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They say that running is 90% mental toughness and only 10% physical conditioning; however, my body would argue that getting in shape is much more than just 10%.  About 8 years ago my wife decided to run a Marathon. She went from zero to 26 miles in a year - I was in awe as I saw her do this thing just because she made up her mind to do it. Of course when my sister Jinny saw what Teri was doing, she had to get in on it, so 2 years later they set off to run the Marine Corps Marathon together.

Four years later, Jinny still loves her running and along the way she has inspired and mentored many to join her. Because of this, for the second year in a row, Tuscano Agency employees will be participating in the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay.  We’ll have 3 teams of 5 runners and walkers covering the 26.2 mile course.  After seeing what a great experience everyone had last year, I was determined to get in on the fun when they organized this year’s relay teams.  I have to say, there were days I wondered “What was I thinking?!”, but now that race day is only 4 days away, I can feel the nervous excitement building in me and in the team, and I know I made the right decision.  Not many people who jump off a cliff can say that.

I like to think that Tuscano has the endurance, discipline, and stamina to go the distance in today’s insurance marketplace.  Like a marathon, the market has its uphill and downhill runs. There are those who try to predict the market’s direction and you’ll hear them call it firming, hardening, or changing. They say soft markets are buyer’s markets: price is no obstacle, coverage can be had, and discipline is lax.  In other words, the sweet smell of the premium can overpower the stench of the risk!  The gap the standard carriers leave shrinks and widens depending on their view of the market.

Certainly Tuscano thrives when true non-standard business stays in the non-standard market. That is the niche we fill for you and your client. Qualifying the risk is always one of the most important steps in the underwriting process.  Jinny gave us a marathon preparedness checklist, so too an underwriter will often want to prepare before taking your risk out to the market.  It also helps us if we know what your priorities are – quote it fast, keep it in a certain price range, include specific coverage, or all of the above! You may think we ask too many questions, but we like to think of it as the necessary warm-up that will make you come out in front of the competition.

As I mentioned, lately the market seems to be swinging – one segment at a time! Today, it appears there is some tightening of the habitational market. Some carriers are dramatically increasing prices, some are non-renewing, and some are restricting their underwriting. The great news is there really is not much in this product line that Tuscano can't write.  Certain risks will be priced higher, but almost all of it is write-able.  What are hot right now are schedules of dwellings, student housing, housing for the elderly, as well as ‘typical’ apartment buildings.  Our team of talented and driven underwriters is eager to listen to your story. They have great markets - both admitted and surplus lines that are hungry (but not reckless) to write this business.

Think of me and our Pittsburgh Marathon Relay teams Sunday morning and if you happen to be on the course or the sidelines, look for the blue TEAM TUSCANO shirts and give us a shout!

We are Tuscano Strong!