Commentary/Opinion
Solving Insurance’s Trust Problem Through Brokerage as a Service | Insurance Innovation Reporter
Rising living costs and financial uncertainty are pushing consumers to re-evaluate every expense—and insurance is no exception. Case in point: a recent LIMRA study found that approximately 42 percent of Americans say they believe they are underinsured when it comes to life insurance, yet many admit they avoid shopping for coverage due to confusion or lack of trust. Brokerage as a Service (BraaS)—a modern distribution capability that provides insurance as a service—not a sale—is a viable solution that can change this dynamic.
Despite the growing importance of financial protection, the process of buying insurance still feels stuck in the past. For many, it remains a high-friction transaction—something they’re sold, not supported through.
As someone who’s worked at the intersection of insurance and technology for years, I believe the biggest challenge the industry faces isn’t disinterest. It’s distrust. Consumers are wary of fine print, opaque pricing, and sales-first experiences that don’t reflect their needs.
Embedding brokerage into high-intent moments
BraaS reimagines distribution by embedding access to insurance products directly into platforms and transactions people already trust like mortgage applications, auto sales, and even digital home management tools. These are high-intent moments when customers are making major decisions and thinking about protecting a new investment.
Jeff Wilcoxon is the Senior Strategy and Corporate Development Principal for VIU by HUB
2025 Mid-Year Check-In on Insurance | Insurance Thought Leadership
We have made it past the year's midpoint, and the auto insurance environment has exceeded expectations. The major auto insurers are flexing their muscles and operating from a position of strength. Loss ratios have improved, reserves are robust, and pricing strategies have mostly achieved rate adequacy. While the number of carriers operating in the market has remained largely unchanged, we're witnessing heightened competition through an increasingly unanimous growth mindset.
When 2025 began, some carriers pursued aggressive growth while others homed in on profitability and loss ratio management. Currently, however, the pivot is toward capturing greater market share. This shift is demonstrated by increased competitive pricing strategies, advertising spending, and renewed focus on growth-oriented distribution channels such as price-comparison marketplaces. A few insurers have even adopted targeted rate decreases in recent months, signaling confidence in their financial health and competitive positioning.
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
As the year progresses, mergers and acquisitions in the broader P&C market will likely pick up steam as insurers pursue growth in their core underwriting segments and investors seek liquidity for long-held investments.
Sentry Insurance's $1.7 billion acquisition of The General from American Family Insurance is a prime example. Sentry was able to double down on its core, non-standard market focus while American Family Insurance generated a meaningful pool of capital to pursue its strategy outside of non-standard auto. Another compelling example is Munich Re's $2.6 billion acquisition of NEXT Insurance, the largest P&C insurtech acquisition on record. CONTINUE
David Seider is the chief commercial officer of TheZebra.com
Today's Headline
Surplus Lines Premiums Surge to $46.2 Billion in First Half of 2025
Premium growth of 13.2% at midyear 2025 reported by stamping offices reflects E&S industry's expanding role as alternative coverage solution, the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association reports.
The U.S. surplus lines market generated $46.2 billion in premium across 15 stamping office states during the first half of 2025, marking a 13.2% increase over the same period last year and demonstrating continued momentum in the sector, according to the 2025 midyear report from the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA).
Stamping offices are non-governmental organizations that operate in 15 states to oversee the unique requirements of surplus lines transactions. Stamping office states accounted for 63% of all U.S. surplus lines premium volume in 2024.
Market Growth Spans Multiple Lines of Business
The midyear performance builds on 2024’s robust annual results of $81.6 billion in premium in the stamping office states, which represented 12.1% growth year-over-year, the WSIA noted. Transaction volume also increased substantially, with 3.7 million premium-bearing items filed with stamping offices through mid-2025, reflecting a 12.4% rise compared to the previous year.
Commercial liability and commercial property coverage maintain their dominance within the surplus lines segment, accounting for 36.6% and 34.0% of premiums at midyear, respectively. Commercial liability premiums were 19.8% higher at midyear, compared to a year earlier, while property premiums were up only 5.7%.
National Workers' Comp Adjuster Day | Aug 17
What is National Workers’ Comp Adjuster Day?*
Workers’ Comp Adjuster Day is a day to raise awareness for those that make a significant difference in the quality of life for the disabled worker and their family.
Their role is incredibly stressful and typically thankless. Having an official day dedicated to Work Comp Adjusters is a unique way to recognize the profession and raise awareness of the importance of the profession.
