How Will Tariffs Impact M&A?
The recently enacted tariffs have introduced uncertainty into the insurance industry, including the agency mergers & acquisitions market. Here are three areas to monitor over the coming months.
Agency Operations
M&A Hits 5-Year First-Quarter Low But Big Deals Loom
Mergers and acquisition insurance sector deals dropped 15% to 141 in the first quarter of 2025, a decline from 166 in the first quarter of 2024.
Scaling Smart: Acquisition Best Practices for Independent Insurance Agencies
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Peter van Aartrijk, executive vice president with insurance branding firm Aartrijk, hosts a discussion on best practices when making an agency acquisition—whether it’s your first purchase or just your most recent acquisition.
How Does a Divorce Impact Your Agency Value?
While no one enters marriage with the prospect of divorce, it happens and can wreak havoc on an agency both operationally and strategically.
M&A in 2024 Was a Year of Mega Deals
Our industry has been witnessing intense consolidation for at least the last decade, but we have never seen this type of activity at the top of the market. Will these mega deals usher in a new era of deal-making?
4 Ways a Bank Loan Can Fuel Agency Growth in 2025
By Scott Freiday In the highly competitive and evolving insurance landscape, independent agency owners face a unique set of challenges and myriad capital needs to sustain their growth. As we head into 2025, there is a greater sense of urgency for agencies to invest in technology and talent and make strategic mergers & acquisitions (M&A). The average…
What Types of Interest Rates Do Lenders Use?
By Alicia Chandler The recent rate cuts by the Federal Reserve have prompted more agency owners to think about ways to grow their businesses. With the cost of borrowing starting to ease, many agency owners feel now may be the time to take a chance on new growth initiatives aided through debt financing. Not all lenders are…
5 Areas Where Alignment Can Make or Break an Acquisition
The landscape of agency acquisitions is as challenging as it is rewarding. To be successful, an acquisition requires a delicate balance between strategic alignment, financial prudence, cultural fit and more.
Declaration of Independents: Stephanie Dew
In 2022, Dew, then 20% owner of WinStar, learned that the other two owners would be retiring. She didn’t want to see the agency absorbed by the large buyers circling overhead and decided she would buy it herself—even if it meant mortgaging her house.
How Independent Insurance Agency Values Will Respond to the Election
Like elections in the past, this one will not impact agency values—but fiscal policy could impact the portion owners take home.
