AmWINS has a dedicated underwriting team that works with retail agents nationwide to underwrite coverage for a wide variety of personal lines risk.
AmWINS is a leading specialty insurance distributor of personal lines products that excels in helping our retail agents and brokers find the right coverage at competitive rates for personal lines accounts of all values and sizes.
As the largest wholesale broker in the U.S., we are uniquely positioned to provide access to best-in-class and exclusive personal lines markets to help differentiate our retail partners. With both admitted and non-admitted markets, as well as national and international carriers, we competitively place risks that can be written as either standalone coverage, or part of a more comprehensive package policy.
Our local underwriters are solely focused on personal lines. We understand the importance of time sensitivity, active communication, and working with our retail partners to find solutions for those harder to place risks and hard to satisfy clients. With dedicated personal lines underwriters across the U.S., our experienced underwriting team has an average industry experience exceeding 10 years.
We can help you insure everything including luxury homes, vacation homes and rentals, vacant homes, condos, valuable articles, autos/collector cars, and recreational marine vehicles. We provide coverage for all types of perils including wind, fire, earthquake, and flood, as well as comprehensive personal liability / umbrella protection to cover your assets.
05/16/19
Anti-stacking provisions are designed to ensure that an insurance company will not apply multiple sets of limits to a single loss event. These provisions can have a significant impact on claims and may be designed for application to intra-policy and inter-policy loss events as well as deductibles. Through various examples and scenarios, this article explains what anti-stacking provisions are, how to identify them in a Property, Casualty or Professional Lines policy, and what they mean to policyholders.
05/16/19
The explosive growth of the sharing economy – businesses offering goods and services through digital platforms that match consumers and providers – presents tremendous opportunity for retailers to market insurance and risk management services to a new breed of businesses. However, the regulation of shared-services is complex, continuously growing and can vary at the state and local level. This article provides insight into the regulations and laws impacting insurance for this industry and key questions to ask when considering the right insurance program for your sharing economy customers.
04/25/19
Causation can play a key role in determining whether a claim is approved or denied, particularly as it relates to commercial property insurance coverage. According to the doctrine of efficient proximate cause, if a covered peril sets in motion a chain of events, the loss is covered. This article examines various concepts regarding causation and their implications, as well as the concurrent causation doctrine adopted by states that do not follow the doctrine of efficient proximate cause.
03/19/19
When a company suffers a loss to a fixed physical asset, such as when a fire damages a building, the insured may incur an interruption to their business which can result in the loss of income and the incurrence of expenses. This article examines how Business Income and Rental Value Income losses in a Property policy may treat depreciation after the damage or destruction of a fixed physical asset, numerous factors that impact the treatment, and how to mitigate claim disputes.
03/19/19
With another hurricane season just a few months away, now is the time for retail brokers to ensure that they are aware of policy elements and language that can have a significant impact on coverage in the event of a hurricane or named storm loss. This article examines key issues and challenges that may affect coverage and how to address them in order to achieve the best coverage solution for your client.
03/19/19
In November 2018, the FDA released new guidance on how and why it will utilize its statutory power to mandate recalls under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). To adapt to the new requirements, companies face a financial burden related to improving technology and allocating appropriate labor. This article provides insight into the FSMA and the importance of an insurance policy that responds to government intervention and mandated recalls.
03/06/19
As we head deeper into the first quarter of 2019, one thing is clear: changes are coming to the insurance marketplace that buyers and brokers alike will experience as the year progresses. Carriers are feeling pain, not just in commercial auto and problematic property sectors, but across many other areas of property and casualty as well. This is leading to a reaction that we’ve already begun to see and that was recently highlighted at the 2019 Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) Underwriting Summit.
02/19/19
When the housing market crashed in the 2008, many people turned their secondary homes into income-producing properties. The need for specialized insurance for short-term vacation rentals was recognized with the introduction of online booking websites such as AirBnB. However, standard homeowners insurance policies provide minimal coverage for business activities in the home. This article identifies potential coverage gaps and how rental endorsements can address these coverage issues.
