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Simply put, Excess & Surplus lines (E&S) is a specialty market that insures things standard carriers won't cover. The difficult or high-risk exposures in which E&S carriers specialize may range from a mobile home or a day care center to a multinational oil company. And anything in between. The specialty market is constantly evolving, so E&S companies must react quickly and maintain a high level of flexibility to adapt to market changes.

How it works

An essential element of E&S insurance is the inside-out knowledge required of each professional relating to the coverages, conditions and exclusions offered. The market requires E&S insurance specialists to be qualified to deal with difficult exposures to loss. These specialists, otherwise known as general agents or wholesalers, are the link between the customer, the local insurance professional and the E&S carrier. They have strong market knowledge of both local and regional insurance issues.

News & insights

As construction casualty capacity becomes more selective, brokers need a clearer view of what drives underwriting decisions. Kelly Adams, senior vice president of Brokerage Construction at Nationwide, explores the market reset and the risk characteristics, safety practices, subcontractor controls and pricing discipline that can help attract meaningful capacity.
Excess casualty has moved beyond traditional hard and soft market cycles. Dawn Brost, SVP of Excess Casualty, shares how clients, brokers and risk managers can navigate a more complex landscape defined by severity, specialization and structural change.
AI and autonomous mobility require a modern approach from brokers and carriers. In this article, Ashley Moffatt, SVP of Primary Casualty, shares her perspective on how evolving technology is reshaping product liability risk, and what it means for the insurance industry.

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