In 2024, carriers distributing through independent agents again failed to make progress against the biggest barrier in their quest for Ease of Business, a factor agents say is critical to their decisions on where to place business.
According to agents, inefficient underwriting processes continue to hamstring most P&C carriers’ efforts to improve ease of business.
Rather than making progress, agents reported an overall decline in carriers’ Underwriting Flexibility and Underwriting Responsiveness in 2024.
When commenting on carrier performance, agents commonly express frustration with a range of underwriting practices, especially when carriers struggle to:
- provide clarity on their underwriting appetite,
- give quick and accurate responses to quote opportunities, and
- exhibit reasonable flexibility in what they will write.
One might think that carriers’ technology initiatives would have improved underwriting responsiveness at the very least. Overall, carriers did see small gains in the efficiency of their technology. However, our 2024 data shows that technology has failed to overcome inefficiencies across most carriers’ underwriting processes.
This situation presents a tangible opportunity to fuel meaningful growth for P&C carriers
Here’s the good news, though. This situation presents a tangible opportunity to fuel meaningful growth for P&C carriers who succeed in improving underwriting responsiveness while focusing on achieving consistent underwriting discipline. For tips on how to get started, see these blog articles.
If you would like a closer look at additional insights from DCC’s 2025 Ease of Doing Business Study, contact us.