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The impact of Coronavirus on the insurance industry

Unsurprisingly, that has had a knock on effect on financial service providers across the board and those in the insurance industry are no exception. In some cases insurers have started taking action to protect their businesses which, while sensible, left many consumers in the lurch as airlines failed to cancel flights and governments issued conflicting advice as to whether people should travel or not. Others in the insurance industry meanwhile are being forced into action to customers’ benefit by governments’ emergency responses to the virus.

Spotlight

Everest Reinsurance Company

Everest is a world leader in property and casualty reinsurance and insurance, offering innovative products, responsive service and unsurpassed financial strength. Everest Reinsurance Company underwrites virtually all classes and categories of business in treaty, facultative and specialty lines, both through brokers and directly with ceding companies.

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Insurance Technology

Insurance Technology Trends That Will Shape the Industry in 2022

Article | July 19, 2022

The world is changing at a rapid pace, and no industry is immune to the need to evolve, upgrade, and innovate. The effects of mass digitization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, climate change, and the rise of financial-based cybercrime are all being felt in the business world. At the same time, consumer expectations have shifted dramatically, thanks in large part to companies like Netflix and Amazon, which have the technology and business models to provide the instant access to products and services that today's consumers have come to expect. When these changes are considered, it becomes clear that no industry, not even one as traditional, robust, and stable as the insurance industry, can afford to stand still. Trend 1: CARE-Based Distribution Channels Insurance companies are engaged in a "digital arms race," rushing to equip their distribution channels with digital tools to improve customer experiences. While CARE is the core experience that most insurance companies strive to provide in both distribution and sales, few achieve it consistently. Trend 2: Quicker Payouts Pay cycle time is fast becoming one of the most important differentiators between insurance companies. The winners of the future will use insurance technology to help them resolve claims quickly, at the touch of a button. To this end, companies are adopting AI-enabled tools to automate both estimation and inspection. Telematics insurance solutions are expected to provide greater levels of contextual information that will support the smoother, faster, and more comprehensive settlement of claims. Trend 3: The Rise of Usage-Based Models As the pandemic made consumers aware of the waste involved in paying for insurance on cars that sit unused in driveways, interest in usage-based insurance products skyrocketed in 2021. As the nature of work changes and many people's daily commutes become obsolete, winning insurance companies will offer products that are more in line with how their customers live today. Telematics devices will allow insurers to offer products based on how and how far users drive. Trend 4: Intelligent Automation For a long time, the insurance industry has been experimenting with automation. The first phase was robotic process automation (RPA), which was viewed as a way to speed up processes and reduce costs without requiring significant changes to the underlying applications. While this was effective at capturing low-hanging fruit—those ubiquitous repetitive steps that were an unnecessary feature of so many insurance processes—it never really attacked productivity and core functions that required automation.

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Insurance Technology

Why Are Insurers Excited about Embedded Insurance?

Article | July 15, 2022

The traditional insurance business has been resistant to technological change for a long time. However, the industry has made significant progress over the last decade due to the implementation of the innovative InsurTech solution, which disrupted long-held market patterns. Technological changes have made insurers work intelligently through new strategies for attracting a new generation of customers. Embedded insurance is a trillion-dollar opportunity for insurers, giving them the chance to make new streams of money and lower their costs of distribution. In totality, embedded insurance is a new frontier of product innovation in insurance based on rising customer use of digital services. It presents a $3 trillion market potential in the finance industry. Narrowing the Gap that Existed Embedding digital into insurance eradicated all the gaps that existed before. Earlier, many customers felt a burden or found it unnecessary to purchase a one-off insurance policy to protect a new possession. In contrast, at present, embedded insurance products for customers are covered with protection against losses. This has given customers the ultimate peace of mind. InsureTech has provided insurers with improved data capture tools to conduct faster and more customized underwriting with applications. To reinvent insurance business models, embedded insurance as one of the InsurTech solutions has appeared efficient in filling the gaps in the insurance business. Most insurance companies proactively recognize gaps such as irrelevant data capture, inaccurate customer information, and sluggish data retrieval processes. Thus, they are attempting to incorporate their products into an embedded structure where they can engage with digitally relevant consumers at their chosen time and place. Hence, embedded business intelligence for insurance creates a win-win situation for both the consumer and the insurer in the future. Embedded Insurance Presents Opportunities Why is embedded insurance becoming popular? Because it empowers customers the most. Embedded insurance is beneficial to insurers seeking new ways to reach wider audience in one go. According to Bazaarvoice, a software technology company, 47% of consumers worldwide and 65% of US buyers now purchase online insurance products and services more frequently compared to the years from 2017 to 2020. Today, with the help of technology, most insurance companies now embed their products virtually anywhere through open APIs. So, by integrating products into a virtual platform, insurers can deliver personalized products within a suitable period, perform real-time risk assessments, gain data, and calculate accurate pricing. The insurers who gain this edge of benefit from technology need to be prepared to learn everything they can about their customers’ insights, behavior, requirements, and inclinations. Embedded Insurance: Today and Beyond Embedded insurance is a fantastic tool for insurers to enhance insurance penetration, particularly in the remote workspace model. However, to succeed with it, firms must find the correct balance between speed and efficiency of operations, detailed study of customer interests, and compliance with data. Having mentioned that, it is emerging as a new way to distribute insurance services online efficiently, solving the protection gap to expand in the future.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Cloud Insurance Solutions Are Imperative for Insurers

