NSM Insurance Group
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
NSM Insurance Group operates as a specialty program administrator and wholesaler; underwriting is handled within individual programs and often through partner carriers. For personal lines, their most clearly defined direct-to-agent specialty product relevant to the request is boat/watercraft insurance, with home coverage typically placed through broader personal lines markets rather than a single, centralized NSM home program. PREFERRED / TARGET BOAT & WATERCRAFT BUSINESS - Focus on standard personal pleasure craft written through NSM’s specialty personal lines/boat programs rather than heavy commercial marine. - Typically targets individually owned boats used for personal/pleasure purposes, including runabouts, fishing boats, small cruisers and similar craft. Most NSM marketing references emphasize specialty appetite but do not publish a formal class list for agents; appetite nuances (age, hull type, performance) are set at the carrier-program level and communicated by each program underwriter at time of quote. - Agents are encouraged to approach NSM/Novacore when risks fall outside mass-market personal boat markets but still represent mainstream personal-use exposures. RESTRICTED / DECLINED BOAT & WATERCRAFT CLASSES - NSM does not publish a consolidated, public declined-class schedule for boat business. Instead, individual program underwriters determine eligibility by carrier. Commonly restricted classes, as discussed with NSM and related program marketing, include: high‑performance boats (very high horsepower or speed), racing craft, certain older wooden hulls, or craft with significant prior losses; these may require individual underwriter review and can be declined or written with restrictive terms. - Commercial use of personal boats, rental fleets, or charter operations are generally not placed in the personal boat program and must be discussed with NSM to determine availability under a commercial marine or specialty facility. GEOGRAPHIC NOTES - NSM programs are marketed as available to agents across the U.S. through NSM/Novacore’s national specialty platform. Specific state eligibility, coastal restrictions and CAT guidelines (wind, hurricane, named-storm exposure) are controlled at the individual carrier-program level and are not detailed publicly; agents should expect coastal and high‑CAT territories to be more tightly underwritten. SUBMISSION & QUOTING EXPECTATIONS - NSM instructs agents to work program‑by‑program, engaging the correct specialty team. For specialty personal lines (including boat), submissions are routed to NSM/Novacore via email or online forms, depending on the program. ([novacore.com](https://novacore.com/specialsauce/?utm_source=openai)) - Typical information requested for boat/watercraft submissions includes: year, make, model, hull type and length; engine type and horsepower; maximum speed; navigation territory; prior loss history; ownership and usage (personal vs. any business/charter); and mooring/lay‑up details. These are consistent with standard personal boat underwriting data elements, though NSM does not post a formal data checklist on its public site. - Agents should be prepared to provide full loss runs or prior carrier history and any available photos or surveys for older or higher‑value craft when requested by the underwriter. BROKER / PRODUCER INSTRUCTIONS - NSM positions itself and its Novacore affiliate as a specialty platform; producers are expected to select the appropriate NSM program rather than send undifferentiated submissions. The "Special Sauce" marketing emphasizes using NSM for niche and harder‑to‑place risks and contacting specific program underwriters or marketing contacts to review appetite and send submissions. ([novacore.com](https://novacore.com/specialsauce/?utm_source=openai)) - For new producers, NSM directs agents to complete a get‑appointed/"Let’s Work Together" process before binding business; this is handled via NSM’s main site and program‑specific onboarding rather than a single generic underwriting manual. ([novacore.com](https://novacore.com/specialsauce/?utm_source=openai)) - Program communications highlight quick response times and direct access to underwriters for appetite questions; agents are encouraged to email or call program contacts listed on NSM/Novacore pages for pre‑submission discussions on borderline or unusual boat/home risks. HOMEOWNERS / HOME‑RELATED PLACEMENTS - NSM’s core, well‑documented underwriting guidelines are oriented around commercial and specialty programs (behavioral health, nonprofits, professional liability, condos, contractors, etc.), not standardized retail homeowners. The group leverages carrier partners and affiliated MGAs (e.g., Professional Underwriters Agency for A&E/Professional, other brands for condos and habitational) for most property placements. ([novacore.com](https://novacore.com/novacore-launches-to-transform-specialty-insurance-with-innovation-at-the-helm/?utm_source=openai)) - Where NSM or its brands place homeowners or dwelling risks (such as coastal condos or habitational programs), eligibility, target construction/occupancy, CAT rules and prohibited classes are defined in carrier‑specific manuals and program sheets that are distributed directly to appointed agents rather than posted publicly. Operationally, this means producers must rely on their NSM program contacts and internal guides for precise home UW criteria (roof age, protection class, vacancy, secondary/seasonal, short‑term rental, etc.). OPERATIONAL TAKEAWAYS FOR UNDERWRITERS & BROKERS - Treat NSM as a program gateway rather than a monoline carrier: always confirm the exact NSM program (boat/personal lines vs. condo vs. habitational or other) and carrier partner when evaluating home or boat submissions. - For boat: aim at personal‑use craft with mainstream performance, clean loss history, and clear navigation territories; expect heightened scrutiny or possible declination for racing, high‑performance, commercial or fleet usage. - For any home‑related placement: assume standard specialty‑market discipline on age/condition of dwelling, roof age, CAT exposure and occupancy, but obtain final rules from the specific NSM program underwriter. - Use NSM’s published contact and "Send a submission" links to route new risks, include complete technical details on the vessel or dwelling, and pre‑clear borderline appetite questions before marketing to clients. Because NSM is a multi‑program MGA and does not publish a centralized, up‑to‑date underwriting guide for home or boat on its public site, all appetite and rule details should be treated as program‑specific and confirmed directly with the assigned underwriter.