In this episode of Insurance Banter, Paula and Chris welcome back Mark Robinson for a practical conversation on how agents and brokers should respond to Department of Insurance (DOI) consumer complaints—and why these letters should be taken seriously, even when the complaint feels minor or “garden variety.” 

What You’ll Learn

• What a Department of Insurance complaint actually is (and what it’s not)
• Why agents shouldn’t panic, but must respond seriously and quickly
• How DOI complaint responses can expose broader issues like licensing or premium handling
• The biggest mistakes agencies make when responding to regulators
• How fees and disclosure failures can become major complaint triggers
• When you should involve an attorney—and when you may not need one
• Practical steps to reduce complaints before they ever get filed

If you'd like to connect with Mark, his contact information can be found here:

https://www.mrllp.com/

In this episode, we sit down with one of the most effective insurance lobbyists in the industry to talk about why insurance keeps losing the public narrative, why honesty and expertise matter more than money, and what happens when even insurance executives stop believing in their own product.

Show Notes

• Why insurance lobbying keeps losing: Too few resources, too much territory, and “hired-gun” lobbyists who don’t actually understand how insurance works.
• The two things that make a lobbyist effective: Be the real expert in the room—and be scrupulously honest (because “you only get to lie once”).
• The bigger threat than tort reform: Public trust + affordability. When even insurance executives say they’ll drop homeowners coverage, the industry is headed toward adverse selection and a consumer backlash—unless carriers change their mindset and show up with leadership, not silence.

Chris and Paul are joined by Jim Caragher from the CIB Group (https://thecibgroup.com/) to chat about producer recruitment.  

Producers don’t fail—systems do. Why agencies that rely on luck and “shovel-ready” hires struggle, while those with real sales playbooks see 70%+ success rates.

• Why recruiting outside insurance works. How proven B2B salespeople from other industries thrive when given structure, mentorship, and a clear path to renewals and residual income.
• Building producers builds agency value. How validated next-gen producers dramatically increase agency valuation and attract private equity buyers.

Noelle McCall from Peoples First Insurance and Contract Risk Academy joins Chris and Paul to discuss the positive impacts contract review can have on your agency and some of the pitfalls to look out for.

You can learn more about Noelle and her program at https://www.contractriskacademy.com/

Chris and Paul are Joined by Jeff Mango from AM Best.  They discuss the growth of MGAs/MGUs and other Delegated Underwriting Authority entities in the market.  Those types of operations now make up a material portion of the insurance distribution network and this discussion will help you better understand the shifts in the marketplace.  

Chris and Paul are joined by Frank Pennachio to discuss the often unrecognized risk in self-funded health plans and his new book The Silent Danger. 

Chris and Paul welcome Don Grimm from Archer Actuarial to the podcast.

They discuss what impact, both direct and indirect,  the recent tariffs will have on the insurance industry.  

If you'd like more information on the educational offerings Don mentioned, please feel free to reach out directly to him:

(215) 205-9425
[email protected]

https://archeractuarial.com/

Insurance policies are long and complex.  At the time of a claim, one section is especially important, understanding your duties as a policyholder.  Mara Essick from Merlin Law Group joins Chris and Paul to talk about some of those responsibilities and their importance.  

You can learn more about Mara here: 

https://www.merlinlawgroup.com/attorneys/mara-essick-esq/

Mara's article discussed in the podcast can be found here: 

https://www.propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com/blog/avoid-claim-denials/

Jason Bogart and Bo Eaton from Deep Customer Connections join the podcast to talk about underwriting flexibility...what it is, what carriers get wrong when developing go to market strategies, and more!

Chris and Paul discuss the recent whitepaper disclosure in the Florida Legislature along with the current state of the homeowners market.  

A few key topics: 

• Are people served better when a regulator reduces standards?
• Is the industry living up to it's responsibility to the public?
• The rising trend of people not buying property coverage