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Should you buy disability insurance from your employer?

It’s almost time for open enrollment season, which means you’ll have the chance to sign up for workplace benefits your employer offers or make adjustments to the ones you’re already receiving. Chances are, you’ll pay the most attention to the health, dental and vision insurance plans that are available. You might take a look at the group life insurance benefits that are offered and decide how much to contribute to your retirement account during the coming year. Beyond that, you make not spend much time reviewing your options – which could be a mistake. You might overlook some valuable benefits, such as disability insurance.

Spotlight

CM Regent Insurance Company

CM Regent is a leading commercial property and liability insurance company dedicated to service public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities. We offer commercial property and liability insurance, workers’ compensation, school leaders legal liability, excess liability, privacy protection and a robust offering of risk control services tailored specifically for schools.

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Insurance Technology

Will your insurance IT investments pay off?

Article | August 9, 2022

Automated claims processing, price comparison platforms, mobile bill paying—these are just some of the digital services that insurance customers expect and insurers want to provide. As the demand for digital skyrockets, so does the need for insurers to invest in IT. In the past seven years, the share of IT in total operating costs of property-and-casualty (P&C) insurers increased 22 percent. The rise of digital means technology is no longer a cost center. Rather, it is an asset that, if managed well, can increase growth and profitability. But do these IT investments pay off? As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates already increasing cost pressures, insurers’ IT budgets are under scrutiny; they want to see the business impact of their IT investments. Insurers with targeted IT investments achieve better growth and performance Data from McKinsey’s Insurance 360° benchmarking survey provide strong evidence of the positive business impact of targeted IT investments. In fact, insurers that invest more in technology outpace competitors that don’t pursue targeted investments in business measures such as gross written premium (GWP) growth, return to shareholders, and expense and loss ratio (exhibit). As an example, in life insurance, companies that invested more in IT saw a greater reduction in expense ratios (by 2.0 percentage points) and higher returns on technical reserves2 (1.7 percentage points) when compared with insurers with lower IT investments. Insurers achieved these outcomes within three to five years of making their investments. For P&C insurers, those with high IT investments achieved approximately twice the top-line GWP growth of low IT investors. High IT investments also produced a greater reduction in combined ratios when compared with those with low IT investment. Four areas for targeted IT investment So what kinds of technology investments can help insurers achieve growth and improve productivity and performance? Investments in four areas are critical: Marketing and sales: Marketing technology solutions can increase sales and processing efficiency, improve the quality of core customer-facing processes such as policy inquiries and policy applications, and improve customers’ overall experiences. McKinsey’s Insurance 360° benchmarking data show that tech investments in this category can facilitate top-line growth for P&C insurers by up to 20–40 percent; for life insurers, that growth could be 10–25 percent over a three- to five-year period. Underwriting and pricing: Automated underwriting fraud detection can improve the likelihood that insurers correctly identify fraud and set accurate prices. A pricing tool kit that analyzes pricing across competitors and enables a flexible, more segmented market versus technical pricing further improves profit margins. Insurers that deploy these and other product, pricing, and underwriting technologies have seen improvements in their profit margins by 10–15 percent in P&C insurance and 3–5 percent in life insurance. Policy servicing: Workflow automation, artificial intelligence–based decision support, and user experience technologies in policy servicing and within IT can improve the customer self-service experience and automate back-office processes, thus reducing IT and operations expenses. And state-of-the-art self-servicing options will reduce processing times and even improve customer experience. An analysis of programs for large-scale insurance IT modernization finds that insurers that deploy these and other product, pricing, and underwriting technologies have seen improvements in their profit margins by 5–10 percent in P&C insurance and 10–15 percent in life insurance. Claims: P&C insurers can use automated case processing—machine-learning technology trained to process basic claims cases—to segment more complex cases and significantly improve claims accuracy. Combined with better partner integration and steering technologies embedded in a transformation of the claims operating model, such technologies can help P&C insurers improve profit margins by 25–40 percent, according to McKinsey analysis of large-scale IT modernization programs. To realize the full value of IT investments, insurers must strategically allocate their resources and view tech as an asset, not a tool.

