Markets

“As a country, we’re shifting toward buying products online,” says independent agent Lou Martinez. “You don’t see people go into locations anymore, like how my parents still go through their insurance process.”

With nearly 6 in 10 nonprofits negatively impacted by COVID-19, independent agents have the opportunity to counsel their nonprofit clients on the issues they face.

“Most recently, the biggest change has been the increase in building material costs,” says independent agent Gus Brabham on builders risk. “Making sure that the policies that are put into place consider the higher cost to rebuild as the project moves alon

While the market remains extremely soft with ample capacity and positive growth projections through 2027, things may not be as rosy as they seem.

“I had no clue what surety or bonding was at first. Upon learning more, I knew it was the career for me,” says independent agent Ben Dycus. “The intersection of construction, finance and working with people to build meaningful relationships was what I wan

Agents can play a central role in identifying carriers and matching their surety appetite to their clients. Here are three ways agents can add value with surety.

“Things like cyber and law enforcement liability were not major topics of discussion two decades ago,” says independent agent Josh Estelle. “In some ways it is no different than the rest of the world, since all industries face changing exposures.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the industry,” says independent agent Craig Balco. “Many restaurants, especially the new ones, are on such tight budgets that they really need to stay on track with their finances just to stay open.”

“We find it to be beneficial to develop relationships with RV dealers, so they can provide our contact information to their clients,” says independent agent, David Keslar. “We know it is important for the dealers to have a trusted partner for insurance se

“Back in the ’90s when employment practices liability insurance coverage exploded I knew cyber coverage was going to do the same, but in a more powerful way,” says independent agent Sue Miller. “I knew I had to be in front of the market for the benefit of