• News Releases
• About Markets
• Business Development and Underwriting
• Case Stories
• MarketStance Data and Products

News Releases

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About Markets

• "Habitational risks account for more than $7.5 billion in premium, or nearly 3.7% of all commercial lines premiums, according to data compiled by MarketStance, Middletown, Connecticut"  Rough Notes, November 2006
• "The Professional Liability Market, the non-medical market provides more than $14.7 billion in premium"  Rough Notes, October 2006
• "Trucking – A $6 Billion Market"  Rough Notes, August 2006
• "The Umbrella/Excess Liability Market — with less than half of the small commercial market carrying umbrella coverage, agents have lots of prospects" Rough Notes, July 2006
• "Finding Good Food Services Risks" — The nation’s eating and drinking establishments represent one of the most vibrant and fastgrowing segments of the US economy. By 2004, the total number accounts in this sector had pushed appreciably beyond the half-million mark, and were generating a staggering $350 billion in annual revenues. National Underwriter, April 2005
• "Getting Ahead of the Workers' Compensation Cycle" — Much of the cyclicality in workers' compensation pricing, and in turn insurer profitability, comes from outside the system. Arguably, the most influential of these factors are the level and volatility of economic activity in construction and manufacturing. National Underwriter, August 2003
• "Strong Underwriting Needed To Weather Truck Market Storms" — This article ­ part two of a two part series ­ continues a state-by-state look at loss cost drivers in the commercial auto market. National Underwriter, January 2003
• "Commercial Auto Insurers Look To Keep On Trucking" — The commercial auto market is a particularly dynamic one, subject to sudden shifts and reversals. This article ­ part one of a two part series - uncovers some key market drivers, preparing carriers and producers to reduce their risks in this market and find the most profitable opportunities. National Underwriter, November 2002
• "Broad-Brush Approach Dooms WC Strategic Plans" — Workers' comp is a particularly treacherous market these days ­ particularly for those who take a simplistic approach to the market. Good opportunities do exist, but finding them requires careful analysis. This article reveals some of the key factors to look for. National Underwriter, August 2002
• "As E-commerce Expands, So Do Insurable Exposures" — Despite the dot.com bust, e-commerce is a growing, albeit largely hidden, reality in business today. This article reveals the surprising truth about e-commerce insurable exposures and the opportunity for carriers and producers. National Underwriter, April 2002
• "Specialty Liability Premium Volume Has Room To Grow" — Unwritten premium potential in specialty liability ­ D&O, E&O, EPLI and Fiduciary ­ is enormous. At the same time, each of these lines presents its own challenges and risks. This article investigates some of the risks and potential rewards for specialty writers and producers. National Underwriter, February 2002
• "Nat'l. Accounts Expanding, But Alt. Market Threat Looms" — This article looks at some surprising dynamics in the national accounts segment of the marketplace ­ and finds both threats and opportunities. National Underwriter, December 2001
• "Rates Rise, Exposures Dip In WC Roller Coaster Ride" — Timing is a major success factor in the volatile workers' comp market. This article uncovers some key underlying drivers of WC, helping carriers and producers get out of some markets ­ and get into others ­ before it's too late. National Underwriter, July 2001
• "$24B Seen Untapped In Small-Business Market" — Despite two decades of intense focus on small business, a large segment of this market has gone unnoticed and to this day untapped. This article discusses where to find this untapped potential. National Underwriter, March 2001
• "WC Insurers Need Lasers To Target Markets" — Like politics, all workers¹ comp markets are local ­ and to be successful in this market, carriers and producers have to understand the local dynamics of workers¹ comp. This article focuses on the states and classes that present the greatest opportunities ­ and the greatest risks. National Underwriter, January 2001

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Business Development and Underwriting