Read More
Insurance Technology

How the Blockchain is Revolutionizing the Auto Insurance Industry

Article | July 15, 2022

The blockchain has penetrated the mainstream. We predicted this in our 2019 article “Blockchain-as-a-Service: the Accelerator for Blockchain Adoption” where we talked about the technology's ease of integration. Companies can seamlessly adopt blockchain technologies by referring to existing use cases like smart contracts, data authentication, and asset management. They can also take advantage of open-source materials. With the blockchain's accessibility on top of its formidable qualities, it’s no surprise that the digital ledger system is being integrated into every industry–from banking and healthcare to gaming and cybersecurity. As a cornerstone of the rise of financial technology or fintech, another industry it’s now serving is auto insurance. Here’s how the blockchain is revolutionizing the auto insurance industry: Benefits of the blockchain in auto insurance Multiple back-and-forths can slow down the manual processing of both insurance contracts and filed claims. Blockchain-based tools can speed this up by accessing necessary information through the data network. Insurers can easily access and verify the personally-identifiable information (PII) required for insurance contracts via the blockchain, as well. This means no lengthy coordination with other parties, shorter queuing time, and less paperwork. Moreover, the blockchain helps those who buy auto insurance worry less about their PII being used by malicious individuals and organizations. Monash University asserts blockchain security effectiveness by pointing out how its design can alert any network of even the most minor changes to the data it contains. This is because blocks containing data are marked with hashes–input strings of computation characters–that become invalid when information is modified. When hashes become invalid, the network is notified. With such a prompt and responsive alert system, insurance agencies can easily detect hacking activities to protect sensitive data. Blockchain applications in auto insurance The most significant benefit of the blockchain’s application in auto insurance arguably lies in optimizing property and casualty (P&C) insurance verification processes. Sound Dollar defines property and casualty insurance as coverage for any damage the possessions stipulated in your contract incurs. Blockchain-based tools, like smart contracts, can immediately gather relevant information from an insurer's network to verify damaged possessions. It can also identify which ones are covered by your insurance contract. This streamlined verification process saves insurers billions of dollars in operational costs and makes filing a claim much easier for the client. The blockchain can also be used to minimize and prevent fraud. Some of the best blockchain-based tools can identify whether an individual claims payouts from multiple insurers. These tools cross-check PII and non-PII with salient information from claims filed elsewhere to check for similarities. Moreover, the Insurance Innovation Reporter found that advancements in anti-fraud blockchain technology can detect third-party helpers, such as garages and brokers. This enables insurers to expand their data on fraudulent networks and prevent future cases of fraud. Challenges to full implementation of the blockchain in auto insurance Before full-on integration, developers and businesses have to address data integrity. While blockchain data cannot be edited, it does not ascertain that encoded information is true. This means data has to be verified before it's encoded on the blockchain. Blockchain-based technology is also expected to become more expensive in the coming years. As it becomes mainstream, demand for the technology and relevant development research will further drive operation and maintenance costs upwards. There is still much work to be done if the auto insurance industry wishes to fully integrate the blockchain into its workflows. But with the long-term benefits it brings, insurers and clients alike will undoubtedly look to blockchain-based technology for improved services and a better overall experience.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Coronavirus and insurance: threat or opportunity?

Article | July 20, 2022

The world is facing an unprecedented situation like never before. In the span of a couple of weeks, a visually undetectable virus has wreaked havoc and driven everyone home. COVID-19 had led offices to close, the economy to slow down, and has isolated us in our homes. Zooming in on the insurance industry, the effects haven’t gone unnoticed here either. Since no one was prepared for a pandemic of this scale, people are scrambling to know what their insurance covers. Those who weren’t covered are enquiring if they can get covered now. Travel and health insurance are the specific types are making the most news.

