OIA CARRIER SATISFACTION REPORT Data Collected from Ohio Independent Agencies Prepared by:
Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA) Carrier Relations Committee
2026 Publication ohioinsuranceagents
.com
Table of Contents Background on the Current Environment………………….……3 Objectives of the Survey……………………………...................4-6 Survey by the Numbers……………………………………………….7-8 Top 25 Ohio P&C Carriers + Stocks……………………..……..9-11 Metrics and Analysis…………………………...……………….....12-20 Insights on Carriers and Agents …………………………......21-23 Agent Comments……………….………………………….…........24-28 More Insights, Plans and Next Steps………....……………29-32 Survey Questions………………………………………………......33-34 Contact Us………………………………………....……………………....35
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From the Desk of Jeff Smith, OIA CEO OIA’s mission remains clear: to promote, progress, and protect the professional advice and guidance that only independent agents can provide. To be successful in this mission, we must continually advocate on behalf of our members and strengthen the relationships that sustain our industry. In 2023, our Carrier Relations Committee re-launched the Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey as a way to capture candid agent feedback and create a channel for dialogue with carriers. What began as a restart has now grown into a cornerstone benchmark with this year marking our fourth consecutive survey cycle and an increase of over 75% in the number of agent insights received.
MEET OIA’S CARRIER RELATIONS COMMITTEE
The survey is more than a report card. It is a platform for transparency, a tool for accountability, and a roadmap for improvement. Each year, we provide these findings back to the carriers, to our members, and to industry stakeholders. The intent is not just to measure satisfaction, but to actively bridge gaps, continue to build trust, and strengthen the independent agency system across Ohio. This is all made possible by the work of OIA’s Carrier Relations Committee.
Jeff Smith, JD, CIC Chief Executive Officer jeff@ohioinsuranceagents.com Direct: (614) 552-3056
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2026 Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey Happy Agents = Growing Carriers The trending data is clear; the fastest growing IA carriers in all lines of business (Personal and Commercial) in Ohio are those with the agency force that is most satisfied with their lead carrier relationships. Based on our analysis over the past 5 years, the carriers that score the highest in the agent-carrier partnership category are the IA carriers that have experienced the greatest growth over the same time period. Since we revived the OIA Carrier Satisfaction Survey, Cincinnati, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group, Auto Owners and Erie have all consistently ranked among the top 3 in the rankings. Of the 120 top 3 rankings in the past 4 years, these carriers have received 79% of the top spots.
While Erie had a brief setback after dealing with a cyber breach, hot loss ratios and rate increases, it is back as a favorite carrier in 2026 occupying 4 of top rankings. It appears to be working as those four carriers have outgrown their peer IA carriers. In most situations, the highly ranked carriers have outgrown their peer carriers by 2X to 10X. This type of growth compounded over time is what turns a Super Regional into a National level carrier or a Regional carrier into a Super Regional. What we have seen in the past few years is that chase for growth from the Regional and Small Mutual level has led to some identity crisis with their agency force and has likely led to much of the market movement we are observing in this report. The carriers that have dominated the rankings have stayed true to their identity and partnerships with agents. 4
2020 – 2025 DWP Growth Cincinnati: 47% - $376M Ohio Mutual: 52% - $106M Auto Owners: 75% - $295M Erie: 79% - $474M
2026 Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey Happy Agents = Growing Carriers In contrast, the lowest-ranked carriers in the survey have remained stagnant or experienced below-average growth over the past five years. The graph below shows the growth of 3 household Ohio IA carrier brands that have underachieved from a growth perspective the past 5 years. A fair correlation from our data is that unhappy agents are moving the business to their other core carriers due to a variety of issues, including, lack of partnership, inconsistency in underwriting, billing system issues, technology challenges and other business disruptions.
2020 – 2025 DWP Growth
Carrier 1: 14% - $88M Carrier 2: 4% - $8M
Carrier 3: 19% - $103M
The one anomaly in this scenario is Progressive. While they utilize multi-modality distribution, they have added $1,023B in DWP, a 72% increase during the same time frame. Progressive’s ranking on the survey usually only shows up in technology and competitiveness. It is safe to say, agents appreciate the advanced technology and competitive pricing but do not use them as a first market because of the low partnership scores. Of note with Progressive is its YOY growth of $280M in Ohio would have ranked it #20 on the list of all insurers. While this is impressive, most of the growth, $270M came from Private Passenger Auto, $31M in Homeowners and a reduction of $16M in Commercial Lines.
These are not profound observations or some secret recipe to success, just a simple data driven conclusion – happy agents = growing carriers.
