How to work with your underwriter

Coming from the carrier side, Sara knew accuracy mattered most. When she started in Hartford, she had no idea how many bridges or miles of highway the city had, but someone did. Once you have it, you can reuse it next year. "We're not buying bridges."

The takeaway: Gather accurate exposure data so the policy fits and you're covered after a loss.

Megan says applications leave out a lot of the backstory. Greenwich's cyber application is detailed, but meeting the underwriter lets her cover what it misses, and she brings in IT for the technical questions. Sara checks in off-season to share wins, like a new safety program or equipment purchase. Susan adds that it never hurts to meet in person.

The takeaway: Meet with your underwriters at least twice a year.

If you take over in October with a January 1 renewal, Susan suggests having your broker walk you through the current program, the binder and policy, recent changes and any loss issues. Ask what information you need to gather, and whether you can meet the underwriter for a read on your losses, the market and any form changes. Sara schedules broker meetings from the 90-day mark forward.

The takeaway: In your first weeks, get the binder, the policy and a to-do list from your broker.

Sara works through the property schedule by total insured value, biggest first, which is where your property carrier will focus too. Next she looks at building age, which can point to safety work, like a new roof, that she can help public works get funded. Local priorities matter. If schools are under scrutiny, start there, though they're likely your largest values anyway.

The takeaway: Review your property schedule by value first, then by age.

Megan went to the town and school facilities departments to confirm roof years, construction types and additions. Ten years later she still finds updates. She now stays in touch with the building committee, so she hears about new buildings and renovations firsthand.

The takeaway: Get building committee updates so your statement of values stays current.

Sara cross-checks with the tax assessor's office. Assessment cards list square footage, year built, sprinkler coverage and roof type, the details underwriters ask about. When something doesn't match, she raises it, and sometimes the assessor sends someone back out. An online GIS system makes this easier.

The takeaway: Compare your schedule against assessor cards to catch errors.

Safety National has its own risk management team, and through them and her TPAs Sara found a large online training library, including soft skills courses. It's a full learning management system, so you can assign and track training, then print a report to send with your application. Megan plans to start with a defensive driving program.

The takeaway: Ask your carrier and TPA what training is included, and use the reports as proof.

When Connecticut's sexual harassment training requirements changed, Sara's carrier built an online course to meet them. They also recommended trainers for in-person defensive driving, since her crews wouldn't take it online.

The takeaway: If prepackaged courses don't fit, ask your carrier to build one or recommend a trainer.

Susan says Safety National tries to include risk management dollars, which help most when an entity has no budget or risk department. Sara started with no budget, and this was the most useful thing her carrier did. She made sure to spend the full amount every year. It's use it or lose it, like an FSA, which keeps you motivated, and when she had money left for a program planned the next year, she asked to roll it forward.

The takeaway: Ask for risk management dollars at renewal, and spend them.

Check your policy's reporting requirements. Thresholds are often a share of the SIR, such as 50%, or serious events like a death, a head injury or paralysis. Susan says carriers like Safety National won't deny a claim for being a day late, but early reporting helps with discovery and mitigation. Megan adds that in Greenwich, the TPA reports claims to the carrier's claims team, so find out what process you have in place.

The takeaway: Know your reporting thresholds and who files the notice.

Underwriters are notified of large claims and review them, and Susan sits in on four or five claims roundtables a week. One large claim on an otherwise good loss history won't always change your pricing. The same loss happening again and again is penalized more, because it points to a problem that needs fixing.

The takeaway: Look for patterns in repeat losses and fix the cause.

Some line is always in flux. About five years ago, Susan recalls property rates rising around 50%. Now property is more competitive, and casualty has new competitors. She says Safety National tries to stay stable and reasonable in both directions, especially with accounts it has worked with for a long time.

The takeaway: Focus on what you control: your losses, your data and your loss control work.