Registration opens THURSDAY for Young Agents Scholarship Golf Tournament
To be held April 27 in Columbia - registration currently open for Palmetto Partners
Registration is now open for Palmetto Partners and opens THURSDAY, March 19 for everyone else to the Young Agents Scholarship Golf Tournament to be held April 27at the Fort Jackson Golf Club in Columbia, SC. Sponsorship opportunities (including hole sponsors) are available. Our tournament is for anyone who wants to play, it's not just for young agents, nor is it just for insurance industry professionals. It is a fundraiser to benefit our young agents program. Register individually or as a team, but team registration is the only way to guarantee pairings. Registration closes April 14. Tournament starts with lunch and then a shotgun start at 12:15 pm. Reception and awards afterwards. Golf clinic on the driving range is also returning this year. (+ More...)
IN MEMORIAM: W. Lee Taylor, Jr.
W. Lee Taylor, 78, passed away on March 7, 2026. He was the President & CEO and founder of IIABSC member agency Taylor Agency Insurance based in the Lowcountry with five locations in South Carolina. He was also very active with the IIAB of Greater Charleston, and is a Part President on their Board. He is survived by his wife, Lee E. Taylor, and his daughters Lauren Taylor Huffman and Kim E. Taylor, who all also work at and manage the agency. A Celebration of Life Service is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at the Country Club of Charleston (1 Country Club Dr., Charleston, SC 29412). In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Rare Cancer Research Foundation or a cancer research organization of your choice. Donations can also made in Lee's memory to the IIABSC Foundation, and his family will be notified. Leave condolences for the family on the McAlister-Smith Funeral Services webpage. (+ More...)
MEMBER BENEFIT: Monthly South Carolina Rate Filings Reports
IIABSC members have access to the monthly approved Private Passenger Auto and Homeowner insurance rate filings in South Carolina in a PDF downloadable report. January 2024 – February 2026 reports available now. Member website login required for access. (+ More...)
Surplus Lines License Renewal Deadline is May 31
Anyone who holds a SC Surplus Lines license must renew by May 31, 2026. To complete the renewal process, all Surplus Lines Brokers must renew online through NIPR and pay a licensing renewal fee of $200.
Brokers that also hold a producer license must remember that the broker license is contingent on having an active producer license. If the producer license is not renewed, the broker license will cancel. If the surplus lines broker license is canceled, a renewal application would be required, and payment of a penalty fee double the regular fee must be paid before the license can be reinstated.
There are no additional CE requirements to renew your surplus lines license. Do you need a reminder of who needs a surplus lines license?
Anyone who does not intend to renew this license and wants to cancel it, please find the cancellation form online and submit it to the SC DOI. If you have any questions regarding your surplus lines renewal, please email the DOI at agentmail@doi.sc.gov.
UPCOMING WEBINAR: State of the Insurance Industry by InsurBanc & Reagan Consulting
AI and market impact on agency valuations, mergers & acquisitions | April 15 at 2:00 pm Eastern
InsurBanc presents: Join Harrison Brooks from Reagan Consulting for a discussion on the State of the Insurance Industry. In this session, he will discuss AI and the soft P&C market’s impact on agency valuations and the M&A marketplace. He will unpack action items your independent agency can do to proactively benefit from, as opposed to be impacted by, these market headwinds. Top performing brokers are going on the offense and see much opportunity amongst current market uncertainty. Webinar FREE for MEMBERS, to be held April 15 at 2:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. (+ More...)
IIABSC Spring Conference NEXT WEEK
Popular event to be held March 25-26 in Columbia, SC; onsite registration will be available
Spring Conference returns to the Columbia Metro Convention Center in downtown Columbia March 25-26. Pre-registration has closed for all attendees, but onsite registration is now available. Our Spring Conference offers valuable opportunities for insurance professionals to multiply their visibility, increase their knowledge, enhance industry resources, and engage with exhibitors, new contacts and colleagues. This year's lineup includes updates on agents' cybercrime vulnerabilities, AI and agency automation, state industry issues and agency standard operating procedures. View updated agenda and session topics on our event webpage. (+ More...)