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2026 Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey Happy Agents = Growing Carriers Now in its fourth year of revival, OIA’s Carrier Satisfaction Survey is helping us draw conclusions on why agents place their most profitable accounts and new business with certain carrier options. It continues to provide a clear picture of how local carriers are performing in the eyes of local independent agents. This year’s survey generated more than 500 unique insights across more than 40 carriers, giving us a detailed view of the partnerships that matter most. Agents rated their top three carriers across 10 categories – partnership, competitiveness, underwriting, claims, technology, and more. By weighting responses by carrier count, the survey highlights both where trust is being rebuilt and where gaps remain. The 2026 results tell a story of transition:
• Underwriting was the strongest-performing category in the year’s survey, with average scores above 7.9 out of 10. This is a clear sign that carrier appetite has opened up with the softening market and premium growth being prioritized. • Partnership success held strong a 7.9, signaling continued stability in the overall relationship and alignment between carriers and agents. • Technology was the clear laggard in this year’s survey with an average score of 6.7. It is likely that with all of the prognostication and investment in AI, agents expected to see greater progress from their carrier partners on the technology side of the business but that has not come to fruition yet in the eyes of agents. This survey continues to be the most relevant for Ohio agents and carriers to evaluate and assess their relationship. Each year we share these results with carriers and our members to drive accountability, strengthen relationships, and set the stage for a healthier Ohio marketplace. We will be sharing these results at various webinars, our annual conference and in private meetings with the top and lower performing carriers. We use this survey to set the stage for our advocacy efforts with carriers and push for a balanced relationships in the IA distribution system. 6
Survey by the Numbers Turning Insights Into Action The 2026 survey delivered over 500 unique insights on the relationships between Ohio’s independent agents and their carrier partners. These insights provide a balanced, datadriven view of performance across 10 key categories that define partnership strength and ease of doing business.
IACON Carrier Panel
Top Categories Evaluated • Risk Appetite • Technology Performance • Claims Handling • Profit Sharing • 5-year Success Outlook
• Partnership & Loyalty • Competitiveness • Commission & Compensation • Company Management • Underwriting
The feedback agents provided offers more than just scores – it gives OIA a roadmap for strengthening the independent agency system, guiding conversations with carriers, and focusing advocacy where it’s most needed.
40+ Insurance Carriers
500 Insights from agents
The following companies received the most responses, ranked by weight: Auto-Owners, Cincinnati, Progressive, Grange, Westfield, Ohio Mutual, Erie, Liberty Mutual, Encova, Travelers, Western Reserve, Celina
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Carriers Represented in the 2026 OIA Survey 40+ carriers from the regional to national level
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Top 25 Ohio P&C Insurers Bases on direct written premium (DWP)
Ohio: All Lines Top 25 Insurers (by DPW) Featuring % premium change from 2024 to 2025 Insurer 2025 Ohio Direct ("G" signifies consolidation of insurers when applicable) Written Premium
Percentage 2021-2025 2025 Premium 2025 Average Average Commission Change from Combined Combined Commissio Change 2024 2024 to 2025 Ratio Ratio n 2025
1. State Farm Group (G)
$3,388,604,000
+7.1%
90.8%
100.7%
10.1%
(0.2%)
2. Progressive Insurance Group (G)
$2,455,270,000
+12.9%
88.1%
89.6%
6.5%
+0.1%
3. Allstate Insurance Group (G)
$1,768,750,000
+9.4%
75.9%
84.3%
9.4%
(0.5%)
4. The Cincinnati Insurance Companies (G)
$1,170,453,000
+7.8%
79.6%
84.5%
18.4%
+0.6%
5. Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies (G)
$1,151,103,000
(6.8%)
82.9%
86.5%
10.5%
(0.0%)
6. Erie Insurance Group (G)
$1,067,938,000
+5.7%
97.1%
110.0%
14.0%
+0.3%
7. Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group (G)
$1,030,724,000
+4.9%
82.0%
81.9%
6.2%
+0.7%
8. Travelers Group (G)
$858,751,000
+4.0%
79.1%
86.6%
14.1%
+0.0%
9. Nationwide Property & Casualty Group (G)
$782,192,000
(6.3%)
83.2%
92.8%
15.8%
+1.6%
10. Grange Insurance Pool (G)
$709,539,000
(1.2%)
81.7%
93.2%
15.9%
+0.4%
11. Auto-Owners Insurance Group (G)
$689,101,000
+10.8%
75.6%
88.5%
18.8%
+1.1%
12. Chubb INA Group (G)
$661,872,000
+6.7%
76.5%
73.7%
10.8%
+0.4%
13. Westfield Group (G)
$642,055,000
+0.5%
74.5%
85.3%
15.6%
+0.0%
14. USAA Group (G)
$578,973,000
+7.3%
81.3%
92.7%
0.0%
+0.0%
