CBS Insights: Articles for Benefit Brokerage Owners

Practical insights on valuation, exit planning, and the future of the group health employee benefit brokerage industry. Written for owners considering their next move.

9 Reasons Not to Sell Your Brokerage (And Why They're Wrong)

The most common objections broker-owners have to selling — and a reality check on each one.

The 10 Biggest Pain Points for Employee Benefit Brokers

What keeps independent brokers up at night — and why most of these problems point toward the same solution.

Discount Rate Analogies: Understanding What Drives Your Valuation

Three simple analogies that explain the single most important number in your brokerage's valuation.

Employee Benefits Industry: High Tide

Why brokerage valuations are at historic highs — and what's driving the surge in buyer demand.

Employee Benefits Industry: Receding Tide

The forces that could pull valuations back down — and why timing your exit matters more than you think.

A Spotter's Guide to Employee Benefit Brokerages Ready to Sell

How to identify brokerages that are ripe for acquisition — and what makes them attractive to buyers.

"I'm Not Interested in Selling" — And That's Exactly When to Start Planning

Why the brokers who say they're not selling are often the best candidates for a structured exit.

If You Buy in Bulk, You Get a Better Deal

How bundling multiple brokerages into one deal creates leverage that no single seller can achieve alone.

Leaving the Business to Your Kids

The honest conversation most broker-owners need to have with their families about succession and generational wealth.

The $100,000 Question: A Conversation About What Money Is Really Worth

A dialogue that explains the discount rate better than any textbook — and shows you exactly how buyers think about your money.

The Risk of AI for Employee Benefit Brokers Explained

AI is coming for your business from three directions at once. This report lays out the risks and why the window to sell is closing.

The Time Value of Money and What It Means for Your Brokerage

Why a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow — and how this concept should change how you think about your exit timeline.

What Is a Discount Rate and Why Should You Care?

Three analogies that make the most important number in business valuation easy to understand — melting ice cubes, birds in the bush, and a cash truck on a long highway.

When Is the Best Time to Plan an Exit?

The best time to sell your brokerage is before you're ready to retire. Here's why timing changes everything about your deal.