In today’s competitive business environment, companies are always looking for ways to bring added value and services to their customers. However, this desire for differentiation, market share and new revenue channels leads many firms away from their core competencies and into areas where they lack experience and expertise. This trend is especially true in today’s payroll industry, where large national payroll firms have focused their significant resources to aggressively enter the group insurance and 401(k) business.

Brokerage Concepts Inc. and a New Jersey-based payroll cost management company have announced a strategic alliance.

An insurance industry trade group serving New Jersey and New York is hoping to thwart the challenge posed to its member agencies from big payroll service providers trying to sell insurance.

The owner of a Manhattan, N.Y., temporary staffing agency could spend up to 25 years in prison in what one official is calling “the largest premium fraud case our office has seen to date.”

A Diamond Bar, Calif., man who underreported the number of employees at his nurse staffing agency, thus resulting in the underpayment of workers’ compensation coverage, will now pay $1.3 million to the state.

The founder and CEO of a California bagel company, as well as the company’s accountant, were recently arrested and charged with multiple counts of suspected workers’ compensation insurance premium fraud, failing to report employee injuries and unemployment insurance fraud.

An East Patchogue, N.Y., siding contractor is accused of failing to disclose income of $240,000, leading to a charge of workers’ compensation fraud.

A Colonie, N.Y.-based trucking company will pay $315,600 in restitution to the New York State Insurance Fund for underreporting its payroll to bring down the cost of its workers’ compensation coverage.

The owner of a Queens, N.Y., drywall construction business was charged with allegedly avoiding paying $117,250 in premium by understating his business’s payroll.

ING recently introduced an enhanced third-party administrator website featuring automated reporting capabilities and updated loan and distribution processing at its annual TPA Partners Advanced Training Forum.