15. American Family Insurance Group (G)
$491,207,000
(1.6%)
69.4%
90.4%
11.2%
+0.2%
16. Zurich Insurance US PC Group (G)
$392,221,000
+7.2%
84.6%
71.6%
9.3%
+0.4%
17. CNA Insurance Companies (G)
$390,546,000
+0.6%
103.7%
95.9%
14.9%
+0.5%
18. Farmers Insurance Group (G)
$373,714,000
+2.1%
76.2%
89.4%
11.5%
+1.0%
19. American International Group (G)
$320,157,000
(1.3%)
66.1%
73.0%
13.4%
+0.6%
20. Ohio Mutual Insurance Group (G)
$308,074,000
+5.9%
83.5%
96.8%
16.9%
+0.7%
21. Hartford Insurance Group (G)
$271,710,000
+7.7%
74.3%
86.0%
9.7%
(0.2%)
22. Western Reserve Group (G)
$265,285,000
+0.5%
91.7%
101.1%
16.9%
(0.2%)
23. Tokio Marine US PC Group (G)
$257,319,000
+10.4%
63.0%
72.0%
16.2%
+0.4%
24. Great American P & C Insurance Group (G)
$253,416,000
+9.7%
66.6%
75.5%
14.9%
+0.2%
25. Fairfax Financial (USA) Group (G)
$229,356,000
+0.9%
174.6%
114.8%
14.9%
+1.3%
Totals
$26,874,788,000
+5.4%
82.8%
87.9%
12.1%
+0.2%
This represents the top 25 carriers by direct written premium (DWP) in Ohio ONLY, comparing the DWP, combined ratio, and commission changes from 2024 to 2025. Source: Real Insurance Consulting – A.M. Best Data
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Top 25 Ohio P&C Insurers Insurer’s 10-year Average Underwriting +Profit or –Loss %
Ohio: All Lines Top 25 Insurers (by DPW) [10-year Average Underwriting +Profit or –Loss %] (+Profit or –Loss) #1-State Farm Group (G) [+3.3%] #2-Progressive Insurance Group (G) [+12.1%] #3-Allstate Insurance Group (G) [+16.6%] #4-The Cincinnati Insurance Companies (G) [+15.2%] #5-Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies (G) [+12.7%] #6-Erie Insurance Group (G) [–3.7%] #7-Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group (G) [+19.4%] #8-Travelers Group (G) [+12.5%] #9-Nationwide Property & Casualty Group (G) [+8.9%] #10-Grange Insurance Pool (G) [+11.7%] #11-Auto-Owners Insurance Group (G) [+14.4%] #12-Chubb INA Group (G) [+24.2%] #13-Westfield Group (G) [+14.0%] #14-USAA Group (G) [+9.8%] #15-American Family Insurance Group (G) [+13.0%] #16-Zurich Insurance US PC Group (G) [+26.0%] #17-CNA Insurance Companies (G) [+6.6%] #18-Farmers Insurance Group (G) [+11.9%] #19-American International Group (G) [+13.1%] #20-Ohio Mutual Insurance Group (G) [+8.5%] #21-Hartford Insurance Group (G) [+9.4%] #22-Western Reserve Group (G) [+2.6%] #23-Tokio Marine US PC Group (G) [+26.0%] #24-Great American P & C Insurance Group (G) [+19.9%] #25-Fairfax Financial (USA) Group (G) [–14.7%] Ohio % Underwriting Ohio Average % Underwriting [+13.4%] United States % Underwriting U.S. Average % Underwriting
2016 +8%
2017 +8%
2018 +14%
2019 +5%
2020 +7%
2021 +6%
2022 –10%
2023 –8%
2024 –1%
2025 +9%
+15%
+13%
+13%
+16%
+14%
+9%
+7%
+13%
+11%
+12%
+20%
+18%
+20%
+11%
+18%
+21%
+7%
+8%
+18%
+24%
+18%
+20%
+15%
+2%
+18%
+24%
+8%
+10%
+16%
+20%
–2% +16%
+10% +9%
+23% +8%
+10% –8%
+19% +5%
+27% +4%
–3% –21%
+9% –27%
+17% –9%
+17% +3%
+23% +29%
+22% +21%
+20% +15%
+18% –9%
+21% +4%
+16% +22%
+4% +16%
+25% –12%
+27% +21%
+18% +21%
+14%
+12%
+19%
+3%
+6%
+8%
+4%
–7%
+14%
+17%
+17%
+12%
+18%
+17%
+20%
+12%
–13%
–1%
+17%
+18%
+18% +32% +13% +12%
+22% +38% +16% +16%
+19% +27% +14% +21%
+10% –4% +7% –2%
+19% +15% +16% +13%
+20% +18% +22% +9%
+5% +26% +6% –6%
–2% +34% –0% –1%
+11% +30% +20% +16%
+24% +23% +26% +19%
+26%
+20%
+22%
+12%
+9%
+16%
–8%
–6%
+16%
+31%
+23%
+55%
+19%
+2%
+18%
+39%
+30%
+36%
+21%
+15%
+3%
+10%
+26%
–1%
+12%
+9%
+13%
–6%
+8%
–4%
+14%
+15%
+18%
+8%
+11%
+12%
+1%
–1%
+16%
+24%
–29%
+11%
+39%
–26%
–7%
+49%
+37%
–16%
+31%
+34%
+13%
+13%
+21%
+16%
+12%
+11%
–12%
–5%
+4%
+17%
–21%
+19%
–5%
+19%
–0%
+14%
–4%
+20%
+15%
+26%
+13%
+7%
+11%
–1%
+7%
+4%
–15%
–9%
+6%
+8%
+23%
+38%
+36%
–12%
+28%
+25%
+15%
+27%
+35%
+37%
+24%
+18%
+10%
–2%
+9%
+34%
+30%
–1%
+27%
+33%
+29% +16%
–16% +18%
–25% +19%
–16% +8%
–24% +15%
–11% +17%
+6% +6%
–8% +7%
+12% +13%
–75% +17%
+13% +6% +6%
+13% +2% +6%
+13% +6% +6%
+13% +8% +6%
+13% +7% +6%
+13% +6% +6%
+13% +2% +6%
+13% +4% +6%
+13% +8% +6%
+13% +12% +6%
This represents the insurance carrier’s 10-year Average Underwriting +Profit or –Loss %. It is based on the carrier’s Ohio performance ONLY. Source: Real Insurance Consulting – A.M. Best Data
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2026 YTD Stock Performance In addition to market share analysis, another way we monitor carrier performance is the share price for publicly traded insurers. These results show that the publicly traded P&C carriers are experiencing a mixed performance in 2026 amid their swing back to profitability. Four of the 12 P&C carriers we regularly track are +30% YTD whereas 4 others are negative for the year. For all of the 12 carriers below, their fundamentals are strong. Most are experiencing continued underwriting profitability and premium growth carrier over from last year. While stock market performance is just one indicator of health for the P&C industry, as of now insurance carriers look like a stable investment.
