There is a Greek saying: You can’t bathe in the same river twice. It means that the river changes constantly. You may stand on the same spot on the banks as you did earlier and enter the river, but the river has flowed on and this is a new river. You are not the same [...]

How does a good insurance agent get made? By chance or by choice? Through hard work and doggedness, or study and perseverance? Is he an agent when he gets his licence or when he achieves high targets and performance levels, joining exclusive clubs in his company or associations like Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), or [...]

I heard about two initiatives of the insurance regulator’s office recently. Both relate to policyholders’ welfare. One is an exclusive website for customers and prospective buyers of insurance. The site is a preliminary step in informing the public at large about insurance, its utility and how to buy insurance intelligently. The other effort is all [...]

I attended two interesting conferences in September. One was by a national-level industries association, Assocham, where an international consultancy company raised many questions about (all types of) insurance intermediation in India. One of the questions, disturbingly enough for Premium readers, was: “Is agency a lost cause?” Luckily, the question had a second part: “Or is [...]

A few weeks ago I attended a nostalgic get-together. It was the silver jubilee reunion of the 1986 batch of direct recruit officers of The New India Assurance Company, the batch that I am part of. Twenty five years ago, about 40 fresh-faced graduates of all backgrounds met at (then) Bombay to join the public [...]

In the past month I have been closely involved in the hospitalisation of and care-giving for an elderly relative. Beyond the suffering of the sick person, beyond the anxiety of family members, beyond the significant expenses in terms of time, money and effort, an amazing but simple realisation hits home. Health is Wealth. Not just [...]

Five years into its existence, Premium has been growing along with its principal readership – the insurance agents – and reporting on their transformation from being a faceless someone to a key player in the scheme of things. Now the magazine is ready for its onward march, braving challenges of its own and providing solutions to those faced by its readership.

Transforming yourself for a profession that changes and challenges you everyday is much like building your house. The final product is you and your professional practice.

Premium’s fifth birthday occasions a fresh look from YOU at what goals you want to achieve over the next five years.

Year-end targets may be urgent, but the insurance agency profession is going to face serious challenges in the coming financial year.