Read More

10 Most Impactful AI-based Insurance Innovations of 2019

Article | April 13, 2020

The year 2019 has been a benchmark in insurance innovations that brought in new value propositions to the industry. What’s more remarkable is — both traditional Insurers and Insurtechs are striving to offer simple, convenient, and value-added customer-centric products coupled with technology initiatives. Here are 10 noteworthy insurance innovations that shaped the industry this year.

Read More
Insurance Technology

3 Signs Your Policy Management Software is Not a Good Fit

Article | August 9, 2022

Automated claims processing, price comparison platforms, mobile bill paying—these are just some of the digital services that insurance customers expect and insurers want to provide. As the demand for digital skyrockets, so does the need for insurers to invest in IT. In the past seven years, the share of IT in total operating costs of property-and-casualty (P&C) insurers increased 22 percent. The rise of digital means technology is no longer a cost center. Rather, it is an asset that, if managed well, can increase growth and profitability. But do these IT investments pay off? As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates already increasing cost pressures, insurers’ IT budgets are under scrutiny; they want to see the business impact of their IT investments. Insurers with targeted IT investments achieve better growth and performance Data from McKinsey’s Insurance 360° benchmarking survey provide strong evidence of the positive business impact of targeted IT investments. In fact, insurers that invest more in technology outpace competitors that don’t pursue targeted investments in business measures such as gross written premium (GWP) growth, return to shareholders, and expense and loss ratio (exhibit). As an example, in life insurance, companies that invested more in IT saw a greater reduction in expense ratios (by 2.0 percentage points) and higher returns on technical reserves2 (1.7 percentage points) when compared with insurers with lower IT investments. Insurers achieved these outcomes within three to five years of making their investments. For P&C insurers, those with high IT investments achieved approximately twice the top-line GWP growth of low IT investors. High IT investments also produced a greater reduction in combined ratios when compared with those with low IT investment. Four areas for targeted IT investment So what kinds of technology investments can help insurers achieve growth and improve productivity and performance? Investments in four areas are critical: Marketing and sales: Marketing technology solutions can increase sales and processing efficiency, improve the quality of core customer-facing processes such as policy inquiries and policy applications, and improve customers’ overall experiences. McKinsey’s Insurance 360° benchmarking data show that tech investments in this category can facilitate top-line growth for P&C insurers by up to 20–40 percent; for life insurers, that growth could be 10–25 percent over a three- to five-year period. Underwriting and pricing: Automated underwriting fraud detection can improve the likelihood that insurers correctly identify fraud and set accurate prices. A pricing tool kit that analyzes pricing across competitors and enables a flexible, more segmented market versus technical pricing further improves profit margins. Insurers that deploy these and other product, pricing, and underwriting technologies have seen improvements in their profit margins by 10–15 percent in P&C insurance and 3–5 percent in life insurance. Policy servicing: Workflow automation, artificial intelligence–based decision support, and user experience technologies in policy servicing and within IT can improve the customer self-service experience and automate back-office processes, thus reducing IT and operations expenses. And state-of-the-art self-servicing options will reduce processing times and even improve customer experience. An analysis of programs for large-scale insurance IT modernization finds that insurers that deploy these and other product, pricing, and underwriting technologies have seen improvements in their profit margins by 5–10 percent in P&C insurance and 10–15 percent in life insurance. Claims: P&C insurers can use automated case processing—machine-learning technology trained to process basic claims cases—to segment more complex cases and significantly improve claims accuracy. Combined with better partner integration and steering technologies embedded in a transformation of the claims operating model, such technologies can help P&C insurers improve profit margins by 25–40 percent, according to McKinsey analysis of large-scale IT modernization programs. To realize the full value of IT investments, insurers must strategically allocate their resources and view tech as an asset, not a tool.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Cybersecurity Material for Private Companies