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Top Results Featuring the average score of the category (1-10) and the three leading carriers
Successful Partnership Carrier Average 7.9
9.06
8.67
8.67
5-Year Success Outlook Carrier Average 7.3
8.52
8.28
8.17
Company Management Carrier Average 7.4
8.67
8.61
8.58
Competitiveness Carrier Average 7.5
8.0
7.83
7.78
Commission / Compensation Carrier Average 7.3
8.90
8.72
8.13
How did your three leading carriers stack up?
Underwriting Carrier Average 7.9
8.33
8.39
8.33
Risk Appetite Carrier Average 7.8
8.56
8.13
8.06
Claims Handling Carrier Average 8.2
8.44
8.35
8.32
Company Technology Carrier Average 6.7
7.97
7.83
7.82
8.69
8.25
Profit Sharing Carrier Average 7.1
9.30
Carriers Rankings by Category - Background For the purposes of this survey, we have categorized the insurance carriers based on their Direct Written Premium (DWP) size in the U.S. The overall score reflects the compilation of all responses for the survey with averages for each carrier added into their appropriate category. The compilation of survey results in this manner allowed us to share insights on the category of carriers. In general, the results for each carrier in each category was consistent with the overall results of the individual carrier in that category.
Carrier Ranking Categories
U.S. Count
%
Small - $500M and less in U.S. DWP
835
83%
Regional - $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
117
12%
Super Regional - $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
31
3%
National - $15B+ U.S. DWP
17
2%
Total Insurer Groups (United States)
1,000
100%
OIA Board Meeting with Cincinnati CEO Steve Spray June 2026 Our dedicated volunteer leaders meet with carrier leaders regularly. In addition to this report, we annually host 4 webinars, publish several market share reports and advocate for agents with carriers. To learn more about the Carrier Relations Committee or to get involved, contact Jeff Smith via email at jeff@ohioinsuranceagents.com.
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Carriers Rankings by Category Carrier Categories Small $500M and less in U.S. DWP
Super Regional $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
Regional $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
National $15B+ in U.S. DWP
Overall Score 8.4
The Overall score reflects the compilation of all responses for the survey with averages for each carrier category.
8.2
8.2 8.0
7.8
7.8 7.6
7.4
7.4
For all carriers, the average was 7.5. Super Regionals significantly outperformed the average.
7.2
7.2 7.0 6.8 6.6 National
Agent-Carrier Partnership 8.7
8.8 8.6 8.4
8.2
8.2 8.0
7.8
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
The Agency Partnership score reflects whether the agent feels the carrier acts like a true partner, is improving over time and is easy to do business with.
7.8 7.5
7.6 7.4 7.2 7.0 6.8 National
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
15
For all carriers, the average was 7.9. Super Regionals significantly outperformed the average.
Carriers Rankings by Category Carrier Categories Small $500M and less in U.S. DWP
Super Regional $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
Regional $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
National $15B+ in U.S. DWP
Risk Appetite
The Risk Appetite reflects agents’ perception on the consistency of carriers’ appetite, willingness to renew accounts, write new business, and effectively explain changes.
8.6
8.4
8.4 8.2
8.0
8.0
7.7
7.8 7.6 7.3
7.4 7.2
For all carriers, the average was 7.8. Super Regionals again outperformed the average.
7.0 6.8 6.6 National
Company Management 8.2
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.8 7.5
7.6 7.4 7.2 7.0
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
The Company Management category reflects agents’ engagement with carrier reps, auditors, inspectors and willingness to address agency issues.
6.8
6.8
For all carriers, the average was 7.4. Super Regionals shared the top spot with Small Mutuals.
6.6 6.4 6.2 National
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
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Carriers Rankings by Category Carrier Categories Small $500M and less in U.S. DWP
Super Regional $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
Regional $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
National $15B+ in U.S. DWP
The Competitiveness section reflects agents’ perception on carriers’ ability to competitively price their personal auto, homeowners, CPP and other commercial lines coverages. For all carriers, the average was 7.5. Nationals led the pack in this category.
