Brokers Alliance posts agent criteria for choosing an IMO, FMO or BGA

Brokers Alliance has published a new selection guide for agents weighing insurance distribution partners, along with a companion switching guide, on brokersalliance.com. The family-owned firm says the materials are designed to show its ownership, contracting terms and in-house technology as consolidation continues across the industry.

Why it matters: - Agents evaluating an IMO, FMO or BGA now have a written framework for comparing organizations, contracts and technology before they make a move. - Brokers Alliance is using the publication to position itself as a family-owned alternative in a market where insurance distribution keeps consolidating under aggregators and holding companies. - The company is also signaling that terms like no platform fee and no contracting fee can be part of the decision, not just carrier access.

What happened: - Brokers Alliance published its selection criteria for agents choosing an insurance marketing organization, field marketing organization or brokerage general agency. - The resource is available at brokersalliance.com and includes the company’s written answers to every question it recommends agents ask a prospective IMO, FMO or BGA. - The company also released a companion guide for agents switching IMOs. - David Racich, owner and CEO of Brokers Alliance, said, "We put every answer in writing. Agents should be able to see how we operate before they make a decision. We own our company, build our software and grant releases on request. There are no platform charges or contracting fees."

The details: - Brokers Alliance was founded in 1982 by Joe Racich and has been owned and led by David Racich since 2009. - The company says it has never been sold to or rolled up by an aggregator or holding company. - Agents who work with Brokers Alliance keep their own hierarchy, and releases are granted on request. - Brokers Alliance employs its own development team and builds its agent platform in house rather than renting software from an outside provider. - MyAdvisorCloud serves as the dashboard and single sign-on environment. - MyAdvisorGrids lets producers compare carrier compensation grids side by side before they commit a case. - The platform also includes RetirementBrain for retirement income conversations and LifeBrain for life insurance quoting. - Producers are not charged a monthly platform fee, and there is no fee to contract with Brokers Alliance. - Brokers Alliance maintains relationships with 73+ carriers across life insurance, annuities and ancillary lines. - The new criteria place those carrier and technology details alongside the company’s answers so agents can evaluate the full relationship in writing. - Brokers Alliance has been named a Top Workplace in Arizona five times, most recently in 2025.

Between the lines: - The guide functions as both a buyer’s checklist and a sales document, giving prospects a standardized way to compare firms while showcasing Brokers Alliance’s own operating model. - The emphasis on ownership, releases and in-house software points to a pitch aimed at agents who want more control and fewer fees.

What's next: - Brokers Alliance says the IMO selection criteria and switching guide are available now on its website. - Agents considering a change can use the published materials to review the company’s structure, carrier access and technology before contracting.

The bottom line: - Brokers Alliance is betting that transparency, fee simplicity and owned technology will stand out as agents weigh distribution partners in a consolidating market.