Welcome to this week's recap. The news and top producer insights you need, without the snoozefest. Today: 5 briefs. 1 norm pod. 1 quicky pod. 1 poll. 0 boring. Let’s roll!

The World Cup kicks off next week across the US, Canada, and Mexico, but not everyone playing is on the field. Threat intelligence firm Unit 42 warns that state-backed actors from Russia and Iran are expected to run cyber interference throughout the tournament, targeting everything from critical infrastructure to ticketing systems. Iranian hackers have already been probing water, wastewater, and energy systems in host cities. But here's the twist: experts say the biggest volume of attacks will come from plain old financially motivated criminals deploying ransomware and ticketing scams exploiting 5.5 million traveling fans.

For your clients kicking it near host cities: the threat isn't hypothetical, it's already warming up on the sideline. Eyes peeled and shin guards on!

Hail has quietly been doing more damage than tornadoes and hurricanes combined… about $10B a year… and a new Nature study says it's only going to get worse. Researchers project a 36–42% increase in global hail damage potential by the end of the century, with large stones (1.18"+ diameter) becoming up to 52% more frequent. State Farm's numbers are already telling the same story: hail claims jumped 12% from 2024 to 2025, topping $5B.

Hail yeah, it’s a problem: auto-renewals are so 2006. Proactive conversations about limits, schedules, and the weather your carrier is already pricing in is so in.

It’s a bit of good news, bad news according to USI’s Midyear Market Report that just dropped. Property rates are still softening: clean accounts are seeing cuts up to 10%, cat-exposed risks down 5–20%, and layered programs dropping as much as 40%. Casualty? Different story. General liability is up 12.5%, umbrella is climbing up to 20% for larger accounts, and those increases aren't going anywhere in H2.

Our brilliant analysis: swings happen. Don't let soft property wins get quietly eaten by casualty creep. Keep fighting on the casualty side.

M&A insurance is having a moment. According to Aon's 2026 Global Claims Study, North American clients collected more than $1 billion in transaction liability payouts in 2025, with median R&W claim payments jumping from $5.5M to $8.2M year-over-year. Eight-figure claims now make up 41% of North American payments, up from 27% in 2024. The kicker? More than half of claims were filed over a year after closing — meaning your client thought the deal was done.

If your clients are buying or selling: reps & warranties insurance isn't a nice-to-have anymore for your clients, and it’s a must-know for you.

WTW just dropped its 2026 D&O survey and board memebrs are worried. Geopolitical risk rocketed from 15th to the top 7 global concerns in a single year, with 59% of executives now calling it very or extremely important. Meanwhile 56% flagged AI as a major risk… big suprise… with errors, misinformation, and fraud leading the list.

The boards your commercial clients sit on: are navigating tariffs, trade wars, and AI governance simultaneously. If their D&O program was written in a different era, it’s probably time to revisit.

We’ve partnered with Element 22 to be Max Revenue’s preferred wholesale broker. If you've got accounts that need a creative P&C solution give them a shot. We’ve vetted them. 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.

In this episode, Micah Salas breaks down the root cause of cold call reluctance (and the mindfulness trick that actually fixes it), how to stay focused on prospecting when your buried in service work, and why most "research" is just procrastination in disguise. Whether you're a new producer trying to build momentum or a seasoned pro with a multi-million-dollar book, this one's for you.

In this episode, Micah Salas breaks down the warning signs that your book of business is in trouble, before it's too late. From a stressed account manager dropping hints to clients who suddenly stop returning your calls, these small signals are easy to miss but impossible to ignore once the damage is done. Micah walks you through how to slow down, audit your book like a business, and catch the cracks before they cost you a major client, a great team member, or an entire sales year.

Today's email was written by Trey Shields

Edited by Goldi Keeper | Illustrated by Fulton Back

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