We check in with Joe Zuk, an insuretech guru with private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners. It’s an “exciting” time to evaluate new and established firms, he says. After a bit of a lull in insuretech chatter over the last few years, “Now we’re seeing a resurgence.” Joe outlines several categories of action: Augmented underwriting vendors using third-party data to bring risk fidelity and granularity in underwriting and claims. Data organizers using large language models to organize foundational data in the insurance value chain. Predictive AI in climate, weather tech and liability. Category disruptors working to upset the value chain in going direct to consumer or truncating the value chain with AI or other technology. And the MGA and program sectors remain hot. At the same time, AI is not a panacea, Joe cautions. “We still work in a heavily regulated industry…  A lot of folks are saying lets slap AI onto everything and surely that’ll be the fix. I’m really worried about a loss of institutional knowledge and foundational and fundamental skills in underwriting, risk selection, aggregation management and claims. And let’s not forget the relationship aspect of it.” In his PE work, Joe likes to “underwrite people first and foremost” when choosing where to invest in firms. He loves insurance. “I get to never be bored. I get to challenge my mind to solve problems daily. I see it as a big puzzle. It’s a very addicting and fun industry.”

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Imagine a world where we all loved our work. And work loved us back! Okay, that’s just not gonna happen, says professional development and executive coach Jenn Urso. And this is okay, because employees and employers still can reach a peaceful coexistence and understanding amidst a stressed-out world. On this engaging conversation Jenn unpacks lots of insight for improving work focus, productivity and personal happiness, which are tightly connected. Jenn built her company, The Leadership Project, after a six-month sabbatical traveling the world. During her time abroad she learned that people in all cultures and countries share a deep connection with their work; and, simultaneously, they feel “frustrated and burned out and swallowed up by work.” Jenn believes that “work is not meant to love you.” A profit-making organization doesn’t always align with many employees’ yearn for warm-and-fuzzy emotional connections. Over the last 100 years, and evolving more recently, “work originally was about survival, and then stability, status, self-actualization, and now a state of stress,” Jenn says. Listen as this leader whisperer outlines what we can do about the stress, with On Point host Peter van Aartrijk!

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When the insurance market gets tough—and it has been in recent years—the entrepreneurs get going. New products, new coverage alternatives and new service bolt-ons are created. Dylan DiMarchi is in the middle of it. He emerged from the real estate world, frustrated with the unpredictable cost of insurance, and developed Premium Lock, which guarantees insurance cost on a property for up to three years. “If a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage is a thing, why not at least a three-year guarantee for an insurance policy?” he says. Premium Lock is not insurance per se. Customers pay an average of $20 per month and are reimbursed if premiums rise over the agreed amount. His firm reviews a number of sources to predict how every carrier will price every piece of property in the U.S. That includes macro-economic factors like construction cost inflation, carrier profitability, regulatory behavior, and weather dynamics. Dylan believes Premium Lock is educating consumers on the impact of climate change. He also credits his fellow insuretech founders who are working to prevent property losses, such as fortifying homes. “Right now it’s expensive to do, but I have hope that carriers will show real financial ROI” on investments in mitigating property risks,” he says. Listen to this new On Point episode with host Peter van Aartrijk today!

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The effects of the change in the federal stance on the scheduling status of cannabis may have many impacts on what insurers and those who service the industry do. However, if you don’t know what it means for the 280E tax code and the changes that may follow, then you should pay attention to what Griffin Basden has been talking about to clients following a December 2025 presidential executive order to expedite rescheduling. Basden with AlphaRoot talked about the changes for this episode of the podcast with host Don Jergler.

The post EP. 104: 280E Is Key to Understanding Impact of Federal Shift on Cannabis appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Happy New Year, On Point Nation! Let’s start with a fresh look on improving your sales techniques. Let’s face it: We are all in sales in some way, right? And our guest Amy Reczek is a terrific sales coach. On this recording Amy unveils some techniques she discovered herself along the way as a trainer and speaker. Your posture, what you’re doing with your hands and eye contact are three critical nonverbal tools to master, she outlines. People buy from people, and not from companies, she adds. They are looking for people they can emotionally connect with. “Don’t pack in a lot of words,” Amy advises. “Ask more questions like, ‘Tell me about X?’ They answer. Then you say, ‘Can you tell me more about X? And about this?’ Stay with the client. Ask ‘why’ multiple times. You are gaining knowledge. Don’t flip right to the solution. Sit with the client more to really discover what’s happening. All value is what really matters to the client; it has nothing to do with you. We need to listen more on that.” Bonus: Amy outlines a number of sales-killing words we typically say and write. “Just checking in…” and “Just following up…” are, well, “just” two of them!

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Insurance Journal recaps the biggest stories of 2025, from record-breaking wildfires and climate losses to broker mega-deals, litigation reform, cyber threats, AI-driven layoffs, and signs of recovery in key insurance markets heading into 2026. Watch this end-of-year exclusive with Carrier Management’s Elizabeth Blosfield, Insurance Journal’s Ezra Amacher, and Insurance Journal’s Allen Laman! Catch up on all of the Insurance Wrap Up episodes at https://www.insurancejournal.tv/channels/the-insurance-wrap-up/

Top Insurance Journal News of 2025:

The post Wildfires, Lawsuits, AI, and M&A: A Look Back at Insurance in 2025 | The Insurance Wrap-Up appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

A deep dive into JD Power’s 2025 Claims Digital Experience Study, revealing how customers use digital tools during the claims process and what makes those channels clear, helpful, and easy to use.

To watch the full episode with host Don Jergler and J.D. Power’s Mark Garrett visit https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/26137/

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Claims functionality in mobile apps is one of the biggest investment areas for carriers, which are seeing the fruits those investments continue to grow. New data show that customers using these digital claims reporting tools are more satisfied with the process. We spoke with Mark Garrett with J.D. Power about the intelligence firm’s new Claims Digital Experience study to see what they found and what these numbers tell us.

The post EP. 05: Digital Claims Experience Still A Work in Progress, But Pointing Up appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

In this episode preview with Kasey Roh, the U.S. CEO of Upstage AI, Kasey breaks down how AI-powered document intelligence handles messy loss runs and inconsistent supplemental applications, giving carriers a major speed and accuracy advantage in underwriting.

Watch the full episode with Carrier Management’s Elizabeth Blosfield as host of the Insuring Cyber Podcast at https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/26109/

The post Cracking the Code: How AI Turns Messy Insurance Docs into Underwriting Gold appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Join our Golfertainment hosts George Jack, Patrick Wraight, and Kevin Amrhein alongside special guest Frank Pennachio—Florida insurance pro, author, Tampa Bay Rays fan, and all-around great conversationalist—as they dive into a festive mix of holiday cheer, standout insurance cases, and bold predictions for the year ahead. Frank brings wisdom, big personality, and plenty of laughs as the crew unpacks what’s shaping the industry and what could be coming next. Plus, expect a little golf banter woven throughout. It’s a spirited, can’t-miss conversation happening now!

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