Why is this day being celebrated or observed? We wanted to honor a day for these unsung heroes who never get recognition for devoting themselves for the welfare of injured workers and their families.
Enlyte Celebrates National Adjuster Day With Clinician-Reviewed Medical Records Tool to Ease Claims Burden
Adjusters are often considered the foundation of insurance industry success, but their vital role is often underappreciated. So, once again, Enlyte is celebrating these professionals in honor of National Adjuster Day, Aug. 17, by launching another product designed to make their lives easier.
Enlyte's Medical Records Summarization (MRS) solution is a transformative platform for auto injury adjusters created to harmonize the irreplaceable judgment of expert clinicians with cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities. The tool helps alleviate the burden adjusters often experience managing complex, disorganized documents that demand hours of analysis, potentially leading to missed details and delayed claims resolutions. MRS transforms lengthy medical documentation into targeted, adjuster-optimized summaries that prioritize clarity and relevance for expedited claims processing.
Unlike other automated solutions in the industry, each claim that's processed through MRS not only receives the benefits of cutting-edge AI technology but is verified by human oversight. The output provides a clear, actionable summary aimed at accelerating claims evaluations and reducing oversight errors that often lead to costly disputes.
MOREian-reviewed-medical-records-tool-to-ease-claims-burden-302529638.html
News
Commercial rate hikes slow in second quarter: CIAB
Average commercial insurance rate increases slipped to 3.7% in the second quarter from 4.2% in the prior quarter, according to the latest pricing survey from the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers.
Rate changes varied significantly by account size and line.
Large account rate increases slowed to 2.9% from 5.3%, but rates for mid-sized accounts rose 4%, compared with 3.7%, and small account rates were up 4.2%, compared with 3.6%.
Umbrella liability was the only line to see an acceleration in rates, rising 11.5% compared with 9.5% in the prior quarter. Commercial auto rates were up 8.8%, compared with 10.4%; general liability rates rose 3.9%, compared with 4.2%; and commercial property was up 1.9%, compared with 2.9%.
Workers compensation rates continued to fall, down 1.8% compared with a 2.6% decrease in the first quarter.
In other lines, directors and officers liability rates slipped 2.5%, employment practices liability pricing slipped 1.8% and cyber edged down 1.5%.
State Farm receives financial rating downgrade in California
The firm announced that it has downgraded State Farm General Insurance from an A+ to an A- rating. It cited the company’s weak operating performance and high exposure to natural catastrophe risk in California’s homeowners insurance market.
At the same, S&P removed it’s “CreditWatch—Negative” label from the rating, changing it to a “stable” outlook for State Farm’s California business.
State Farm said they weren’t surprised by the downgrade, which was part of a previously announced review by S&P.
‘The outcome was anticipated, and our approach is unchanged,” the company said in a statement. “We remain deeply concerned about the financial position of State Farm General, as it is difficult to match price to risk in California. To ensure the long-term sustainability of State Farm General, we are being diligent in our efforts to turn around the financial stability of the company.”
This is the second downgrade in a matter of months for State Farm General. In May, S&P lowered the company from an AA to an A+ rating. In 2024, another large credit rating agency, A.M. Best, downgraded the subsidiary from an A rating to a B rating.
Financial Results
Confidence from multiyear track record behind reinsurance overhead cut: Lemonade CEO
Following Lemonade’s June decision to cut the ceded proportion of its quota share reinsurance from about 55% to 20%, CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Schreiber said the arrangement was used more for capital than risk management, adding that the policies protecting against risk concentration remain materially unchanged.
The firm noted at the time that the decision to reduce the ceded proportion of its quota share reinsurance was made due to strong progress in its diversification, underwriting prowess and loss ratio trajectory.
On Lemonade’s Q2 2025 earnings call, CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Schreiber reiterated the point, stressing the decision was entirely the firm’s own.
“The confidence to make such a move directly stems from our multiyear track record of improving loss ratios as key products and geographies have become more mature and predictable,” he observed.
Timothy Bixby, Chief Financial Officer at Lemonade, said, “The transition from 55% to 20% quota share does not happen overnight. Each program is risk attaching, which means it covers policies written between July 2025 and June 2026, such that we expect the transition to unfold over several quarters on our P&L in a roughly linear fashion.
InsurTech/M&A/Finance💰/Collaboration
ePayPolicy Receives Strategic Investment from LLR Partners to Accelerate Growth
ePayPolicy, a leading provider of payment processing solutions for the insurance industry, has secured a strategic investment from private equity firm LLR Partners.
