Program review · California
For established California companies that spend about $25,000 or more a year on business insurance, or that face a renewal increase, a non-renewal, contract-driven limits or service problems, including distributors and importers, manufacturers and hardware makers, and IT services and engineering firms. Emmi Ensign, CEO and licensed broker, and her team review your current policies, your renewal and the insurance requirements in your contracts, and tell you plainly what they would change. Send your declarations pages through the form on this page or call, and the team will reply. Golden Benchmark Insurance Services, CA License #0D06566.
You can upload your declarations pages in the program review form.
Two ways to start
Choose by the job in front of you, not by the size of your company.
| Program review | Quick quote | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Established companies spending $25,000 or more a year on business insurance, or facing a renewal increase, a non-renewal, contract-driven limits or service problems. | Companies that need one or two policies, or have a contract, lease, investor or first hire that requires coverage now. Startups are welcome. |
| What to send | Declarations pages for each current policy, renewal dates, loss runs, and any contract or lease with insurance requirements. | The quick quote form. If a customer, landlord or investor sent insurance requirements, include the clause. |
| What happens next | Emmi reads your policies and contracts, tells you in plain English what she would change and, if marketing the program makes sense, takes it to market ahead of your renewal. | Emmi and her team review the form, ask for anything missing, take the policies you need to market and lay the options side by side. |
| Start here | Start your program review | Start a quick quote |
Program review is for companies spending $25,000+ a year on business insurance, or facing a renewal increase, a non-renewal, contract-driven limits or service problems. Lines usually in scope: general liability, workers' compensation, commercial property, commercial auto, umbrella, cyber, professional liability, D&O and EPLI.
Has a customer, landlord or investor sent insurance requirements? Send us the clause through the form below. Most requests get a reply within one business day.
Growing companies
The policy that fit at seed stage, or the one bought online, was written for a smaller company. When a round closes, headcount climbs, a first enterprise contract arrives or the lab moves, the program needs a fresh read. These are the changes we look at most often.
Claims-made policies such as professional liability, cyber, D&O and EPLI respond to claims arising from acts after the retroactive date on the policy. When you change carriers, we look to carry that date forward where the market allows it, so earlier work does not fall out of coverage.
Customer contracts, leases and investor agreements each set their own insurance requirements. We read them against your current limits and endorsements, and size the program to what you have signed and what you have raised.
When a bundled or starter plan no longer fits, we compare employee benefits options with you and plan the move around your renewal and open enrollment dates.
Leaving a PEO usually means placing workers' compensation and employment practices liability in your own company's name. We plan the new policies' effective dates against the PEO's termination date.
Still at the startup stage with a requirement to meet now? Startups are welcome, and speed matters when a contract, lease, investor or first hire requires coverage. Start a quick quote.
What we look at
A program review is not a price check. It is a read of what you actually carry against what your business and your contracts need, before the renewal decision is made for you.
Premium, rating basis, limits, deductibles, retro dates, forms and scheduled additional insureds, compared side by side, so you can see exactly what changed and what did not.
We read the insurance requirements in your customer, landlord and vendor contracts against the actual policy forms and endorsements, and tell you where the policy meets them and where it does not.
For our workers' compensation clients we follow experience mod changes through the WCIRB's X-Mod Direct alerts, so a change in your mod does not arrive as a surprise at renewal.
When the market can do better, Emmi takes the program to admitted carriers and specialty markets and lays the options side by side, with differences in limits, deductibles and exclusions called out in plain English.
Certificates for your customers and landlords, policy changes during the year, and follow-up with the carrier on open claims, from the same broker who placed the program.
Getting started
You do not need everything to start. These are what make the review fast and specific:
Upload them in the form below, or call (650) 417-9877 and Emmi will tell you what she needs.
It opens full screen, which is easier to fill in on a phone.
What you send is shared only with your Golden Benchmark team and, if you ask us to go to market, the carriers we approach for you.
What happens next
Upload your declarations pages in the program review form, or call Emmi at (650) 417-9877.
They reply, ask for anything missing, and read your policies and contracts.
Where coverage, limits or terms look out of line with your operations or your contracts, we tell you in plain English.
If marketing the program makes sense, the best time to start is about 120 days before renewal, so carriers have time to underwrite and quote.
Who you work with
Emmi Ensign
CEO and Licensed Broker
Emmi is the named broker on every policy Golden Benchmark places, and she leads the team that reviews your program, services it, handles your renewal and answers the phone when there is a claim.
Need a policy now?
If you need one or two policies placed, or a contract, lease, investor or first hire requires coverage now, the quick quote is the faster path. Emmi follows up for anything missing.
Who is the program review for?
Established California companies that spend about $25,000 or more a year on business insurance, usually across several lines such as general liability, workers' compensation, property, auto and umbrella, and companies facing a renewal increase, a non-renewal, contract-driven limits or service problems. We are a smaller company. Is the program review for us? If you have one or two policies, the quick quote is usually faster, and Emmi and her team still review it. If you are not sure, start the program review and we will tell you which path fits.
Do I have to change brokers to get a review?
No. A review does not move anything. If you later decide to work with us, the change is made with a broker of record letter, and the timing matters. Our guide to switching brokers explains how it works.
How far ahead of renewal should we start?
About 120 days ahead is ideal, because it gives carriers time to underwrite and quote. If your renewal is closer than that, contact us anyway and Emmi will tell you what is realistic.
What does Golden Benchmark place?
Commercial programs including general liability, workers' compensation, commercial property, commercial auto, umbrella, cyber, professional liability, D&O and EPLI. Specialty risks are placed through surplus lines wholesale markets when a risk needs one.
Who sees what I send?
Your Golden Benchmark team, and, if you ask us to go to market, the carriers and wholesale markets we approach on your behalf. It is used only to review and place your insurance.
Program review
Emmi Ensign and her team review every program and reply to every request. Most requests get a reply within one business day.
Golden Benchmark Insurance Services · 533 Airport Blvd., Suite 400, Burlingame, CA 94010 · CA License #0D06566