Article | July 14, 2022

Insurance customers look for result-driven insurance services and products. To meet those demands and grow revenue, insurers need to move beyond conventional methods and envision their insurance business' customer interaction as aiding in the management of product and service deliveries. This necessitates a cloud-based strategy for future-ready operations. This is where the concept of cloud insurance comes into play. Insurers are receiving signals that the moment has come to invest heavily in the cloud ecosystem. But how? Read about it in the following points. The revenue landscape is shifting Investing in cloud infrastructure allows insurers to gain a competitive advantage in new revenue streams. In addition, it depicts a protected sphere where all the insurance business operations are risk-free, free of cyber risks and intrusions. Digital distribution appeals to customers and capital Customer-centric innovations, such as product distribution or cloud-enabled services, draw investors' attention. This results in increased revenue production. Why is There a Need for Cloud Insurance Solutions for Businesses? Insurance businesses face numerous obstacles in a continually shifting market position each day. As a result, insurance companies must primarily respond to the demanding and rising needs of customers. Cloud technology provides accurate solutions for the same. Let's look at the need for cloud solutions amid the trending approach. Customers expect personalized products, services, and experiences to support chosen communication channels like social media, a website, or a portal. Consequently, insurers need to improve their “speed to market” approach, which is possible through cloud technology and provide competitive products and services. Furthermore, sales growth remains under constant pressure. As a result, cost reduction is another eye-catching feature for insurance companies. By streamlining procedures and operations under one roof, decentralized, and digitalized, cloud insurance best suits to decrease costs and expenditure. Not to forget, globalization demands insurance businesses be more flexible and agile to win new markets and obtain new prospects. Cloud insurance infrastructure solutions are critical today and, in the future, to achieving all of these objectives. The Insurer’s Viewpoint is Critical for Success According to the report, leaders are more likely to use Cloud SaaSs, big data, AI and machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). However, given the findings of the aforementioned study, it is clear that moving to the cloud is merely a baby step on a long journey of technological advancement. Cloud computing has emerged as a critical tool for digitization, and the significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 issue have highlighted the benefits of cloud computing." Peter Heidkamp, Head of Technology at KPMG. The Internet of Services and SaaS as a service is particularly appealing to insurance businesses when it comes to cloud insurance (SaaS). In addition, SaaS licensing options allow customers to obtain software to reduce internet and operational costs. The real use cases or benefits of the cloud are: Business scalability and flexibility Increased customer satisfaction Optimizing business processes Cost reduction Encourages business backups Cloud Insurance: A Wake-up Call for Opportunities Cloud technology and its solutions enable insurers to leverage cloud capabilities and resources to stay abreast with market developments. The technology meticulously encourages customized products and services on time, develops corporate networks, and implements new business processes with high revenue. However, adopting cloud solutions is not always an easy decision for insurers, but those that overcome security worries can reap the benefits of cloud insurance. Therefore, utilizing cloud solutions is a continuous journey that necessitates constant innovation and adaptability.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Emergency Prevention: 3 Ways Insurtech is Leading the Way

Article | July 20, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the pressures on emergency medical services and healthcare professionals as well as insurance platforms. Insurtech has proved to be a robust area of technology that needs further investments to ensure that we are able to leverage it even in times when there’s little global turmoil. The Efma-Accenture Innovations in Insurance award winners have validated the exponential expansion of insurtech. Here are three insurtech innovations driving emergency prevention in healthcare. 1 bAIby – Interpreting Baby Cries bAIby is a next-gen baby monitoring device powered by AI. Labelled as a “cry translator,” the BabyT device uses AI to interpret what a baby’s cries mean. The bAIby solution is based on the understanding that the first six months of a baby’s cries universally communicate the following: sleepiness hunger discomfort stomach issues The developer of the BabyT AI, Zoundream, collaborated with insurance company Generali to enroll young parents and test BabyT. This allowed Zoundream to collect the massive amounts of data sets required to train the AI. The AI is able to detect pathologies like hyperthyroidism, autism and even hearing impairment. Furthermore, it will enable Generali to provide new parents with assistance, prevention, and insurance services, thus providing the peace of mind that insurance services should provide. This innovation won the gold in the Efma-Accenture Innovations in Insurance award. 2 Air Doctor – Finding a Doctor Overseas Silver winner Air Doctor is a cutting edge solution to help individuals find general practitioners in unfamiliar places. The solution is aimed at travellers and expatriates whose first instinct when sick overseas may be to visit a hospital, leading to high medical costs and burdening the local healthcare system. The Air Doctor platform provides access to a network of physicians in six continents and 70 countries. The information includes the doctor’s location, specialization, as well as online appointment booking and virtual care options. Insurance providers can integrate with the platform to connect with their customers by offering a digital link for quick verification and approval. The platform has made managing basic medical attention easier for both consumers and insurance providers. 3 bolttech – Boosting Insurance Penetration Bronze winner bolttech was recognized for its smart insurance exchange ecosystem that enables non-insurers to integrate insurance solutions into their purchase journey. For instance, smartphone vendors can use bolttech to provide insurance as an option during the purchase of a new phone, leveraging the most effective purchase touchpoints to provide coverage. This is especially crucial in markets that have a low penetration of insurance. bolttech’s platform has medical plans with self-declared underwriting, delivering instant cover and reducing the onboarding time to just 90 seconds. 4 The Way Forward Digitalization of insurance is the future of the industry. The above solutions have proven use cases that enable both consumers and providers to leverage digital network to create secure and stress-free access to insurance.

