We’d like to wish everyone a peaceful and festive holiday season. Here are our holiday hours:
Our offices will be closing at noon on Friday, Dec. 23.
We will be closed Monday, Dec. 26.
We will be closing at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30.
We’ll be back at work on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.
Best wishes for a happy & healthy New Year!
Last Friday, 9 additional European countries reportedly joined the 17 eurozone countries in drafting a new treaty for fiscal union. The United Kingdom was the only country to opt out of this agreement for now. Read more now.
Michael Pierce
Effective Jan. 1, 2012, Allen Insurance and Financial will have a new company president and treasurer.
Following unanimous approval last month by the company board of directors, J. Michael Pierce, JD, CFP®, will replace Gilbert T. Fifield, CIC, who served as company president and treasurer for eight years, since 2003. Fifield, who joined the company in 1986, will stay with the company and retain his post as chairman of the company’s board of directors. He will continue to serve his business insurance clients.
Pierce, a member of the company’s executive team, was formerly chief operating officer of Allen Financial, the company’s financial advisory and employee benefits division. He will retain those responsibilities. Pierce joined the company in 1998.
Allen Insurance and Financial is an independent, employee-owned insurance agency and financial services company employing 70 people in offices in Camden, Rockland and in Southwest Harbor, where the company operates as L.S. Robinson Co.
Other administrative changes at Allen Insurance and Financial effective Jan. 1 include:
For more information about Allen Insurance and Financial, please call 800-439-4311 or visit AllenInsuranceAndFinancial.com.
Equity markets continued to slide, posting four days of losses last week, after several down days in the prior week. In total, the S&P 500 Index has lost ground in all of its last seven trading days, declining nearly 8 percent.
A German 10-year bund auction failed to get bids for 35 percent of its auction last week, subsequently increasing the yield of the issue. Read more now.
Treasuries ended the week flat after two big moves in opposite directions earlier in the week. The 10-year ended the week close to 2 percent while the rest of the curve ended the week flat, with the 2-year at 0.23 percent and the 30-year at 3.1 percent.
Europe was once again the lead story in the headlines and helped dictate equity market direction last week. The market experienced large swings, but the S&P 500 ended with a gain of nearly 1 percent.
The unexpected announcement by Greek Prime Minister Papandreou that he would put the European Union’s (EU) most recent bailout package to a referendum was not well received by equity markets and contributed to declines across the board last week.
Amid international and domestic pressures, Papandreou has agreed to step down as Greek prime minister. Opposition leader Antonis Samaras will lead a new interim unity government.
Equity markets posted strong gains across the board last week. The S&P 500 gained 3.79 percent.
Treasuries sold off throughout the week before turning around on Friday, as Italy sold 10-year debt at the highest levels on record. The risk is still in place, and investors jumped back into “safety” heading into the weekend. Read more now.
For the second consecutive year, Joella Rossignol, a personal insurance specialist at Allen Insurance and Financial has been honored with the Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safeco® Insurance, member of Liberty Mutual Group.
In 2011, this award was given to only two personal insurance specialists in Maine.
“Joella understands, with extraordinary attention to detail, both the needs of her clients and the needs of the insurance company she is working with,” said Joanne Van Vactor, senior personal insurance underwriter at Safeco. “This award is a recognition of extraordinary skills.”
Joella Rossignol, personal insurance specialist, Allen Insurance and Financial and
Stephanie Davis, right, territory manager for Safeco Insurance.
The Award of Excellence celebrates those individuals with superior underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and have qualified for membership in
Safeco’s H.K. Dent Society, the company’s elite agency recognition program. Agents who earn this prestigious designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions, attend an awards ceremony and receive a recognition gift.
Rossignol joined Allen Insurance and Financial in 1999. A native of Island Falls, she grew up in Belfast and now lives in Monroe. She is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), a designation showing commitment to continuing education in her field.
About Safeco
In business since 1923 and based in Seattle, Washington, Safeco sells insurance to drivers and homeowners through a network of independent agents and brokers in eight regions throughout the United States.
Safeco is part of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, consisting of property and casualty and specialty insurance carriers that distribute their products and services primarily through independent agents and brokers.
Jennifer Coffin, ACSR
“Jen is dedicated to improving her technical knowledge and enhancing her professionalism, taking steps to solidify her career,” said Gil Fifield, company president. “The ACSR designation shows our people are well-educated members of the insurance industry.”
The ACSR designation program was developed to recognize the contribution made to each customer by the service they are provided through independent insurance agencies such as Allen Insurance and Financial.
Coffin, a graduate of Medomak Valley High School, lives with her husband and their two daughters in Nobleboro. She joined Allen Insurance and Financial in 2004.
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents & brokers with more than 300,000 members. Find them online at independentagent.com.
Allen Insurance and Financial recently made a cash donation to the Area Interfaith Outreach. AIO food collection barrels will be placed in the greater Rockland community through November 15. Look for one in the Allen Insurance and Financial office on School Street in Rockland. Pictured here are Joanne Billington, business insurance specialist at Allen Insurance and Financial and Joyce Burnham, AIO president.
