11 posts found
02/13/2026 · 6 min read
Cat insurance pricing is driven by reinsurance costs, capital requirements, and loss development, not carrier whim. AI helps with data processing and pattern recognition but does not replace underwriting judgment. Agent trust-based distribution remains the mechanism that places complex cat risk effectively.
12/19/2025 · 5 min read
AI is solving the wildfire insurance crisis by replacing blanket ZIP code rules with property-level risk modeling. Kevin Stein's Delos uses aerospace-grade data and an MGA structure to price each home accurately, giving agents real options for clients traditional carriers will not cover.
10/10/2025 · 6 min read
Kettle uses machine learning trained on satellite imagery, weather, and vegetation data plus funded community-level mitigation (controlled burns, brush management, defensible space) to actually lower wildfire risk, not just price it more precisely. For agents in wildfire and catastrophe states, this is the distribution opportunity replacing the carriers walking away.
06/05/2025 · 5 min read
Pick one or two commercial verticals, learn them deeper than competitors will, and build referral pipelines with CPAs, commercial bankers, and attorneys serving that niche. Specialty books renew at higher rates, escape price competition, and compound lifetime value the way personal lines never do.
06/05/2025 · 6 min read
Peter Fournier built a recession-proof mortgage protection business by partnering with real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and loan officers who already serve new homeowners at the moment they feel most vulnerable. A scripted referral ask plus a 90-day client follow-up closes the loop.
05/31/2023 · 5 min read
Niching down an insurance agency unlocks growth because specialization replaces price competition with expertise. Pick a vertical you already know, go deep before broad, build relationships with the niche's lawyers and CPAs, and use specific marketing. Trust compounds. Referrals follow.
06/15/2022 · 5 min read
Tony Merwin's Medicare playbook runs on a fixed annual calendar: pre-enrollment review call, real plan comparison every year, referral ask at the end of the review, and quarterly service touches. CRM and a comparison tool keep it on autopilot.
06/13/2022 · 5 min read
Tony Merwin wins Medicare by educating prospects first, segmenting by real situation, and treating service as a sales strategy. Slower close, fewer first-month deals, much bigger book in year three. Precision and proactive service beat volume.
09/03/2021 · 5 min read
Cannabis insurance is an excess and surplus lines opportunity covering GL, property, commercial auto, workers' comp, and crop. Most cannabis operators are underinsured because few agents understand the carriers. Specialize early through a wholesale broker.
11/25/2020 · 7 min read
Build a government entity practice by sourcing public-entity MGAs, wholesale brokers, and state insurance pools, then targeting a small local account (water district, library district) first. Win one, serve it hard, and let public-sector buyers refer you through their associations.
11/23/2020 · 6 min read
Government entity insurance covers cities, counties, school districts, and water districts. Carson Saville built his book in this niche because the accounts are larger, retention is decades long, and most agents won't do the work to learn the procurement process.
