About Risk Concepts

Risk Concepts Insurance Brokers was founded in April of 2005 to serve as an independently-owned insurance broker and advocate to the regional business community. 

Risk Concepts was founded on the premise that clients are often best served by a modestly-sized, efficient and resourceful brokerage.  While larger brokerages may offer the appearance of strength through size, the reality is that smaller, resourceful brokerages can match their market access – while providing a highly responsive level of personalized service.

Risk Concepts was founded and is directed by Mike D. Robertson, CPCU.  First licensed as an insurance broker in 1983, Mike’s career includes every facet of insurance brokerage sales and management – including more than eleven years of experience as a brokerage principal.

Prior to founding Risk Concepts, Mike was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of a local brokerage that was ranked in the top 1% of the United States.

Mike has completed the course study and testing criteria to obtain the “Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter” (CPCU) designation. The CPCU designation is considered the highest academic standard in the property/casualty insurance industry and is often referred to as the equivalent to what a CPA designation is to the accounting profession.

Risk Concepts’ true core competency and passion lies with client relationships and the development of insurance programs to meet their present and future needs/objectives.

Why Choose an Independent Broker?

With more than 25,000 insurance agencies/brokerages operating in the United States, you have many choices as to how your insurance needs are met and with whom you will place your trust.

Your choices include dealing directly with the insurance company, dealing with an agent that only represents one company or dealing with an independent broker that represents you to many companies throughout the insurance marketplace.

An independent broker’s primary obligation is to the client – not the insurance company.  By the nature of their existence, independent brokers place the client’s interest first when negotiating coverage terms, assisting with claims and providing risk management advice.

Why Choose Risk Concepts?

Risk Concepts offers its clients the marketplace access of a large brokerage while providing a high level of personalized service.  Client retention is the measure of our success and the foundation of our future growth.

We readily recognize that our success is best built on an accumulation of long-term loyal clients rather than a larger number of new clients that only stay with us for a short while.

Risk Concepts can provide coverage proposals for nearly every type of industry and for nearly every type of risk exposure.  In the event that we are not able to provide a proper solution, we pride ourselves on being candid and providing contact with a more appropriate resource.

Client service can often be measured by how the most common tasks are completed.  This is how we approach the five most common tasks:

• Telephone calls are returned promptly (usually within an hour)
• Certificates of Insurance are issued within 24 hours
• Our office is highly automated for responsive, efficient service
• Marketing strategies are reviewed with the client 90 days prior to renewal
• Renewal proposals are presented at the earliest date possible

 

Memberships and Affiliations

Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers

Risk Concepts is an affiliate of Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers (“PIIB”), an aggregator of 65 independent brokerages located throughout California.

PIIB provides Risk Concepts with direct access to an ever increasing number of
Insurance markets and products. Additionally, PIIB places its affiliates in contact
with the executive management of local insurance markets to ensure that product access and underwriting relationships are maximized.

IBA West

IBA West is the leading independent insurance agent/broker advocacy organization in the Western United States. IBA West functions as a legislative lobby, develops specialty insurance products, provides technical education and strives to promote and ever- increasing level of professionalism within the insurance industry.

Additional Memberships

• Professional Insurance Agents (PIA)
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Contra Costa County
• The Society for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters
• Insurance Skills Center, Inc.
• Applied ASCnet User Group (Board Position)
• Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
• Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce

 

Market Resources

Property & Casualty

• Allied
• Allstate
• American International Group (AIG)
• California Insurance Group
• Chubb
• Clarendon
• CNA
• Deans & Homer
• Financial Pacific
• Fireman's Fund
• Golden Eagle
• Great American
• Hartford
• Insurance Company of The West
• One Beacon/Atlantic Specialty
• Oregon Mutual
• Philadelphia
• Safeco
• Sequoia
• St.Paul/Travelers
• Unitrin
• Western United
• Zurich

 

Workers' Compensation

• American International Group (AIG)
• Applied Underwriters
• KRM/Clarendon
• CNA
• Employers Insurance Group
• Everest National
• Fireman's Fund
• First Comp/Endurance American
• Midwest/Praetorian
• Hartford
• Insurance Company of The West
• National Liability & Fire
• Redwood Fire & Casualty
• Republic Indemnity
• Safeco
• Seabright
• St. Paul/Travelers
• State Compensation Insurance Fund
• Zenith

 

Client Data Safeguards

When we formulated plans to create Risk Concepts, one of the first considerations was the selection of a "state-of-the-art" software system that would allow us to comprehensively manage client and agency files. We chose the software vendor, Applied Systems as it is the most widely utilized, most comprehensive and best supported.

By utilizing the Applied Systems, Risk Concepts is able to maintain electronic copies of all client files (including policies). These electronic files contain information/policies dating back to the year that Risk Concepts (or CIC) first placed coverage and accumulate with each succeeding year. All system information is maintained on redundant (off-site) servers that utilize multiple levels of security and electrical power.

Since we are able to access our entire system remotely, should the use of our office facility be interrupted, we can operate from any site with a PC or laptop.