready to retire. After spending 30+ years working in your insurance agency, you have made the difficult decision that it is time to sell the agency and step down. Hopefully, you have been running your business over the years as if you were going to […]
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 […]
The Effect of the Hard Market on Agency Values
For many insurance agencies, the hard market yields a double-edged sword as it relates to agency values. Some of the impacts of the hard market can have a positive impact on agency value, while others will work to depress values. Understanding these impacts will be key to helping you navigate these uncertain times. The Insurance […]
The Importance of a Strong Balance Sheet
The value of a balance sheet is a key component in the calculation of agency value. We encourage our IA Valuations clients to bolster their balance sheets, not only to increase their agency value, but also for a myriad of reasons that will have both short-term and long-term impacts on the agency. Agency Reinvestment Agencies […]
5 Reasons to Use IA Valuations for an Insurance Agency Valuation
Getting a valuation of your insurance agency is an important decision and a tool to understanding the fair market value of what is likely your greatest financial asset. You can get a valuation from many sources. Each of those sources has a motive, experience, and credentials for providing the service. In this article, we will […]
How Does Consolidation in the IA System Affect the Value of Your Agency?
It is undeniable that the independent agency system is undergoing massive consolidation. In what we have dubbed “the greatest wealth transfer in the history of the independent agency system,” we are experiencing a realignment of the IA business model. Over the past 10 years, according to Optis Partners, the IA system has experienced a 250% […]
Five Things to Consider When Selling Your Agency
The process of selling your agency can be a long and winding road. As an agency owner, your agency has become a major part of your identity and is synonymous with your name in your community (often times the agency is the owner’s name). You have spent countless hours and energy building your business, serving your clients and engaging with your company […]
Using an Agency Valuation as a Roadmap for Growth
Why Agency Owners should Utilize an Agency Valuation as a Business Planning Tool In today’s business climate, agency owners can no longer afford to use revenue multiples to understand agency value. The exact calculation of agency value requires a much deeper dive into the numbers, employees, and operation to get an accurate assessment of an […]
Traditional Independent Agencies are Losing the M&A Game
We are experiencing the greatest wealth transfer in the history of the independent agency (IA) system and traditional retail independent insurance agencies (privately held) are getting crushed in the merger and acquisition (M&A) game. According to Optis Partners, the IA system experienced a record 1,061 M&A transactions of independent agencies and brokers in 2021. There […]