State Fund of MN
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
Carrier identity / scope: - State Fund Mutual Insurance Company now does business as SFM Mutual Insurance ("SFM – The Work Comp Experts"), a competitive state fund and regional workers’ compensation specialist. It is a customer‑owned mutual focused exclusively on workers’ compensation for employers of all sizes.([sfmic.com](https://sfmic.com/)) Preferred business / appetite (inferred from positioning and footprint): - Monoline workers’ compensation for small to mid‑market employers, with capacity for larger accounts, across a multi‑state footprint (core base in Minnesota and surrounding Midwest, with expansion into additional jurisdictions such as IA, NE, KS, SD, WI, TN, VA and others where licensed).([sfmic.com](https://sfmic.com/)) - Broad industry appetite typical of a regional work comp specialist: manufactures, contractors, healthcare, retail, and general service businesses; SFM markets itself as able to serve “businesses of all sizes and types” and as the leading workers’ comp insurer in Minnesota, which implies comfort with a wide range of standard and moderately complex risks, provided loss experience and safety culture are acceptable.([insuringminnesota.com](https://insuringminnesota.com/insurance-companies/sfm-mutual-insurance-company/?utm_source=openai)) - Strong emphasis on employers that value safety and risk management support; carrier promotes safety resources, loss prevention, and high retention, suggesting preference for engaged, cooperative insureds with active safety programs and willingness to follow recommendations.([sfmic.com](https://sfmic.com/)) Restricted / declined classes (publicly available hints): - SFM does not publish a detailed public class‑by‑class appetite/decline list. Agents should expect higher underwriting scrutiny or possible declinations for: - High‑hazard classes (certain heavy construction, logging, mining, some transportation segments) and accounts with poor loss experience or weak safety culture. - Complex multi‑state risks outside SFM’s licensed and actively targeted territories. - Declinations are communicated through the SFM Agency Manager (SAM) portal with an automated declination page and printable declination letter, indicating that some risks will be system‑declined based on class, territory, or other underwriting rules.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/sfm-continues-to-improve-sam-system/?utm_source=openai)) Geographic notes: - Headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota; identified as Minnesota’s competitive state fund and the leading workers’ compensation insurer in the state.([sfmic.com](https://sfmic.com/)) - Described as serving employers "throughout the Midwest" and, in more recent regulatory and rate filings, appearing as a licensed workers’ compensation writer in additional states (e.g., Tennessee, Virginia and others). Treat SFM as a regional carrier with a growing multi‑state footprint; verify state eligibility and filings before marketing outside the upper‑Midwest core.([insuringminnesota.com](https://insuringminnesota.com/insurance-companies/sfm-mutual-insurance-company/?utm_source=openai)) - Also actively involved in residual/assigned‑risk servicing in Minnesota and Wisconsin through affiliated operations, which may provide an outlet for harder‑to‑place accounts in those states, though terms and rating will differ from voluntary market placements.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/about-sfm/our-people/?utm_source=openai)) Submission requirements (producers/brokers): - All business is written either through independent agents or directly; independent agents remain the primary distribution. For producers, submissions are handled via: - SFM Agency Manager (SAM) portal – preferred, fastest and most efficient method for quote requests.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) - Email submissions to applications@sfmic.com when not using SAM.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) - Required application materials for underwriting: - Completed ACORD workers’ compensation application (not required if all data is entered through SAM). - Currently valued 3–5 years of loss runs. - Experience modification worksheet. - Additional narrative information (operations, safety programs, unusual exposures) strongly encouraged.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) - Data / completeness expectations to avoid delays: - Include accurate Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number (as required in SAM) to detect duplicate submissions and tie to experience data.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/sfm-continues-to-improve-sam-system/?utm_source=openai)) - Clearly distinguish legal insured name from any DBA name. - Provide a clear description of operations and website URL. - Provide current and target premium. - Do not leave loss information blank; if no losses, explicitly indicate “None.”([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) - For SAM submissions, agents will see an application dashboard with all open apps (SAM, email, or mail), and declined submissions immediately route to a declination page with underwriter contact details, enabling quick re‑marketing or clarification.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/sfm-continues-to-improve-sam-system/?utm_source=openai)) Broker / producer handling notes: - Independent agents access SFM through the SAM portal; registration and login are required for quoting and account management. Related content and tools for agents are prominently linked from the public “Agents” section of the site.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) - Underwriters and marketing underwriters work closely with agency partners; SFM positions itself as relationship‑ and service‑focused, with local staff and business development representatives in newer territories. Agents should expect direct interaction with underwriters on larger or more complex accounts.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/careers/career-areas/?utm_source=openai)) - SFM has invested in technology integrations (e.g., Ivans Distribution Platform) to support comparative raters and streamline new business flow from independent agencies; producers may be able to submit or bridge quotes from their preferred agency management or comparative quoting systems into SAM.([int11.ivansinsurance.com](https://int11.ivansinsurance.com/en-us/news/press-releases/2022/sfm-mutual-insurance-company-connects-to-ivans-distribution-platform/?utm_source=openai)) - Contact for underwriting questions is centralized via (800) 937‑1181, and each submission in SAM displays the associated underwriter’s contact details for direct follow‑up.([sfmic.com](https://www.sfmic.com/agents/agent-quote-requests/)) Operational takeaways for front‑line placement: - Think of SFM as a regional work comp specialist and competitive state fund alternative: strong appetite for standard and mid‑hazard accounts with decent controls, particularly in its home and surrounding states, and active expansion into select new jurisdictions. - Always confirm state eligibility and any special state program relationships before marketing an account in a non‑core state. - Use the SAM portal whenever possible; complete data (FEIN/SSN, full loss history, mod worksheet, and narrative) materially improves response times and quote quality. - Expect some automated declinations via SAM for out‑of‑appetite classes or territories; coordinate with the listed underwriter if you believe an account merits exception consideration. - Highlight insureds’ safety culture, return‑to‑work practices, and willingness to engage with SFM’s loss prevention services, as these align with the carrier’s stated mission and are likely to be positive underwriting factors.