WHAT DOES AN INSURANCE UNDERWRITER DO?

Updated: Nov 12, 2025 - The Insurance Underwriter evaluates insurance applications, inspection reports, and risk factors to determine policy eligibility, coverage limits, and necessary modifications in line with company guidelines. This position involves processing policy transactions, analyzing loss potential, including catastrophe exposure, and reviewing wind mitigation inspections to maintain compliance and ensure accurate risk assessment. The underwriter also communicates with clients and internal teams to manage endorsements, cancellations, and quote submissions while contributing to workflow efficiency and client satisfaction.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Insurance Underwriter

1. Commercial Insurance Underwriter Responsibilities

  • Underwriting Expertise: Apply underwriting expertise for Business Owners' and Excess Casualty policies, aligning with carrier partner guidelines to optimize underwriting profit and product mix.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with technology and customer care teams.
  • Issue Resolution: Identify and resolve rating and policy administration technology issues proactively.
  • Mentorship and Auditing: Mentor junior staff, perform internal audits to assess risk selection quality, guide underwriters in risk evaluation processes, and ensure proper documentation.
  • Process Improvement: Drive efforts to streamline and automate the underwriting process.
  • Tool Development: Work closely with tech and operations teams to develop supportive tools and solutions.
  • Leadership Support: Work with the Director of Insurance Product and Product Lead.
  • Product Enhancement: Enhance insurance products based on customer feedback and performance results.
  • Broker and Agent Support: Provide multi-channel support to brokers and agents, addressing policy administration, billing, underwriting, claims, and collections issues.
  • Customer Experience: Focus on exceptional customer experiences and innovative problem-solving.
  • Quality Control: Conduct quality control audits, report findings, and offer process improvement suggestions when deficiencies are identified.
  • Program Management: Assist in managing program opportunities identified by the distribution team.
  • Special Projects: Take charge of special projects on an as-needed basis.

2. Insurance Underwriter Details and Accountabilities

  • Staffing Management: Assure the department is adequately staffed for phone and chat coverage.
  • Production Support: Assist with phones and other production items.
  • Task Assignment: Assign and email daily tasks to Underwriters.
  • Escalation Handling: Responsible for handling escalated calls.
  • Reporting: Complete and send out the necessary reports and emails.
  • Correspondence Management: Respond properly to emails and all correspondence received.
  • Time Management: Responsible for managing time efficiently.
  • Quality Assurance: Complete Quality Assurance on calls, chats, and production by team members.
  • Coaching: Responsible for providing coaching.
  • Collaboration: Work with other departments/projects as they present themselves.
  • Training Support: Work with the Training Dept.
  • Guideline Management: Ensure UW guidelines/procedures are current.
  • Meeting Facilitation: Responsible for conducting UW meetings.
  • Policy Support: Assist with policy questions/concerns.
  • Communication: Continually communicate effectively with the supervisor.

3. Assistant Insurance Underwriter Key Accountabilities

  • Record Management: Ensure up-to-date records are maintained at all times on the Company systems.
  • Underwriting: Underwrite business in accordance with Company and Underwriter requirements.
  • Policy Implementation: Interpret instructions and issues arising, and then implement actions according to Company policies and procedures.
  • Process Innovation: Innovate, always look for ways to improve the efficiency of the underwriting process.
  • Credit Control: Ensure that brokers settle their outstanding balances within the agreed credit terms.
  • Professional Development: Participate in and undertake applicable professional, technical and career development training (delivered internally and externally).
  • Service Standards: Ensure that service levels to clients/insurance brokers are of a high standard.
  • Task Resolution: Resolve any outstanding underwriting-related tasks/matters in a timely and efficient manner to enable supporting functions, including claims, finance and compliance.
  • Responsibility Management: Fulfill their responsibilities with the minimum of problems.
  • Professional Integrity: Ensure all dealings are carried out with integrity and professionalism.
  • Relationship Building: Develop strong relationships with brokers.
  • Enquiry Handling: Deal with incoming enquiries from clients, insurers and third parties.
  • Project Management: Manage assigned projects and contribute to other projects.

4. Financial Lines Insurance Underwriter Tasks

  • System Proficiency: Use the experience of Underwriting ProFin effectively.
  • Negotiation Skills: Negotiate flexibly and appropriately, resulting in successful trading.
  • Knowledge Access: Know RSA and where/how to access support.
  • Case Review: Review large, complex, or specialist cases.
  • Broker Solutions: Identify broker needs and create effective solutions.
  • Complaint Resolution: Work with Account Managers and take responsibility for effectively and promptly resolving broker and/or client complaints.
  • Technical Support: Support the Technical Underwriting and Pricing team.
  • Coaching Development: Provide expert guidance and coaching to less qualified/experienced colleagues and support them in their license progression through the creation of development plans.

