Articles & Media Coverage

Media Coverage

Articles

All articles are authored by Renaissance staff, partners, and affiliates.

  • The New Normal for Agents: Riding the Wave

    By J. Bruce Cochrane, CIC

    Reprinted by permission, The Standard, November 4, 2011

    A combination of the raging economic recession and a soft insurance market have conspired to drive commissions for insurance agents to alarmingly low levels. Looming on the horizon is the soon-to-be-realized reality of an exceptionally weak year for profit sharing resulting from a confluence of 2010 weather anomalies, which will exacerbate the commission drain on insurance agencies in the coming year. Insurance agents face the prospects for a very lean 2012, but the enterprising agency will adjust by recognizing the opportunities that exist amid the chaos and acting upon them. [ more ]

  • Case Studies in Agency Cash Management: Renaissance Group Turns to InsurBanc To Help Member Agencies Do Many Things Well

    By InsurBanc

    Reprinted by permission, InsurBanc, April 14, 2011

    J. Bruce Cochrane, CIC, president of Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services, LLC, knows that independent agency owners must do many things well in order to succeed: Prospect, sell, and service — plus run an efficient operation. Cochrane—who was an agency principal for two decades with Cochrane and Porter Insurance Agency, Inc., a family-owned independent agency in Massachusetts—has a passion for helping owners make their agencies the best they can be. [ more ]

  • The Renaissance Group Automates Workflow, Saves Time and Streamlines Operations with AMS360 and WorkSmart™

    Vertafore

    Reprinted by permission, Vertafore

    Ask Renaissance Group COO Janet Cochrane to define what the agency is all about and she'll quote her husband and co-founder, Bruce: "We're in the business of building a better mousetrap." The original retail agency, Cochrane & Porter, was founded in 1940 and has grown into the Renaissance Group, a thriving enterprise. "Renaissance Alliance was created with the goal of keeping the independent agency concept alive and well by enabling agents to focus on what they do best: interact with their clients," explained Heather Cochrane, director of business management solutions. "From our main office, we market and place business for our agents and perform many of the back-office operations so they can spend more time selling and servicing. In essence, we take the monkey off the independent agents' backs." [ more ]

  • Where Necessity Meets Opportunity: New Avenues Open for Agents

    By J. Bruce Cochrane, President, Renaissance Group

    Reprinted by permission, The Standard, November 3, 2006

    An old adage asserts that out of crisis arises opportunity. Not all crises come paired with their own solutions, but a unique confluence of forces affecting MassachusettsÍ independent insurance agencies is setting the stage for both a profitability crisis and the means to overcome it. Agencies that successfully weather this storm will be those who can foresee it, recognize the opportunity, and mobilize swiftly enough to take advantage of it. [ more ]

  • Is there a natural disaster in your future?

    Janet H. Cochrane, COO, Renaissance Group

    Reprinted by permission, The Standard, May 5, 2005

    Those of us who live in the Northeast were fortunate to escape the ravages of serious weather-related disasters in 2005. From Katrina and Ivan to tornadoes and wildfires, many of our fellow citizens weren't as lucky. By all accounts, 2005 was a record-breaker in the sheer number and severity of hurricanes. But just because we dodged a bullet last year doesn't mean we can breathe a sigh of relief. Meteorologists are painting an ominous picture for the upcoming hurricane season which begins on June 1. [ more ]

  • Generalist or Specialist? Meeting Challenges and Opportunities by Determining Your Agency's Structure and Goals

    J. Bruce Cochrane - President, Renaissance Group

    Reprinted by permission, The Standard, November 11, 2005

    Over the past generation, a mismatch has developed between the product needs of local independent insurance agencies and the insurers that supply those products. Twenty years ago, both insurers and their agents were generalists. National insurers that were committed to writing a wide spectrum of risks dominated the ranks of insurers. Agents generally marked out a local territory in which they would try to sell to as many clients as possible. Therefore, an agent's need for a broad spectrum of risk transfer products was matched by an insurer's ability and desire to provide a wide spectrum of risk transfer products. [ more ]

  • Making Sense of Workers Compensation Market Swings

    J. Bruce Cochrane - President, Renaissance Group

    Reprinted by permission from The Journal of Workers Compensation, Spring 2005

    Practically every business has cycles, and the workers compensation market is no exception to this rule. Unfortunately, aside from those who make their livings in this market, very few "users" are in a position to identify the workers compensation cycles, to adjust to them, or, more importantly, to take advantage of the opportunities they afford.

    Often, the changes in the cycle are so subtle that even the trained observer is unprepared. One thing is certain: The workers compensation market cycle does exist, and significant opportunities await those who can react to and take advantage of its changes. [ more ]

  • How We Are Paid - Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services

    We live in an age where consumers have become keenly aware and increasingly sophisticated in their knowledge of financial service provider fees. We strongly endorse disclosure to our customers of fees and commissions paid to agents and brokers in the sales and service of insurance products. [ more ]

  • Independent Contractors: Will the Solution Become Your Problem

    Jon Coppelman - Lynch Ryan

    Reprinted by permission from The Standard, May 12, 2006

    We all know what the problem is: the construction industry throughout New England is rife with uninsured "independent contractors." When these people are injured, liability for their lost wages and medical bills occasionally gravitates to the general contractor (GC). When that fails, the state's second injury fund usually picks up the tab. [ more ]

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