Carrier Competitiveness 8.1
8.2 8.0 7.8 7.6 7.4
7.3
7.3
Small Mutual
Super Regional
7.1
7.2 7.0 6.8 6.6 6.4 National
Underwriting 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.0 7.9 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.5 7.4 7.3
8.3 8.2
7.8
Regional
The Underwriting answer reflects agents’ perception on carriers’ responsiveness to agent inquiries, flexibility, consistency on renewal, quality of the underwriters and attention to detail.
7.6
National
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
17
For all carriers, the average was 7.9. Super Regionals took the crown for UW experience.
Carriers Rankings by Category Carrier Categories Small $500M and less in U.S. DWP
Super Regional $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
Regional $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
National $15B+ in U.S. DWP
Commission & Compensation The Commission/Compensation answer reflect agents’ perception on carriers’ commission and profit-sharing programs. For all carriers, the average was 7.3. Small Mutuals took the top spot in this category.
9.0 7.6
8.0
8.5
4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
8.8 8.4 7.9
7.5 7.0 National
Regional
Small Mutual
Super Regional
5.0
9.4
8.0
Small Mutual
6.0
Claims Handling
9.0
8.0
6.5
7.0
National
9.5
8.1
Super Regional
18
Regional
The Claims answers reflect agents’ perception on carriers’ ability to effectively process claims for their clients. It addresses contact time, settlement satisfaction, sensible reserves and adjusters' knowledge.
For all carriers, the average was 8.5. Small Mutuals significantly outperformed the average.
Carriers Rankings by Category Carrier Categories Small $500M and less in U.S. DWP
Super Regional $4B to $15B in U.S. DWP
Regional $500M to $4B in U.S. DWP
National $15B+ in U.S. DWP
The Company Technology answers reflects agents’ perception on carriers’ ease of use, ability to rate products, support for the agents’ AMS and comparative rating platforms.
Technology Performance 7.8 7.6 7.4 7.2 7.0 6.8 6.6 6.4 6.2 6.0 5.8
For all carriers, the average was 6.7. Super Regionals significantly outperformed the average.
7.6
6.7
6.7
Regional
Small Mutual
6.5
National
Super Regional
5-Year Outlook for Success
6.9
The 5-Year Outlook reflects agents’ confidence in the future success of the carrier, strength of their partnership and desire to grow their businesses together.
Regional
For all carriers, the average was 7.3. Super Regionals again outperformed the average.
8.0
7.8
7.8 7.6
7.5
7.4
7.3
7.2 7.0 6.8 6.6 6.4 6.2 National
Small Mutual
Super Regional
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4-Year View: Agent Sentiment is Evolving Aggregated directional change by carrier category, 2023-2026
The 2026 scorecard shows where agents stand today. The four-year view shows trends to watch.
Super Regional
Setting the Standard
Super Regionals continue to perform well in 2026. Over the four-year period, results are generally steady rather than showing dramatic movement
Small Mutual
Relationship strengths remain emphasis
Agents continue to value Small Mutual accessibility and relationships, while competitiveness and technology remain areas to watch how this affects 5Year Success Outlook.
Regional
Getting back to roots but still a long way to grow
Agents are showing improved sentiment across partnership, competitiveness, compensation, underwriting, and claims. Technology remains a more mixed area.
Competitive strengths, with relationship opportunities
National carriers show strength in competitiveness, while partnership, company management and relationships continue to present opportunities.
National
Super Regionals remain the strongest overall performers, while Small Mutuals are steady performers that face increasing questions in competitiveness and technology. Regionals look like they are starting to rebound but time will tell. Nationals retain their role as essential but not the favorite option. 20
Executive Summary Insights on Carriers by Category SMALL MUTUALS Strong Second Favorite that Sets the Standard for Relationships Ohio Mutual, Western Reserve and Celina garnered 8 of the top 30 rankings, down from 15 in 2025. The collective group slipped pretty heavily, and most was at the expense of the Super Regionals. We believe this shows that while agents truly value the partnership, accessibility of company management, personal underwriting approach, claims handling and commission structure there are some questions about the ability for a Small Mutual to be a top carrier option in an agency due to competitiveness in all market cycles and ability to keep up with technological advancements. Agents still rank Small Mutuals fairly well as a key to their success in the 5-Year outlook but it is clear there is some uncertainty creeping into the collective minds of the agent community about shifting this option into a higher pole position than it currently occupies. We believe Small Mutuals in Ohio are cornerstone to a heathy, robust and competitive IA system and encourage all agencies to have at least 1 – 3 of these important options for their clients.
