Insurance Agents & Brokers

What Insurance Agents & Brokers does

Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) is a nonprofit professional trade association that serves as the premier resource and advocate for independent insurance agents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. The organization operates as a partnership of three state associations — the Delaware Association of Insurance Agents & Brokers Inc., Insurance Agents & Brokers of Maryland Inc., and Insurance Agents & Brokers of Pennsylvania Inc. — with the Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group serving as the management arm. IA&B provides a multi-product service portfolio across five domains: (1) Education and Events including state licensing prep, CIC/CISR/CPIA designation programs, CE webinars, the Insuring Careers Certification Program (ICCP), and the annual Young Agent Conference; (2) Insurance Solutions for member agencies including Errors and Omissions, Cyber, EPLI, Umbrella, and Directors and Officers coverage, plus market access programs such as IMS, RLI home business and personal umbrella products, and Big I Alliance Blue; (3) Member Resources including the Primary Agent magazine, Agent Headlines newsletter, HR/compliance tools, and the Agency Procedure Manual; (4) Additional fee-based services such as compliance counseling and Remote Work Agreement templates; and (5) Political Advocacy in three state capitols through a dedicated Government Affairs Director and the AgentPAC political action committee.

IA&B generates revenue through a diversified mix of streams. Recurring membership dues come from three tiers — independent agencies, carriers and aggregators (partner members), and associate members ($589/year). Transaction-based revenue comes from insurance product placement via RLI (with 8-10% commissions on Personal Umbrella), Premium Finance Brokerage referral revenue sharing, and flood insurance placements. Event and education revenue includes ICCP enrollment at $1,500 per student, Young Agent Conference registration at $399-$519, CE courses, and designation programs. One-time publication revenue comes from the Agency Procedure Manual ($299 members, $350 non-members) and advertising in Primary Agent magazine.

The organization serves 1,150 independent insurance agencies representing more than 17,000 insurance professionals across the tri-state region. IA&B operates from a 23-person staff (reduced from over 50 after outsourcing in-house printing) out of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, with a regional office in Annapolis, Maryland opened in December 2019. Leadership includes President and CEO Jason Ernest, Esq., CFO Keith Foster, CPA, four Vice Presidents (Advocacy, Education, Marketing, Membership), and a Board of Directors chaired by Andrew Enders, Esq.

Name

Insurance Agents & Brokers

Legal name

Insurance Agents & Brokers

Website

https://iabforme.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) is a nonprofit professional trade association that provides education, advocacy, insurance market access, and compliance resources to 1,150 independent insurance agencies across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Trade Association Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Insurance trade association
• Professional insurance education
• Agency market access
• Insurance licensing programs
• Insurance advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pausa

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from independent insurance agencies, carriers/aggregators, and associate members. Three tiers: Independent Agencies, Carriers & Aggregators, and Associate Members ($589/year for associate members).
2. Insurance Product Placement: IA&B places insurance products for members when they don't have direct access. Provides market access through IMS, RLI programs (Home Business Insurance, Personal Umbrella), and Premium Financing referral services. Earns commissions from carriers.
3. Education and Event Fees: Revenue from certification programs (ICCP $1,500), CE courses, designation programs (CIC, CISR, CPIA), conference registrations, and webinars. Young Agent Conference registration ranges $399-$519.
4. Agency Tools and Publications: Sale of Agency Procedure Manual ($299 members, $350 non-members), Remote Work Agreement ($99 non-members), and other compliance/HR tools. Revenue from advertising in Primary Agent magazine and digital newsletters.
5. Premium Financing Referrals: Premium Finance Brokerage LLC referral program where agencies earn revenue sharing for facilitating premium financing for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) is a professional trade association that provides independent insurance agents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware with continuing education, state licensing preparation, professional designations, market-access programs, agency E&O and commercial insurance coverage, compliance/HR tools, and legislative advocacy. Services are delivered through annual memberships, conferences, certification programs, online courses, and partnerships with carriers such as IMS, RLI, and Big I Alliance Blue.

