What Does a Personal Lines Underwriter Do?

A personal lines underwriter works at insurance companies to ensure that clients are eligible to receive insurance services. Their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing insurance applications, verifying client information, studying financial histories and occupational risks, and conducting interviews. They may also perform clerical support tasks such as preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, and updating databases. Moreover, a personal lines underwriter typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

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Personal Lines Underwriter Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real personal lines underwriter resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Review individual mortgage origination/post origination documentation and perform database research.
Review individual mortgage origination/post origination documentation and perform database research.

Personal Lines Underwriter Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a personal lines underwriter does, you may be wondering, "should I become a personal lines underwriter?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, personal lines underwriters have a growth rate described as "decline" at -5% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of personal lines underwriter opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is -5,400.

A personal lines underwriter annual salary averages $69,706, which breaks down to $33.51 an hour. However, personal lines underwriters can earn anywhere from upwards of $43,000 to $111,000 a year. This means that the top-earning personal lines underwriters make $68,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

It's hard work to become a personal lines underwriter, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a mortgage banker, credit officer, loan officer, and bank officer.

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Personal Lines Underwriter Jobs You Might Like

5 Personal Lines Underwriter Resume Examples

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Janet Owens Personal Lines Underwriter Contact Information Atlanta, GA (390) 555-3940 jowens@example.com Skills Appropriate Action Proper Pricing Cpcu Risk Management Company Policies Internship Program Successful Business Word Processing Preliminary Reports Payroll Employment History Personal Lines Underwriter 2014 - Present State Farm Atlanta, GA Used a loss ratio method to determine desirability and continuation of accounts. Review new and renewal business applications to determine insurability based on corporate Underwriting guidelines and standards. Work with Agents to maintain a profitable book of business. Managed and maintained a profitable book of business in the North Carolina and Illinois territories. Personal Lines Underwriter 2011 - 2014 Wells Fargo Minneapolis, MN Reviewed, analyzed, and underwrote home mortgage credit applications including financial statements and credit reports. Follow the Freddie Mac Investor guidelines to mitigate loss and ensure that proper methods of modification review are enforced. Management Assistant (Part-Time) 2010 - 2011 Sonic Colorado Springs, CO Worked as the communication portal between sales team and production in monthly forecasting, weekly supply review and replenishment. Executed merchandising activities and managed local customer relations through communication and support. Education Bachelor's Degree Business 2008 - 2011 Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs, CO


Roy Allen Personal Lines Underwriter Contact Info Warren, NJ (440) 555-6419 rallen@example.com Skills Customer ServiceFinancial StatementsRisk ManagementLoan ApplicationsPersonal Lines BusinessProfitable BusinessCNAUnderwriting GuidelinesCredit AnalysisPolicy Changes Employment History Personal Lines Underwriter 2018 - Present Chubb Warren, NJ Determined risk acceptability and coverage of Property & Casualty policy applications through utilization of standard corporate underwriting guidelines. Maintained a diverse book of business and abided by underwriting guidelines within WI, IL, MI, and IA. Managed and built out a $14.5 million book of personal lines business through careful consideration of risk and mitigation details. Managed an assigned territory of 40 independent agents, accounting for $14 million in premium volume. Worked with marketing on review of underwriting guidelines in order to promote flexibility in attracting new business opportunities. Manage loss ratios and retention rates. Personal Lines Underwriter 2011 - 2018 BankUnited Miami, FL Advanced knowledge of underwriting processes. Investigated risk exposures utilizing inspection reports, risk maps, and claims experience. Evaluated residential loan applications from initial application to closing. Personal Lines Underwriter 2008 - 2011 NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH AGENCIES Miami, FL Developed, implemented and maintained underwriting guidelines and standard operating procedures. Manage Porfolio and Profitability of Independent Agent's Personal Lines Books with Allied. Reviewed risk acceptability to make subjective decisions based on underwriting guidelines; ensuring standards for state compliance regulations were met. Education Bachelor's Degree Business 2005 - 2008 Miami Dade College Miami, FL


