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I was chatting with some friends last weekend and we started talking about how easy and inexpensive it is to make a phone call just about anywhere in the world. Back in my youth, I'd have a code with my parents that a quick ring and a hang up meant "Come get me", which we did to avoid a long distance charge! (Bonus was you also got your dime back from the pay phone - remember those?!) 

Do you remember night and weekend rates for making phone calls? Now we don't think twice about the time of day we call. And if you are even the least bit willing to challenge yourself with technology, almost any phone call can be free.

Scary TV is also a lot better - I mean a lot! Do you remember staying up late on a Saturday night to watch a horror film on Chiller Theater with Chilly Billy Cardille? Today I'll bet you binge watch The Walking Dead - don't you?

Let's face it, faxes are better than telex and emails are better than faxes. And just about anything will be better than email! There are a lot of things that are easier, better, and cheaper in today's world. I can only imagine what my kids will have to say about the way things are today 40 years from now.

Insurance is better too. We are better at loss control, predictive analytics, identifying exposure, and so much more. And, things are safer today due in large part to our industry which drives safety standards and measures. All of this is mostly conjecture on my part, but I've been around this business for more than 35 years so I am calling it as I see it! In the 2016 world of all things insurance, I believe exposure is what drives our industry. There is more litigation, more contractual risk, higher values - all of which lead to the extraordinary amount of capacity we see in our industry. And, like the oil & gas industry, over capacity drives pricing down.

What is a broker to do?! It is a brave new world where very little can't be written in the standard marketplace. However, in the eternal sunshine of my mind, there are always classes of business and unique risk exposures that make surplus lines insurance necessary and important. 

Everyone's needs for a wholesale broker are unique. Some agents come to us for specific classes like trucking or restaurants or personal umbrellas. Others come to us as the one-stop-shop. Either way, it's just plain helpful when you have a brokerage relationship where you can pick up the phone and know that the person on the other end of the conversation cares about your business. Maybe you are working on an account for a client with losses, a new venture, or previously uninsured. Or you may have a specialty class you need help with like an environmental contractor, coastal property, or data breach insurance. The bottom line is we want to help make writing insurance easier and more accessible - just like everything else in our connected world. 

I'd like to finish with a respectful farewell to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a giant of a man. Justice Scalia left behind a legacy full of passion, intellect, and devotion to his family, his faith, and this country. One of his most sage opinions is an encouragement to me and probably you too:

"I had an Uncle Vince -- most Italians have an Uncle Vince -- who was a lawyer. And he seemed to have a good life so I thought I'd give it a shot. And it turns out it was what I loved. Don't do it if you don't love it, it's not the most exciting profession unless you love the process..." Justice Antonin Scalia

Hear ye, hear ye.