Underwriters are paid to assess risk and make pricing decisions — not to chase missing information, log submissions into rating platforms, or draft declination letters. Yet in most underwriting firms and managing general agencies (MGAs), the intake workflow consumes 30 to 40 percent of an underwriter's day before any actual analysis begins. A virtual assistant trained in underwriting operations takes over that intake layer, compressing the time from submission received to underwriter review.
The Submission Backlog Problem
A 2024 survey by the American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA) found that the average MGA receives 150 to 400 new submissions per month per underwriting team. Of those, approximately 35 to 45 percent are declined at first review due to class of business restrictions, missing information, or appetite misalignment — and the time spent processing declinations is nearly as significant as the time spent quoting acceptable risks.
When submission volume spikes — after a catastrophe event, during a soft market push, or when a new producer relationship begins — the intake backlog grows quickly. Submissions that aren't acknowledged within 48 hours are often re-submitted elsewhere, and producers who experience consistent slow turnaround take their better risks to competing markets.
The Underwriting VA's Core Functions
Submission triage and classification. When a new submission arrives via email, portal, or ACORD form, a VA logs it in the underwriting management system, assigns a submission number, classifies it by line of business and risk type, and routes it to the appropriate underwriter. Submissions that clearly fall outside the MGA's stated appetite are flagged for expedited declination rather than entering the full queue.
Missing information requests. A large percentage of submissions are incomplete — missing supplemental applications, loss runs, financials, or photos. A VA identifies the gaps using a standard checklist, sends a structured information request to the producing broker within four hours of receipt, and tracks the response. Follow-ups go out at 48-hour intervals until the file is complete or the submission is withdrawn.
Data entry into rating platforms. Once a submission is complete, the risk data must be entered into the underwriting platform — whether it is Applied Epic, Duck Creek, or a proprietary system. A VA handles this data entry accurately, confirms completeness, and queues the file for the underwriter with a summary note highlighting the key risk characteristics and any concerns.
Declination letter drafting. When an underwriter declines a submission, a VA drafts the declination letter using the underwriter's stated reason and the firm's approved template, routes it to the underwriter for final review, and delivers it to the producing broker within the required turnaround window.
Quote follow-up and expiration tracking. Issued quotes have expiration dates. A VA tracks quote expiration, sends a renewal reminder to the producing broker 5 and 2 days before expiration, and alerts the underwriter when a quote is approaching expiration without a bind or declination response.
Improving Turnaround Time as a Competitive Advantage
In specialty and excess and surplus (E&S) lines markets, turnaround time is one of the primary reasons brokers choose one market over another. A 2025 report by AM Best found that E&S carriers and MGAs who achieved consistent 24-hour submission acknowledgment and 48-hour quote turnaround earned significantly higher producer loyalty scores and experienced 15 percent greater year-over-year submission volume growth than slower-responding competitors.
A VA ensures that no submission sits unacknowledged overnight and that no quote expires without follow-up. These simple consistency gains translate directly into submission volume and bound premium growth.
Implementation Considerations
Underwriting VAs require access to the submission inbox, the underwriting management platform, and the firm's declination and information request templates. Most VAs are operational on submission logging and missing information requests within the first week. Data entry into rating platforms requires platform-specific training, typically two to three weeks.
Underwriting managers who implement VA support report that their underwriters spend a larger share of their day on actual risk analysis and producer relationship development — and that the team handles 20 to 30 percent more submissions without adding headcount.
Stealth Agents provides underwriting support VAs trained in ACORD forms, underwriting management systems, and E&S market submission protocols.
Sources
- American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA), MGA Operations Benchmark Survey, 2024
- AM Best, E&S Market Distribution and Turnaround Trends Report, 2025
- ACORD, Submission Data Standards and Workflow Optimization Guide, 2024