If the macroeconomic environment of early 2026 feels uncomfortably similar to early 2025, you’re not alone. Dealmakers across the insurance brokerage sector are once again navigating familiar terrain: optimism clouded by uncertainty, strong long-term fundamentals offset by short-term volatility, and a marketplace shaped as much by headlines as by fundamentals.

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Throughout the first quarter, independent insurance agencies will receive some meaningful additional revenue: carrier profit-sharing and growth incentive payouts. This contingent compensation is bonus revenue based on meeting performance benchmarks outlined in carrier contracts if the agent meets predetermined premium volumes, loss ratios, and growth objectives.

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For wealth management firms, the past decade and a half has been extraordinary: advisory businesses have benefited from one of the strongest economic expansions since the Great Depression; equity markets have surged; client assets have grown; and firm valuations have climbed dramatically as multiples for wealth management firms more than doubled. What was once a relatively qu...

At the moment, specialty intermediaries — particularly those operating in excess and surplus (E&S) and delegated authority markets — are commanding historically high valuations. Behind this headline lies a deeper story about the dynamics of capital markets and the evolving economics of the specialty sector. Understanding these dynamics is critical for firms seeking to rem...

Insurance markets move in cycles, much like the seasons. For the past several years, it’s been in a hard market – a period where premiums rise and underwriting gets tighter. Recently, though, the climate has started to shift. Premium increases are slowing, and margins are thinning. Commercial lines premiums in Q4 2025 rose by an average of just 0.2%, down from 1.6% in Q3 2025...