Monday, April 18, 2011

mo

A recent conference board survey says only 40% of those surveyed were satisfied with their job (lowest level ever); and another study said 60% intend to leave their job when the economy improves.

Insurance industry employment is down 1.6% since January 2010.

Forbes Magazine (3/14/11) says a study of stock performance from 1968-2008 had some surprising conclusions:

If you invested $10,000 in the riskiest 20% of all stocks, and refreshed your portfolio monthly, your investment would have shrunk 5.5% annually, after inflation - (only $1,000 left).

The same investment in the least risky 20% would have grown an average of 5.8% (to $100k).

Monday, March 28, 2011

Work

Another good read.

Lou Sinks,
AMINEX Corp.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Top Ten Worst Things to Put on Your Resume

This was an article in Fins Finance worth reading.

Lou Sinks
AMINEX Corp.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Money in the bank

Long time friend, Don Hurzeler, just came out with his 2nd book “The Way Up” (how to keep you career moving in the right direction).

Can be found on Amazon.com

I would guess there will be something there for everyone.

He, himself, started his career as a clerk, became a senior exec with one of our largest insurance carriers, as well as prior president of CPCU.

Nice success story!

On another note... talk about job insecurity...

The Average big company CEO gets to keep their job for only 6.3 years.

The unemployment rate for all professional categories was 4.5% in 2010.

Only 1% of our 37,000 independent insurance agencies have over $10Mil in commissions.

32% have less than $150k.

Harvey Dorland

Pacific Recruiting

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Money in the bank

An insurance industry hiring study says that 44% expect to add to staff (doesn’t indicate in what areas), which is 11% more than 6 months ago.

13% anticipate staff decreases.

A recent producer survey (those with 3+ years and books over $300k in commissions) suggests that only 36% actively manage their pipeline of potential prospects, 39% do not set aside specific time for prospecting, and 97% don’t use technology to stay current on developments within their prospect base.

It is suggested, on another note, that those who are nearing their retirement do a test drive.

Force yourself to live for a month or two exactly as you expect to later on and see how it works both financial and emotionally.

Harvey Dorland

Pacific Recruiting

936-597-6500 - direct

hdorland@ez2.net

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Money in the bank

With few exceptions, everything I read says that investors should stay away from long term bonds.

Any rise in interest rates (they can’t go lower) will cause bond prices/values to fall.

Time Magazine says the states with the highest job growth over the next 2 years (4.7%) will be Texas and Utah.

Lowest will be WY, SD, IA, OH.

Back to our earlier 2010 discussion...

The insurance industry lost 2.5% of its jobs, but salaries in all categories were up.

Household savings continued to climb, but more slowly (now about 5%), up from their low of 1%.

GDP passed its 2008 peak, but the jobless rate remained stuck in the 9.6% range.

Harvey Dorland

Pacific Recruiting

936-597-6500 - direct

hdorland@ez2.net

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Money in the bank

Reflecting a bit on 2010...

Commercial lines P&C prices continued their softening trend.

· Wonder how, with carrier combines typically running quite a bit over 100, and investment income (bonds) paying so poorly, that the cause of the softness is too much available capital?? (From whence did it come)?

Home prices on average across the country have gone down 30.5% below 4/06 peak.

If you’re not protesting your property taxes (business ones, also), please do so.

Even in my state (Texas), which has seen little price depreciation, there can almost always be found a foreclosure sale or short sale down the street that you can use as a comparable.

Bloomberg Business Week, by the way, says it will take 10+ years for home prices to return to their peak.

So... protest next year, also!

More on 2010 later.

Harvey Dorland

Pacific Recruiting

936-597-6500 - direct

hdorland@ez2.net

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Money in the bank

Happy Holidays to all!

Getting an MBA at a top-rated school will cost you about $100k, but your pre-MBA compensation will, on average, increase about $35k/year once you get it.

A good article in Fortune Magazine 12/27 edition about the pitfalls of buying long-term bonds which are currently paying very low yields.

The price will drop 40% on a 30 year treasury note (now yielding 3.8%), if new yields down the road go to 7.22.

Since bottoming out in 2008, gross domestic product (GDP) has recovered 95% of the lost production but only 15% of the lost jobs.

More jobs won’t be created until consumers begin spending again, and we’re saving instead of spending.

Harvey Dorland

Pacific Recruiting

936-597-6500 - direct

hdorland@ez2.net