REGIONALS Still Struggling but Hope Abounds Regionals ranked at the bottom in 6 of the categories but are showing signs of a turnaround in the eyes of agents. Our concern is if Regionals do not right the ship soon their long-term outlook may start to shift from growth and viability to the need for mergers and consolidation. It is more than relationships and company management that plague this category of carriers, agents are clearly questioning their ability to compete consistently and role in their agency. The 5-Year outlook for success category is perhaps the most concerning as they rank well below their competitors. This is a sign agents are choosing their partners and rewarding them with market share. Regionals have to get back to the culture and roots that made them great Small Mutuals but begin competing with the sophistication of the Super Regionals. If they can make this shift we believe it will lead to happy agents and get their growth back in line with the market. 21
Executive Summary Insights on Carriers by Category SUPER REGIONALS The Dominant Choice for Ohio Independent Agents Super Regionals restated their dominance in the 2026 survey. This group is the clear favorite for IAs, particularly as their #1 carrier. Agents value their strong company leadership, commitment to valued partnerships with the agency force, flexible underwriting, stable and open appetites, fair commission structure and technological advancements. These carriers continue to hold a #1 position in most agencies and are trusted partners for agents. This year was really dominated by Cincinnati and Auto Owners, between the two carriers, they nabbed half of the rankings. This has been pretty consistent over the years but was particularly pronounced this year with the dominance of these two leading carrier partners. Welcome back to the party, Erie. While they slipped out of the leaderboard in 2025, they were back this year with 4 top 3 rankings. It appears Erie and its agency force are back on good terms based on the feedback we received this year. Super Regionals continue to exhibit the sophistication of a National and are approaching that level of DWP, but the intimate relationships agents value.
NATIONALS Competitive Tech Leaders but Not a First Option For most Ohio agents, National carriers hold a unique position in their agency – a competitive option if their preferred carrier cannot compete for a piece of new business or renewal account. In 2026, Nationals significantly outpaced the others in the competitiveness category by nearly a point. However, agents do not score Nationals well when it relates to partnership success, company management or commission. That being said, it will be interesting to see if agents choose to grow with Nationals during the soft market due to their need to appease price sensitive customers and the Nationals capacity and ability to be more competitive than their other options. All agents continue to have a role for the Nationals but openly question whether it is a true partnership due to their direct distribution efforts. This approach continues to put great strain on the agent relationship, but thus far agents have not moved markets with their business placement.
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Excellence in Agent Satisfaction 2026 Insurance Carrier Award Recognizing Cincinnati Insurance Company for Outstanding Performance Cincinnati has remained focused on their relationship with their agency partners. They communicate well, involve company management that has the authority to make decisions at the agency level.
Cincinnati is far and away the best carrier we work with. They have proven to be a well trusted partner.
In this year's Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey, Cincinnati Insurance Company distinguished itself as the clear leader, earning the #1 overall ranking among carriers. Agents consistently praised Cincinnati for its strong company leadership, claims handling, commission and profit-sharing plans and commitment to independent agents across Ohio. Partnership Success
9.06
One of the highest marks across all carriers, demonstrating OMIG’s dedication to building strong agent partnerships.
Company Management
8.57
Reflects outstanding leadership and effective communication with agency partners.
Claims Handling
8.32
Agents consistently recognize OMIG’s support during the moments that matter most.
Commission
8.90
Quick, responsive service sets OMIG apart from many competitors.
5-Year Success
8.86
Streamlined processes make it easier for agents to do business.
OIA Agents Voiced… Carrier Partnerships “Carrier has been a great asset to our agency and we have a strong relationship with them.” “Carriers willingness to work in the best interest of agents is top-tier.” “Cares more about people than other companies.” “Carrier has done a lot of good things for the agency over the course of many years. Current company management seems un-interested in continuing any sort of special relationship with its agents. They try very hard now to be just average.” “UW is inconsistent from territory to territory. Larger agencies get preferential treatment, they like to play favorites. Revolving door of UWs both personal and commercial. Territory reps are consistently MIA. Personal auto/commercial auto commission is bad. Everything else is competitive. Really competitive on small commercial not on anything larger than a handful of employees.” “Still a company that we LOVE and hope that rates will turn around so they can get competitive in our market.” “Carrier distanced themselves from their agency partners over the past 10 years. They recently made attempts to improve their agency relationships with very limited success.”
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OIA Agents Voiced… The Hard Market Experience
"Personal Lines is running well while commercial lines underwriting appetite lacks consistency.”
“Company completely ran away from the market during the last hard market and left us without any ability to sell anything for nearly two years. We also strongly dislike the very limited six-month window the company allows for the reporting of a loss.“ “Have taken so many rate increases and they DO NOT pay claims! Makes me wonder if they are in financial trouble and looking to be purchased.” “Commercial underwriting is inconsistent.” “Carrier’s rates have suffered in PL. We have really slowed down on our growth. Commercial lines momentum in a positive direction getting more business.” “Carrier has been very consistent in Personal Lines. Most aggressive company we worked with through the hard market.” “Personal Lines underwriting during the hard market was very inconsistent, the UW team was inexperienced and new to the role.”
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OIA Agents Voiced… Technology Systems
“Carrier is struggling tech wise in a tech driven time. Agents tend to gravitate to the path of least resistance so bringing a powerful quoting platform is key.” “Technology is lagging, several technical issues that happen on a daily basis.”