Read More
Insurance Technology

4 Aspects of Cyber Insurance that SMBs Must Know

Article | July 19, 2022

The world is changing at a rapid pace, and no industry is immune to the need to evolve, upgrade, and innovate. The effects of mass digitization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, climate change, and the rise of financial-based cybercrime are all being felt in the business world. At the same time, consumer expectations have shifted dramatically, thanks in large part to companies like Netflix and Amazon, which have the technology and business models to provide the instant access to products and services that today's consumers have come to expect. When these changes are considered, it becomes clear that no industry, not even one as traditional, robust, and stable as the insurance industry, can afford to stand still. Trend 1: CARE-Based Distribution Channels Insurance companies are engaged in a "digital arms race," rushing to equip their distribution channels with digital tools to improve customer experiences. While CARE is the core experience that most insurance companies strive to provide in both distribution and sales, few achieve it consistently. Trend 2: Quicker Payouts Pay cycle time is fast becoming one of the most important differentiators between insurance companies. The winners of the future will use insurance technology to help them resolve claims quickly, at the touch of a button. To this end, companies are adopting AI-enabled tools to automate both estimation and inspection. Telematics insurance solutions are expected to provide greater levels of contextual information that will support the smoother, faster, and more comprehensive settlement of claims. Trend 3: The Rise of Usage-Based Models As the pandemic made consumers aware of the waste involved in paying for insurance on cars that sit unused in driveways, interest in usage-based insurance products skyrocketed in 2021. As the nature of work changes and many people's daily commutes become obsolete, winning insurance companies will offer products that are more in line with how their customers live today. Telematics devices will allow insurers to offer products based on how and how far users drive. Trend 4: Intelligent Automation For a long time, the insurance industry has been experimenting with automation. The first phase was robotic process automation (RPA), which was viewed as a way to speed up processes and reduce costs without requiring significant changes to the underlying applications. While this was effective at capturing low-hanging fruit—those ubiquitous repetitive steps that were an unnecessary feature of so many insurance processes—it never really attacked productivity and core functions that required automation.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Cybersecurity Material for Private Companies

Article | July 15, 2022

The traditional insurance business has been resistant to technological change for a long time. However, the industry has made significant progress over the last decade due to the implementation of the innovative InsurTech solution, which disrupted long-held market patterns. Technological changes have made insurers work intelligently through new strategies for attracting a new generation of customers. Embedded insurance is a trillion-dollar opportunity for insurers, giving them the chance to make new streams of money and lower their costs of distribution. In totality, embedded insurance is a new frontier of product innovation in insurance based on rising customer use of digital services. It presents a $3 trillion market potential in the finance industry. Narrowing the Gap that Existed Embedding digital into insurance eradicated all the gaps that existed before. Earlier, many customers felt a burden or found it unnecessary to purchase a one-off insurance policy to protect a new possession. In contrast, at present, embedded insurance products for customers are covered with protection against losses. This has given customers the ultimate peace of mind. InsureTech has provided insurers with improved data capture tools to conduct faster and more customized underwriting with applications. To reinvent insurance business models, embedded insurance as one of the InsurTech solutions has appeared efficient in filling the gaps in the insurance business. Most insurance companies proactively recognize gaps such as irrelevant data capture, inaccurate customer information, and sluggish data retrieval processes. Thus, they are attempting to incorporate their products into an embedded structure where they can engage with digitally relevant consumers at their chosen time and place. Hence, embedded business intelligence for insurance creates a win-win situation for both the consumer and the insurer in the future. Embedded Insurance Presents Opportunities Why is embedded insurance becoming popular? Because it empowers customers the most. Embedded insurance is beneficial to insurers seeking new ways to reach wider audience in one go. According to Bazaarvoice, a software technology company, 47% of consumers worldwide and 65% of US buyers now purchase online insurance products and services more frequently compared to the years from 2017 to 2020. Today, with the help of technology, most insurance companies now embed their products virtually anywhere through open APIs. So, by integrating products into a virtual platform, insurers can deliver personalized products within a suitable period, perform real-time risk assessments, gain data, and calculate accurate pricing. The insurers who gain this edge of benefit from technology need to be prepared to learn everything they can about their customers’ insights, behavior, requirements, and inclinations. Embedded Insurance: Today and Beyond Embedded insurance is a fantastic tool for insurers to enhance insurance penetration, particularly in the remote workspace model. However, to succeed with it, firms must find the correct balance between speed and efficiency of operations, detailed study of customer interests, and compliance with data. Having mentioned that, it is emerging as a new way to distribute insurance services online efficiently, solving the protection gap to expand in the future.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Insurance Technology Trends That Will Shape the Industry in 2022

