An additional information (AI) request from an underwriter means the submission was not complete enough to issue a quote. Each AI request adds 3–7 business days to the quoting cycle per round trip — and accounts with multiple AI rounds can take 4–6 weeks longer than accounts that quoted cleanly on a complete first submission. Understanding why underwriters send AI requests is the first step to eliminating them from your process.
Missing loss runs
Loss runs are required by virtually every commercial carrier before a quote can be issued. When loss runs are not included in the submission, the account goes to the AI queue immediately — often within 30 minutes of receipt. This is the most common and most preventable AI request in commercial insurance.
Fix: Request loss runs from prior carriers the moment you begin intake. Do not submit without them, or include a specific note on when they were requested and when they are expected.
Vague or missing operations description
The operations description tells the underwriter what the business specifically does and what exposures it carries. A class code alone — "painting contractor," "retail store" — does not give underwriters what they need to rate the risk or confirm that the classification is correct. Vague descriptions generate AI requests because underwriters cannot price what they cannot understand.
Fix: Write 2–4 sentences describing what the specific insured does, who their customers are, the geographic scope, and any operations outside the primary activity.
Revenue or payroll inconsistency
Revenue figures that differ between the ACORD 125 and ACORD 126, or payroll figures on the ACORD 130 that are implausibly low for the business size, trigger underwriter scrutiny. These inconsistencies suggest the data has not been carefully reviewed — and underwriters respond by asking for clarification before proceeding.
Fix: Use a single intake source for all forms so that revenue and payroll figures are entered once and appear consistently across the submission package.
Missing required supplementals
Many commercial lines carriers require supplemental applications beyond the standard ACORD forms — contractor supplementals, restaurant supplementals, habitational supplementals. A submission without required supplementals is, to that carrier, an incomplete submission.
Fix: Know which supplementals each target market requires for the class of business being submitted and complete them before the initial submission.
Loss history without explanation
Loss runs with multiple claims — especially of unusual types — prompt underwriters to ask for explanation. They want to know whether the losses are ongoing, whether the insured has taken corrective action, and whether the pattern suggests systemic risk.
Fix: When a submission includes meaningful loss history, include a brief loss summary in the cover note explaining each claim, its cause, and any remediation.
Each AI round trip costs 3–7 business days. An account with two AI rounds before quoting can arrive at the client 2–3 weeks later than a clean submission would. For accounts with an expiring policy, this can mean binding under pressure, accepting the incumbent carrier's renewal without adequate market comparison, or losing the account to a competing agent who submitted a complete package and quoted first.