Glossary
Surplus lines
Insurance placed with non-admitted carriers for risks the standard market declines — common for unusual professions, new ventures, and claim-scarred accounts. Flexible,…
What is surplus lines?
Insurance placed with non-admitted carriers for risks the standard market declines — common for unusual professions, new ventures, and claim-scarred accounts. Flexible, legitimate, and outside the state guaranty fund.
Why it matters
Surplus-lines carriers write what admitted markets decline — new ventures, unusual professions, tough claims histories. They are legitimate, often A-rated insurers (Scottsdale is Nationwide’s surplus arm), just regulated differently and outside the guaranty fund. For many risks they are the market.