Article | July 14, 2022

Insurance customers look for result-driven insurance services and products. To meet those demands and grow revenue, insurers need to move beyond conventional methods and envision their insurance business' customer interaction as aiding in the management of product and service deliveries. This necessitates a cloud-based strategy for future-ready operations. This is where the concept of cloud insurance comes into play. Insurers are receiving signals that the moment has come to invest heavily in the cloud ecosystem. But how? Read about it in the following points. The revenue landscape is shifting Investing in cloud infrastructure allows insurers to gain a competitive advantage in new revenue streams. In addition, it depicts a protected sphere where all the insurance business operations are risk-free, free of cyber risks and intrusions. Digital distribution appeals to customers and capital Customer-centric innovations, such as product distribution or cloud-enabled services, draw investors' attention. This results in increased revenue production. Why is There a Need for Cloud Insurance Solutions for Businesses? Insurance businesses face numerous obstacles in a continually shifting market position each day. As a result, insurance companies must primarily respond to the demanding and rising needs of customers. Cloud technology provides accurate solutions for the same. Let's look at the need for cloud solutions amid the trending approach. Customers expect personalized products, services, and experiences to support chosen communication channels like social media, a website, or a portal. Consequently, insurers need to improve their “speed to market” approach, which is possible through cloud technology and provide competitive products and services. Furthermore, sales growth remains under constant pressure. As a result, cost reduction is another eye-catching feature for insurance companies. By streamlining procedures and operations under one roof, decentralized, and digitalized, cloud insurance best suits to decrease costs and expenditure. Not to forget, globalization demands insurance businesses be more flexible and agile to win new markets and obtain new prospects. Cloud insurance infrastructure solutions are critical today and, in the future, to achieving all of these objectives. The Insurer’s Viewpoint is Critical for Success According to the report, leaders are more likely to use Cloud SaaSs, big data, AI and machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). However, given the findings of the aforementioned study, it is clear that moving to the cloud is merely a baby step on a long journey of technological advancement. Cloud computing has emerged as a critical tool for digitization, and the significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 issue have highlighted the benefits of cloud computing." Peter Heidkamp, Head of Technology at KPMG. The Internet of Services and SaaS as a service is particularly appealing to insurance businesses when it comes to cloud insurance (SaaS). In addition, SaaS licensing options allow customers to obtain software to reduce internet and operational costs. The real use cases or benefits of the cloud are: Business scalability and flexibility Increased customer satisfaction Optimizing business processes Cost reduction Encourages business backups Cloud Insurance: A Wake-up Call for Opportunities Cloud technology and its solutions enable insurers to leverage cloud capabilities and resources to stay abreast with market developments. The technology meticulously encourages customized products and services on time, develops corporate networks, and implements new business processes with high revenue. However, adopting cloud solutions is not always an easy decision for insurers, but those that overcome security worries can reap the benefits of cloud insurance. Therefore, utilizing cloud solutions is a continuous journey that necessitates constant innovation and adaptability.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Emergency Prevention: 3 Ways Insurtech is Leading the Way

Article | July 20, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the pressures on emergency medical services and healthcare professionals as well as insurance platforms. Insurtech has proved to be a robust area of technology that needs further investments to ensure that we are able to leverage it even in times when there’s little global turmoil. The Efma-Accenture Innovations in Insurance award winners have validated the exponential expansion of insurtech. Here are three insurtech innovations driving emergency prevention in healthcare. 1 bAIby – Interpreting Baby Cries bAIby is a next-gen baby monitoring device powered by AI. Labelled as a “cry translator,” the BabyT device uses AI to interpret what a baby’s cries mean. The bAIby solution is based on the understanding that the first six months of a baby’s cries universally communicate the following: sleepiness hunger discomfort stomach issues The developer of the BabyT AI, Zoundream, collaborated with insurance company Generali to enroll young parents and test BabyT. This allowed Zoundream to collect the massive amounts of data sets required to train the AI. The AI is able to detect pathologies like hyperthyroidism, autism and even hearing impairment. Furthermore, it will enable Generali to provide new parents with assistance, prevention, and insurance services, thus providing the peace of mind that insurance services should provide. This innovation won the gold in the Efma-Accenture Innovations in Insurance award. 2 Air Doctor – Finding a Doctor Overseas Silver winner Air Doctor is a cutting edge solution to help individuals find general practitioners in unfamiliar places. The solution is aimed at travellers and expatriates whose first instinct when sick overseas may be to visit a hospital, leading to high medical costs and burdening the local healthcare system. The Air Doctor platform provides access to a network of physicians in six continents and 70 countries. The information includes the doctor’s location, specialization, as well as online appointment booking and virtual care options. Insurance providers can integrate with the platform to connect with their customers by offering a digital link for quick verification and approval. The platform has made managing basic medical attention easier for both consumers and insurance providers. 3 bolttech – Boosting Insurance Penetration Bronze winner bolttech was recognized for its smart insurance exchange ecosystem that enables non-insurers to integrate insurance solutions into their purchase journey. For instance, smartphone vendors can use bolttech to provide insurance as an option during the purchase of a new phone, leveraging the most effective purchase touchpoints to provide coverage. This is especially crucial in markets that have a low penetration of insurance. bolttech’s platform has medical plans with self-declared underwriting, delivering instant cover and reducing the onboarding time to just 90 seconds. 4 The Way Forward Digitalization of insurance is the future of the industry. The above solutions have proven use cases that enable both consumers and providers to leverage digital network to create secure and stress-free access to insurance.

