Our Markets
Our insurance partners.
We are proudly independent. That means we place your risk with the carriers that fit it best, not a single underwriter’s quota.
Peace Hills General Insurance
Forward Insurance Managers Ltd.
Markel Canada Ltd.
Special Risk Insurance Managers
April Insurance
Coalition Insurance
K&K Insurance
Klick Insurance Underwriters Ltd.
PAL Insurance
Premier Canada
SPG Canada
Sports & Fitness Insurance
Strategic Underwriting Managers Inc.
USLI Canada
Why It Matters
What independent actually buys you.
A broker works for you, not for one insurer
An agent represents a single insurance company and can offer you what that company sells. A broker represents you, and takes your risk to whichever market fits it. That difference decides who is on your side of the table when the wording is being negotiated and when a claim is being argued.
More markets matters most on the hard risks
For a straightforward business the difference between one insurance partner and fourteen is mostly price. For a roofer, a body-art studio, a heavy duty mechanic with a customer unit in the shop, or a building with a history of water claims, it is the difference between a policy and no policy. The specialist names on this page exist for exactly those risks.
The right market can change at renewal
Insurers move in and out of classes of business, and the market that was right for you three years ago may not be competitive today. Being independent means we can re-market your program when that happens instead of asking you to absorb an increase from the only carrier we are allowed to use.
Some of these names are not insurance companies
Several are managing general agents, which underwrite on behalf of an insurer for a specific class of risk. Brokers reach them on your behalf; you generally cannot approach them directly. It is one of the practical reasons a business with an unusual exposure ends up with a broker rather than buying direct.
Common Questions
Brokers, agents, and the names in between.
Do you work for the insurance company or for me?
For you. Velocity is an independent brokerage, which means we are not owned by an insurer and we have no quota to fill for any of the companies on this page. We take your risk to the markets that fit it and advise you on what comes back. Where a broker is paid a commission by the insurer, that is standard across the industry, and you are welcome to ask us how any program we place is remunerated.
What's the difference between an insurance broker and an agent?
An agent is appointed by one insurance company and sells that company’s products. A broker is licensed to place business with many insurers and acts for the client. If you have been dealing with a single company directly, you have been dealing with an agent, and you have been seeing one company’s view of your risk and one company’s price.
Why do some of these names say "underwriters" or "insurance managers" rather than "insurance company"?
Those are managing general agents, or MGAs. An insurer delegates underwriting authority to them for a defined class of business, often a specialised or harder-to-place one, and they quote and issue policies on that insurer’s paper. They deal with brokers rather than with the public, so access to them is one of the things a brokerage brings.
My renewal came back with a large increase. Is there anything a broker can do?
Often, yes, and it is worth asking early rather than at the deadline. A renewal increase can come from your own claims, from a change in your operations, or simply from an insurer pulling back on your whole class of business. The first two we work through with you; the third is a market problem, and moving the program to a carrier still writing that class is exactly what having a roster like this is for.
Do I have to move all of my insurance to work with Velocity?
No. Plenty of businesses start with one line, often the one causing them trouble, and consolidate later once they see how it goes. There can be a practical argument for keeping a program with one insurer, and we will tell you when splitting it costs you more than it saves.
The right market for your risk.
With access to Canada’s leading carriers, we find the coverage that fits your business at the right price. Get a tailored quote today.