• “CAT Risk Management and Improving Distribution Networks Addressed at MarketStance Workshop”  MarketStance 2007
• “How to Build Agency Loyalty and Engagement”  MarketStance 2007
• “Don’t Judge Catastrophe-Exposed Buyers on Geography Alone, Carriers Warned” National Underwriter, October 2006
• “Insurers Can Tame Hurricane Exposures”  National Underwriter, June 2006
• "Setting Underwriting Direction and Attitude: Three Tips" — Account and book underwriting methods today still incorporate very little in the way of hard data. Often, inspection reports, prior loss information or experience modifications are about it. MarketStance, March 2005
• "How to Identify Producers With Growth Potential " — For the most part, carrier marketing reps and field management have a pretty good sense of their agencies and of their business with that agency. Imagine, though, being able to quantify which among those agencies have the greatest capacity to grow with you, and to know why. MarketStance, March 2005
• "A Checklist for Profitable Growth in Challenging Times" — At MarketStance, we've long advocated the more widespread and methodical use of data on economic activity in insurance planning. In part, this is because growth data is widely available at a relatively granular level - but this is also because growth trends can be put to very effective use in offsetting industry conditions like price softening. In this article, Dr. Fritz Yohn explores how this data can be leveraged to improve results. National Underwriter, November 2004
• "Current Class-Specific Loss Information" — If accident year loss ratios are going up, while policy year ratios are going down, what do you conclude? How helpful are 1998-1999 loss costs when you're underwriting and rating risks for 2005? MarketStance, April 2005
• "Atypical Growth Challenges Conventional Underwriting Strategy" — Counter to popular perceptions, US businesses have actually grown appreciably over the 1997-2002 period. For commercial insurers, however, the good news should be matched with caution about whether the growth has been balanced or unbalanced. The former offers good underwriting potential. On the other hand, when growth in number of establishments versus revenue growth is dramatically different, underwriting stress can follow. National Underwriter, August 2004
• "Demographic Segmentation Simplifies and Accelerates Commercial Lines Marketing to Ethnic-owned Businesses" — How do you keep market research projects from turning into big hairy deals? Using an ethnic marketing initiative as an example, Dr. Yohn explains how rebalancing the priority of various issues can produce simpler, more actionable results. One key - rather than starting your segmentation thinking with class of business, start with the market data.
  June 2004 - Remarks by Fritz Yohn at the Society of Insurance Research meeting
• "The Rise and Fall of Accident Frequency"
  The secular decline in the rate of accident frequency has been well documented. In reality however, state-specific accident frequency rates continue to diverge markedly. This article looks at the variability and methods for spotting factors driving changes and applying that insight to improved workers compensation performance. National Underwriter, May 2004
• "Focus Simplifies Marketing to Minority-Owned Businesses"
  Some straightforward segmentation techniques can greatly simplify a carrier's-or agency's-challenges in approaching minority-owned businesses. This article draws from the MarketStance Ethnicity and Gender database to demonstrate how developing effective ethnic marketing programs can be made more manageable. National Underwriter, October 2003
• "Simple Market Concentrations Represent Straightforward Targeting Technique"
  Narrowly-focused target markets often will still constitute 50% of the total premium available in a given locale, Dr. Yohn recently told those attending a seminar on target marketing at the Universtity of Chicago . A market definition method as simple as one based on premium concentrations can be used to help garner the benefits of carefully defined markets.  MarketStance Presentation Summary , June 2003
• "Current Market Conditions Require Precision Guided Growth"
  Market dynamics have the potential to challenge the best laid target market plans. Staying on top of changing markets is critical for making the tactical corrections that can spell the difference between marketing success and failure. National Underwriter, April 2003
• "Carriers, Agents From Mars Should Prospect On Venus"
  There is a significant difference in buying behavior between men- and women business owners. This article debunks five persistent myths about women-owned businesses, giving carriers and producers the insights they need to gain a competitive edge in this market. National Underwriter, October 2001
• "Shattering Myths About Latino Businesses" The growing demographic presence of Latino businesses should force business-to-business marketers to rethink their approach to this market. This article debunks five persistent myths about Latino businesses that have resulted in an underserved commercial insurance market. National Underwriter, May 2001
• Commercial Insurers Can Stimulate Year-End Production Push With Enhanced Prospect Information - Middletown, CT (August 29, 2005)
• "Getting the Most from the Numbers: MarketStance provides agents and insurers with a 'scorecard' of underwriting and market data" - Rough Notes, December 2006

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Case Stories

• MarketStance Product Proves Missing Link to ISU Agency Growth Approach  - MarketStance, June 2007
• How one Regional Carrier Used MarketStance to Differentiate Itself - Rough Notes, October 2003
• California Agency Finds - And Keeps - Niche Accounts - Rough Notes, August 2002
  
  

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MarketStance Data and Products

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