Articles
Analysis, Cornerstone Guides, and commentary. 12 pieces.
The Hard Market Turned: Where Commercial P&C Rates Actually Stand
CIAB recorded the first overall premium decline since 2017, reinsurance costs fell double digits at January renewals, and commercial auto is still climbing. The split-screen market, line by line.
Cornerstone GuideProducer Compensation for Independent Agencies
The four compensation models, the benchmarks that are actually public, and what the 2026 non-compete reset changes about producer retention.
Cornerstone GuideProducer Recruitment for Independent Agencies
The four hiring paths, what the labor-market data actually measures, and the validation math that separates a producer hire from a payroll subsidy.
Cornerstone GuideAgency Succession Planning: Internal Sale, External Sale, Perpetuation, and the ESOP Question
The four succession paths, the planning gap the Agency Universe data documents, and the 2024 Supreme Court decision that rewrote buy-sell funding math.
Cornerstone GuideThe Independent Agency Tech Stack
The seven layers around the AMS core, the consolidation map that explains who owns what, and the integration questions that sort vendors before a demo.
Cornerstone GuideThe Wholesale and MGA Landscape for Independent Agencies
What $90 billion of stamping-office premium says about where risks go, the working difference between a wholesale broker and an MGA, and the submission mechanics that produce quotes.
AnalysisWhy Agency Multiples Held While Deal Volume Fell: The 2026 M&A Picture in Four Datasets
Three years of declining deal counts barely moved the price of an agency. The borrowing-spread math the advisors publish explains both, and they expect it to turn.
Cornerstone GuideE&O Insurance for Independent Insurance Agencies
What drives agency E&O pricing, the coverage-form questions that decide claims, and the renewal discipline that keeps both premium and gaps down.
Cornerstone GuidePremium Financing for Insurance Agencies: How It Works and How to Choose a Partner
How premium finance companies earn, how agencies earn on the volume they originate, where the E&O exposure hides, and the framework for choosing a partner.
Cornerstone GuideComparing the Top Agency M&A Advisors: MarshBerry, Sica Fletcher, Reagan Consulting, OPTIS Partners
An operator-perspective overview of the four major firms and a six-step selection framework.
Cornerstone GuideHow to Value an Insurance Agency in 2026
The framework serious M&A advisors use, anchored on the 2025 publicly reported multiple data.
Cornerstone GuideThe Complete Guide to Agency Management Systems for Independent P&C Agencies
The seven decisions that actually matter when choosing an agency management system, the six-step selection framework, and why platform-fit beats platform-quality every time.