Short-form proposal forms are just one tactic brokers and insurers might employ to retain your business at renewal. While short-form proposal forms may save you time, do they save you money?
Why detail is important
Underwriters love detail: the more they have, the more assured they feel when making a decision. The less information they have, the more likely they are to charge a higher price, because the business they are insuring is not known to them. This applies to a lesser extent when it comes to renewing a client’s policy for the obvious reason that they are a known entity. Full proposal forms are the best way to way to achieve competitive terms, as they give insurers the most comprehensive overview of a firm’s business.
Being sold short
When a broker or insurer tells a firm they can work off a short-form proposal form, what they are unlikely to tell is that this will only be fit-for-purpose where their current insurer is concerned. This means they are only likely to receive only one renewal offer. While the broker might claim this is the most competitive price they have sourced, it is unlikely that this has been benchmarked.
We would suggest not simply relying upon a short-form proposal form to obtain the best terms, but also invest your time in completing a market standard proposal form, such as Chancery Pii’s. This is available and stored online, meaning at subsequent renewals the information simply needs up-dating or the Law Society’s common proposal form which can be used to obtain alternative quotations.
Ask the question
If your broker has advised that a short-form proposal form will suffice, think long and hard as to whether the saving in time equates to saving money on your renewal. Simply ask your broker whether the information is sufficient to obtain the best terms in the market or request a standard proposal form.
The managing general agent model
Chancery Pii is a managing general agency backed by a panel of A+ rated insurers on behalf of whom we write business. There are several benefits to this approach:
- We are backed by the financial strength of several insurers instead of just one.
- Although our panel has not changed since we launched if a single insurer did decide to exit the market, our security is not remotely compromised.
- We do not accept submissions from brokers meaning we can always offer an alternative.
- Our panel of markets is unique to this sector, allowing us to offer genuinely alternative quotes.
- Our pricing structure is based solely around the experience of the one- to-four partner segment.
However, we realise that completing proposal forms in full multiple times can be a painful process, and for that reason we are accepting existing proposal forms for this renewal season.
Mark Carver has 20 years of insurance industry experience in both broking and underwriting with AIG, Allianz, Aviva and Miller. He had a critical role in the design of the MGA underwriting platform on which Chancery Pii operates.