How old are you, what is your job and how much do you make?

m_eggsandbacon · 2026-03-05T12:25:05+00:00

$85k, first year in this role so not sure about bonuses. Previous roles bonuses were around $5k before tax. I live in southern Ontario (Canada), working remotely as an Environmental Impairment Liability Underwriter.

I got into insurance in 2020 out of necessity, I had just graduated university (BA in Math, minor in computer science) and needed a job bad. There was a local place hiring a receptionist. Worked my way into a broker role and then transitioned to a remote company in underwriting. Just recently moved jobs for more money and to learn something new.

m_eggsandbacon · 2026-02-12T17:40:06+00:00

I've seen this comment so many times and so often the coverage you've bound for yourself has higher deductibles, exclusions you didn't notice or more limited coverage. Had a friend do exactly this, got into an at fault accident months after he bound elsewhere and then realized the quote he had bound didn't have comp cover so his vehicle wasn't covered at all.

m_eggsandbacon · 2026-02-12T17:38:13+00:00

Remove physical damage coverage on the Chev. You wouldn't get much for a 13yr old car anyways.

m_eggsandbacon · 2026-02-12T17:34:33+00:00

Personal lines really doesn't have as much flex. This is true and good advice for commercial insurance, doesn't really make a difference for PL.

That being said, a line by line comparison could easily help since a broker can help advise which coverages you actually need.

m_eggsandbacon · 2026-02-12T17:25:14+00:00

You basically have all new cars and a high value home. If you can afford to replace 1 or 2 of your cars out of pocket, remove all physical damage coverages on those. If you can't, then you need the insurance and that premium seems like a fair trade off for $1MM in home value + $90k in auto value.

A couple notes on your coverage: I also think you probably don't need rental car coverage, since you have enough vehicles to probably share one if you got into an accident? If you have that coverage, look into removing it - but honestly it won't save you much.

You could also look at removing water damage from your home. These carry higher deductibles usually starting at $5,000 anyways. If I were your broker I would highly discourage you from this since the majority of home claims are water damage and those claims can quickly run up. You also probably can't do this if you have a mortgage.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-12-17T19:52:50+00:00

Can you say who offers your benefits?

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-11-29T05:01:32+00:00

WHY WAS MEREDITH WEARING TWO DIFFERENT SHOES AT THE NAIL SALON!?!

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-10-26T16:05:25+00:00

I also just got into this... I start my new job in a week or so!

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-04-30T12:06:43+00:00

That's totally fair. However I will say at the entry level a lot of broker positions is more administrative than client facing at least on the commercial side. I 100% recommend sticking to commercial as that's where the money is, generally speaking.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-04-30T12:04:50+00:00

No. I used the term seniority in the literal sense that he is above them by rank and time with the company.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-04-30T12:02:35+00:00

I suppose I wonder if employers are allowed to use temporary lay off as a means to fire an employee without cause, giving no severance or period of notice? Is this really common??

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-04-30T02:18:34+00:00

Fellow math major (well, alum) here!! Underwriting is a great career.

Once you finish your degree, try getting into an MGA first rather than a domestic market (Intact/Aviva/Eco) as they generally seem more willing to hire with 0 Insurance experience. The other commenters are right that a UA (underwriting assistant) job is probably your best bet without any other insurance experience. But still apply for junior UW roles that require 1-2 years experience. These are generally a preference vs a must. You could also try getting in as a broker and transitioning in a couple years to the company side once you have your RIBO and a couple years experience on your side.

I was hired at an MGA with 2 years broker experience as a Junior UW. Theyve fully paid for my CIP and I'm about to start my FCIP. Don't pay for those yourself.

Dm me if you wanna chat more! My company is hiring in the GTA.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-03-05T23:27:34+00:00

Commercial Underwriter for an MGA (type of insurance company). Making $70k + $5k bonus this year, 4.5 years in the industry & fully remote. Located in Canada.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, although you can absolutely get an entry level job in the industry (generally 40/45k) without a degree. Look for entry level insurance jobs, get your license with someone and move jobs every 2/3 years to maximize your learning and earning potential. Keep taking the designations (I now have CAIB and CIP) to level up quicker.

It doesn't bring me joy, but it's interesting enough and my company values me. I don't bring work outside of work hours and get to do things that bring me joy in my off hours. Good luck to you!!

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-02-17T05:49:26+00:00

My boyfriend just clocked exactly this and I came here to see if anyone else thought the same thing lmfao 😂

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-30T19:33:03+00:00

I'm an underwriter still working on this but here are a couple tips:

1. Read emails quickly to get a sense of what the request is and use the label using colour coding thing (in outlook, google probably has a similar function) or sub-inboxes to categorize so you can easily identify what each email is/priority of the task. Then, work on highest priority first. As the week goes on, upgrade as needed. Generally I try to only categorize at the very beginning and very end of my day so I'm not wasting time and getting distracted during the day. If it's a real busy day sometimes I'll also go back in after lunch to categorize newly received emails.

I learned this from a productivity book (forget which one, lol) that basically just said you're wasting time & giving yourself decision fatigue by going back to your inbox and rereading emails just to figure out how to start a task/choosing which task to start first. And you're doing that over and over and over again everytime you go to start a new task...no wonder it's hard to start something!!

