2013 marks the bottom of the national-carrier personal-lines retreat — the national IA segment hit its series low — even as the independent channel overall held its ground on regional strength. The full arc is the channel-share trends tactical; this is the single-year reading.
§ 01 · Personal linesNational at the floor.
National IA personal-lines share fell to 7.8% — the lowest in the series — while regional carriers strengthened to 26.7%, holding the combined IA channel at 34.5%. Captive carriers sat at 50.6%, and direct response reached 14.9%.
| Personal lines (2013) | Share |
|---|---|
| National IA carriers | 7.8% |
| Regional IA carriers | 26.7% |
| IA channel combined | 34.5% |
| Captive / exclusive | 50.6% |
| Direct response | 14.9% |
§ 02 · Commercial lines & autoThe moat holds; auto nears 20%.
Commercial lines held 79.2% IA share, direct response at 1.0%. In private passenger auto, direct response climbed to 19.1% — approaching the symbolic 20% line — while the national IA segment's PPA share thinned to 5.4% and regional carriers held 25.9%.
| Channel | Commercial lines | Private passenger auto |
|---|---|---|
| IA channel combined | 79.2% | ~31.3% |
| Captive / exclusive | 19.8% | 49.6% |
| Direct response | 1.0% | 19.1% |
§ 03 · The signalThe national-regional divergence is structural.
2013 confirms what the prior years implied: inside the independent channel, national and regional carriers are moving in opposite directions in personal lines. National carriers are retreating to a structural floor; regional carriers are the reason the channel still competes. For a personal-lines book, which carriers hold the appointments matters as much as how much premium they write.
- National IA at its series low. 7.8% of personal lines — the bottom of the retreat.
- Regional carriers hold the channel. 26.7% personal lines, offsetting the national decline.
- Direct response near 20% of auto. Personal-auto share to 19.1%.
- Captive PL steady-to-eroding. 50.6%.
- Commercial moat intact. IA at 79.2%, direct response at 1.0%.
The benchmark is the baseline, not the price.
Channel share doesn't value an agency — it frames the structural weather a book competes in. 2013 underscores the carrier-quality read: a personal-lines book carried by growing regional carriers is structurally healthier than one anchored to national personal-lines carriers retreating to a floor — exactly the kind of distinction a buyer surfaces in carrier-concentration diligence. The long-run pattern is the subject of channel-share trends.
What this measures. Direct written premium by distribution channel, classified by IIABA from A.M. Best data into national IA, regional IA, captive/exclusive, and direct response.
Channel definition. A.M. Best has no native "direct response" category; IIABA assigns carriers to channels, so some affiliate premium is approximate.
Restatement. A.M. Best applies retrospective adjustments, so a given year's figures can differ slightly across editions.
Frequency. The report publishes annually. Milly Books refreshes this brief with each new edition.