One of our three largest carriers by premium, and the one we reach for first on contractors.

Contractors packages

General liability, property and equipment packaged for trade contractors.

Without it — Where we reach for them first — the package pricing is generally unbeatable in this class.

Workers compensation

Comp across most classes, with the loss control and return-to-work support behind it.

Without it — In our experience the most competitive comp market in the country, across a wide range of classes.

Manufacturing and main street

Package and monoline cover for manufacturers, retailers and service businesses.

Without it — Consistently competitive, and a market that stays through a hard cycle rather than exiting.

Garage and dealer

Garage packages including garagekeepers and dealer open-lot physical damage.

Without it — Competitively rated in a class where a lot of markets simply will not quote.

Accountants professional liability

E&O for accounting and tax practices.

Without it — One of the strongest accountants E&O forms we place.

Is Travelers a good carrier for a small business?

For most of what we place, yes, and we are not neutral about it — Travelers is one of our three largest carriers by premium and we were a top-five agency for new Travelers business inside our network in the first quarter of 2026. That is a disclosure rather than a boast: you should know the relationship exists when you read the rest of this. Where they are strongest, in our experience: contractors, where the package pricing is generally unbeatable; workers compensation, where they are the most competitive market in the country across a wide range of classes; manufacturing and main street risks; garage and dealer accounts, where garagekeepers and dealer physical damage are priced well in a class many carriers avoid; and accountants professional liability, which is one of the better forms available. They are also a market that stays. Plenty of carriers write a class enthusiastically and exit it two years later, which leaves you re-marketing at the worst moment. Travelers is not that, and stability has a value that does not show up on a quote comparison.

What is not great about them?

Some of our clients have noticed that the billing system is challenging to work with. It is the complaint we hear most, and it is worth knowing before you place an account rather than after. It is an administrative frustration rather than a coverage problem — it does not affect how a claim is handled or how the policy responds — but if you are the person reconciling invoices it will occasionally cost you an afternoon. We say it because a review that lists only strengths is an advertisement. The reason we still place a large volume with them is that on the accounts above, the pricing and the coverage are worth an imperfect billing portal, and having an agent absorbs most of that friction anyway — sorting out a billing question is our job rather than yours.

Does the agency relationship change what you can get?

Yes, and it is the most concrete thing an agent adds beyond the price. We have a strong working relationship with their underwriting team, which in practice means an account that does not fit the box automatically can be discussed with a human who can make a decision — a loss history that needs explaining, a class code that is arguably wrong, an exposure that reads worse on paper than it is. Direct channels have no equivalent step: you either fit the model or you are declined. It also matters at renewal, where an underwriter who knows the account and knows the agency is a different conversation from an automated re-rate.

Why go through a broker instead of buying direct?

Six reasons, and the first one surprises people. It does not cost you anything. Broker compensation is built into the carrier’s rate whether or not you use one — buying direct does not remove it, it just means nobody is being paid to be on your side. You are declining the representation, not the cost. Somebody negotiates for you. An agent represents YOU rather than the carrier, which matters most at the two moments that decide whether insurance was worth buying: when the account is being underwritten and priced, and when a claim is being adjusted. Direct writers have neither role available to you. You stop queueing. A certificate, an endorsement, a vehicle added, a limit raised — through an agent those are usually same-day, often same-hour. Through a service queue they are a wait, and you explain your business again to whoever answers. You get the same person. We assign a dedicated account manager from day one, so the person handling your renewal already knows what you do, what your contracts require, and what went wrong last time. Nobody starts from your policy number. We re-shop it every year. Not the same carrier re-rated — a genuine comparison across multiple carriers and products, because the market that was right for you at $400,000 of revenue is frequently not the one that is right at $1.2M. That is the single largest source of savings we find, and it is structurally unavailable if you buy direct. And we will tell you when to stay. If the policy you have is the right one, that is an answer we are willing to give, and it is why the comparison is worth doing at all.