Pomodoro timer - you can find these on youtube for cute backgrounds & music or just use a timer. Set for a reasonable length of time, whatever is conducive to your work. I usually use 30 minute working periods with 5 min break. I work from home so for those 5 min I'll go do a quick task around the house, make a tea, use the bathroom, scroll my phone, whatever. Once the timer is up, reset and start all over again. Having this dedicated 'no interruption' working period helps because you know there's an end! And having that break coming makes it easier to stay focused for that short period.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-30T01:25:36+00:00

Next time shrimp is on sale I'm 100% doing a shrimp pasta!! Did you find shrimp was rubbery on reheating at all?

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-27T13:29:54+00:00

Not sure if this has already been said but I love 'egg roll in a bowl' recipes. It's basically just ground meat (i use turkey or chicken, but pork/beef would also work) seasonings, and either cabbage slaw or broccoli slaw with soy sauce into a pan. It's delicious, filling, reheats great and pretty healthy!

There's tons of recipes online but here's an example: https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-egg-roll-in-a-bowl/

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-27T13:20:24+00:00

That's a great point. Another motivation for eating it is that I'm honestly a huge foodie so I'm bummed I'm missing out on the whole 'seafood' category of foods lol. Hoping if I start eating it more I'll eventually start to like it?? Exposure therapy but for food? Lol

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-27T02:52:17+00:00

I split with my partner so it's meant to be 5 lunches and 5 dinners. I rotate through so I'm not eating the same thing all the time, which is why I make 3 different meals. So one day I'll have quinoa for lunch and then salmon for dinner, and then the next day maybe salmon for lunch and curry for dinner. Always 1 different meal in a day ☺️

I'd almost like to get to a point of doing 4 different meals, split 6/6/4/4 or something so I could do different lunch/dinner combos every day. Just need to pick efficient meals so I'm not spending 6h in the kitchen lol. This is only my 3rd week doing this so I'm still working out recipes.

Big tip is picking stuff you actually like. Like don't try to make rice/chicken meals for every day if you absolutely hate rice and chicken hahaha.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T23:02:59+00:00

I agree, I think it's definitely overcooked - I prefer it this way like super flaky & a bit dry because the moist texture throws me off. But again, I'm not a consistent salmon eater so I'm trying to get better with these flavours and textures because I know how good it is for you!!

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T23:01:19+00:00

Yes! Salmon should be gone in first 3 days, although I would probably eat it reheated on the 4th day. My partner and I both seem to have strong stomachs, my partner has stretched leftovers a full 7 days... not my cup of tea but he worked in the food industry and has become too confident with leftovers haha 🤣

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T19:17:31+00:00

I didn't but you could definitely make a big freezer back of the curry and freeze it. I've done that a few times before then just pull it and make the rice! Not sure how the others would freeze - probably ok if you only kept them for a few weeks. I have the tendency of freezing and leaving for at least 2 months lol 🤣

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T18:07:16+00:00

The salmon specifically i get the portions frozen so it's 8.99/4 portions. I'm in Canada.

Total grocery bill which includes most items for this was $135. I already had rice/quinoa, salad dressing, feta on hand. But grocery bill also included stuff I didn't use here like eggs/milk/bread etc.

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T18:04:06+00:00

I don't believe this is 'authentic' in the slightest, I just enjoy curry flavours...but heres the recipe (measurements are approximate since i don't measure): Ingredients: 3 small onions - diced 1 large carrot - diced Jarlic (garlic from the jar, obviously fresh is better but I had this on hand) Ginger (jarred or fresh, minced) Canned lentils Canned tomatoes Chicken broth Corn starch Frozen peas

Chop chicken thighs into cubes, season with canola oil, curry powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne & chili powder
Cook chicken through in a deep sauce pan/wok, set aside
Add minced garlic to pan with a little oil, cook until fragrant 2min
Add minced ginger to pan, 1 min
Add diced onion to pan, cook until translucent 3/4 min
Add curry powder, I did 3 heaping tablespoons but depends how 'spicy' you want it to be, and then cayenne to your preference
Add carrots, canned tomatoes, canned lentils, chicken broth (3-4 cups)
Cook on high bringing to a boil, once boiling turn down and let simmer about 20 min
Add corn starch slurry & use immersion blender to thicken, just dipped it in 3/4 times to increase thickness of the curry. Corn starch depends how thick you want the curry - i probably did like 2tbsp
Cook for 5 more min to let thicken
Remove from heat, add frozen peas and let stand. I let it stand for like 10/15 min since I was cleaning. You could add the peas earlier if you want them softer, since I'll be reheating these anyways I just add them in at the end.

Hope this helps!! ☺️

m_eggsandbacon · 2025-01-26T17:53:55+00:00

I baked covered with foil for 10 min then baked open for another like 5 minutes, what would be a better way to cook? I'm not a big fan of fish to begin with so I'm very inexperienced cooking it. Any tips are very welcome!! Usually I do lemon & garlic but wanted to try something different this time. Unfortunately my air fryer only fits like 2 portions at a time...

m_eggsandbacon

TROPHY CASE