Actual loss sustained business income means no worksheet, no coinsurance and no dollar limit. Derek walks through four considerations for brokers (time period, extra expense, coinsurance, and burden of proof), plus three carrier realities, including why ALS often costs more than a stated limit. A practical listen for brokers, buyers and carriers who quote or buy business income coverage.

Buyers are CFOs, so talk like one. Derek walks through payback period as a simple, consistent way to evaluate deductible and SIR changes. Under five years is generally worth it; over five, the premium savings don’t justify the extra risk. He runs two property examples ($10K to $25K deductible, $5,000 vs. $2,500 in savings) and explains why you should quote multiple deductibles on every account, even in a soft market. Short, practical, and easy to use on your next renewal.

I spent the summer on an apology tour, meeting former customers to apologize for my disruption. What they told me had nothing to do with price or coverage. They missed my opinion.

In this episode, I break down why brokers practice insurance and why that means taking a position, putting it in writing, and defending it. I walk through the premium summary format I used at every renewal: expiring, renewal, and a third column with my recommended program. You’ll hear how I use payback-period analysis for deductibles, how I approached wind/hail and umbrella conversations, and why raising new coverages mid-year is expected, not pushy.

If you’re a broker who wants to be an advisor instead of a quoter, or a buyer who wants to know what to expect from yours, this one’s for you.

Every sales organization has an invisible hand: a motivator that isn't on the comp plan, but shapes how people behave. For me, it was the chance to earn equity as a partner in an insurance brokerage. It made me better, and it made me ruthless, overworked, and a little maddened. In this Commissions to Convictions episode, I use Adam Smith's invisible hand theory to unpack the hidden incentives in sales and P&C, and why you need to know what you're willing to do for them.

OSHA is a four-letter word, and Derek loves it. Drawing on years working with manufacturers and food producers, he covers the truths about OSHA that brokers and buyers need to know: why most mock audits fall short, what triggers an inspection, how to handle an unannounced visit, and why citations aren't insurable. He also explains why the smartest move isn't always paying the fine. Sometimes it's negotiating the citation down from willful to serious so you're not on OSHA's radar next time. A practitioner-led, no-BS episode for brokers, buyers and carriers.

Buying a company? The first question any insurance professional should ask is: stock sale or asset sale?

In this episode of The Wolf of Property & Casualty, Derek Laczniak breaks down how deal structure changes the insurance conversation for buyers, sellers, and the brokers who serve them. He walks through why buyers push for asset sales and sellers push for stock sales, and what each means for the insurance program.

In this episode:

• Why "just add it by endorsement" can get you non-renewed
• Why an asset purchase should be treated like new business
• How the ERM-14 and experience mods can follow you into a deal
• Occurrence vs. claims-made policies in a stock sale
• How seller tail policies protect buyers from liabilities they can't uncover in diligence
• How to turn deal chaos into an opportunity to expand an account

Derek's been fielding compensation questions from brokers nationwide lately — especially with the USI/Aon deal shaking up the industry — so this episode breaks down exactly how insurance producers get paid. No advocacy for one structure over another, just the real mechanics.

Inside this episode:
• The three types of commission "bands" — new business, renewal, and inherited/transferred accounts
• Why new business typically pays 25–50% vs. 15–30% at renewal
• How "draws" work for new producers (the stair-step salary guarantee) and mature producers (the confidence-interval smoothing method)
• A real walkthrough of what a $1M commission book actually pays a producer — and where the other 80% goes
• The tradeoffs of "own your book" models vs. traditional agency structures
• How team selling affects your split

No bullshit, practitioner-led talk for brokers, buyers, and carriers. If you've ever wondered what's actually behind a broker's paycheck, this one's for you.

Derek shares the "mess hall" lesson from a former mentor: the peer group you talk with — good or bad — shapes what you end up believing. He traces it from his three and a half months in county jail, where ten minutes at the wrong table can turn you against people who turn out to be nothing like the reputation, to the negativity bandwagon he sees among producers and managers in insurance sales orgs. A reflection on association, gratitude, and controlling what you let echo in your own mess hall.