5. Insurance Underwriter Essential Functions

  • Application Review: Review applications for insurance coverage, reports from loss control consultants, and other information to determine if the application is acceptable for the available client programs.
  • Policy Evaluation: Evaluate and determine policy cancellation or reinstatement, modification of coverage form or limit within client and company guidelines.
  • Risk Assessment: Evaluate the experience of a risk against the class of business under review.
  • Catastrophe Analysis: Evaluate the loss potential due to catastrophe, severity, and/or frequency.
  • Inspection Review: Review Wind Mitigation inspections according to procedures.
  • Transaction Processing: Process transactions and adjust records within company policy and procedure guidelines.
  • Record Analysis: Analyze transactions, search available records using computer, printouts and/or company files.
  • Client Satisfaction Monitoring: Report on any and all unusual conditions affecting client satisfaction.
  • Process Improvement: Suggest workflow and process improvements to enhance efficiency.
  • Call Handling: Receive and handle calls regarding bind requests, endorsement requests, cancellations, reinstatements, inspections, missing information and quote submission for acceptability and processing.
  • Information Management: Review, organize and forward information to other areas for handling or consideration.

6. Insurance Underwriter Roles and Responsibilities

  • RFQ Preparation: Prepare RFQ and QCR for GI Products, GMC, GPA, Motor, Marine, Fire and Burglary, Workmen's Compensation, and Liability.
  • Quote Negotiation: Coordinate with various Insurance Companies and their Regional offices for quote negotiation.
  • Policy Underwriting: Responsible for the underwriting of policies.
  • Policy Endorsements: Responsible for further endorsements regarding additions/deletions/corrections in the policies.
  • Renewals Management: Handle both Renewals and New proposals for GI's various products.
  • MIS Handling: Handle GI MIS in SPA Portal for policy entries and follow up with insurance companies for the release of commission.
  • Insurer Negotiation: Hard bargaining or negotiation with insurers, both for price and for terms and conditions for final quotations.
  • Claims Processing: Handle both Cashless/Reimbursement claims for GMC and GPA claims.

7. Insurance Underwriter Duties and Roles

  • Claims Coordination: Coordinate and follow up with Various TPAs for the claims settlement of employees.
  • Claims Approvals: Coordinate with the insurance companies for claims approvals and the coordination of delays.
  • Health Camps: Organizing health camps for clients in various places.
  • Policy Follow-up: Follow up for getting policies and Endorsements with the insurance companies and sending them to clients.
  • Client Relations: Maintain client relationships through visits in the corporate sector.
  • Query Resolution: Handle their day-to-day queries and resolve the issues.
  • Proposal Support: Coordinate with the client while working on new proposals and renewals to get the required details regarding policies.
  • Business Development: Explore getting new business with the existing clients and their referrals.

8. Insurance Underwriter Key Accountabilities

  • Policy Processing: Issue new policies, endorsements, cancellations and reinstallations as requested by clients and sales force.
  • Client Instruction: Instruct internal and external clients on the insurance proposals received.
  • Business Underwriting: Underwrite new and renewal business.
  • Account Monitoring: Monitor accounts in order to ensure compliance with the company’s policies and procedures.
  • Policy Proofing: Proof policies, endorsements, cancellations, collect premiums, etc. and make corrections.
  • Client Relations: Develop, cultivate and maintain excellent client relationships.
  • Risk Assessment: Gather the necessary information from clients or prospects for the study of risks.
  • Data Entry: Responsible for entering the elements.
  • Quotation Formatting: Responsible for formatting of quotation requests by risk.
  • Quotation Submission: Send quotation requests to companies.
  • Project Submission: Responsible for the submission of projects to sales staff.
  • Project Reporting: Follow-up and reporting on projects.

9. Insurance Underwriter Role Purpose

  • Risk Underwriting: Underwrite risks and issue accurate and compliant documents.
  • Risk Follow-up: Clearly demonstrate proactive follow-up of risks.
  • Target Achievement: Achieve personal financial targets.
  • Quality Underwriting: Provide high-quality underwriting.
  • Relationship Building: Build strong relationships with customers and colleagues.
  • Account Development: Responsible for account development.
  • Endorsement Processing: Process endorsements within the specified authority or route to the appropriate underwriter.
  • Renewal Review: Review renewal applications and submissions for changes and exposure differences.
  • Information Requests: Request additional information from agents.
  • Renewal Projects: Assist with additional underwriting renewal projects.
  • Notice Support: Back up to assist with renewal notices and mailings.
  • Renewal Management: Manage a small renewal book.

10. Commercial Insurance Underwriter Roles and Details

  • Training Completion: Complete two years of required Scottish American training.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Proficiently adhere to carrier and regulatory requirements.
  • Underwriting Skills: Develop strong underwriting skills.
  • Renewal Servicing: Successfully service renewal business.
  • Professional Designations: Earn two professional designations (one entry-level and one advanced).
  • Business Generation: Generate consistent new business and client relationships.
  • Guideline Adherence: Adhere to all underwriting guidelines, authority levels and standards.
  • Risk Underwriting: Underwrite residential and commercial Builders Risk and Contractors Equipment.
  • File Audits: Perform file audits on counterparts and service team members.
  • Product Knowledge: Possess working knowledge of all Builders Risk products to assist internal employees and external customers with inquiries.
  • Relationship Management: Build relationships with distributors and business partners.
Relevant Information
What Does An Insurance Analyst Do?
What Does An Insurance Administrator Do?
What Does An Insurance Manager Do?
What Does An Insurance Producer Do?