Article | July 15, 2022

The blockchain has penetrated the mainstream. We predicted this in our 2019 article “Blockchain-as-a-Service: the Accelerator for Blockchain Adoption” where we talked about the technology's ease of integration. Companies can seamlessly adopt blockchain technologies by referring to existing use cases like smart contracts, data authentication, and asset management. They can also take advantage of open-source materials. With the blockchain's accessibility on top of its formidable qualities, it’s no surprise that the digital ledger system is being integrated into every industry–from banking and healthcare to gaming and cybersecurity. As a cornerstone of the rise of financial technology or fintech, another industry it’s now serving is auto insurance. Here’s how the blockchain is revolutionizing the auto insurance industry: Benefits of the blockchain in auto insurance Multiple back-and-forths can slow down the manual processing of both insurance contracts and filed claims. Blockchain-based tools can speed this up by accessing necessary information through the data network. Insurers can easily access and verify the personally-identifiable information (PII) required for insurance contracts via the blockchain, as well. This means no lengthy coordination with other parties, shorter queuing time, and less paperwork. Moreover, the blockchain helps those who buy auto insurance worry less about their PII being used by malicious individuals and organizations. Monash University asserts blockchain security effectiveness by pointing out how its design can alert any network of even the most minor changes to the data it contains. This is because blocks containing data are marked with hashes–input strings of computation characters–that become invalid when information is modified. When hashes become invalid, the network is notified. With such a prompt and responsive alert system, insurance agencies can easily detect hacking activities to protect sensitive data. Blockchain applications in auto insurance The most significant benefit of the blockchain’s application in auto insurance arguably lies in optimizing property and casualty (P&C) insurance verification processes. Sound Dollar defines property and casualty insurance as coverage for any damage the possessions stipulated in your contract incurs. Blockchain-based tools, like smart contracts, can immediately gather relevant information from an insurer's network to verify damaged possessions. It can also identify which ones are covered by your insurance contract. This streamlined verification process saves insurers billions of dollars in operational costs and makes filing a claim much easier for the client. The blockchain can also be used to minimize and prevent fraud. Some of the best blockchain-based tools can identify whether an individual claims payouts from multiple insurers. These tools cross-check PII and non-PII with salient information from claims filed elsewhere to check for similarities. Moreover, the Insurance Innovation Reporter found that advancements in anti-fraud blockchain technology can detect third-party helpers, such as garages and brokers. This enables insurers to expand their data on fraudulent networks and prevent future cases of fraud. Challenges to full implementation of the blockchain in auto insurance Before full-on integration, developers and businesses have to address data integrity. While blockchain data cannot be edited, it does not ascertain that encoded information is true. This means data has to be verified before it's encoded on the blockchain. Blockchain-based technology is also expected to become more expensive in the coming years. As it becomes mainstream, demand for the technology and relevant development research will further drive operation and maintenance costs upwards. There is still much work to be done if the auto insurance industry wishes to fully integrate the blockchain into its workflows. But with the long-term benefits it brings, insurers and clients alike will undoubtedly look to blockchain-based technology for improved services and a better overall experience.

Read More
Insurance Technology

Emergency Prevention: 3 Ways Insurtech is Leading the Way

Article | July 20, 2022

The world is facing an unprecedented situation like never before. In the span of a couple of weeks, a visually undetectable virus has wreaked havoc and driven everyone home. COVID-19 had led offices to close, the economy to slow down, and has isolated us in our homes. Zooming in on the insurance industry, the effects haven’t gone unnoticed here either. Since no one was prepared for a pandemic of this scale, people are scrambling to know what their insurance covers. Those who weren’t covered are enquiring if they can get covered now. Travel and health insurance are the specific types are making the most news.

Read More

10 Most Impactful AI-based Insurance Innovations of 2019

Article | April 13, 2020

The year 2019 has been a benchmark in insurance innovations that brought in new value propositions to the industry. What’s more remarkable is — both traditional Insurers and Insurtechs are striving to offer simple, convenient, and value-added customer-centric products coupled with technology initiatives. Here are 10 noteworthy insurance innovations that shaped the industry this year.