The funding will be used to advance product innovation, expand sales and customer support capabilities, and further scale operations to meet the needs of its growing network of over 10,000 insurance customers.
“Our mission is to increase the speed and efficiency of our customers’ AR/AP processes and make insurance payments fast, easy and secure,” said Mark Engels, CEO of ePayPolicy. “With this investment, we will continue to build the products our customers need to automate all of their payment-related workflows.”
LLR Partners, which has a 26-year track record of investing in vertically focused software and payments businesses, sees significant potential in the insurance sector’s ongoing digital transformation. “Insurance is a large ($2T+) and complex ecosystem undergoing rapid change,” said Connor Crump, Vice President at LLR Partners. “ePayPolicy has established itself as a leading AR/AP solution purpose-built for the industry.”
Claims
The Future of Claims Is Now Thanks to The Omni-Channel Process
Insights from Insurtech Insights USA 2025 featuring Snapsheet, Pumpkin, Plymouth Rock, and SageSure.
Modern claims have evolved from a back-end process into a strategic necessity and a strength that carriers can leverage. At Insurtech Insights USA 2025, the panel session “Omni-Channel Excellence — Creating a Holistic & Customer-Centric Claims Journey” focused on the innovation driving the evolution of the modern claim, including cross-channel communications, embedded empathy, and a focus on automated excellence.
Moderator and innovation leader Dan White was joined on stage by experts Kristina Tomasetti, CPCU, AIC (KT), Vice President of Claims Optimization at SageSure, Andrew Leeds, Chief Claims Officer at Plymouth Rock Assurance, Julia Sosa, Chief Experience Officer at Pumpkin, and Andrew Cohen, President at Snapsheet Inc.
A few significant insights from the panelists included the idea of redefining claims as a product experience, not simply a project to be accomplished one time then set aside. Using AI as a targeted solution to existing problems was another theme that emerged during the discussion, and the panelists recommended optimizing scalable workflows through holistic architecture.
Several key themes emerged during the discussion; here’s what stood out most.
Crash Champions Summit Unites All Levels of National MSO for In-Person Development - Autobody News
Crash Champions recently brought together more than 1,000 team members from across the U.S., from body technicians to corporate executives, in San Diego, CA, for its Champions Summit, a three-day event designed to empower attendees to take ownership in their roles as the MSO continues to pursue its growth and customer service goals.
The last time Crash Champions held the summit was in 2022, after it merged with Service King. This year’s event, themed “OWN IT,” offered a vendor expo, a lineup of influential keynote speakers, and information about new tools coming to optimize shop operations across Crash Champions’ 650+ locations.
The summit is one of several in-person learning and development events hosted by Crash Champions; it also brings together team members for its Montana Experience, GM Boot Camp, and Dale Carnegie leadership courses.
“We invest a lot in the team, because we can't do it without them,” said Matt Ebert, CEO and founder, in an exclusive interview with Autobody News before the summit opened Aug. 6. “That's why we're here this week. Building the culture, advancing our people, we think is a big key to our success.”
The summit was attended by about 650 store managers and 75 directors of operation, and — for the first time — about 50 body technicians and 30 service advisors.
Telematics, Driving & Insurance
PURE Insurance Flips the Script on Teen Driving Safety--Focused on Education and Safety, Not Tracking
Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE), the policyholder-owned insurer designed for successful, responsible families, announced today the launch of its Teen Driver program, a new initiative designed to address one of the most pressing concerns families face: teen driver risk.
Rooted in research, shaped by input from PURE members and in partnership with the experts at Life360, PURE's program aims to help teens build safer driving habits and give parents practical tools to support them from the start.
"For parents, including me, there is little more frightening than the idea of your teen getting behind the wheel of a car," said PURE Chief Executive Officer Martin Leitch. "Unfortunately, this fear is supported by data. Our own member data as well as numerous external studies say that the probability of a young driver being involved in an accident is significantly higher than other age groups."
Among PURE's membership, teen drivers are twice as likely as adults to be in a car accident, and their claims are three times more likely to involve severe property damage and bodily injury.
"We heard loud and clear from our members that the safety of their teen drivers is a top concern," said Katie Krum, Chief Marketing Officer at PURE. "We couldn't find a modern, engaging program that could help so we created our own. We are excited to continue to build it out with additional new features coming soon."
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