Own the Fast Lane Part 1: Auto’s Multiple-Rate-Call Model is Broken

April 17, 2026 / 2 min read

Capturing profitable market share in today’s hypercompetitive auto insurance arena is tougher than ever. We’re launching a new article series on personal auto quoting and acquisition practices, examining how the industry is evolving.

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This multipart “Own the Fast Lane” series reveals the hidden costs of outdated practices and the bold strategies and innovations redefining competitive advantage. The rules of quoting are changing, powered by an advanced acquisition platform and a breakthrough economic model.

Rapid premium growth in personal auto insurance is masking performance gaps that separate the industry’s winners from the “half-nots.” Post-pandemic, combined ratios improved to 98.7, but results are mixed: 57% lost market share, 46% didn’t turn an underwriting profit, and 49% of share-losers—plus 48% of “winners”—were unprofitable.¹

The multiple-rate-call model is broken

National policy retention posted a sharp 3.2% year-over-year decline in 2024² as consumers continue to look for better rates. This trend exposes the flaws of deferring critical data until after the first rate call. As shopping intensifies, outdated transactional licensing provides insufficient risk intelligence at point of quote, while perceived bait‑and‑switch pricing erodes the customer experience (CX) and limits profitable growth.

Transform auto quoting economics

Did you know it’s possible to power Rate Call 1 with data-rich insights and ROI-positive economics? Verisk’s LightSpeed^® Personal Auto delivers household-level intelligence at Rate Call 1—enabling upfront precision that helps capture and retain profitable growth instead of losing shoppers to more nimble competitors. It’s possible to eliminate friction and hidden costs by delivering faster, more accurate, often-bindable quotes that boost CX and conversion rates.

Here’s how it works:

Light-Speed-Personal-Auto-Process-And-Economics-Advantages
Click here to enlarge image

By evaluating LightSpeed against the multiple-rate-call model, you can see which approach wins profitable market share more quickly in today’s hypercompetitive environment.

Accelerate risk-attribute insights at Rate Call 1 to win profitable market share.

LightSpeed = Smarter. Faster. Won.

Understanding the business being quoted starts with a customizable, integrated, and insurance-ready payload. Carriers adopting the data-forward LightSpeed platform outperform peers, achieving stronger combined ratios, faster premium growth, and higher conversion rates.⁵

Own-The-Fast-Lane

LightSpeed can help accelerate risk-attribute insights at Rate Call 1 to win profitable market share. Consider the benefits:

Fast-track quotes by up to 50%⁶ to elevate applicant and agent CX with fewer rate calls and uprates.
Optimize ROI and pay only for won business with revolutionary all-in, per-bind licensing.
Prefill 500+ household-level data and analytic fields with minimal inputs and built-in fraud detection.
Modernize buying with real-time workflows across channels to help deliver accurate, often-bindable, one-rate pricing.

The multiple-rate-call model is broken.
Own the fast lane with LightSpeed.

Request a demo today

Verisk analysis of AM Best data, 2024 (market share shifts vs. 2023). “Unprofitable” is defined as a combined ratio exceeding 100.
Verisk’s 2026 Personal Auto Insurance Retention Report, April 2026, <https://www.verisk.com/resources/campaigns/2026-personal-auto-insurance-retention-report/ >, accessed on April 13, 2026
Verisk client experience
Verisk composite analysis of AM Best data for clients that adopted LightSpeed Personal Auto’s data-forward, one-rate acquisition vs. non-client peer group, 2022-2024
Ibid.
Verisk client experience