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MJ Companies Expands Nashville Ops, Names Reavis VP for Development

Article 0 Comments Reavis Indianapolis-based MJ Companies, an insurance agency and financial consulting firm, named Craig Reavis vice president for business and community development. The company also signed a lease for new office space at the upscale Nashville Yards mixed-use development district near downtown. Reavis was recently regional vice president at Atlantic American Corp. He has more than 15 years in insurance, employee benefits and risk management, the company said in a news release. MJ, founded in 1964, has offices in Phoenix, Indianapolis, Denver, and now Nashville, offering commercial and personal insurance, risk management, employee benefits, retirement, compensation, and consulting services. Was this article valuable? Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article. Submit No Thanks Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it. Submit No Thanks Here are more articles you may enjoy. The most important insurance news,in your inbox every business day. Get the insurance industry’s trusted newsletter

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Get Started on Your Journey to Independence

United Planners fosters a dynamic and supportive culture built on exceptional service, efficiency, and a commitment to its advisors. With hold times of less than 10 seconds and a dedicated, high-quality back-office team, we prioritize responsiveness and reliability. Our “kick-butt” is centered around collaboration, integrity, and our firm stance on a NO Jerk Policy, ensuring a positive and respectful environment for all. We believe in having fun while getting it done, creating an atmosphere where advisors feel empowered, valued, and supported. This investment in culture translates into an outstanding experience for both advisors and their clients. United Planners is an Independent RIA and Broker-Dealer that has been empowering financial professionals since 1987. Our unique Limited Partnership structure sets us apart, ensuring long-term stability and a commitment to advisor success. Same trusted name, ever-improving service, and an unmatched cultural experience. Here’s what makes United Planners different from other Independent RIA/BD firms: A Firm Built on Advisor Ownership United Planners is 100% owned by advisors and employees . The General Partners hold 45%, while qualifying producing advisors collectively own 55%, sharing directly in the firm’s annual profits. This advisor-first model ensures that UP is not for sale —our advisors and employees have...

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People Moves: Starkweather & Shepley Unveils Promotions, Officer Advancements

Article 0 Comments Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc., headquartered in East Providence, Rhode Island, made several recent promotions and advancements in officer positions, including: Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. Andrew J. Fotopulos, chairman & chief executive officer Elizabeth A. Lowe, president Florence DuPerry, senior vice president Alicia Vazquez, vice president Jonathan Cross, vice president Justin Williams, vice president Maria Barnowski, vice president Ruth Leber, vice president Beth Howard, assistant vice president Colleen White, assistant vice president Crista Larochelle, assistant vice president Cristina Squatrito, assistant vice president Holly Laflamme, assistant vice president Lissette Delgado, assistant vice president Marcela Chiappetta, assistant vice president Timothy Braun, assistant vice president RISCO Insurance Brokerage Inc. Christine Beauregard, vice president Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Corp. of MA Andrew J. Fotopulos, chairman and CEO Elizabeth A. Lowe, president Lisa Lee, assistant vice president Martha’s Vineyard Insurance Agency Inc. Andrew J. Fotopulos, CEO Elizabeth A. Lowe, president James F. Geary, senior vice president Krista Curry, assistant vice president Custom House Risk Advisors Lisa Myrberg, vice president Molly Travalini, director of lending Lee Procter, director of stabilized portfolios Geoff Miller, director of professional lines and cyber Tom Hunt, director of development Zach Diamond, director of business development...

Manulife Named #1 Life Insurance Company for AI Maturity by Evident 0

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Manulife Named #1 Life Insurance Company for AI Maturity by Evident

Company ranks in top five for insurance industry overall Toronto, ON (Jun. 23, 2025) – Manulife is pleased to announce that it has been ranked first in the life insurance sector for artificial intelligence (AI) maturity in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Insurance, ranking in the top five across the insurance industry overall, and is one of only three companies to rank in the top 10 in every category measured. “We are incredibly proud to be recognized by Evident for our AI leadership. We were an early adopter of AI and have spent years embedding it across our business to deliver meaningful impact,” said Phil Witherington, President and CEO, Manulife. “At a time when our industry is experiencing a true inflection point for AI adoption, today’s recognition provides confidence that Manulife is on track to derive tangible growth, increased productivity, and financial performance gains through principled and disciplined deployment of AI across our business.” The Evident AI Index for Insurance assesses AI maturity across 30 of the most prominent insurance companies in North America and Europe, measuring progress across four key categories: Talent, Innovation, Leadership, and Transparency. Developed by AI benchmarking platform Evident, this first-of-its-kind index covers leading life,...

