Will My Personal Lines Survive Without Auto?

[iiinycboi]

Do you guys think personal lines without auto will survive? In December I have gotten about 25 leads for auto plus home but they only want packaged together. My auto rates are horrible in ny and I'm running out of carriers to quote with.

If it's home vs home I have very competitive pricing, but most of them wants home plus auto. My rates keep coming back 1-1.5k for 6 months when their insurance rates for auto is in the 500 zone.

What carriers are good for for packaged ho plus auto here?

 

[xrac]

You cannot survive without competitive auto.

 

[CaptiveGuy]

What companies are you using for package quotes no2? Most preferred companies have decent rates for packaged quotes but of course they vary by zip code. Who are you losing to consistently?

...and no you cannot run a succesful personal lines agency without auto. Another agent can just come in and steal your homeowners with package deals.

 

[iiinycboi]

I'm using travelers and Hartford losing almost always to liberty mutual and all state. Just need one competitive carrier and I'll be happy for packages.

I hear safeco is good but they don't do auto in ny for some reason

 

[NCAgent]

God I HATED NY and NJ when I worked in the Allstate call center. It really depends on where you are in the state because Allstate rates are RIDICULOUS in some areas. They keep raising rates and making people drop coverage in the NY/NY area by being arbitrary with certain thinks like the NJ renewal form where if you don't fill it out, you are non-renewed, no questions asked.

I have a NY and NJ license but I think that I won't ever work there unless there was a gun to my head or someone handed me an agency there basically that was already profitable.

/end rant.

If Travelers and Hartford aren't doing anything for you, then possibly try looking at a cluster and see what they offer you?

For example: Carriers in New York | Iroquois Group New York

Even if you don't join Iroquois or SIAA or anyone else, see what carriers they offer and try to go with some of them? A lot of carriers that are regional or centralized in your state will do well- for example GEICO is in the south a state or two away from me and they do well. Allstate probably does well in IL where the home base is. NYCM looks like it could be interesting for that reason.

Hope this helps put you in the right direction. I have this issue with Kemper for some people in NC where the home is OUTSTANDING but every once and a while a young driver will screw things up or something else and the auto is WAYYY out there.

A lot of companies were trying to pull out of NY but had to stay for some reason- Allstate was one of those I believe. We discussed it a few times at work. So a lot of companies just raise rates until they get either all preferred people or get a lot of people just paying high rates. It could be worse, you could be in NJ and THEIR rating system...

Any good monoline auto and homes you can combine with? Sometimes that is how it has to work...

As for Safeco not doing auto in NY, is that ALL of NY or just some areas? Allstate did that where certain places were either RIDICULOUS in rates (to the point that they made people provide 2-3 forms of proof of where they lived to reduce fraud of living in different places with A LOT LOWER rates) or just non-writable at all, like the Bronx. I'd double check, unless that came right from the Safeco carrier's mouth. How would you hear that they are good, and then they don't write in your state? That would mean the opinion of them being good is unfounded and then you need to start checking sources- not meant to be rude but there seems to be a disconnect there somewhere.

 

[iiinycboi]

I tried and spoke with all the clusters available in ny. The only ones I was interested in was SIAA but they haven't returned my phone calls. I spoke with the MA in my area and she said ok but she never got back to me. I joined agent secure but my wholesaler for the lines i do not have does a better job.

I hear safeco was good from the SIAA MA but I called safeco they wont appoint auto in NYC but will only appoint personal lines.

I've got a retail location and it's a real good spot I get a lot of walk ins without advertisement but they all give me home plus car packages to quote. Their HO plus full coverage is better than my DP plus liability only. I have a pile of leads that it's just waiting for better rates and ready to switch but I just can't even get remotely close to their rates.

 

[CaptiveGuy]

I would suggest reaching out to your local Erie Insurance office. They write in NY and work with scratch agencies and have good preferred rates in the area I write in but I don't know how it is up your way.

Just be patient I started out with Superior Access it was frustrating and humbling but now I have the carriers I need to compete with anyone in my area.

 

[NCAgent]

Their HO plus full coverage is better than my DP plus liability only. I have a pile of leads that it's just waiting for better rates and ready to switch but I just can't even get remotely close to their rates.

You aren't just quoting everyone a DP are you? This is just for illustration purposes that your bottom of the barrel is still more expensive than their superior policy? I hope so, if not no wonder your low home rates aren't appealing.

NY is a very hard place to do business. There are a few companies there that dominate just because they are willing to deal with the bullshit of the state. Allstate and LM are two of them, I do know that.

I also think Erie would be a good place to look, they are based in PA and the closer you are to the home state of a company, the better it does (which I have learned so far.)

What carriers do you have now (besides Travelers and the Hartford), and how did you get them? I'm curious to see what you are working with and what the market people come in for. Do they have records or bad credit? Are you lumping in renters with HO for the property numbers? etc. etc. I have a great carrier for home and auto but if the client rents I automatically switch to another carrier that is stronger on the auto since a huge renters discount is almost worthless anyway.

Give some companies, give some coverages that you quote at (liability limits, etc.), and give some information on the client like the cars they drive and etc. In NY at least with Allstate people got surcharged based on different cars such as Acuras and speedy or sporty cars.

Working with a cluster might help right now while you learn the market. I don't think the market changed overnight in NY really so you sound newer at this- SIAA might be the people to talk to since they typically carry some more competitive carriers than some of the other clusters. Well, at least they do here in NC.

I'll be honest, I don't think anyone really uses the Hartford for PL period, except maybe for flood. Travelers can be competitive at times but they work by 4/10 times compared to when I quote, so I'm okay with those odds.

 

[iiinycboi]

right now i have a few sub standard direct appoints progressive, foremost, and teamed up with some other agencies in the area for various other auto rates (but they only want super preferred drivers, 5+ year clean record and continuous insured) i got one good mono lines but they want min. 100k/300k coverage and clean records.

I work with hartford and lig thru my mentor who is helping me with the new agency. I joined him for a few years and he is moving to the life side, so he is training me to take over his book and service them.

The other carriers i work with a wholesaler and agent secure. But none of them can beat those captive packages. And yes, i was only using that for illustrative purposes to show that my lowest product is still higher than their best package.

Most of my walk ins are homeowners with autos and investment properties. I do small business BOPS on the side around my area with lig and hartford.

I did research erie at one time, but i thought they were a captive company. Maybe i've mistaken, let me do some more research.

I am mostly quoting 1-4 family 500k-700k dwelling 500k liability broad forms with family sedans, no sports cars. Travelers doesn't quote past 2 families which then i have to do the auto and ho separately.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I would suggest reaching out to your local Erie Insurance office. They write in NY and work with scratch agencies and have good preferred rates in the area I write in but I don't know how it is up your way.

Just be patient I started out with Superior Access it was frustrating and humbling but now I have the carriers I need to compete with anyone in my area.

Thanks for the tip, its good to hear that just grind it out and ill eventually get preferred carriers direct appointments with competitive rates. Its really hard to only write 10% of the leads i get for personal lines.

Commercial lines i have no problem with, i can close commercial 75% of the time. except when the owners dont want to fix certain things for the inspection...

 

[BTFuzz]

Erie is not captive...they do however treat you kinda that way but they certainly are not captive.