Read More
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Spotlight

Everest Reinsurance Company

Everest is a world leader in property and casualty reinsurance and insurance, offering innovative products, responsive service and unsurpassed financial strength. Everest Reinsurance Company underwrites virtually all classes and categories of business in treaty, facultative and specialty lines, both through brokers and directly with ceding companies.

Related News

Core Insurance

Higginbotham Joins Forces with Bourg Insurance

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas and one of the top firms in the country, has joined forces with Bourg Insurance, a long-term family business with deep ties to the South Louisiana community. As Higginbotham celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid credits careful, strategic growth for the company's long-term success. Under Reid's guidance, the company seeks partners with sterling reputations in their local markets and strong cultural affinities. At Higginbotham, we place tremendous importance on family — which is how we view our team — and on service to our community, Reid said. If you're looking around for a similar family- and community-oriented business partner, you have to be looking at the Bourg family in South Louisiana. Bourg Insurance President Brad Bourg, who runs the business alongside his brother Brennan Bourg, brother-in-law Chuck Leblanc — and third brother Bert Bourg, who has long been an important part of the business but is now taking a well-earned retirement — elaborated, "Our father, Claude 'Toby' Bourg, Jr., started this company back in 1958, and our flagship office is still located in our family hometown of Donaldsonville, Louisiana. It's a matter of real pride to us that so many of our clients come from word of mouth, because they know who we are." "They know we believe in community involvement and that we're service-oriented, which are two things that really work together," Brennan Bourg, who serves as vice president, agreed. "When you're locally conscious and active in your community, you know how to provide the personalized service that your clients deserve." "Of course, that's what drew us to Higginbotham," said Chuck Leblanc, who also serves as vice president while running the commercial lines department and managing the Donaldsonville office. "It's that family and community culture. We were approached by plenty of other firms, but in the end, we unanimously agreed that Higginbotham was most closely aligned with our way of doing business." The Bourg brothers — Brad, Brennan and brother-in-law Chuck — also pointed out that they are looking forward to the opportunities the collaboration with Higginbotham will provide to their clients, as well as to their team, who will be eligible to take part in a top-tier employee ownership plan. "We've been a small business for years," Brad explained. "With Higginbotham, we'll have technology and support to move that forward, providing the same services but on a larger scale." "Access to markets, scalability, professionalism — and of course, a great brand," Brennan agreed. "Higginbotham brings so much to the table, and we're thrilled to be adding their name alongside ours." For Higginbotham, the partnership with Bourg Insurance fortifies our existing footprint within Louisiana and provides significant opportunity for continued growth. "Our company has deep ties in this area, being here as long as we have," Brad explained. "With this alliance, Higginbotham gets a nice footprint throughout South Louisiana." "And they get us," Chuck concluded. "We're not retiring! Quite the opposite. We're looking forward to the future with Higginbotham, serving our clients just as this business has for the past 65 years." About Bourg Insurance Founded in 1958 by Claude 'Toby' Bourg, Jr. and his wife Edith, Bourg Insurance is a personal and commercial property and casualty, life and health insurance agency located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, with additional offices in Prairieville, Chauvin and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Now a Higginbotham partner agency, Bourg Insurance is run by Toby and Edith's sons, Brad and Brennan, and son-in-law Chuck Leblanc, as a family- and community-oriented business with a strong emphasis on personal lines and small to middle market companies in the real estate, restaurant and construction sectors, among others. As an agency built on relationships and personal service, Bourg Insurance has won numerous Distinguished Agency awards. About Higginbotham Employee owned and customer inspired, Higginbotham is a single source solution for insurance, financial and HR services. The firm was established in 1948 and ranks by revenue as the nation's 21st largest independent insurance firm. Serving thousands of businesses and individuals through locations coast-to-coast, Higginbotham's approach to finding insurance, employee benefit and risk management solutions is more individual and less institutional. By understanding customer priorities, eliminating inefficiencies and committing to transparency, Higginbotham is a place that leads with values so value leads.

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Insurance Technology

Acturis Partners with FullCircl to Deliver Next Generation Data Enrichment to the Insurance Market