Product overview

Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) is a professional trade association offering a comprehensive suite of services for independent insurance agencies in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio organized around five core areas: (1) Education & Events featuring the Insuring Careers Certification Program (ICCP), CIC/CISR designation programs, CE webinars, and the annual Young Agent Conference; (2) Insurance Products including Market Access Programs (IMS, RLI Home Business Insurance, RLI Personal Umbrella), agency coverage (E&O, Cyber, EPLI), and Big I Alliance Blue; (3) Member Resources including legal compliance guidance, HR tools, technology resources, and the Primary Agent Magazine; (4) Additional Services such as the Agency Procedure Manual (APM), Remote Work Agreement tool, and Compliance Counseling; and (5) Advocacy Services representing members in state legislatures. The association also offers Associate Membership for industry suppliers and Partner Membership for carriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insuring Careers Certification Program (ICCP) A comprehensive certification program that trains newcomers for careers in property and casualty insurance, providing licensing exam preparation, 25+ online self-paced modules, and job placement assistance for PA, MD, and DE.
• Young Agent Award & Conference Annual recognition program and conference for young insurance professionals (under 39) in PA, MD, and DE, featuring educational sessions, networking, and the Young Agent Award.
• Education & Events (Licensing, CE, Designations) Professional development offering including state licensing courses (PA, MD, DE), CIC and CISR designation programs, CPIA sales/marketing training, CE webinars, E&O risk management training, and conferences for member insurance agencies.
• Market Access Programs (IMS, RLI, Big I Alliance Blue) Programs providing IA&B member agencies access to insurance carriers and specialty products including Independent Market Solutions (IMS), RLI (Home Business Insurance and Personal Umbrella), Big I Alliance Blue (PA/DE), and PIA National Flood Program (MD).
• Agency Insurance Coverage Insurance products for IA&B member agencies including Errors & Omissions (E&O), Cyber, Employment Practices Liability (EPLI), Umbrella, and Directors & Officers (D&O) coverage.
• Agency Procedure Manual (APM) Customizable electronic collection of 120+ forms, worksheets, and checklists documenting business procedures for independent insurance agencies, cooperatively developed with Moberg Group, Inc. Priced at $299 for members, $350 for non-members.
• Remote Work Agreement Tool Collection of customizable Word documents including telecommuting policies, agreement templates, and procedure checklists for agency employees working remotely, developed with Herbein | Mosteller HR Solutions. Complimentary for members; $99 for non-members.
• Compliance Counseling Services Fee-based compliance services including customizable Employee Handbooks and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime compliance support for independent agencies.
• Associate Membership Annual membership at $589/year for companies offering products or services to independent insurance professionals, including advertising benefits in Primary Agent magazine, access to membership directory, and discounts on events.
• Advocacy Services Political advocacy and legislative representation for independent insurance agents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware state capitols (Harrisburg, Annapolis, Dover), supported by the AgentPAC political action committee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 consecutive years of Diamond-level Excellence in Insurance Education Awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Independent Market Solutions (IMS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMS facilitates relationships between independent insurance agencies and carriers without need for direct appointment. IA&B members access IMS at no charge with little to no minimum premium volume requirements. Sub-producers receive competitive commissions and participate in earned contingencies.
• RLIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for Home Business Insurance and Personal Umbrella Liability Policy (PUP) products. RLI provides up to $1,000,000 business general liability coverage and up to $5 million umbrella coverage. 8-10% competitive commissions on PUP.
• Flood Risk Solutions (FRS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate flood insurance options in all 50 states including primary flood insurance, NFIP, Preferred Risk Policies, dynamic Flood Rater for multiple quotes, parametric solutions, and wind deductible buy-backs.
• Premium Finance Brokerage, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive member benefit enabling agencies to offer personal and commercial lines clients premium financing. Creates revenue sharing opportunity for agencies. Features include credit card down payment, interest rate guarantee, and quick loan technology.
• Big I Alliance BluecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline market access system available exclusively to PA and DE IA&B members. No fees, no volume commitments, competitive commissions. For personal or commercial markets.
• PIA National Flood ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlood insurance access program through The Hartford available to Maryland IA&B members.
• Moberg Group, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading insurance consulting firm that cooperatively developed the Agency Procedure Manual (APM) with IA&B. Provides agency operations, procedures development, automation selection, and E&O risk management services.
• Herbein | Mosteller HR SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading insurance agency HR partner and longstanding HR consultant to IA&B and its members. Developed Remote Work Agreement tool and provides HR compliance support.
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation for PA and DE IA&B associations. Provides access to national resources, Big I Alliance programs, and industry recognition programs like Excellence in Insurance Education awards.
• PIA NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation for Maryland IA&B association. Provides access to national PIA resources, flood programs, and professional development support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Insurance Journal: Industry trade publication and event producer serving independent and commercial insurance agents and brokers nationwide. Comparable adjacency to IA&B in serving insurance professionals with news, education (Webinars, Producers Council), and events, though as a media company rather than a membership association.
• Trusted Choice: Consumer-facing brand and agent-directory program operated by IIABA that IA&B member agencies participate in to generate leads. Enables the consumer "Find an Agent" directory on iabforme.com — an adjacent ecosystem service rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• PIA National (National Association of Professional Insurance Agents): Competing national trade association representing independent insurance agents with affiliated state chapters nationwide. Operates a similar membership, education, advocacy, and carrier-market-access model at the national level and is the most direct alternative industry home for independent agents.
• Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB): National trade association representing large and mid-market commercial insurance brokers and agencies. Overlaps with IA&B on the brokerage trade-association concept but skews toward larger commercial brokerages rather than the small/mid-market independent-agency segment IA&B represents.
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA / Big I): National federation that serves as IA&B's national affiliation and represents independent insurance agents nationwide. Directly comparable as the apex trade association of which IA&B is a state-level chapter, providing the same core functions of advocacy, education, and market access at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA): Florida's state-level association for independent insurance agents, providing education, advocacy, and member services comparable to IA&B. Operates on the same playbook of professional designations, CE, and legislative representation for independent agency members.
• Independent Insurance Agents Association of New York (IIAANY / Big I New York): New York state's trade association for independent insurance agents. Runs the same combination of education/designations, legislative advocacy in Albany, carrier access, and member services as IA&B.
• Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA): Massachusetts' state-level trade association for independent insurance professionals. Direct functional peer to IA&B — member services, licensing prep, designations, advocacy in Boston, and market access through carrier partnerships.
• Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (Big I of Virginia): Virginia's independent insurance agents association, structurally and functionally identical to IA&B — same IIABA-affiliated model of state-level membership, education, advocacy in Richmond, and carrier market access programs.
• Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT): State-level trade association serving independent insurance agents across Texas. Closest direct peer to IA&B — same membership-driven model, same education and advocacy mission, same carrier market-access partnerships, just at much larger geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights9 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7Hfr1FCkKruNcDEJoR9UZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/iabforme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1010562
• Instagraminstagram.com/ia.and.b
• Xx.com/IA_and_B

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Insurance Agents & Brokers