“Carrier is solid in underwriting because the turnover is very low. We typically have a dedicated UW to our agency that lasts at least 3-5 years. Technology needs improved on handling accounts with more than 5 locations. It typically crashes for one reason or another but they do get it to work so I think it's an issue they can fix.” Poor Technology. Easily have the most errors with its insurance system than all other carriers combined daily. Still has one of the worst billing systems for 10+ years. “Solid company deploying above average tech to support agents.” “Carrier lacks investment into bringing archaic programs onto their current platform to help write business.”
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OIA Agents Voiced… Communication
“Carrier has struggled with Personal Lines, but their commercial appetite continues to grow and improve. They’re very responsive and it’s easy to get ahold of anyone you need in the company." “They appear to be focused on becoming a national carrier and are forgetting the things that made them great – like consistent agent communication and engagement.” “This is a company that listens to their agents when we call and ask about a risk or situation. We appreciate this and greatly value the relationship.” “Absolutely the worst carrier for ease of communication with. Only email or via a call center to speak with a general representative that then cannot fully underwrite a policy. No notifications to the agent on policy actions that are negative or adverse. No confirmations sent on policies that have pending underwriting issues.” “Commercial Lines listens when I call. Personal Lines are little uptight and not as conversational in discussing a risk.”
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OIA Agents Voiced… Concerns Shared “Carrier has distanced themselves from their agency partners over the past 5 years. The relationship with management is tough as they have attempted to decentralize their working relationships with their agents. There are no personal lines underwriters assigned to individual agencies. We think their work aggregators has impacted their profitability and forced management to re-think their agency company relations.” “Not pleased with claims handling so we've slowed down new business.” "Very poor profit-sharing agreement.” “They are not making good hires or holding the claims people accountable.” “They are always responsive when there is an issue. It helps that we have a field rep that visits the agency regularly.” “The company is far behind the market on new product offerings and pricing is just not competitive for new business.” “Huge rate increases the last 3 years, much more than other carriers. No confidence in quoting. Seem to be going elsewhere first the last few years.”
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Insights for Agents Be intentional with who you choose to do business because in the next market cycle you need true partners. Rewarding carriers that compete directly with you, do not value the agent-carrier relationship and are the first to change appetite without explanation in a hard market is not a good solution for longterm health of the IA system.
2026 restored the Super Regional dominance in all but two categories. A close second in most categories was the Small Mutuals. These rankings continue to reinforce agents value personal relationships with their carrier partners and will intentionally grow with those who reciprocate that true partnership.
Regionals showed continued signs of life in 2026, giving us hope that maybe the identity crisis that has plagued this group may be fading. It appears Regionals are finally working through their fundamental technology challenges and getting back to the culture and roots of the relationships that made them great carrier partners.
Small Mutuals continue to be that loyal friend that will never leave your side when the bullies show up but sometimes lack the strength to fill many of the gaps and needs agents have. They are consistently reliable 2nd and 3rd option but cannot seem to fill the lead carrier option for many agencies due to their limited appetite and technological capabilities.
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Insights for Agents Nationals shined in Competitiveness and Risk Appetite, which we would fully expect. Agents were also bullish on their 5-Year outlook for success likely due to their current size of the market share. The mentality of too big to fail may be influencing these thoughts. The technology performance was underwhelming (6.5 score) for these giants. Size should not be considered a given for success as we have seen the fate of National carriers go in different directions based on business decisions they have made recently. For example, while Progressive has grown by 72% over the past 5 years, Liberty Mutual grew by 9.5% during the same timeframe and has declined by -13.7% since 2023. Similarly, Nationwide has declined by 13.3% (2020) and -16.2% since 2022.
For IA carriers, this survey shows agent satisfaction has a correlation to growth. Investing in mutually beneficial relationships is critical to ensuring profitable growth. Agents are choosing their best partners to place profitable business. The fundamentals have not changed over the years – trusted partnerships, personal touch, open communication, consistent underwriting and appetite = happy agents and growing carriers.
We are proud of the strong legacy of Ohio domiciled carriers and know they are vital to the long-term health of the IA system. While many of these relationships have been strained in the past few years, particularly in the Regional category, we all need these carriers to flourish. It is on company leadership to make the right decision to make that happen, but they should know they have the support of the agent community to get back to their culture and roots that made them great carrier partners.
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Top Five Actions Heading into 2027 FOR AGENTS
FOR CARRIERS
1. Double Down on Super Regionals.
1. Invest in Privately Held Retail Agencies.
Agents LOVE Super Regionals as their #1 carrier. If you don’t have one of the staples, they are likely appointing and you should consider how it fits in your agency and helps you grow your agency value.
The agent-broker landscape is being consolidated by the high volume of M&A activity. This is in part being driven by carrier relationship and compensation decisions favoring aggregation and consolidation.
2. Balance Your Book with Small Mutuals.
2. Happy Agents = Growing Carriers.
Ohio is rich with Small Mutuals. They are loyal, deeply committed to the IA channel, and still value relationships. You will be happy with a balanced book with 1 – 3 Small Mutual options.
The data shows that the fastest Ohio P&C carriers are those with highest YOY agent satisfaction scores. Invest in your agency relationships and outgrow the competition.
