Carrier appointments

Definition

The insurers that let this agency sell their products, granted to the agency by name.

Why It Matters

They are the agency's inventory, and they do not always survive a sale: many carriers reserve the right to review an appointment on a change of ownership, and losing one can strand a whole book that has nowhere to renew. It is also the ceiling on growth, since an agency can only quote what it is appointed for. List the appointments, the premium behind each, and read the change-of-control language before agreeing what the book is worth.