Agency Growth
How to Handle Commercial Insurance Renewals
Commercial insurance renewals are the most important workflow in an independent agency. A retained commercial account generates annual revenue without the acquisition cost of a new account. A lost renewal is not just lost revenue — it is a client relationship the agency will have to rebuild if it ever wants to earn the business back. A well-managed renewal process is the highest-ROI investment a commercial agency can make.
The 90-60-30 renewal workflow
90 days before expiration
→Send renewal intake to client — pre-filled with prior year information, asking client to confirm or update
→Request updated loss runs from incumbent carrier
→Order updated MVRs if commercial auto is in the account
→Identify any coverage changes the client has communicated since last renewal
60 days before expiration
→Review completed renewal intake and compare to prior year — flag material changes (significant revenue increase, new locations, new operations)
→Generate updated ACORD forms from confirmed renewal data
→Submit to incumbent carrier with the renewal package
→Submit to one or two alternative markets for comparison if: premium is significantly above market, client has asked about alternatives, or incumbent has had service or claims issues
30 days before expiration
→Review incumbent renewal terms — compare to prior year on premium, limits, exclusions
→Present renewal comparison to client with recommendation
→Obtain bind confirmation from client — do not wait for the client to call
→Confirm effective date and payment instructions before policy lapses
The renewal conversations that retain clients
The most important renewal conversation is not about premium — it is about the client's business. At renewal, agents who ask "has anything changed in your business this year?" often discover:
→A new location that needs to be added
→A new product line that creates product liability exposure
→A new hire who needs to be added to the commercial auto policy
→A client who has grown significantly and is now underinsured relative to their current revenue
→An operation that has changed and no longer matches the original class code
Agents who catch these changes at renewal are providing genuine value — not just paperwork. Agents who process renewals without asking these questions are leaving their clients exposed and their own E&O exposure unaddressed.
Systematize your commercial renewal process
AgencyAssist sends renewal intake at 90 days prior, pulls prior year data forward, and generates updated ACORD forms from confirmed renewal information. Free trial — no credit card required.