Professional Insurance Agents

What Professional Insurance Agents does

Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) is a voluntary, membership-based nonprofit trade association representing independent property and casualty insurance agents across five Northeast states — Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. The organization operates through four separately incorporated state associations (PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ, PIANY) and PIA Management Services Inc., a wholly owned shared-services entity that supports a staff of nearly 80 industry professionals under a joint management agreement that has been in place among NY, NJ, and CT for nearly 50 years, extended to New Hampshire in 1999 and Vermont in 2016. Its core product is PIA Membership, bundled with legislative advocacy, continuing education, technical support, and business tools, priced on an annual subscription basis with tiered partnerships (e.g., Silver Strategic Partner at $1,800/year) and per-seat CE programs.

PIA generates revenue from four primary streams: recurring membership dues; CE program fees (CIC at ~$445, CISR at ~$200, webinars at $25-$50 per CE credit, Trusted Risk Advisor Certification at $996 for the four-course series); affiliate commissions and referral fees from carrier partnerships (Hartford Flood at 20% new business, Utica National E&O, Reliance Standard employee benefits, MarketBase market leads across nearly 2,100 risk categories); and ancillary services including Design & Print, event registration, and custom in-house training. Proprietary platform features include the members-only Ask PIA technical hotline database, the QuickSource document library, PIAdvocacy grassroots-legislative tracking, the BusinessLink appointment-matching database, and the PIA Company Rating Tracking Service.

The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer through the pia.org website and phone (800-424-4244), reinforced by event-driven acquisition via major annual conferences (PIANJ|PIANY ~2,000 attendees, CT Convention 300+, PIANY MetroRAP 400+) and community-led growth through YIP chapters and the Women's Leadership Alliance. Strategic carrier and education-provider partnerships — including Beyond Insurance, The Hartford, Utica National, The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, and AIMS Society — underpin both the product portfolio and the regulatory-advocacy infrastructure that has operated continuously for over 90 years through state PACs and PIA National federal lobbying.

Name

Professional Insurance Agents

Legal name

Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc., Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey Inc., Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut Inc., Professional Insurance Agents of New Hampshire Inc. and PIA Management Services Inc.

Website

https://pia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Professional Insurance Agents is a nonprofit trade association serving independent property/casualty insurance agents across five Northeast states, providing membership dues-funded access to continuing education, legislative advocacy, technical support hotlines, and carrier-partnered business tools including E&O and flood insurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Trade Association Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance (EDABALAQ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ), Professional Liability (E&O) (FSAJAGAC), Insurance (EDAAAPAH)

Keywords

• Independent insurance agents
• Insurance trade association
• Continuing education insurance
• Insurance advocacy services
• Errors and omissions insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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 for independent insurance agents and agencies. State-specific membership applications with tiered benefits including Silver Strategic Partner at $1,800 annually.
2. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from CE-approved courses, designations (CIC, CISR, CPIA), webinars, and custom class training. Pricing varies by program: CIC early bird $445, CISR early bird $200, webinars $25-50 per CE credit.
3. Business Tools and Insurance Products: Commissions and referral fees from insurance products offered to members including E&O coverage, cyber liability, commercial umbrella, employee benefits, and flood insurance through carrier partnerships.
4. Design and Print Services: Marketing services for members including logo design, ad design, flyers, brochures, magazines, trade show displays, and printing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Professional Insurance Agents is a regional non-profit trade association serving independent insurance agents and agencies across Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. Its core offering is an annual membership package that bundles continuing-education and certification programs, state and federal legislative advocacy, access to specialty insurance markets (E&O, cyber liability, commercial umbrella, employee benefits, flood), networking events, and member business tools such as QuickSource and BusinessLink.

Product overview

Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) is a voluntary membership-based trade association offering a comprehensive platform of products and services for independent property/casualty insurance agents across Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. The core offering is PIA Membership, which provides legislative advocacy, education, information resources, and business protection tools. The education portfolio includes Continuing Education Programs, Webinars On-Demand, the Trusted Risk Advisor Certification, and CIC/CISR/CPIA designation programs. Business protection products include Errors & Omissions Coverage, Cyber Liability Insurance, Commercial Umbrella, Employee Benefits (Members' Choice), and Hartford Flood Insurance. Additional tools include Ask PIA & QuickSource Library, BusinessLink, MarketBase, PIAdvocacy, Design & Print, and various compliance centrals. The association also operates state-specific PACs (NJPIAPAC and Agents Advocacy Coalition) for political advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PIA Membership Annual trade-association membership for independent insurance agencies in CT, NH, NJ, NY, and VT; bundles continuing education, advocacy, specialty-market access, and business tools.
• Continuing Education (CE) Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2,000 insurance professionals attend annual PIANJ | PIANY Conference
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and regional.

