Secure Your Risk Insights | Fortified Insurance Group Scorecard Results

✔ The most common mistake business owners make when buying insurance (and how it costs thousands)

One of the most common mistakes business owners make when buying insurance is underinsuring their business to save money on premiums.

At first, this seems like a smart cost-cutting move. Lower coverage usually means lower monthly payments. But the problem shows up when something actually goes wrong.

For example, a business might insure its property for $200,000 when the real replacement cost is $400,000. If a fire, flood, or theft occurs, the insurance payout may only cover a portion of the loss—sometimes far less than expected due to clauses like coinsurance penalties. That leaves the business owner responsible for the remaining costs out of pocket.

This mistake can easily cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in some cases, it can shut the business down entirely.

✔ The 3 steps you must take before requesting any quote

1. Get clear on what you actually need to protect
Before talking to any insurer, map out your risks. What could realistically go wrong in your business? Property damage, lawsuits, employee issues, cyber attacks? Also, calculate the real value of your assets—not what you paid, but what it would cost to replace them today. This prevents underinsurance (one of the most expensive mistakes).

2. Organize your business and financial information
Insurers base quotes on data. If your information is messy or incomplete, you’ll either get inaccurate quotes or pay more than necessary. Gather key details like:

Revenue and projections
Number of employees
Asset values
Claims history
Contracts or legal obligations

The more precise you are, the more accurate (and competitive) your quote will be.

3. Define your risk tolerance and budget (before seeing prices)
Most people make decisions based only on price because they haven’t thought about how much risk they’re willing to carry. Decide in advance:

How much loss you could handle out of pocket
What level of deductible makes sense
Which risks you absolutely cannot afford to retain

This helps you avoid being “sold” the wrong policy and keeps you focused on value, not just cost.

Bottom line:
If you skip these steps, you’re not really comparing insurance—you’re just comparing prices, and that’s where costly mistakes happen.

✔ How to compare policies correctly (without falling into traps)

Comparing insurance policies isn’t about lining up prices—it’s about understanding what you’re actually getting when something goes wrong. Most costly mistakes happen because people compare the wrong things.

Here’s how to do it properly—without falling into the usual traps:

1. Compare coverage, not just premiums
Two policies can look identical in price but be completely different in protection. One might include key coverages (like business interruption or liability extensions), while the other quietly excludes them. Always check:

What risks are covered
What’s explicitly excluded
Any optional add-ons included or missing

A cheaper policy is often cheaper for a reason.

2. Look closely at limits and sublimits
The total coverage limit matters—but so do the small print limits inside the policy. For example, a policy might offer $1M in coverage but only $50K for equipment or theft. Those hidden caps are where many businesses get burned.

3. Understand deductibles and how they apply
A lower premium often comes with a higher deductible. That means you’ll pay more out of pocket before insurance kicks in. Make sure the deductible is something your business can realistically absorb during a bad scenario.

4. Watch for exclusions and conditions
This is where the biggest “traps” live. Common issues include:

Exclusions for certain types of damage (like floods or cyber incidents)
Conditions that must be met for coverage to apply
Clauses that reduce payouts if values are underestimated

If you don’t read this part, you don’t really know what you bought.

5. Check how claims are paid (not just if they’re covered)
Two policies might cover the same event—but pay very differently. Look at:

Replacement cost vs. actual cash value
Waiting periods for business interruption
Documentation requirements for claims

This determines how much money you actually receive—and how fast.

6. Compare insurers, not just policies
A policy is only as good as the company behind it. Look at:

Claims reputation
Financial strength
Responsiveness and support

A slightly more expensive policy from a reliable insurer can save you major headaches later.

Bottom line:
If you only compare price, you’re gambling. If you compare structure, coverage, and payout mechanics, you’re making a decision.

If you want, I can show you a simple checklist you can use to compare two policies side by side.

✔ Why the cheapest option is almost never the best choice

Choosing the cheapest insurance option usually feels like a win—until you actually need to use it. Then the gaps start to show, and that “saving” can turn into a very expensive mistake.

Here’s why the lowest price is almost never the best choice:

1. Cheap policies cut coverage where it matters most
To offer a lower premium, insurers often reduce or remove key protections. That can mean excluding certain risks (like floods, cyber incidents, or specific liabilities) or offering very narrow coverage terms. You don’t notice the difference until a claim is denied.

2. Lower limits = higher out-of-pocket costs
A cheaper policy often comes with lower coverage limits or restrictive sublimits. So even if the claim is approved, the payout may only cover part of the damage—leaving you to fund the rest.

3. High deductibles shift the risk back to you
Many low-cost options increase the deductible to bring the premium down. That means you’re effectively self-insuring a bigger portion of the risk. If something happens, you need enough cash on hand to absorb that hit.

4. Claims can be harder (and slower)
Not all insurers handle claims the same way. Lower-cost providers may have stricter processes, more documentation requirements, or slower response times. When your business is under stress, delays can be just as damaging as the loss itself.

5. Hidden exclusions and conditions
The “fine print” is where cheap policies protect themselves. There may be conditions that, if not met perfectly, reduce or void your payout. These details are easy to miss and costly to discover too late.

6. It focuses you on price instead of risk
The biggest trap isn’t the policy—it’s the mindset. When price becomes the main decision factor, you stop evaluating whether the coverage actually protects your business.

Bottom line:
Insurance is one of the few things you buy hoping never to use—but needing it to work perfectly if you do. The best option isn’t the cheapest; it’s the one that properly covers your real risks at a price you can sustain.

If you’d like, I can break down how to spot a “cheap but dangerous” policy in under 2 minutes.

Bryan grossi

“I help business owners get the right coverage at the right price — without confusion or wasted time.”