Foremost Vs. National General

[indienoise]

No real experience with either of these. Need an in-between auto product, maybe not necessarily high-risk but for someone I wouldn't feel comfortable placing with a carrier like Travelers. Kind of what I try to use Progressive for, but they are too unpredictable. Fair driving/claims history, has prior insurance etc. but not really preferred sort of customer. Do either of these offer a fairly standard 6 or 12 installment plan, have grace period if payment is ever late, or actually have decent service where the insured won't hate me/the company if they have to file a claim? Are either of them competitive in this part of the market?

I know in SC Nat Gen can be hit or miss, but Progressive can be too, hoping to have another option that hits when Flo misses.

 

[miscins]

I thought that National General no longer wrote personal auto in SC. Is this not correct?

 

[indienoise]

They've come and gone, like they have in many places. I believe they returned a year or two ago.

Sadly, that's not what I was hoping to hear. 1822, don't know about Florida but here in SC captives and direct writers make up almost 3/4 of the market share, at least for auto. I could never compete with another indy and have plenty to do for the rest of my life. Problem is, you probably know, a lot of the captives have the same claims and service center regardless of if the customer is nonstandard or preferred. A lot of these folks have expectations for service, and I'd like to be able to meet that. For the true bums that just want the cheapest price and don't care if they're treated like dirt, I've got a handful of regional carriers that'll do that and still beat GMAC or Foremost 9.5 times out of 10 on price. And even THEY don't come after me if there are claims.

But I've found that even many of the bums, if you ask them their priorities, will still go for the higher premium if it means they'll get better service. So I want something to offer them. I ascertained from my time working in PI law that Dairyland is actually decent for that, but they have priced themselves out of the market around here.

I'm super disappointed right now because I was talking with a very new regional standard/preferred carrier who pretty much targets the market I'm looking to fill. The rep hung out here for 30 or 45 minutes, seemed like it was gonna be a slam dunk, even told me exactly what to put on my appointment app to get appointed. Still came back and supposedly his boss said he didn't want a start-up agency. Sucks, thought I was going to be set.

 

[bps]

Foremost hasn't been competitive on very much for me, other than mobile homes, and I rarely write those. Have you looked at Safeco? Curious as to who the new regional carrier that didn't want to appoint a new agency.

 

[indienoise]

I wish I could've pulled that off, but they asked for P&L reports. Obviously I could show them what I've got, not superb but not bad, had 6 figures in production April-Aug and good loss ratios, I just can't get any reports from the Nationwide agency I was with before.

The carrier was Haulers, I think SC is their 6th or 7th state they've entered? They're owned by Shelter and AM Best says they've only got 50MM in premium, they are brand new. Not like they're a commanding name, but they've got good pedigree and from talking to the rep we agreed that their appetite is exactly what I'm looking for in a carrier, and that I've got the means to produce the amount of business they're looking for. It just boiled down to my agency being new.

I haven't pursued Safeco because they aren't the best fit for me. Travelers gives better rates 80% of the time, and I'm in the appointment process thru Big I with them right now, and I'd probably have trouble giving Safeco a 250k commitment with the results I've had with them through wholesalers.

 

[Lightpost]

Indie I am a SC agent & there is a new carrier that came through my office a few weeks ago. I have not done anything with them but they SOUNDED like they were shooting for the type market you are aiming for. The name of the carrier is Cornerstone. You may want to check with them.. LP

 

[indienoise]

I called that rep, thanks for the heads up

 

[cgreene]

I just started working with cornerstone they are good. They just launched in Al and are paying 18 percent commission here until the end of the year.

 

[marindependent]

"We do a lot w/ GMAC. I will say as a company, they suck. They aggressively look to deny claims & will call for signed apps on claims hoping to push something back against the agent. They're my only carrier that I "
Thanks for this

 

[agentinsouth]

"We do a lot w/ GMAC. I will say as a company, they suck. They aggressively look to deny claims & will call for signed apps on claims hoping to push something back against the agent. They're my only carrier that I " Thanks for this

As a result of that, I now require my Nat Gen and Liberty Mutual customs to esign through the carriers website. Solves the issue!