• Beyond InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Beyond Insurance to deliver the Trusted Risk Advisor Certification Program, providing enterprise risk management skill-set training through cohort-based microlearning modules. The program offers agents and brokers a distinguished brand and competitive advantage through formal training in consultative, diagnostic sales and risk-advisory skills.
• The HartfordcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive flood insurance partnership providing PIA members with comprehensive personal and commercial flood policies. The Hartford Flood program offers competitive commissions (20% new business, 19.5% renewal, 20% rollover), multi-rater quoting system, certified flood-zone determinations, and a dedicated sales director.
• Utica National Insurance Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop-rated E&O insurance carrier partnership providing continuous, dependable E&O liability coverage to PIA members for nearly six decades. Specializes in professional liability and cyber liability solutions for insurance agencies and brokerages.
• The National Alliance for Insurance Education and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) and CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative) designation programs. PIA offers these programs in NY, NJ, and CT exclusively, providing comprehensive continuing education for insurance professionals.
• Reliance StandardkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for Members' Choice employee group benefits program providing medical, dental/vision, term life, and long-term disability coverage options for member agencies and brokerages. Products offered through Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (except NY where First Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company operates).
• AIMS Society (American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent) designation program - first-of-its-kind, hands-on, how-to training designed to enhance the ability of producers, sales support staff and company personnel to efficiently create and distribute comprehensive insurance programs.
• PIA National (National Association of Professional Insurance Agents)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing the PIA symbol and connection to the national association headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Supports federal advocacy, national programs, and PIA Political Action Committee (PIAPAC).
• Safety Insurance Co.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products to New Hampshire PIA members.
• The Andover CompaniesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products to New Hampshire PIA members.
• Hanover Insurance GroupregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products across multiple states including NH, NJ, and CT markets.
• MAPFRE InsuranceregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products across NH and CT markets.
• AFCO DirectregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertising sponsor and partner providing products and services to PIA members in CT and NH markets.
• Plymouth Rock AssuranceregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products in CT and NH markets.
• NationwideregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner providing insurance products to NJ Advantage Plus program members.
• Progressive Insurance CompanyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner providing insurance products in CT market.
• Franklin Mutual InsuranceregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatinum sponsor of PIANJ Women's Leadership Alliance, providing insurance products in NJ market.
• NJM Insurance GroupregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner providing insurance products in CT market.
• MarketBasekeyTechnology or IntegrationMarket leads database providing access to nearly 2,100 special risk categories from nearly 100 firms for members' hard-to-place risks.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Insurance Journal: A leading insurance trade media outlet providing news, education, and directories for P&C insurance professionals. Overlaps with PIA's news/content marketing arm and competes for attention as an industry information resource for independent agents.
• WebCE: Online insurance continuing education and licensing exam prep provider. PIA partners with WebCE for prelicensing courses; functionally a peer in delivering CE to insurance professionals and a potential competitor in the webinar/CE-on-demand space.

Broad incumbents

• Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I): A nonprofit industry-supported communications organization for the property/casualty insurance sector. Comparable as an industry trade body providing educational content, research, and consumer-facing communications that overlap with PIA's member-resource strategy.
• Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers: Represents large commercial insurance brokers and agents, including the wholesale segment. While oriented to larger firms, CIAB's mission of advocacy, education, and networking closely mirrors PIA's offering structure for a different agent segment.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): The U.S. state insurance regulators association. While regulatory rather than industry-facing, NAIC produces guidance and frameworks that PIA's advocacy and education programs directly reference, making its work foundational to PIA's value proposition.

Regional players

• Pennsylvania Association of Insurance Agents (PIAI): Another neighboring state-level P&C agents association with a directly comparable offering (CE, advocacy, E&O). It represents a parallel regional peer that PIA could potentially affiliate with through the same joint-management model used for NH and VT.
• Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA): A state-level independent insurance agents association serving Massachusetts. Highly comparable structure (state chapter, dues/CE/advocacy, carrier partnerships) but in a different Northeast geography, making it a plausible next-expansion target for PIA.

Direct peers

• PIA National (National Association of Professional Insurance Agents): The national umbrella organization to which PIA Northeast is affiliated. PIA National provides federal advocacy (PIAPAC), national programs, and the PIA symbol/marketing identity used by state associations. Comparability is direct: PIA Northeast is a constituent member of PIA National.
• National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research: Delivers the CIC and CISR designation programs that PIA distributes across NY, NJ, and CT. This is a direct strategic partner but functionally a peer in delivering CE/designation education to the same professional audience.
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA / The Big "I"): The national trade association for independent insurance agents, IIABA serves the same member persona (independent P&C agents), offers similar CE/designation and advocacy programs, and operates at a national scale versus PIA's regional Northeast footprint. PIA's state-level chapters are members of IIABA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PIA_Northeast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Professional Insurance Agents