Read More
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Spotlight

CM Regent Insurance Company

CM Regent is a leading commercial property and liability insurance company dedicated to service public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities. We offer commercial property and liability insurance, workers’ compensation, school leaders legal liability, excess liability, privacy protection and a robust offering of risk control services tailored specifically for schools.

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Insurance Technology

Hourly.io Selects Origami Risk Core Solution to Automate Workers’ Comp Policy Rating and Issuance

Business Wire | October 17, 2023

Hourly.io, a fast-growing workers’ compensation and payroll startup, has selected Origami Risk’s multi-tenant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) P/C core solution to bring critical automation to its breakthrough insurance platform for small and mid-sized businesses with hourly and mobile workers. Hourly will use Origami’s API to instantly quote policies. The platform integrates rates and rules from NCCI and other bureaus with Hourly’s underwriting models. Hourly combines payroll with time and attendance data to determine workers’ compensation premiums with to-the-penny accuracy in real time. The rating information will be instantly applied to applications submitted by insurance agents and brokers through Hourly’s instant quote portal. As we continue our rapid growth across the United States, choosing and deploying the best available technology has enabled us to drive down costs and streamline the rate-to-bind process for small and mid-sized employers, said Tom Sagi, Co-Founder and CEO, Hourly. Origami’s solution seamlessly integrates with our platform so we can scale while maintaining our speed, efficiency and accuracy. “Our automated solution aligns perfectly with Hourly’s objectives and the needs of its distribution network and clients,” said Christopher Bennett, Chief Strategy Officer, Core Solutions division at Origami Risk. “This proprietary capability is among several innovative solution sets we’ve developed to help carriers, pools, program administrators and other insurance providers drive efficiencies across critical functions, meet customer needs and improve overall performance.” Origami Risk offers a full suite of end-to-end, integrated SaaS solutions for policy, rating, billing, loss control and claims administration, reporting and analytics, along with a comprehensive digital engagement experience for all internal and external stakeholders. Established in 2018, Hourly offers workers’ comp insurance and an integrated platform that connects workers’ comp, time tracking, and payroll in real time—an innovation that ensures premiums are calculated with unprecedented precision. Hourly is first of its kind in the industry to bridge this gap seamlessly with a mobile-first platform. About Hourly Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Hourly.io is an insurtech startup offering full-service payroll and workers' comp insurance for small and medium businesses with hourly workers. Powered by real-time data, Hourly's platform ensures running payroll is as quick as pressing a button and that you get accurate workers' comp premiums down to the penny. For more information, visit www.hourly.io. About Origami Risk – Core Solutions Division Origami Risk provides integrated SaaS solutions that simplify insurance, risk, and safety for insurers, managing general agents (MGAs), program administrators, third party claims administrators (TPAs), risk pools, brokers and more. Origami Risk delivers its highly configurable and completely scalable integrated insurance core system, risk management and safety solutions from a secure, multi-tenant platform accessible via web browser and mobile app. Visit origamirisk.com or contact Origami at info@origamirisk.com.

Read More

Compliance

NEXT Insurance Revolutionizes Agent Experience with Fully Customizable Coverage for Small Businesses