Co-operators Transforms Claims Operations with Guidewire ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud Platform 0

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Co-operators Transforms Claims Operations with Guidewire ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud Platform

Subsidiary Sovereign Insurance also leveraging ClaimCenter for claims management San Mateo, CA (June 16, 2025) – Co-operators, a leading Canadian multi-line insurance and financial services organization, and Guidewire are pleased to announce that Co-operators successfully implemented Guidewire ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud Platform to power its claims management functions, adapt to changing market demands, and deliver more value to policyholders. A Guidewire customer since 2007, Co-operators migrated ClaimCenter to Guidewire Cloud Platform simultaneously for most of its property and casualty (P&C) lines of business in the provinces where it operates. The company also extended its ClaimCenter instance on Guidewire Cloud Platform to its subsidiary Sovereign Insurance. Co-operators previously migrated Guidewire PolicyCenter and Guidewire BillingCenter to Guidewire Cloud Platform in 2023. With the conclusion of this project, the majority of the company’s P&C Operations are now a full Guidewire InsuranceSuite customer on Guidewire Cloud Platform. “This was a multi-year transformation for Co-operators, a successful result of collaboration across our P&C Business and Technology teams and Guidewire,” said Harry Pickett, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Co-operators. “We leveraged our learnings from our previous PolicyCenter and BillingCenter migration to accomplish this modernization on time and with little disruption to our claims process. The full suite on...

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9 Social Security Bills in Congress Now

/ ThinkAdvisor provides financial advisors, registered investment advisors and wealth managers with comprehensive coverage of the products, services and information they need to guide their clients in making critical wealth, health and life decisions.

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US Supreme Court Lets Fuel Producers Challenge California Emissions Standards

Article 0 Comments The U.S. Supreme Court sided on Friday with fuel producers that had opposed California’s standards for vehicle emissions and electric cars under a federal air pollution law, agreeing that their legal challenge to the mandates should not have been dismissed. The justices in a 7-2 ruling overturned a lower court’s decision to throw out the lawsuit by a Valero Energy subsidiary and fuel industry groups. The lower court had concluded that the plaintiffs lacked the required legal standing to challenge a 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to let California set its own regulations. Related: California, 10 Other States Sue to Block Trump From Killing 2035 EV Rules “The government generally may not target a business or industry through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulation, and then evade the resulting lawsuits by claiming that the targets of its regulation should be locked out of court as unaffected bystanders,” conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the majority. The dispute centered on an exception granted to California during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration to national vehicle emission standards set by the agency under the landmark Clean Air Act anti-pollution law. Though states and municipalities are generally preempted from enacting...

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Foundational, Leadership-Driven Education High Priority in Insurance

Article 0 Comments Foundational learning remains a high priority for insurance and risk management professionals, according to The Institutes Knowledge Group’s annual Skills Report. Risk assessment, coverage analysis, and insurance operations education were among the top courses chosen by industry professionals. Based on data from The Institutes’ expansive community of learners who completed over 182,000 courses and 13,000 designations in 2024, the report provides a glimpse into the state of skill development within the risk management and insurance landscape. The Associate in Insurance course, covering insurance basics, was the top designation earned in 2024. Leadership courses continue to be popular, with the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriting course also among the top 10 courses in 2024. The most in-demand course subjects in 2024 included: Insurance Fundamentals Communication and Collaboration Leadership and Strategy Data and Security Claims Management Risk Management Commercial Insurance Fundamentals Business and Financial Management Personal Insurance Fundamentals Legal and Compliance “Organizations can use these insights to create clear learning pathways for their employees, from entry-level roles to executive management positions,” the report noted. “Capitalizing on employees’ early interest and leveraging that engagement throughout their career enables organizations to future-proof their business.” The most in-demand designations in 2024 were: AINS...

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Insurer Aflac Investigating Possible Data Breach

Article 0 Comments Aflac on Friday disclosed a cybersecurity incident in which personal information of its customers may have been compromised, making it the latest insurance provider to be targeted. The health and life insurance firm said the attack on its U.S. network, which was identified on June 12, was caused by a “sophisticated cybercrime group,” but did not specify a name. It said it was unable to determine the total number of affected individuals until a review, which is in its early stages, is completed. The company said it was able to stop the intrusion within hours and has reached out to third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate into the incident. The company said the potentially impacted files contain personal information of its customers, such as social security numbers and health-related details. Aflac offers accident and pet insurance plans in the U.S. and Japan. It manages personal, medical and financial data of more than 50 million policyholders. Health insurers have been facing increased cybersecurity risks recently with UnitedHealth’s breach being the most notable example impacting 100 million people last year. UnitedHealth’s Change unit was breached by a hacking group called ALPHV, also known as “BlackCat” who are estimated to have...

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Inside Cetera’s New Service Model: A Conversation with President Todd Mackay

Amidst today’s dynamic landscape, advisors need more than just support; they need a strategic partner dedicated to their growth and success. Discover how Cetera is reshaping advisor service with its innovative “Growth Journey” and proprietary “Growth 360” methodology, which focuses on quickly identifying the best growth opportunities. Join Cetera Wealth Management President, Todd Mackay, for an inside look at what it takes to provide advisors with faster service, deeper consulting, and a personalized experience supporting each advisor’s unique business goals. Mackay will share the strategy behind re-aligning advisor-facing teams and what it means for advisors’ business. We will delve into the core components of Cetera’s approach, including the Regional Growth Team (RGT) consultative approach, designed to provide a personalized journey for every financial professional. Attend this webcast and you’ll learn: How the proprietary “Growth 360” methodology works to rapidly assess your practice and pinpoint prime growth avenues. Insights into the Regional Growth Team (RGT) approach and how it delivers personalized, consultative support. The strategic thinking behind Cetera’s realignment of advisor-facing teams to enhance service speed and consulting depth. How these changes translate into tangible benefits and a competitive edge for your advisory business. Don’t miss this chance to hear from...