For Insurance Underwriters ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll be using Claude to quickly research unfamiliar risk types, identify the key underwriting questions for any class of business, and draft appetite communications — so you can make faster, better-informed risk decisions on accounts you haven't underwritten before.
What you'll need
Go to claude.ai and start a new chat. A one-sentence context-setter helps every time:
"I'm a commercial insurance underwriter. I'll be asking you questions about risk types, appetite decisions, and coverage analysis."
When a submission arrives for a business type you haven't underwritten before, ask Claude for an underwriting-focused briefing:
I'm underwriting a [business type]. Give me an underwriting-focused briefing:
1. How the business operates (brief — what do they actually do?)
2. Major property exposures and common property losses
3. Major liability exposures — general liability and any professional liability concerns
4. Industry-specific loss patterns (what causes claims in this class?)
5. Key underwriting questions I should ask the applicant
6. Common endorsements or exclusions used for this class
Example: Replace [business type] with "commercial aquaponics facility," "drone inspection services company," "escape room entertainment venue," or any class you've never underwritten before. Claude produces a practical briefing in under a minute.
After the briefing, drill into the specific account:
"Based on that overview, what are the 10 most important questions I should ask the agent or applicant before I can make an underwriting decision on this account?"
Use this list to structure your information request to the agent — ensures you get everything you need before quoting rather than going back 3 times.
For triage decisions (is this class generally profitable in the industry?), ask:
"What does the industry loss experience look like for [class of business]? Is this a class that commercial insurers have generally found profitable? What are the major loss drivers that separate good accounts from bad ones in this class?"
Claude synthesizes publicly available actuarial and industry data. Not a substitute for your company's internal loss experience, but useful for initial appetite assessment on unfamiliar classes.
When agents ask about your appetite for a class you need to think through, Claude can help you draft the communication:
"Draft a professional email to an insurance agent explaining that we're interested in reviewing submissions for [class of business] but have specific underwriting criteria. The criteria I want to emphasize: [list 3–4 key requirements — e.g., minimum 5 years in business, no losses over $X in past 3 years, specific construction type requirements]. Keep it clear and agent-friendly."
This is particularly useful when you're launching into a new class or tightening appetite after losses.
Quick class briefing:
Underwriting briefing for [business type]: how it works, major exposures (property and liability), common loss causes, key underwriting questions, common endorsements.
Appetite triage:
Is [class of business] generally considered an insurable class by standard commercial insurers? What are the major loss drivers that push this class into non-standard markets?
Identifying red flags:
For [class of business], what specific characteristics of an individual account would signal above-average risk? What should an underwriter look for in the application that suggests this is a below-standard account?
Drafting a submission requirement list:
Draft a list of submission requirements (documents and information) I should request from agents submitting [class of business] accounts. Include: required ACORD forms, supplements, loss run period, and any class-specific documentation.
Guide created for Insurance Underwriter professionals. Tool interfaces may change.