PR Newswire | October 19, 2023

Acturis, the leading technology provider to the general insurance industry, has partnered with Customer Lifecycle Intelligence platform FullCircl to integrate its SmartBroker solution into the platform in order to deliver a rich, contextualised, and connected data solution for brokers, insurers, and MGAs. The SmartBroker API integration will provide next generation data enrichment to Acturis users proven to drive growth, improve decisioning, and enhance compliance. Recent research has highlighted a persistent level of doubt when it comes to broker and insurer trust in data. This has significant knock-on impacts when tackling many of the biggest challenges facing the industry - onboarding speeds, underwriting accuracy, underinsurance, personalised customer journeys, risk and fraud reduction, and meeting compliance duties. By integrating FullCircl SmartBroker into the Acturis platform brokers and insurers can: Efficiently identify and win new customers Save time and pre-populate forms in Acturis with validated data Run screening and onboarding checks Enrich customer data to save time and improve underwriting submissions Improve in-life monitoring for personalised experiences, elevated renewal rates, and expanded upsell opportunities Improve customer outcomes and comply with the Consumer Duty Speaking about the partnership Tony Goddard, CEO of Acturis commented: We're always looking for new ways to enhance how our customers write more business and ensure the trading experience is accurate, efficient, and effective. Integrating with FullCircl is another opportunity for us to elevate our platform and connect the insights brokers need, when it matters most. Andrew Yates, CEO and Co-Founder at FullCircl said: "This integration has been driven by demand from our shared customer base. We've worked together to provide users with a connected solution that will provide meaningful opportunities to drive growth. We believe brokers, insurers and MGAs are better with data, and this integration makes data enrichment more accessible. We're delighted to announce this partnership so quickly after the launch of our SmartBroker solution and exclusive facility for BIBA members. It's an exciting time for us, and for our customers in the insurance sector." Phil Barton CEO at Partners&, collaborators in the integration, expressed his excitement at the launch commenting: "I am delighted to see the integration of Acturis and FullCircl being announced. As a partner of both firms, and a business committed to intelligent use of technology, we could see the natural synergy in this integration, and the potential added value for our business. I am pleased to have played a role in influencing the development of this valuable proposition for the broking community." About FullCircl FullCircl is a Customer Lifecycle Intelligence (CLI) platform that connects the insight you need, when it matters most. Its software, delivered through a platform, API, and suite of applications, is used to identify and acquire customers, verify entities and assess risk to accelerate onboarding, and retain and grow customers by delivering proactive account management. FullCircl identifies millions of actionable insights daily on entities from 160 countries, providing a near real-time record of companies, their officers and shareholders, and the relationships between them. FullCircl improves commercial effectiveness while empowering businesses to satisfy regulatory requirements and make informed decisions about their customers. FullCircl was formed following the merger of Artesian Solutions and DueDil and is backed by top tier investors including Octopus Investments, Notion Capital and Augmentum Fintech. In 2023, FullCircl acquired W2 Global Data Solutions, strengthening its KYC, AML and identity verification capabilities. Today, it serves 700+ customers, 15,000+ users, processes over 300 million onboarding and monitoring transactions per month and facilitates the onboarding of 200,000+ customers annually. About Acturis Acturis is the leading, award winning Software-as-a-Service provider to the insurance industry. Founded in 2000, we have grown exponentially over the past 20 years. To date, more than 100,000 individuals, in over 40 countries, use Acturis solutions to power their business. We drive innovation in both personal and commercial lines by working closely with brokers, insurers, and MGAs. Our work has helped create and shape the insurance market of today. The Acturis Group includes Acturis SaaS, Nordic Insurance Software (NIS), ICE InsureTech, Broker Buddha, Acturis Deutschland, Acturis France and Acturis Canada.

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Risk Management

INSURICA and Ascend Join Forces to Revolutionize Financial Operations in the Insurance Industry

PR Newswire | October 12, 2023

INSURICA, one of the largest privately held independent insurance agencies in the nation, has selected Ascend, the leading financial operations automation platform, to advance their commitment to innovation, elevate the client experience, and drive increased efficiency across their operations. As the industry's sole provider of financial operations automation software, Ascend will streamline INSURICA's billing, carrier payables, and financing workflows. By integrating Ascend's transformative technology, INSURICA aims to enhance their customer-centric approach while empowering their teams to dedicate more time to building valuable client relationships. We are constantly re-evaluating the way we do business, striving to deliver exceptional customer service and optimize our operations, said Kylie Hubbard, Director of Innovation at INSURICA. Ascend is a groundbreaking solution that has truly revolutionized our post-placement lifecycle for policies. With seamless software and automation, we have significantly improved customer service and streamlined our processes. Ascend's solution automates all accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) tasks in the agency bill workflow. From invoicing to premium financing to carrier payables, Ascend simplifies the complex tasks associated with premium and commission management. This unified workflow provides real-time transparency and accelerates the speed at which INSURICA can bind and manage policies, all while prioritizing a superior customer payment experience. We founded Ascend with the goal of partnering with leaders in the insurance distribution channel to optimize operational efficiencies and elevate the client experience through automation, emphasized Andrew Wynn, Co-CEO of Ascend. INSURICA's commitment to innovation aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are honored to collaborate with them in pushing the insurance industry forward. About Ascend Ascend is the industry-leading provider of financial operations automation software, dedicated to modernizing the insurance industry's financial infrastructure. Ascend is the only solution designed to enhance agency management systems by streamlining the insurance life cycle for agency bill processes. By eliminating manual back office accounting tasks, improving cash collection cycles, and providing a best-in-class customer experience, Ascend significantly increases the productivity, efficiency, and profitability of agencies and brokerages. To learn more about how Ascend can transform your business, please visit www.useascend.com. About INSURICA Placing over $1 billion in annual premiums for our clients, INSURICA is among the 40 largest insurance brokers in the United States and is currently the 24th largest privately held independent agency in the country. INSURICA employs more than 600 colleagues in 33 offices located throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. We are constantly looking to expand our network with partners who bring additional value and expertise to the enterprise and our clients. Our focus on finding quality and experienced partners, coupled with the resources of Assurex Global positions INSURICA as one of the preeminent insurance brokerages in the country and further emphasizes our customer pledge that we "Specialize in You."