PR Newswire | September 21, 2023

NEXT Insurance, a leading digital small business insurer, today announced a differentiated new offering that will enable agents to fully customize coverage quotes to better meet the needs of their small business clients. NEXT's Coverage Builder represents a fundamental leap in allowing agents the ability to micro-tailor small business quotes for their clients, all while maintaining NEXT's superior instant bind capabilities. Coverage Builder is fast, easy to use, and tailored exclusively to agents pre-purchase, equipping them with the tools they need to select the appropriate limits and fully control the coverage they're quoting. With Coverage Builder, agents can select their base policy limits, add or remove coverage or update limits post-purchase, all while benefiting from the convenience of instant underwriting and price updates. This saves agents valuable time and money, allowing them to make changes automatically without the need to pick up the phone and connect directly with an underwriter. NEXT's Coverage Builder offering furthers the company's commitment to its agents by providing a user-friendly and accessible digital quoting experience, 100% online. Coverage Builder is also available to all NEXT customers post-purchase, allowing small business owners to tailor their policies with immediate price updates and seamless policy management. "NEXT's Coverage Builder feature is 100% hassle-free," said Cody L Slocum Lammers, Commercial Lines Agent & Broker at Affordable Insurance Solutions. "This new feature sets NEXT Insurance to a new level, above its competitors, as this allows agents the flexibility to customize policies to fit the needs of each individual small business. It's user-friendly and simple to understand- this is truly a game changer for NEXT Insurance agents!" "Agents are the go-to insurance experts and know exactly the unique types of coverage small business owners need - that's why we're offering them the opportunity to customize policies for their clients instead of standardized coverage packages," said Jack Ramsey, Vice President of Agent Business at NEXT Insurance. "Now, with NEXT's Coverage Builder, we are empowering agents to instantly quote and easily customize and bind policies that will best serve their customers. As a result, small business owners will gain the peace of mind that they're only paying for the coverage they need to protect their business and livelihood." NEXT's Coverage Builder offering comes on the heels of the company's launch of commercial umbrella/excess liability coverage to support small businesses in their entrepreneurial journey. The digital small business insurer also recently announced its integration with Ivans Download™ for General Liability and Workers' Compensation policies and its strategic hire of Jack Ramsey as the company's Vice President of Agent Business. These developments are further evidence of NEXT's commitment to agents and dedication to providing them with a smoother, more intuitive insurance purchasing process for small business clients. If you're interested in working with an insurance agent through NEXT Insurance, visit our website to find an expert to help you get the right coverage at the best price. About NEXT Insurance NEXT Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital, affordable and tailored coverage. Trusted by over 480,000 business owners, NEXT offers policies that are easy to buy and provides 24/7 access to Live Certificates of Insurance, additional insured, and more. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, NEXT utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and provide more affordable coverage. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $881 million in venture capital funding, is rated "A- Excellent" by AM Best and has been recognized by CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Fintech 50, Inc.'s Best-Led Companies, and Forbes Best StartUp Employers. For more information, visit NEXTInsurance.com. Stay up to date on the latest with NEXT on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our blog.

Read More

Core Insurance, Life Insurance

McGill and Partners announces new appointments as it continues to drive its growth agenda

Business Wire | August 14, 2023

McGill and Partners, the global boutique specialist (re)insurance broker, has announced several important leadership appointments within its US operations. Karl Hennessy, who currently leads the Global Specialty Insurance teams in London, will be appointed CEO of McGill Global Risk Solutions LLC, the US insurance and reinsurance business, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. He will be supported by John Judice, who is appointed President of the US business with immediate effect and will be responsible for driving sales and business development activity across McGill and Partners’ specialty insurance platform. Warren Mula will remain Chairman of the US business. Nirali Shah has been appointed Head of US D&O and to further support Business Development activity in the US, Daisy Jackson has been appointed Partner, Business Development, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. Alyssa Gerardi is appointed as Steve McGill’s Chief of Staff and has moved from New York to London. As Karl transitions to the US, his previous responsibilities will be taken over by our Chairman, John Lloyd. McGill and Partners works closely with many leading high-quality retail and/or wholesale brokerage firms and/or (re)insurers as well as global clients and their captives to deliver superior solutions and services to this segment. Specifically, the focus of the firm is on the design structuring and placement of world class (re)insurance solutions, particularly for larger or more complex clients. Steve McGill, CEO of McGill and Partners, said: “Since we launched four years ago, we have developed a value proposition and business model that is highly differentiated, enabling us to deliver industry leading organic revenue growth. The US is the most important (re)insurance market in the world and these leadership changes are designed to reinforce our commitment to the US market, for the benefit of all our trading partners and clients.” About McGill and Partners McGill and Partners is the fastest growing specialty (re)insurance broker in the world with a boutique approach to help clients manage their most complex and challenging needs. It was launched in 2019 and the firm has significant backing from funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm. McGill and Partners is a global business with centres of excellence in London and New York.