Roy Allen Personal Lines Underwriter Warren, NJ (440) 555-6419 rallen@example.com Experience Personal Lines Underwriter2018 - Present Chubb•Warren, NJ Determined risk acceptability and coverage of Property & Casualty policy applications through utilization of standard corporate underwriting guidelines. Maintained a diverse book of business and abided by underwriting guidelines within WI, IL, MI, and IA. Managed and built out a $14.5 million book of personal lines business through careful consideration of risk and mitigation details. Managed an assigned territory of 40 independent agents, accounting for $14 million in premium volume. Worked with marketing on review of underwriting guidelines in order to promote flexibility in attracting new business opportunities. Manage loss ratios and retention rates. Personal Lines Underwriter2011 - 2018 BankUnited•Miami, FL Advanced knowledge of underwriting processes. Investigated risk exposures utilizing inspection reports, risk maps, and claims experience. Evaluated residential loan applications from initial application to closing. Personal Lines Underwriter2008 - 2011 NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH AGENCIES•Miami, FL Developed, implemented and maintained underwriting guidelines and standard operating procedures. Manage Porfolio and Profitability of Independent Agent's Personal Lines Books with Allied. Reviewed risk acceptability to make subjective decisions based on underwriting guidelines; ensuring standards for state compliance regulations were met. Skills Customer ServiceFinancial StatementsRisk ManagementLoan ApplicationsPersonal Lines BusinessProfitable BusinessCNAUnderwriting GuidelinesCredit AnalysisPolicy Changes Education Bachelor's Degree Business2005 - 2008 Miami Dade College•Miami, FL

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Personal Lines Underwriter Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 12% of Personal Lines Underwriters are proficient in Insurance Policies, Underwriting Decisions, and Loss Ratio. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Personal Lines Underwriters that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Insurance Policies, 12%
Managed assigned underwriting territory for Pennsylvania personal lines insurance policies for exclusive Nationwide agencies and independent agencies.
Underwriting Decisions, 9%
Explained underwriting decisions to agents and customers that helped diffuse potentially volatile situations.
Loss Ratio, 9%
Trained underwriters on auto/property selection and loss ratio management.
Strong Analytical, 6%
Possess excellent time and desk management skills, including organizing, multi-tasking and use strong analytical skills to make sound decisions.
Inspection Reports, 5%
Review all correspondence, daily reports, endorsements and inspection reports, and publications pertaining to responsibility.
Renewal Retention, 5%
Presented quarterly underwriter performance, new policy acceptance and renewal retention data.

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Some of the skills we found on personal lines underwriter resumes included "insurance policies," "underwriting decisions," and "loss ratio." We have detailed the most important personal lines underwriter responsibilities below.

Analytical skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a personal lines underwriter to have. According to a personal lines underwriter resume, "underwriters must be able to evaluate information from a variety of sources and solve complex problems." Personal lines underwriters are able to use analytical skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "analyzed regional loss ratio reports and developed strategic plans to help agents increase their profitability for themselves and for the company. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many personal lines underwriter duties rely on detail oriented. This example from a personal lines underwriter explains why: "underwriters must pay attention to detail, because each individual item on an insurance application can affect the coverage decision." This resume example is just one of many ways personal lines underwriters are able to utilize detail oriented: "used detailed risk management analysis to accept, reject, or modify automobile and property insurance policies. "

Another skill that is quite popular among personal lines underwriters is interpersonal skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a personal lines underwriter resume: "underwriters need good communication and interpersonal skills because much of their work involves dealing with other people, such as insurance agents." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "cited for excellence in interpersonal communications, teamwork, qc review, flexibility and reliability. "

In order for certain personal lines underwriter responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "math skills." According to a personal lines underwriter resume, "determining the probability of losses on an insurance policy and calculating appropriate premiums require mathematical ability." As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "mortgage due diligence, quantitative analysis and risk analysis. "

See the full list of personal lines underwriter skills.

We've found that 63.9% of personal lines underwriters have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 5.2% earned their master's degrees before becoming a personal lines underwriter. While it's true that most personal lines underwriters have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every seven personal lines underwriters did not spend the extra money to attend college.

Those personal lines underwriters who do attend college, typically earn either a business degree or a insurance degree. Less commonly earned degrees for personal lines underwriters include a psychology degree or a finance degree.

When you're ready to become a personal lines underwriter, you might wonder which companies hire personal lines underwriters. According to our research through personal lines underwriter resumes, personal lines underwriters are mostly hired by Work At Home Vintage Experts, Ledcor, and H. W. Kaufman. Now is a good time to apply as Work At Home Vintage Experts has 40 personal lines underwriters job openings, and there are 6 at Ledcor and 5 at H. W. Kaufman.

If you're interested in companies where personal lines underwriters make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Capital Group, AIG, and Chubb. We found that at Capital Group, the average personal lines underwriter salary is $111,779. Whereas at AIG, personal lines underwriters earn roughly $103,629. And at Chubb, they make an average salary of $98,823.

