Welcome to this week's recap. The news and insights mid-market producers actually need, without the snoozefest.

Today: 5 briefs. 1 podcast. 0 boring.

Let’s roll!

The U.S. is in its worst spring drought since 1895 with 61% of the lower 48 parched, including 97% of the Southeast.

Wildfire risk grows exponentially with heat and drought, and AccuWeather is already forecasting up to 8 million acres burned this year.

Here's the kicker for producers: wildfires ain't just a California problem anymore. The Southeast and Texas are drying out faster than a college keg. Meaning clients who've never filed a wildfire claim, in markets that have never priced for one, are suddenly exposed.

Good news for your clients: renewal rates are softening across nearly every major commercial line. Umbrella, GL, commercial property, BOP, and commercial auto all came in lower in Q1 2026 than Q4 2025, with March being the softest month across the board, per Ivans' analysis of 120 million transactions. Workers comp is already negative at -1.73% and falling.

One little caveat: NCCI is waving a yellow flag. Medical equipment costs are climbing (hello, tariffs) and broader inflation roared back in March. The calm in comp is real, but it's likely temporary. If you've got clients with comp-heavy workforces, be prepared.

All-in-all your clients will love renewal season. Your bank account? Less so. Softer rates mean softer commissions, which means now is the time to round out accounts, cross sell bennies, and re-commit to prospecting.

Three Los Angeles residents cooked up what they thought was the perfect scheme: stage some bear attacks on luxury vehicles, a Rolls Royce Ghost and two Mercedes, file the claims, and walk away with $142,000. What could go wrong?

There was just one problem. A wildlife biologist took one look at the footage and said that's not how animals move. Investigators showed up at their home and found the bear suit sitting in their closet. HAHAHAHAHA.

All three pleaded no contest to felony fraud and 180 days and full restitution. The $300B annual fraud tab gets paid by someone. This week, it was them.

We’ve partnered with Element 22 Insurance Services to be Max Revenue’s preferred wholesale broker. Here's the skinny on them:

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If you've got accounts that need a creative solution for Hab, Hospitality, or Contractors, give them a shot. They’re legit.

You can send your submissions straight to [email protected] Or call Brian at (843) 296-3376 and tell him Max Revenue sent you.

The Trump Labor Department just proposed a rule that would make it significantly harder to hold a company liable for wage violations committed by its contractors or franchisees, reviving a standard from Trump's first term that Biden scrapped.

Under the proposal, joint employer status only applies if a company directly controls hiring, pay, and supervision. A 60-day comment period opens Thursday, with a final rule possible by year-end.

Great news for clients in construction, hospitality, and franchising. But "proposed" isn't "final." TBD on this one.

According to a new Sica | Fletcher analysis, 714 brokerage deals closed in 2025. Still well above pre-pandemic levels.

The best part? The average EBITDA multiples hit roughly 11.4x, about 20% higher than 2020 and only slightly below the top at 12.1x in Q3 2024.

Agency owners and book owners: the big boys are feeling those softening premiums, making nimble mid-size books more and more attractive. The window is still open to get your payday.

In this episode, Micah squares off with Nick Aube to debate sales methodologies. Nick with his "BOR Only" model and Micah with his more flexible Due Diligence approach. They both basically give away their entire processes for free, so it’s a helluva deal at $0 to watch.

Today's email was written by Trey Shields

Edited by Willie Makeit | Illustrated by Betty Dont

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