Shelby County Agent’s License Revoked, Fined $2,000 for Dishonest Conduct, Misappropriation

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) announces the license revocation and a $2,000 fine against insurance producer Deborah E. Hurd (Shelby County).

The punishment was recently ordered by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and followed a December 3, 2015, default hearing on the matter.  The ALJ found Ms. Hurd in violation of two (2) separate insurance laws for her dishonest conduct in misappropriating an unverified amount of premium payments while acting as agent for American General Life Insurance (AGLA).  Upon discovering Ms. Hurd’s conduct she was terminated by AGLA and reported to the Department ultimately leading to this final disciplinary action. (The Department’s Initial Order is available here.) 

 “The misappropriation of insurance premiums is illegal and dangerous,”  TDCI Assistant Commissioner Michael Humphreys said.  “Hard-working Tennesseans who diligently pay their premiums expect that those payments are applied to policies providing them coverage against accidents, storms, and injury.  They don’t expect those payments to line the pocket books of their agents.  Nor should they, as the vast majority of agents operate within the bounds of our insurance laws.”

Humphreys continued: “At the start of this new year, we would like to remind Tennesseans that our website has various resources that consumers are welcome and encouraged to use as they review their insurance contracts and agent relationships." 

TDCI’s website has various resources that consumers are welcome and encouraged to use as they review their insurance contracts and agent relationships as well as inspect disciplinary actions (/commerce/article/ins-agent-producer-disciplinary-actions) and license verification (https://sbs.naic.org/solar-external-lookup/).

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