Read More

Insurance Technology

Hourly.io Selects Origami Risk Core Solution to Automate Workers’ Comp Policy Rating and Issuance

Business Wire | October 17, 2023

Hourly.io, a fast-growing workers’ compensation and payroll startup, has selected Origami Risk’s multi-tenant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) P/C core solution to bring critical automation to its breakthrough insurance platform for small and mid-sized businesses with hourly and mobile workers. Hourly will use Origami’s API to instantly quote policies. The platform integrates rates and rules from NCCI and other bureaus with Hourly’s underwriting models. Hourly combines payroll with time and attendance data to determine workers’ compensation premiums with to-the-penny accuracy in real time. The rating information will be instantly applied to applications submitted by insurance agents and brokers through Hourly’s instant quote portal. As we continue our rapid growth across the United States, choosing and deploying the best available technology has enabled us to drive down costs and streamline the rate-to-bind process for small and mid-sized employers, said Tom Sagi, Co-Founder and CEO, Hourly. Origami’s solution seamlessly integrates with our platform so we can scale while maintaining our speed, efficiency and accuracy. “Our automated solution aligns perfectly with Hourly’s objectives and the needs of its distribution network and clients,” said Christopher Bennett, Chief Strategy Officer, Core Solutions division at Origami Risk. “This proprietary capability is among several innovative solution sets we’ve developed to help carriers, pools, program administrators and other insurance providers drive efficiencies across critical functions, meet customer needs and improve overall performance.” Origami Risk offers a full suite of end-to-end, integrated SaaS solutions for policy, rating, billing, loss control and claims administration, reporting and analytics, along with a comprehensive digital engagement experience for all internal and external stakeholders. Established in 2018, Hourly offers workers’ comp insurance and an integrated platform that connects workers’ comp, time tracking, and payroll in real time—an innovation that ensures premiums are calculated with unprecedented precision. Hourly is first of its kind in the industry to bridge this gap seamlessly with a mobile-first platform. About Hourly Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Hourly.io is an insurtech startup offering full-service payroll and workers' comp insurance for small and medium businesses with hourly workers. Powered by real-time data, Hourly's platform ensures running payroll is as quick as pressing a button and that you get accurate workers' comp premiums down to the penny. For more information, visit www.hourly.io. About Origami Risk – Core Solutions Division Origami Risk provides integrated SaaS solutions that simplify insurance, risk, and safety for insurers, managing general agents (MGAs), program administrators, third party claims administrators (TPAs), risk pools, brokers and more. Origami Risk delivers its highly configurable and completely scalable integrated insurance core system, risk management and safety solutions from a secure, multi-tenant platform accessible via web browser and mobile app. Visit origamirisk.com or contact Origami at info@origamirisk.com.

Read More

Compliance

NEXT Insurance Revolutionizes Agent Experience with Fully Customizable Coverage for Small Businesses