COLUMBIA AGENTS: FREE Local Agent Networking Event March 24
Happy Hour next month at Steel Hands Brewing in Vista Downtown Columbia
Midlands-area Agents: Join us for a networking happy hour brought to you by our award-winning Young Agents Committee on March 24, the evening before Spring Conference, at Steel Hands Brewing (705 Gervais St., Ste. A) in the Vista of Downtown Columbia, SC. Thanks to our generous sponsors, this event is FREE to all agents! Plan to join us after work starting at 5:00 pm for some food, drinks and good times with fellow Big "I" agents, industry leaders and event sponsors Special thanks to Safeco Insurance/ Liberty Mutual BL/ State Auto Insurance Companies, this event is open to agents of all ages and out-of-town Spring Conference agent attendees are also welcome (as long as you register to tell us you are coming)! Please also encourage your agency's Young Agents to attend, meet our Young Agents Committee leaders and get plugged in with our SC YA Program. We'll be giving away a free registration to this summer's Young Agents Conference among other drawings. BRING BUSINESS CARDS FOR DRAWINGS! (+ More...)
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT: Access weekly State House reports by McGuireWoods
Find them on our website in Advocacy section, SC Legislature page, member login required
Each Friday, McGuireWoods Consulting, on our state government affairs team, provides weekly State House updates on the activities of both the House and Senate. They have allowed us to share these weekly reports with our membership. The Newsletter gives a narrative overview of the week with images and highlights, and the House Actions and Senate Actions documents chart the progress of specific bills to becoming law along with links to the full bill text. These bills won't necessarily be referenced in the newsletter. As always if you have questions about any of the bills that pertain to the insurance industry, feel free to contact IIABSC President/CEO Becky McCormack. Member login required for access. (+ More...)
Read the latest edition of SC Agent & Broker magazine
Winter 2026 edition
The latest edition of SC Agent & Broker magazine is hitting mailboxes, but you can also read it online. Our winter edition spotlights last year's annual convention as well as upcoming educational opportunities for the new year and offers congrats to our newest designation conferees. Also features articles on predictions for the industry and how contingent compensation is factored into agency acquisition as well as a spotlight on the new SC Hands Free Law. If you are interested in advertising in SC Agent & Broker magazine in 2026, please contact Kim Fiene, (608) 210-2977, of Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin. (+ More...)
Achieve your 2026 Goals with the IA MBA program
Program starts April 8 | live sessions to be held on Wednesdays
Want to elevate your team’s success in 2026? The IA-MBA is a streamlined 10-week learning and networking program designed for independent insurance agents. Learn critical skills in people and financial management that will drive real results. You'll learn organizational leadership to align your team to achieve shared vision and goals, people management strategy to empower your entire team and financial mastery to build a more profitable business. This program kicks off April 8 and pairs self-paced learning with bi-weekly live sessions with your peers and industry experts for real-time coaching and discussion. Participants have lifetime access to course materials. (+ More...)
Trusted Choice GIVE Movement seeking TOP AGENCY GIVERS
Week of giving in early June to benefit Make-a-Wish South Carolina
We are participating once again in the Trusted Choice GIVE Movement this June 1-8. This annual project led by our young agents encourages agencies, affiliates and partners to come together for a week of giving to benefit an incredibly inspirational and worthy cause. Together our donations have the potential for life-changing impact for children and families in South Carolina through Make-A-Wish South Carolina. Our goal in 2026 is to raise $30,000 - enough to grant the wishes of FOUR local children. Donations will be accepted all year long, and agencies and companies who participate as a TOP AGENCY GIVER will be spotlighted throughout the campaign and especially during our week of giving. TOP GIVERS are those individuals and organizations who go above and beyond and donate $1,000 or more to the campaign. (+ More...)
Catalyit Agency Compensation Survey still open for those who haven't completed it yet
Results dashboard available for those who have completed the survey
Agency Compensation 360, the multi-state compensation survey built specifically for independent insurance agencies and powered by Big “I” associations, is back open for those agencies who did not get to complete it the first time around. Agencies that have fully completed the survey can explore detailed compensation and benefits benchmarks for South Carolina and across the nation on their results dashboard.
Gain insights into:
- Pay and benefits trends by role and region
- Staffing and retention challenges
- How your agency compares to others
Agencies must complete the survey to access results! Your input will help create a more robust, insightful results dashboard that benefits you and the entire independent agency community. (+ More...)
See also: Full access to Catalyit technology resources is now only $9.99/month for IIABSC agency members
Use ABEN discount code for 25% off
Use code SPRING at checkout
Use discount code "SPRING" at checkout for 25 percent off our entire ABEN catalog at iiabsc.aben.tv. Discount cannot be applied to bundled courses. Courses are available live or on-demand and can be browsed by category or by broadcast date. (+ More...)