Frequently Asked Questions
What lines of coverage do you work with?
In short, if you have a business or assets to protect, we work with just about any line of coverage.
Commercial Property & Casualty Insurance Including, but not limited to:
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance
- General Liability Insurance
- Professional Liability
- Errors & Omissions (E&O)
- Medical & Legal Malpractice
- Educators Legal Liability
- Law Enforcement Liability
- Management Liability
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
- Directors & Officers (D&O)
- Fiduciary Liability
- Employee Benefits Liability
- Pollution Liability
- Liquor Liability
- Special Events Coverage
- Cyber Liability
- Professional Liability
- Commercial Property
- Fire & Hazard
- Business Personal Property
- Inland Marine Insurance
- Contractors Tools & Equipment
- Builders Risk
- Business Owner's Policy (BOP) - Combined Commercial Package
- Commercial/Fleet Auto
- Including Cargo & Bobtail Insurance
- Umbrella
- Surety Bonding
- Crime/Employee Dishonesty
- Specialty Programs (Education, Municipalities & Other Governmental Agencies, Nonprofits, Aviation, Oil & Gas)
Private Client Personal Lines Insurance
- Homeowners Insurance
- Landlord Insurance
- Vacation Home Coverage
- Vacation Rental Coverage
- Auto Insurance
- Toys (RV, Boat, ATV, Motorcycle) Insurance
- Custom/Collectors Autos
- Golf Carts
- Specialty Collection Items
- Scheduled Personal Valuables
- Umbrella Insurance
How is a broker paid?
Just like your current agent (or 800#) we are paid directly by the insurance carriers. Whether your coverage is placed directly with the insurance companyy or through an agent/broker, there is commission built into the total premium. This amount varies depending on the line of coverage and carrier.
Unless there are mutually agreed upon circumstances requiring a fee arrangement for services that cannot be funded with the commission, you will not see a separate bill by having us as your advocate.
I already have coverage through _____. What would I get from you?
If you like your current carrier(s), but want a local & personalized advocate in your corner, we have access to an array of insurance companies and may be able to take over your current policy by a simple Broker of Record (BOR) letter. Many clients find this route to be more convenient & streamlined, as we can then get right to work for our clients and, when the time comes, negotiate optimum renewal terms - ask to see some samples of our wins!
Going into the renewal process, we perform an appetite check with the markets to ensure our clients are getting the best package and premium offerings. We can point out some of the differences in offers from the carriers so you can have confidence in placement. We also help guide in coverage selection, as the lowest price isn't always the best coverage - though we LOVE when that's the case!
Risk Management support - we work with our commercial clients to implement services that impact the Total Cost of Risk (TCOR). We have developed strategic partnerships in Human Resources, Safety, Compliance, Analytics, and so much more to develop an overall program to help boost your culture and safety, while controlling costs.
How do I know what coverage(s) I need for my organization?
If you're new to this part of the business or to any line of coverage, we can help educate you while simultaneously getting protection in place. We have markets and insurance programs for most industries and sizes, whether it's a package with one carrier or pieced together through multiple carriers.
Our goal is to make sure you're properly covered at the most competitive cost, but most importantly we value our client relationships. If you already have coverage, we can start with a review of your current policies and a little information about you/your organization to provide feedback and marketability.
We value your time and ours and will let you know quickly if we are unable to help for any reason or if it's not a good fit. We'll also let you know if we feel you're in a good spot and there's no reason to move - or move quite yet. We believe in forming a relationship with our client base above simply "closing business" and many of our clients come from referrals, which wouldn't happen if we didn't do our absolute best by clients.
I feel "ok" with my coverage but want to see what else is out there. When should I start?
We can talk about it at any time in your cycle. Markets for commercial quoting typically open 90-120 days from renewal for the coverages that need to keep their renewal dates.
You can of course be rewritten at any time in most lines, though this practice isn't as frequent in commercial insurance. Once you become a client of Ascent Insurance Solutions, we will check the markets as soon as your renewal window opens and annually thereafter to ensure you're getting the best package.
How long does it take to get a quote?
Depends on the company size. Smaller simple enterprises and personal lines can often be quickly quoted and bound online the same day or within just a few days, depending on demand, type of business, and market appetite.
Larger, more complex, organizations or those in specialty or higher risk industries generally take longer to get a quote due to the need for underwriter review. Information is power and the more we have, the better prepared we are to present you to the markets.
What information do you need?
For starters, we can review your current insurance policies, which may give us a good idea of marketability and coverage gaps, if any. If applicable, we'll need 3-5 years loss runs (claims reports) from your current carrier(s).
We'd also like to get to know you so that we can best work with the underwriters on your behalf. For example, are you safety oriented, or willing to accept safety support? What kinds of claims have you had? What steps have you taken to protect your assets and employees?
Will my current agent know I'm shopping?
There is no harm in benchmarking your program, providers, or premium. If we do mutually choose to work together, your current agent would be replaced but let's first see if we're a good fit!
We're not a high turnover shop just looking to close deals and carry on, so we also want to ensure doing business together is a wise use of resources, while also striving to protect our client base as a whole.
How do I get started?
Contact us and we're happy to help!
Phone: (720) 672-9774
E-mail: info@ascent-insurance.com
Want us to get right to work?