CRC Group review for retail agents: programs, access and binding authority
CRC Group places specialty commercial, personal and benefits business for retail agents. Its brokers shop the market, CRC Select and CRC TAPCO bind small accounts online and CRC Underwriting runs programs such as Starwind and AmRisc. Much of this goes to surplus lines (E&S) carriers, which aren't licensed in your state.
It suits agencies that place wholesale business across many lines. You need a CRC appointment, with E&O limits set by how much you place.
- Best for
- Commercial agencies that want a national wholesaler with online small-account tools, programs and benefits under one appointment
- Type
- Wholesale broker with binding authority, program companies and online quoting
- Lines
- Commercial P&C, professional and cyber, personal lines, flood, cannabis and employee benefits
- Access
- Appointment required. E&O of $1 million or $2 million, based on what you place with CRC
- Authority
- CRC Select, CRC TAPCO and Starwind bind in house. Brokerage binds once the carrier agrees
- States
- Set by each program. Starwind writes where cannabis or hemp is legal
Our take
CRC is a national wholesaler with about 6,000 people. One appointment covers open-market brokerage, online small-account binding, Quick Quotes for EPL and cyber, program companies and a benefits wholesaler.
It fits a commercial agency that wants one wholesale relationship for most of its hard-to-place work. Small accounts can often be quoted and bound online through CRC Select or CRC TAPCO.
Read the account rights before you sign. CRC can take over an account you stop servicing, or one whose insured asks CRC on its own to be agent of record.
Pros
- Brokerage, binding, programs and benefits under one appointment
- CRC Select and CRC TAPCO bind small accounts online
- Quick Quotes compares EPL, cyber and professional markets
- Starwind cannabis program with in-house authority
- Account QuickView for statements and history
Cons
- E&O rises to $2,000,000 once you place over $1,000,000 a year
- CRC can take an account you stop servicing
- Late premium lets CRC collect directly and keep your commission
- No advance warning required before a policy expires
Who they work with
- Who can submit
- Licensed retail agencies with a CRC appointment. CRC works only with retail agents
- How to get access
- Apply through Work With CRC, then email the signed paperwork to agencyappointments@crcgroup.com
- Requirements
- Agency tax ID, agency and principal NPNs, a signed brokerage agreement, a producer profile, a W-9 and your licenses
- License copies
- Florida, Georgia and New Jersey agents send both agent and agency licenses
- Submit before you're appointed
- No
- E&O minimum
- $1 million if you place up to $1 million a year with CRC, $2 million above that. Fidelity coverage at the same limits, from a carrier rated A- or better
- Cyber coverage
- $1 million once you place $1 million or more a year with CRC
Apply online
Enter agency and principal producer details through Work With CRC.
Email the paperwork
The signed brokerage agreement, producer profile, W-9, proof of E&O and cyber coverage and your licenses.
Get your agency code
CRC approves you and sends a welcome email with the code.
Start placing
Contact a CRC producer, or ask for access to the portal you need.
Programs and what they write
| Program | Type | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| CRC Specialty brokerageSmall business through complex risks | Wholesale broker | Property, casualty, professional, cyber, workers comp, transportation and aviation |
| CRC Select and CRC TAPCOOnline quote, bind and issue for small accounts | MGA | Personal lines, small commercial, flood and inland marine |
| CRC Quick QuotesInstant online quotes | Online platform | EPL, cyber and miscellaneous professional |
| CRC BenefitsFormerly BenefitMall | Wholesale broker | Group, individual, senior, stop-loss and voluntary benefits |
| CRC UnderwritingStarwind, AmRisc, Atrium and Euclid Transactional | Program | Property, casualty, aviation, surety, marine, flood and transportation |
| Starwind CannabisCannabis and hemp operations | Program | Property, GL, workers comp, crop and products |
Starwind writes in every state where cannabis or hemp is legal, with premiums from $250. The other programs set their own states.
What CRC Select writes online
- Flood
- Dwelling coverage (DwellingPlus+)
- Wind and hail deductible buyback
- Coastal condos and earthquake
- Inland marine
What CRC Benefits covers
- Small and large group
- PEO access
- Individual and senior
- Self-funded and stop-loss
- Fully insured and voluntary benefits
USLI coverages are also quoted online with your CRC underwriter. CRC Specialty runs a hired and non-owned auto program you can submit online.
How to submit
- How it works
- Send the risk to a CRC producer or use the product's own portal. CRC decides whether to accept it, decline it or take it to market, and the market sets the final terms
- Submit by
- A CRC producer or underwriter, a program portal or the CRC Quick Quotes, CRC Select and CRC TAPCO sites
- Documents needed
- The application for the product, the risk details and schedules for the class, loss history when asked and any program forms
- Market rules
- You can't underwrite or send the same risk to another wholesaler on a CRC account without CRC's written OK
Quote and bind authority
"Takes your submission" means you send the risk to the firm, and "Underwrites" means its own staff set the terms. "In house" under Binds means the firm can commit the carrier without asking first. A blank cell means the firm hasn't published that step.
| Program | Takes your submission | Quotes | Underwrites | Binds | Issues the policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRC Specialty brokerage | Carrier sets terms | After carrier OK | |||
| CRC Select and CRC TAPCO | In house | ||||
| CRC Quick Quotes | After carrier OK | ||||
| CRC Benefits | Carrier sets terms | ||||
| CRC Underwriting | |||||
| Starwind Cannabis | In house |
CRC TAPCO says it answers calls within 30 seconds and gives phone quotes within 5 minutes. On Quick Quotes, an insurer can withdraw binding authority, so a bind there is a request.