3. Keep the Faith with Regionals.
3. Stay Consistent with Underwriting.
Regional carriers are an important foundation for the IA system. The P&C marketplace needs this layer of carrier if we want to avoid becoming the health insurance marketplace. Push the regionals to reinvest in their culture and roots that once made them great.
Every carrier had to make difficult decisions during the hard market, however, those that communicated effectively and stayed consistent with their risk appetite and underwriting process were rewarded with profitable growth.
4. Invest in Organic Growth
4. Share Your Profit.
With a soft market, organic growth is going to be increasingly more difficult. It will be much harder to hide from your carrier partners if you are not proactively growing. Invest in unvalidated producers to grow.
Some carriers are restructuring their profitsharing plans to make it harder for agents to share in the profit they helped bring to the carrier. This is a mistake. Growth requirements are a reasonable addition to the equation, making the formula an Einstein solvable problem is not. Keep it simple.
5. Have an Active Relationship with AI
5. Train Your Staff To Pick Up the Phone.
An agent once said, “it’s not that the big will eat the small, rather it is the fast will eat the slow.” Be sure to push your team to explore technological solutions that help you become more efficient and grow.
It is difficult to have a meaningful business relationship with a marketing rep, claims rep or underwriter if everything is done via email. Pick up the phone and build relationships.
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Plans & Next Steps Leverage Agent Feedback to Drive Carrier Growth The trending results of this survey and market share reports are showing a correlation between happy agents and carrier growth. We plan to use this survey to drive our advocacy conversations with carriers about the types of relationships, service, technology and compensation structures that are mutually beneficial to both parties.
Expand Market Access The prolonged hard market left many agents in great distress. With limited carrier options, many agents struggled to renew and write new business. This drove many agencies to make difficult business decisions that with proper market access could’ve been avoided. OIA is working to make sure this does not happen to our members again. We have expanded our market access offerings with Independent Market Solutions (IMS), Big I Alliance and other partners.
Strengthen Carrier Influence We have recognized that the fundamentals of the IA distribution system have changed with sustained M&A and the growth of networks and aggregators. To ensure all IAs have a strong representation with carriers, we are working to create more cohesive forums and networks for agents to engage to create a more cohesive and effective voice to influence carrier decisions.
As the soft market cycle settles in, OIA's focus is being your stable voice and advocate through all market cycles. We plan to continue our proactive advocacy efforts with the carrier community and provide you with the business intelligence and resources you need to grow your agency.
2027 will be a year to capitalize on these shifts. Membership renewal begins on October 1. Membership ensures your voice is heard in these conversations and gives you the tools to plan smarter for the year ahead. Jodie Shaw, Business Development Director Jodie@ohioinsuranceagents.com 29
2026 Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey Questions
CONFIDENTIAL 33
Insurance Carrier Satisfaction Survey Questions A simplified view of what agents evaluated across their top three carrier relationships.
Response Framework
What Agents Evaluated Partnership Success
Most categories
Treats agents like a true partner
Excellent → Very Poor
Competitiveness Turnaround Time
Personal lines; commercial lines
5+ weeks → 1 week or less
Commission / Compensation Technology
Personal & commercial commissions; profit sharing
Technology leader → laggard
Company Management 5-Year Outlook Extremely confident → Not confident
Leadership communication; responsiveness on agency issues
Underwriting Renewal consistency; overall underwriting quality
All questions also allowed respondents to choose N/A.
Turnaround Time Personal lines and commercial lines speed
Technology Performance Survey Design Respondents evaluated their top three carriers based on share of agency business. Questions asked in this annual survey are developed by the dedicated volunteer leaders of the Carrier Relations Committee alongside OIA’s Carrier Relations team. If you would like to see additional questions asked in future editions, contact our team to let us know!
Ease, comparative rating, AMS and service support
Claims Handling Client experience; settlement satisfaction
Billing System Accuracy
5-Year Success Outlook Confidence in the carrier’s future success
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(614) 552-8000 contact@ohioinsuranceagents.com ohioinsuranceagents.com
About OIA Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA) is the leading voice for nearly 1,000 independent agencies that employ 10,000 Ohioans and protect hundreds of thousands of Ohio consumers through personalized insurance plans. OIA members write 89 percent of the commercial insurance policies and 46 percent of personal insurance policies in Ohio. OIA promotes, progresses, and protects the professional advice and guidance only independent insurance agents provide. The company helps agents by providing professional development, consulting services, agency valuation and succession planning and industry thought leadership.
Disclaimer: The Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc. (OIA) provides this information with the express understanding that 1) no attorney-client relationship exists, 2) neither OIA nor its attorneys are engaged in providing legal advice and 3) that the information is of a general character. You should not rely on this information when dealing with personal or professional legal matters; rather, seek legal advice from retained legal counsel.
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Wright Flood
THANK YOU We rely on the support of our company and carrier partners to help Ohio's independent agencies succeed in today's competitive marketplace. Their commitment to the independent agency system strengthens our industry and helps agencies better serve their clients and communities. We are grateful for the continued support of our Company Partners and the vital role they play in advancing the success of independent agents across Ohio.
Kate Esterline Company Relations Manager kate@ohioinsuranceagents.com Direct: (614) 552-3087
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