👋 Good Morning. Welcome to the 5th edition of our Weekly Recap. The news, trends, and training Producers need (with less of the boring).

🥶Vibe Check: Winter is indeed here, Broker-friendly AI bros raise a butt ton of money, and Elon gets his hand slapped by OSHA.

☕ Grab your coffee, take a break from the last of your 2/1’s, and let’s dive in.

STORY OF THE WEEK

Fern Throws a $115B Temperature Tantrum

Winter Storm Fern just bulldozed through 24+ states over the weekend, and AccuWeather's dropping a bombshell estimate: $105-115 billion in total damage and economic losses. That's not a typo. That's bigger than most countries' GDP.

State Farm's already fielding 1,200+ claims, with Tennessee leading the pack at 750. The average frozen pipe claim? Try $30,000. Suddenly that $20 for pool noodles and duct tape seems like a bargain.

Here's the kicker: While everyone's focused on the snowfall (which covered 56% of the continental U.S.), it's the ice doing the real damage. Northwestern Alabama, Northern Louisiana, and Northern Mississippi got hammered with over an inch of ice accumulation.

Moody's credit officer Jasper Cooper says insured losses alone will hit "billions." For context, the 2021 Texas freeze clocked in at $18 billion. Industry analysts are calling Fern a multi-line stress test — property, BI, auto, infrastructure — basically everything except crop insurance got a workout.

The insurance industry's silver lining? Unlike hurricanes, cold snaps are "foreseeable." Companies are using real-time pipe-freeze alerts and proactive risk communication to prevent claims before they happen. Some carriers are even deploying predictive models that identify pipe-freeze risk down to the property level.

But here's where it gets fun: that Arctic air behind the storm? It's sticking around through the end of January. Meaning more frozen pipes, more structural damage, more business interruption claims. AccuWeather's chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter warns the extreme cold "dramatically increases risks and slows recovery."

The bottom line is this isn't just a winter storm. It's a 1,500-mile-wide claims generation machine that's still running. And with another potential East Coast storm brewing this weekend, your February renewals just got real interesting.

NEWS OF THE WEEK

🏴‍☠️ New Study Finds PTO Finally Becoming a Top Priority For Employers

A new WTW survey found that 73% of US employers plan to enhance paid leave benefits over the next two years. Making it the #1 investment priority despite ongoing cost constraints. They're choosing to spend money on leave programs instead of other things because "just tough it out" isn't cutting it anymore.

Even more intersting, interest in unlimited PTO is also on the rise with nearly 32% planning to do so by 2028.

Why this matters for Benefits pros: Your clients are prioritizing this even when budgets are tight. They need help structuring competitive programs, navigating state requirements, and administering benefits without creating chaos.

🤖 GYDE Raises $60M To Buy Your Agency (And Cut You In On The Action)

Some AI bros you’ve never heard of just raised $60 million out of nowhere yesterday.

Their pitch is to buy top agencies, make the owners co-owners of an “AI-native brokerage,” and use tech to scale the hell out of it.

But here’s the real play: they’re not selling software. They’re consolidating agencies through acquisition, giving top producers equity, and betting AI makes the combined operation way more profitable than going solo.

Lightspeed Ventures led the round. Optum Ventures (yeah, the UnitedHealth guys) joined in, along with a few other VCs.

The question for insurance pros: is GYDE the future of the broker model? Or just private equity with buzzwords and a chatbot? Only time will tell.

Either way, if you’re a top 1% producer, expect the pitch deck in your inbox soon.

🌈 EEOC Pulls the Plug on Pronouns

The 411: In a 2-1 vote last Thursday the commission scrapped rules that said employers couldn’t discriminate against workers for having abortions or refusing to use transgender employees’ preferred names and pronouns.

EEOC Chair, and Trump appointee, Andrea Lucas says the 2024 guidance overstepped. A dozen former officials warn this will increase workplace harassment.

The backstory: The 2024 guidance was built on a 2020 Supreme Court ruling. A Texas judge had already started chipping away at it before this week’s vote.

The bottom line for Benefits pros: With murkier federal guidance, HR departments are in flux. And EPLI carriers? They’re stress-eating donuts while updating their underwriting guidelines.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

🚢 Cargo Theives Are Going ‘Full Send’

Here's a fun stat for you logistics guys, Cargo theft losses hit $725 million in 2025, up significantly from previous years, according to CargoNet data.

But it's not just the dollar amount that's alarming: it's how these thefts are happening. Criminals are getting more sophisticated, using technology to track shipments, exploit supply chain vulnerabilities, and hit high-value loads with precision.

What's being targeted: Electronics, food and beverage products, and household goods top the list. California, Texas, and Florida remain the hottest spots for cargo crime.

Why this matters for your book: If you're writing trucking, logistics, or warehouse risks, this is a potential conversation starter. Clients hauling high-value cargo need to know their exposure is growing, and traditional security measures aren't cutting it anymore.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

🚀 $115,850

The amount OSHA just slapped SpaceX with in fines after a hydraulic crane collapsed at Starbase last June while cleaning up debris from—wait for it—a Starship that had exploded four days earlier.

The rub: Turns out the crane had been recently repaired but never properly inspected afterward. SpaceX also wasn't documenting monthly inspections, hadn't checked the crane in over a year, and had someone operating another crane with an expired certification.

Moral of the story: It’s not just your clients. “Move fast and break things” comes with consequences for any size company.

OSHA's investigation is still open. SpaceX hasn't commented, presumably too busy colonizing Mars.

PRODUCER OF THE WEEK

Bryce Ellis

In this episode, we sit down with Bryce Ellis, a rising star producer in his 20's. Bryce reveals how he built a 7-figure book in a short amount of time despite starting his career during COVID, being at a small shop, and having zero experience in the industry. Whether you're a new producer wondering if you have what it takes, or a seasoned producer looking for a spark, this episode is for you.

POD OF THE WEEK

In this episode, Luke dives into his entire sales process for Benefits Producers. Discover how to convert suspects into prospects and prospects into clients with Luke's innovative "Four Door Approach." Gain insights into building trust, adding value, and mastering the sales process to achieve long-term success.

TOOLS OF THE WEEK

📈 Insurance Xdate: free trial here

📬 Max Revenue Letter: sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📒 Producer Playbook: learn more here

⁠⁠⁠⁠🕹️ Play Producer Games: check it out here

POLL OF THE WEEK

OPINION

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