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.

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.
While no one enters marriage with the prospect of divorce, it happens and can wreak havoc on an agency both operationally and strategically.
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…
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…
Like elections in the past, this one will not impact agency values—but fiscal policy could impact the portion owners take home.
In the market right now, prospective buyers are not determining the price they will pay for an agency based on revenue alone, but instead on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).
The increase in catastrophic events and higher loss ratios has the potential to significantly impact agencies’ profit sharing, revenue, carrier appointments and other valuation factors.
While getting a valuation before you sell is critically important, waiting until the last minute may be too late to implement the changes and overcome weaknesses to significantly improve value.