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Core Insurance

Higginbotham Joins Forces with Bourg Insurance

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas and one of the top firms in the country, has joined forces with Bourg Insurance, a long-term family business with deep ties to the South Louisiana community. As Higginbotham celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid credits careful, strategic growth for the company's long-term success. Under Reid's guidance, the company seeks partners with sterling reputations in their local markets and strong cultural affinities. At Higginbotham, we place tremendous importance on family — which is how we view our team — and on service to our community, Reid said. If you're looking around for a similar family- and community-oriented business partner, you have to be looking at the Bourg family in South Louisiana. Bourg Insurance President Brad Bourg, who runs the business alongside his brother Brennan Bourg, brother-in-law Chuck Leblanc — and third brother Bert Bourg, who has long been an important part of the business but is now taking a well-earned retirement — elaborated, "Our father, Claude 'Toby' Bourg, Jr., started this company back in 1958, and our flagship office is still located in our family hometown of Donaldsonville, Louisiana. It's a matter of real pride to us that so many of our clients come from word of mouth, because they know who we are." "They know we believe in community involvement and that we're service-oriented, which are two things that really work together," Brennan Bourg, who serves as vice president, agreed. "When you're locally conscious and active in your community, you know how to provide the personalized service that your clients deserve." "Of course, that's what drew us to Higginbotham," said Chuck Leblanc, who also serves as vice president while running the commercial lines department and managing the Donaldsonville office. "It's that family and community culture. We were approached by plenty of other firms, but in the end, we unanimously agreed that Higginbotham was most closely aligned with our way of doing business." The Bourg brothers — Brad, Brennan and brother-in-law Chuck — also pointed out that they are looking forward to the opportunities the collaboration with Higginbotham will provide to their clients, as well as to their team, who will be eligible to take part in a top-tier employee ownership plan. "We've been a small business for years," Brad explained. "With Higginbotham, we'll have technology and support to move that forward, providing the same services but on a larger scale." "Access to markets, scalability, professionalism — and of course, a great brand," Brennan agreed. "Higginbotham brings so much to the table, and we're thrilled to be adding their name alongside ours." For Higginbotham, the partnership with Bourg Insurance fortifies our existing footprint within Louisiana and provides significant opportunity for continued growth. "Our company has deep ties in this area, being here as long as we have," Brad explained. "With this alliance, Higginbotham gets a nice footprint throughout South Louisiana." "And they get us," Chuck concluded. "We're not retiring! Quite the opposite. We're looking forward to the future with Higginbotham, serving our clients just as this business has for the past 65 years." About Bourg Insurance Founded in 1958 by Claude 'Toby' Bourg, Jr. and his wife Edith, Bourg Insurance is a personal and commercial property and casualty, life and health insurance agency located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, with additional offices in Prairieville, Chauvin and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Now a Higginbotham partner agency, Bourg Insurance is run by Toby and Edith's sons, Brad and Brennan, and son-in-law Chuck Leblanc, as a family- and community-oriented business with a strong emphasis on personal lines and small to middle market companies in the real estate, restaurant and construction sectors, among others. As an agency built on relationships and personal service, Bourg Insurance has won numerous Distinguished Agency awards. About Higginbotham Employee owned and customer inspired, Higginbotham is a single source solution for insurance, financial and HR services. The firm was established in 1948 and ranks by revenue as the nation's 21st largest independent insurance firm. Serving thousands of businesses and individuals through locations coast-to-coast, Higginbotham's approach to finding insurance, employee benefit and risk management solutions is more individual and less institutional. By understanding customer priorities, eliminating inefficiencies and committing to transparency, Higginbotham is a place that leads with values so value leads.

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Insurance Technology

Acturis Partners with FullCircl to Deliver Next Generation Data Enrichment to the Insurance Market