PR Newswire | September 21, 2023

NEXT Insurance, a leading digital small business insurer, today announced a differentiated new offering that will enable agents to fully customize coverage quotes to better meet the needs of their small business clients. NEXT's Coverage Builder represents a fundamental leap in allowing agents the ability to micro-tailor small business quotes for their clients, all while maintaining NEXT's superior instant bind capabilities. Coverage Builder is fast, easy to use, and tailored exclusively to agents pre-purchase, equipping them with the tools they need to select the appropriate limits and fully control the coverage they're quoting. With Coverage Builder, agents can select their base policy limits, add or remove coverage or update limits post-purchase, all while benefiting from the convenience of instant underwriting and price updates. This saves agents valuable time and money, allowing them to make changes automatically without the need to pick up the phone and connect directly with an underwriter. NEXT's Coverage Builder offering furthers the company's commitment to its agents by providing a user-friendly and accessible digital quoting experience, 100% online. Coverage Builder is also available to all NEXT customers post-purchase, allowing small business owners to tailor their policies with immediate price updates and seamless policy management. "NEXT's Coverage Builder feature is 100% hassle-free," said Cody L Slocum Lammers, Commercial Lines Agent & Broker at Affordable Insurance Solutions. "This new feature sets NEXT Insurance to a new level, above its competitors, as this allows agents the flexibility to customize policies to fit the needs of each individual small business. It's user-friendly and simple to understand- this is truly a game changer for NEXT Insurance agents!" "Agents are the go-to insurance experts and know exactly the unique types of coverage small business owners need - that's why we're offering them the opportunity to customize policies for their clients instead of standardized coverage packages," said Jack Ramsey, Vice President of Agent Business at NEXT Insurance. "Now, with NEXT's Coverage Builder, we are empowering agents to instantly quote and easily customize and bind policies that will best serve their customers. As a result, small business owners will gain the peace of mind that they're only paying for the coverage they need to protect their business and livelihood." NEXT's Coverage Builder offering comes on the heels of the company's launch of commercial umbrella/excess liability coverage to support small businesses in their entrepreneurial journey. The digital small business insurer also recently announced its integration with Ivans Download™ for General Liability and Workers' Compensation policies and its strategic hire of Jack Ramsey as the company's Vice President of Agent Business. These developments are further evidence of NEXT's commitment to agents and dedication to providing them with a smoother, more intuitive insurance purchasing process for small business clients. If you're interested in working with an insurance agent through NEXT Insurance, visit our website to find an expert to help you get the right coverage at the best price. About NEXT Insurance NEXT Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital, affordable and tailored coverage. Trusted by over 480,000 business owners, NEXT offers policies that are easy to buy and provides 24/7 access to Live Certificates of Insurance, additional insured, and more. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, NEXT utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and provide more affordable coverage. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $881 million in venture capital funding, is rated "A- Excellent" by AM Best and has been recognized by CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Fintech 50, Inc.'s Best-Led Companies, and Forbes Best StartUp Employers. For more information, visit NEXTInsurance.com. Stay up to date on the latest with NEXT on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our blog.

Read More

Core Insurance, Life Insurance

McGill and Partners announces new appointments as it continues to drive its growth agenda

Business Wire | August 14, 2023

McGill and Partners, the global boutique specialist (re)insurance broker, has announced several important leadership appointments within its US operations. Karl Hennessy, who currently leads the Global Specialty Insurance teams in London, will be appointed CEO of McGill Global Risk Solutions LLC, the US insurance and reinsurance business, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. He will be supported by John Judice, who is appointed President of the US business with immediate effect and will be responsible for driving sales and business development activity across McGill and Partners’ specialty insurance platform. Warren Mula will remain Chairman of the US business. Nirali Shah has been appointed Head of US D&O and to further support Business Development activity in the US, Daisy Jackson has been appointed Partner, Business Development, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. Alyssa Gerardi is appointed as Steve McGill’s Chief of Staff and has moved from New York to London. As Karl transitions to the US, his previous responsibilities will be taken over by our Chairman, John Lloyd. McGill and Partners works closely with many leading high-quality retail and/or wholesale brokerage firms and/or (re)insurers as well as global clients and their captives to deliver superior solutions and services to this segment. Specifically, the focus of the firm is on the design structuring and placement of world class (re)insurance solutions, particularly for larger or more complex clients. Steve McGill, CEO of McGill and Partners, said: “Since we launched four years ago, we have developed a value proposition and business model that is highly differentiated, enabling us to deliver industry leading organic revenue growth. The US is the most important (re)insurance market in the world and these leadership changes are designed to reinforce our commitment to the US market, for the benefit of all our trading partners and clients.” About McGill and Partners McGill and Partners is the fastest growing specialty (re)insurance broker in the world with a boutique approach to help clients manage their most complex and challenging needs. It was launched in 2019 and the firm has significant backing from funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm. McGill and Partners is a global business with centres of excellence in London and New York.

Read More

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