01/24/19
Changes in the alternative capital space and the London marketplace raise the stakes for retailers. In the Q1 update, our experts discuss the global reinsurance market and how to be well positioned to make use of alternative capital as well as how performance management at Lloyd's could impact capacity in 2019.
12/11/18
Over the past few years, the majority of open market underwriters have experienced a deterioration in their loss ratios after years of market growth in a declining rating environment. While the management team at Lloyd's has taken a very strong and public stance on moving quickly to seek a solution, the outlook is not nearly as gloomy as has been portrayed in the media. This article provides a glimpse into Lloyd's sustainability strategy and the London market outlook for 2019.
11/13/18
Construction contract negotiations, which determine the kind and amount of insurance required for a construction project, can be time-consuming, complicated and frustrating. Project owners require contractors on a project to name the project owner as an additional insured on the contractor’s casualty insurance program. It's important that both project owners and contractors understand the coverage provided by these additional insured endorsements. This article discusses four common ISO additional insured endorsements related to commercial general liability policies purchased by contractors, including their limitations, conditions and exclusions.
11/13/18
Many businesses that depend on the export and import of goods contract with freight forwarders to manage the intricate logistics of international trade. As the number of freight forwarders operating in the United States continues to grow and their roles continue to expand, new risks are being generated that require quick adaptation and innovative underwriting solutions. This article identifies the ever-evolving risks that freight forwarders face and explores coverage options for this growing market.
10/23/18
Speed, efficiency, and customer service are essential to earning program business, especially in the current competitive environment. Learn more about changes in the underwriting program space in the Q3 State of the Market report.
10/23/18
Small business continues to benefit from an ultra-competitive insurance climate. Learn more about delivering solutions effectively in our Q3 State of the Market report.
09/18/18
Parametric insurance is an innovative product that functions differently than traditional insurance. Unlike a traditional insurance policy, there are many levers to pull in designing a specific parametric product for an individual insured's needs. These levers afford the opportunity and flexibility to provide a menu of options at many different price points, often providing a more competitive product than is available in the traditional market. Learn how parametric products play a major role in catastrophe-driven risk transfer.
08/16/18
A common complication during the claim process is the late reporting of claims. In some cases, a late claim can put the agent or broker's own E&O policy in jeopardy. There are many reasons for missing a reporting deadline; however, in most cases, they will not matter to the insurer or the courts. This article discusses typical claim reporting requirements, common causes of late reporting, and recommendations to mitigate the risk of late notice claim denials.
08/16/18
The theories of recovery, as well as the ensuing loss provisions, contained in property insurance policies are often complex and, at times, seemingly in conflict. Although a policy may not directly address these theories, their application by courts plays a significant role in the coverage determination process after the claim. It is essential that brokers understand the primary theories of recovery – Efficient Proximate Cause, the Concurrent Causation Doctrine, and the Anti-Concurrent Causation Doctrine – in order to navigate the challenging post-claim process and effectively serve their clients.
07/24/18
One of the biggest misconceptions regarding California Earthquake coverage is that it is a straightforward and elective coverage. With the lowest frequency in the CAT space, this peril is often misunderstood. However, one large event with subsequent aftershocks could result in significant losses. We have compiled a list of the top 10 misconceptions about placing CA Earthquake coverage which can help you understand this peril and what is truly being offered.
The Public Entity market is seeing unique trends for both Property and Casualty. In Property, the mid-market has seen firming while larger placements have seen carriers, both domestic and in London, attempt to hold the line on pricing. In Casualty, there are underwriting concerns around several key issues including attachment point sensitivity, capacity management, and difficult public exposures such as water utilities and law enforcement.
In both primary and excess liability, accounts are seeing some increases, but the worst may be behind us. As is typical in the transportation sector, troubled accounts are facing higher costs and placement challenges. In an ever changing marketplace, claims, safety and technology are at the forefront and buyers can no longer simply consider price.