Carrier paper and admitted status
- Admitted or surplus lines
- Both, on brokerage, CRC Select, CRC TAPCO and Quick Quotes
- Whose paper
- Set by the carrier or program on each quote
Commission, fees and billing
- Who bills
- Agency bill on most accounts. You owe CRC the balance on business you place
- If CRC collects
- If CRC isn't paid 60 days after coverage starts, it can collect from the insured and you get no commission on that premium
- Premium finance
- Doesn't change what you owe. On cancellation, CRC sends return premium less unearned commission to the finance company
- How to pay
- CRC Group EPay, ACH to CRC's premium trust account or mail to the Dallas lockbox. TAPCO has its own payment portal
- Statements
- Account QuickView shows invoices and history once you sign up at crcquickview@crcgroup.com
- CRC's own pay
- May include client fees, plus contingent and supplemental commission from insurers based on profit, volume or growth
Surplus lines taxes and filings
- Who files
- Whichever party the placement and state law make responsible. When CRC files, you send it the documents it needs
- Taxes and stamping fees
- Collected and paid by that same party, who also files the affidavits and adds the disclosure wording
- Diligent search
- Yours. Follow your state's admitted-market search rule and send declinations when asked
Endorsements, audits and claims
- Endorsements
- Through your CRC producer, underwriter or the product portal
- Audits
- You owe any extra premium and return commission from audits
- Cancellations
- Follow the policy and the brokerage agreement. You stay liable for balances and return commission
- Renewals
- CRC doesn't have to warn you before a policy expires
- Claims handled by
- The carrier. Report claims to the carrier and tell CRC promptly. CRC brokers can help find reporting contacts and policy copies
Who owns the account
- Who owns the client
- The insured decides who its agent is. You keep use of the expirations after the agreement ends if you've paid everything you owe
- Renewal control
- Passes to CRC if you owe money, lose your license or leave CRC with an uncovered claim
- If the relationship ends
- Either side can end it at once by certified mail or courier. Policies in force run to expiration
CRC can become the agent of record. If you stop servicing an account, or the insured asks CRC unprompted to take it over, the agreement lets CRC control that account and its expiration.
Portal and integrations
- Portal
- CRC Quick Quotes, CRC Select and CRC TAPCO for quoting, and Account QuickView for statements
- Online quoting
- Yes, on Quick Quotes, CRC Select, CRC TAPCO and USLI
| Connects to | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| CRC Quick Quotes | Quote platform | Online applications, market comparisons and bind requests for EPL, cyber and professional |
| CRC Select | Quote and bind platform | Quotes, binds and issues flood, dwelling, condo, earthquake and inland marine |
| CRC TAPCO | Quote and bind platform | Phone and online quotes and binders for personal lines and small business |
| USLI | Carrier platform | Eligible USLI coverages quoted online with your CRC underwriter |
| Account QuickView | Billing portal | Invoices, statements and account history |
What Quick Quotes does
- Sends the insured a link to fill in the application
- Reads data from a paper application
- Compares markets side by side
- Makes co-branded comparisons for your client
- Sends a bind request
Support for retail agents
- Contact
- Accounting 844-530-0089. Quick Quotes at quickquotes@crcgroup.com, appointments at agencyappointments@crcgroup.com
- Underwriter access
- Producers and underwriters by office, specialty or program
- Training
- Articles, market reports, product guides and webinars
CRC Group alternatives
- AmwinsSimilar scale, with more than 150 programs and Amwins IQ online quotes
- RT SpecialtyNational brokerage with RT Connector online binding
- RPSGallagher-owned wholesaler with admitted standard lines online
- Burns & WilcoxLocal offices, plus flood issued online through IssueQuick
- JencapBinding authority and exclusive programs for property and garage
See every option in insurance mGAs and wholesalers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get appointed with CRC?
Apply through Work With CRC and email the signed agreement, profile, W-9, licenses and proof of coverage. CRC sends your agency code once it approves you.
Can CRC bind coverage itself?
Yes, through CRC Select, CRC TAPCO and Starwind. Brokerage placements bind once the carrier agrees.
Who files the surplus lines taxes on CRC business?
Whichever party the placement and state law make responsible. You handle the diligent search.
Who owns the renewal on CRC business?
You control the expirations while you're paid up and servicing the account. CRC can take control if you owe money or stop servicing it.
Does CRC handle employee benefits?
Yes. CRC Benefits, formerly BenefitMall, places group, individual, senior and stop-loss coverage.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by CRC Group, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan CRC Group quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where CRC Group has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.