Please note that our office will be closing at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 24th and will reopen Thursday, December 26th at 8:00am in honor of the Christmas holiday.
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News & Views: Better Days Ahead
Newsletter – Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Here we are, post-Halloween and pre-Thanksgiving. It won’t be long and we’ll be post-election, thank the heavens! Daylight savings has been rolled back and the mornings are just a wee bit lighter. And that makes morning walks with Esther a little more enjoyable for at least a little while longer. By the way, WHAT was that white stuff on my car this morning?!
I introduced you all to Esther, my pandemic puppy, back in the spring. Well, she’s gotten a whole lot bigger; is well on her way to being ‘trained’ (or maybe I am), and is the canine companion I have always hoped for! Every morning we do a mile loop around the farm and the peaceful quiet and morning light helps me to prepare for the day’s work. If you ask Esther, that romp is her work! She and I go into the office practically every day, and it’s great because if I wear her out sufficiently, she sleeps most of the day!
I regularly read the trade journals and try to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry. Certainly, most of the talking heads are taking their cues from the ‘big boys’, and their predictions can be intimidating. But you know what? I was the youngest kid in a family of 6 and I’m not intimidated by the big kids! (There are some stories to tell there, but that’s for another newsletter.) The point is, everyone is saying that pricing models are rising and margins for agents are shrinking, while capacity has mostly stayed even. It’s not a hard market, but a firming market where underwriters are showing discipline in risk selection and pricing. My team has been sharing stories about accounts where receipts are down as much as 30% at renewal and their renewal quotes are up 10%, 15%, and 20%. But when standard markets say no, we like to say yes! I’d love to hear what you are seeing in the market.
In times like these, you should turn to Tuscano’s Casualty Underwriting Team. They’ve been hitting home runs and are knocking down some wins lately. Contractors are back to work and more than a few folks have made career changes and started new enterprises. Whether these business owners work with hammers and drills, computers, or mechanical pencils, Tuscano can help. We love small businesses and new ventures! It also happens that when businesses close, insurance needs don’t cease. We’ve been able to help quite a few producers place coverage for discontinued products and operations as the need arises. The team is there to help you write business, whether you have a last-minute quoting opportunity that is sure to turn into a binder or need help with wording for an additional insured, require a project aggregate, or need higher limits that will help your insured get a job bid. Call your friendly Tuscano Casualty underwriter and I’m certain you will appreciate their helpfulness.
I need to give one more plug for our Personal Lines Team. They have greatly expanded their capacity for writing dwelling and homeowner products. First, did you know they can write property in 20 states? We are writing coastal homes, seasonal homes in the mountains, rowhomes in the city, condos for high profile policyholders, and short-term vacation rentals which really pop up everywhere! Big or small, fancy or plain, Tuscano has A+ Rated markets you can quote online yourself, or send it in and one of the team will be back to you in a flash! We are here to help!
Remember to vote today – it matters!