By Greg Boornazian, Christie Vu, and Ben Young
High interest rates, rising bankruptcies and increased insurance claims highlight the importance for business owners and directors to secure comprehensive liability coverage. You want to work with an experienced team that offers tailored products, personalized service, and quick turnaround to safeguard businesses from a range of liabilities across various industries.
Directors and officers, as well as business owners and operators of private companies and nonprofits, are being challenged by an array of factors in the world today.
Current high interest rates are impacting the cash flow of small businesses and their ability to borrow,[1] and commercial bankruptcies increased by 19% from the first quarter of 2022 to 2023.[2] Bankruptcies often lead to more directors and officers (D&O) insurance claims, and it’s predicted that cyber and employment practices liability (EPL) claims will rise, too.[3]
These headwinds have led to higher premium costs for business owners, which increased 41% in 2020 and another 38% in 2021 alone.[4] D&O insurance rates have flattened across many standard industry classes for underwriters, but the healthcare, technology and consumer discretionary industries are likely to still pay the highest rates.[5]
With so many potential threats to your company’s success, it’s critical to work with an insurance company that understands your business and the D&O market. Understanding potential exposures, terms and conditions of the policy, and what is considered adequate limits based on each business’ unique risks and exposures, can mean the difference between a steady, growing business and a shaky one. Having the right partner is key.
4 characteristics to look for in an executive liability coverage team
Ideally, when selecting executive liability coverage, you’ll want a single carrier that can handle D&O and ancillary coverages for you to help minimize the potential for coverage gaps. It’s also important that the team exhibits the four main attributes listed below:
1. Experience. The team you choose should be seasoned, with years of experience in the executive liability space. Underwriting maturity is invaluable, as is product experience. The depth and breadth of a team’s experience make it easy for them to tailor the terms to your business, something large groups with inexperienced employees have a hard time doing. Ultimately, your company needs a carrier and an underwriter with a known and trusted name.
2. Flexibility. Because it’s not a given that your organization’s coverage will line up with your exposures, you need an insurer that can appropriately match your business with the proper coverage, regardless of the industry you’re in. You need a team who can tailor personalized coverage to ensure no gaps.
3. Service. As a company, you want a provider that can protect your team and assets and be available when you need it. You want to work with an in-house team that is dedicated to cultivating relationships and that can provide personalized, tailored service throughout the life cycle of a policy, from underwriting to claims.
4. Speed and limited distribution. You want to work with a team that has the personalized relationships and expertise that many automated quoting portals don’t have, but with individuals who can still match their turnaround times. You should expect a 24-hour turnaround from the time you submit an application for underwriting. Many insurance companies focus on the quantity of relationships they have, but quality is much more important.
Enter: Protector Plans Executive Liability Program
B&B Protector Plans’ Executive Liability Program provides coverage for all your business insurance needs. The program offers D&O liability, Employment Practices Liability, Fiduciary Liability, Employed Lawyers, Crime and Miscellaneous Professional Liability coverage for private and not-for-profit risks with up to $750 million in revenue and assets or 2,500 employees. Limits are up to $5 million per coverage section.
B&B Protector Plans has an AM Best Rating of A XV; policies include personalized, non-rescindable, duty to defend coverage. Coverage enhancements designed specifically for professional firms and healthcare are also available.
We cover dozens of industries with Executive Liability policies, including oil and gas, healthcare, hospitality/restaurants, technology, software, consulting, engineering, biotech/pharma and more. When it comes to Miscellaneous Professional Liability, we specialize in advertising services, event planner services, medical billers, printers, property management, travel agents and fulfillment firms.
For a full list of policy features and coverage appetite, and to submit, email [email protected]. Learn more about B&B Protector Plans on our website.
[1] Business News Daily “Interest Rate Increases: 4 Concerns for Small Businesses,” February 21, 2023.
[2] Epiq “Bankruptcy Filings Increase All Chapters in March; Commercial Filings Up 79 Percent Year-Over-Year,” April 3, 2023.
[3] Gallagher “Private and Nonprofit Directors and Officers Liability Insurance: A Transitioning Market,” February 2023.
[4] Risk Management “Boom or Bust: What’s in Store for the D&O Market in 2023?,” February 1, 2023.
[5] Insurance Business Magazine “Are D&O insurance rates “bottoming out” this year?,” June 7, 2023.
This information is intended for informational purposes only. Protector Plans Executive Liability is not liable for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the use of this information.