View more details on personal lines underwriter salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a personal lines underwriter include Wells Fargo, State Farm, and Bank of America. These three companies were found to hire the most personal lines underwriters from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious personal lines underwriters are:

Work At Home Vintage Experts40 Personal Lines Underwriters Jobs
Ledcor6 Personal Lines Underwriters Jobs
H. W. Kaufman5 Personal Lines Underwriters Jobs

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What Mortgage Bankers Do

A Mortgage Banker is specialized in offering financing to buy homes or refinance previous mortgages. They work as part of a banks loan department.

In this section, we compare the average personal lines underwriter annual salary with that of a mortgage banker. Typically, mortgage bankers earn a $42,375 lower salary than personal lines underwriters earn annually.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a personal lines underwriter responsibilities require skills like "dexterity," "insurance policies," "underwriting decisions," and "loss ratio." Meanwhile a typical mortgage banker has skills in areas such as "customer service," "nmls," "federal regulations," and "bank products." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

The education levels that mortgage bankers earn is a bit different than that of personal lines underwriters. In particular, mortgage bankers are 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a personal lines underwriter. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Credit Officer?

A credit officer is responsible for evaluating financial documents and account statements to determine the eligibility of an applicant for a loan option. Credit officers communicate with the applicant to discuss the loan process, explain the terms of service, and provide them alternative options that would fit their payment ability and loan needs. They create financial reports and recommend the qualified applicant to the manager for approval. A credit officer should have excellent communication and analytical skills, ensuring that the loan policies adhere to the federal and state regulations.

Now we're going to look at the credit officer profession. On average, credit officers earn a $59,772 higher salary than personal lines underwriters a year.

Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Personal lines underwriters and credit officers both include similar skills like "strong analytical," "risk assessments," and "risk management" on their resumes.

But both careers also use different skills, according to real personal lines underwriter resumes. While personal lines underwriter responsibilities can utilize skills like "dexterity," "insurance policies," "underwriting decisions," and "loss ratio," some credit officers use skills like "credit risk," "credit analysis," "real estate," and "credit approval."

Credit officers may earn a higher salary than personal lines underwriters, but credit officers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $120,621. On the other side of things, personal lines underwriters receive higher paychecks in the insurance industry where they earn an average of $81,104.

On the topic of education, credit officers earn higher levels of education than personal lines underwriters. In general, they're 13.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Loan Officer Compares

Loan officers are responsible for assisting borrowers on the best type of loans to avail and guiding the clients throughout the application process. A loan officer must be highly knowledgeable about different lending products, payment plans, loan regulations, and essential files for fast loan approval. Loan officers also act as the first point of contact, conducting an initial screening of the customers, process loan contracts and appropriate documentation, update account records, and respond to customer's inquiries. A loan officer also has the right to reject loan applicants who do not meet loan qualifications.

The third profession we take a look at is loan officer. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than personal lines underwriters. In fact, they make a $23,889 lower salary per year.

Using personal lines underwriters and loan officers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "underwriting guidelines," "credit reports," and "customer complaints," but the other skills required are very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a personal lines underwriter is likely to be skilled in "dexterity," "insurance policies," "underwriting decisions," and "loss ratio," while a typical loan officer is skilled in "customer service," "origination," "loan origination," and "fha."

Additionally, loan officers earn a higher salary in the finance industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $42,046. Additionally, personal lines underwriters earn an average salary of $81,104 in the insurance industry.

When it comes to education, loan officers tend to earn similar education levels than personal lines underwriters. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Bank Officer

A bank officer is in charge of overseeing the daily operations at banking establishments, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing requests, approving and denying loan applications, providing consultations, processing client requests, and producing progress reports. There are also instances where they sign important documents, delegate tasks, and resolve issues and concerns. Moreover, as a bank officer, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Now, we'll look at bank officers, who generally average a higher pay when compared to personal lines underwriters annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $9,856 per year.

While both personal lines underwriters and bank officers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like strong analytical, credit reports, and customer complaints, the two careers also vary in other skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a personal lines underwriter might have more use for skills like "dexterity," "insurance policies," "underwriting decisions," and "loss ratio." Meanwhile, some bank officers might include skills like "customer service," "real estate," "business development," and "bank products" on their resume.

Bank officers earn a higher salary in the finance industry with an average of $69,266. Whereas, personal lines underwriters earn the highest salary in the insurance industry.

The average resume of bank officers showed that they earn higher levels of education to personal lines underwriters. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 7.3% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Updated October 2, 2020