May 20

The Dealership Brief: DOWC, the $2.9M 831(b) Line, and F&I Participation Economics

Issue No. 7 | May 19, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. THE NUMBER: $2.9M $2.9 million is the 2026 IRC §831(b) annual premium volume threshold, up $50,000 from the 2025 limit of $2.85M, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. A Dealer Owned Warranty Company with annual premium volume below that level […]

May 20

The Weekly Curve: The $2.9M 831(b) Threshold and the Cede Rate Decision Behind It

Issue No. 7 | May 19, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: The Participation Spectrum And Its Reserve Implications THE CURVE: $2.9M $2.9 million is the 2026 IRC §831(b) annual premium volume threshold for small P&C company tax treatment, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, up from $2.85M […]

May 20

The Direct Marketing Brief: The $2.9M Threshold Your Administrator Operates Around

Issue No. 7 | May 19, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: The Structure Behind Your Administrator’s Claims Exposure THE NUMBER: $2.9M $2.9 million is the 2026 IRC §831(b) annual premium volume threshold for small P&C company tax treatment, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, up from $2.85M […]

May 12

The Direct Marketing Brief: What CLIP Structure Means for Direct Marketers Selling VSC and Protection Products

Issue No. 6 | May 12, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: The Structure Behind Your Admin’s Guarantee THE STATISTIC: B+ B+ is the AM Best financial strength rating that states generally require of Contractual Liability Insurance Policy insurers, the entity that backs many VSC, GAP, and […]

May 12

The Dealership Brief: First Dollar vs. FTP CLIP and the Economics of Dealer Affiliated Reinsurance

Issue No. 6 | May 12, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. THE STATISTIC: B+ B+ is the minimum AM Best financial strength rating that states generally require of Contractual Liability Insurance Policy insurers, the carrier that backs many VSC, GAP, and ancillary protection products sold at the dealership. That threshold […]

May 12

The Weekly Curve: CLIP Structure, Earnings Curves, and Reserve Timing for Warranty Administrators

Issue No. 6 | May 12, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: Clip Structure And Reserve Positioning THE STATISTIC: B+ B+ is the AM Best financial strength rating that states generally require of CLIP insurers backing VSC and ancillary warranty programs. That threshold is the minimum regulatory […]

May 5

The Weekly Curve: AI Is Catching Warranty Claim Deficiencies at Nearly Double the Rate of Manual Review

Issue No. 5 | May 5, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: The Claims Intelligence Shift THE CURVE: 25% to 42% AI warranty claims processing is identifying deficiencies in 42% of reviewed claims, up from roughly 25% in manual workflows, per MSX International data cited in Colonnade […]

May 5

The Dealership Brief: AI Is Delivering 27% More Showroom Appointments and the Buyer at Your F&I Desk Has Already Changed

Issue No. 5 | May 5, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. THE VEHICLE MARKET NUMBER: 27% That is the increase in showroom appointment rates among franchised dealers using AI-driven intent scoring, per Colonnade Advisors’ DealerTech M&A Landscape report (March 2026). The floor traffic arriving at F&I desks in AI-enabled stores […]

May 5

The Direct Marketing Brief: The AI Infrastructure Around Warranty Marketing Is Moving From Competitive Advantage to Compliance Requirement

Issue No. 5 | May 5, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: The AI Infrastructure Shift THE NUMBER: 13.9% That is how much auto repair and maintenance costs have risen since August 2022, per BLS, compared to 5.6% for general CPI over the same period. The average […]

Apr 28

The Weekly Curve: Your Participation Structure Determines Your Exposure and Your Reporting Determines Whether You See It

Issue No. 4 | April 28, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: The DTC Channel and Your Book THE CURVE: 12.3% The DTC VSC channel is growing at a 12.3% CAGR, per Colonnade Advisors’ March 2026 whitepaper. That is the top-line number. The one that matters for […]