PR Newswire | October 19, 2023

Acturis, the leading technology provider to the general insurance industry, has partnered with Customer Lifecycle Intelligence platform FullCircl to integrate its SmartBroker solution into the platform in order to deliver a rich, contextualised, and connected data solution for brokers, insurers, and MGAs. The SmartBroker API integration will provide next generation data enrichment to Acturis users proven to drive growth, improve decisioning, and enhance compliance. Recent research has highlighted a persistent level of doubt when it comes to broker and insurer trust in data. This has significant knock-on impacts when tackling many of the biggest challenges facing the industry - onboarding speeds, underwriting accuracy, underinsurance, personalised customer journeys, risk and fraud reduction, and meeting compliance duties. By integrating FullCircl SmartBroker into the Acturis platform brokers and insurers can: Efficiently identify and win new customers Save time and pre-populate forms in Acturis with validated data Run screening and onboarding checks Enrich customer data to save time and improve underwriting submissions Improve in-life monitoring for personalised experiences, elevated renewal rates, and expanded upsell opportunities Improve customer outcomes and comply with the Consumer Duty Speaking about the partnership Tony Goddard, CEO of Acturis commented: We're always looking for new ways to enhance how our customers write more business and ensure the trading experience is accurate, efficient, and effective. Integrating with FullCircl is another opportunity for us to elevate our platform and connect the insights brokers need, when it matters most. Andrew Yates, CEO and Co-Founder at FullCircl said: "This integration has been driven by demand from our shared customer base. We've worked together to provide users with a connected solution that will provide meaningful opportunities to drive growth. We believe brokers, insurers and MGAs are better with data, and this integration makes data enrichment more accessible. We're delighted to announce this partnership so quickly after the launch of our SmartBroker solution and exclusive facility for BIBA members. It's an exciting time for us, and for our customers in the insurance sector." Phil Barton CEO at Partners&, collaborators in the integration, expressed his excitement at the launch commenting: "I am delighted to see the integration of Acturis and FullCircl being announced. As a partner of both firms, and a business committed to intelligent use of technology, we could see the natural synergy in this integration, and the potential added value for our business. I am pleased to have played a role in influencing the development of this valuable proposition for the broking community." About FullCircl FullCircl is a Customer Lifecycle Intelligence (CLI) platform that connects the insight you need, when it matters most. Its software, delivered through a platform, API, and suite of applications, is used to identify and acquire customers, verify entities and assess risk to accelerate onboarding, and retain and grow customers by delivering proactive account management. FullCircl identifies millions of actionable insights daily on entities from 160 countries, providing a near real-time record of companies, their officers and shareholders, and the relationships between them. FullCircl improves commercial effectiveness while empowering businesses to satisfy regulatory requirements and make informed decisions about their customers. FullCircl was formed following the merger of Artesian Solutions and DueDil and is backed by top tier investors including Octopus Investments, Notion Capital and Augmentum Fintech. In 2023, FullCircl acquired W2 Global Data Solutions, strengthening its KYC, AML and identity verification capabilities. Today, it serves 700+ customers, 15,000+ users, processes over 300 million onboarding and monitoring transactions per month and facilitates the onboarding of 200,000+ customers annually. About Acturis Acturis is the leading, award winning Software-as-a-Service provider to the insurance industry. Founded in 2000, we have grown exponentially over the past 20 years. To date, more than 100,000 individuals, in over 40 countries, use Acturis solutions to power their business. We drive innovation in both personal and commercial lines by working closely with brokers, insurers, and MGAs. Our work has helped create and shape the insurance market of today. The Acturis Group includes Acturis SaaS, Nordic Insurance Software (NIS), ICE InsureTech, Broker Buddha, Acturis Deutschland, Acturis France and Acturis Canada.

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Risk Management

INSURICA and Ascend Join Forces to Revolutionize Financial Operations in the Insurance Industry

PR Newswire | October 12, 2023

INSURICA, one of the largest privately held independent insurance agencies in the nation, has selected Ascend, the leading financial operations automation platform, to advance their commitment to innovation, elevate the client experience, and drive increased efficiency across their operations. As the industry's sole provider of financial operations automation software, Ascend will streamline INSURICA's billing, carrier payables, and financing workflows. By integrating Ascend's transformative technology, INSURICA aims to enhance their customer-centric approach while empowering their teams to dedicate more time to building valuable client relationships. We are constantly re-evaluating the way we do business, striving to deliver exceptional customer service and optimize our operations, said Kylie Hubbard, Director of Innovation at INSURICA. Ascend is a groundbreaking solution that has truly revolutionized our post-placement lifecycle for policies. With seamless software and automation, we have significantly improved customer service and streamlined our processes. Ascend's solution automates all accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) tasks in the agency bill workflow. From invoicing to premium financing to carrier payables, Ascend simplifies the complex tasks associated with premium and commission management. This unified workflow provides real-time transparency and accelerates the speed at which INSURICA can bind and manage policies, all while prioritizing a superior customer payment experience. We founded Ascend with the goal of partnering with leaders in the insurance distribution channel to optimize operational efficiencies and elevate the client experience through automation, emphasized Andrew Wynn, Co-CEO of Ascend. INSURICA's commitment to innovation aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are honored to collaborate with them in pushing the insurance industry forward. About Ascend Ascend is the industry-leading provider of financial operations automation software, dedicated to modernizing the insurance industry's financial infrastructure. Ascend is the only solution designed to enhance agency management systems by streamlining the insurance life cycle for agency bill processes. By eliminating manual back office accounting tasks, improving cash collection cycles, and providing a best-in-class customer experience, Ascend significantly increases the productivity, efficiency, and profitability of agencies and brokerages. To learn more about how Ascend can transform your business, please visit www.useascend.com. About INSURICA Placing over $1 billion in annual premiums for our clients, INSURICA is among the 40 largest insurance brokers in the United States and is currently the 24th largest privately held independent agency in the country. INSURICA employs more than 600 colleagues in 33 offices located throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. We are constantly looking to expand our network with partners who bring additional value and expertise to the enterprise and our clients. Our focus on finding quality and experienced partners, coupled with the resources of Assurex Global positions INSURICA as one of the preeminent insurance brokerages in the country and further emphasizes our customer pledge that we "Specialize in You."

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