Dennis is cautiously optimistic (which is terrifying), Stephanie is calling out the chaos (as usual), and together they try to explain why 2026 might be the year insurance stops punching everyone in the face monthly.

On the property and auto side, things are… dare we say… stabilizing? Premium increases are slowing, new carriers are popping up, and underwriting is loosening just enough to give people hope. On the health side? Absolute mayhem. Premiums are exploding, legislation is muddying the waters, and more people are quietly asking, “Do I really need insurance… or just luck?”

From reinsurance and deductibles to politicians meddling where they shouldn’t and why “free healthcare” is never actually free, Dennis and Stephanie break it all down with zero filters, strong opinions, and more than a few side rants.

Spoiler: nothing is getting cheaper — but it might stop getting worse. And right now, that counts as good news.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome to 2026: Lower Expectations, Lower Increases

00:10:33 – Home & Auto Rates: Still High, Just Less Insulting

00:12:49 – Reconstruction Costs vs. Reality (Spoiler: Math Ain’t Mathing)

00:17:34 – COVID, Freezes, and Why Everything Broke at Once

00:21:25 – Politicians, Insurance, and Why This Never Ends Well

00:25:06 – Health Insurance Premiums: Choose Your Own Financial Disaster

00:32:54 – Dropping Coverage, Going Bare, and Hoping Nothing Happens

00:37:39 – Preventative Care: Use It Before You Rage Quit

00:42:15 – Socialized Medicine: Great If You’re Healthy, Awful If You’re Not

00:43:05 – Taxes, Incentives, and Why Nothing Is Actually “Free”

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

AI is everywhere right now—writing emails, answering phones, predicting the weather (badly), and apparently trying to underwrite insurance. So naturally, Dennis and Stephanie sit down to ask the important questions: Is AI actually smarter than people… or just faster at being confidently wrong?

From financial advisors and political insider trading to hailstorms, dance floors, restaurant liquor percentages, and that one client who thinks a rear-end collision destroyed their serpentine belt, this episode goes deep into where AI might help insurance—and where it absolutely should not be trusted without adult supervision.

They argue (a lot), agree (occasionally), roast carriers for not knowing their own appetite, and somehow end up with Stephanie defending AI and Dennis yelling at bots. If you’ve ever been told “yes,” then “no,” then “well… maybe” by underwriting—this one’s for you.

Human touch still matters. AI still guesses. And no, the robot cannot answer your question.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Welcome Back to Chaos (It’s Been a Week, Again)

00:01:11 - AI Is Affecting Everything… Including Our Patience

00:02:46 - Financial Advisors, Algorithms, and Following Politicians’ Trades

00:04:05 - Why Insurance Companies Tried to Kill Agents (And Failed)

00:06:19 - Where AI Actually Touches Agents Today

00:08:11 - New Construction, Bad Data, and AI Saying “No” for the Wrong Reasons

00:11:36 - Weather Prediction: Why 45% Rain Means Nothing

00:13:15 - Actuaries, Guessing, and Why Rates Keep Going Up

00:17:05 - Claims Without Adjusters (What Could Possibly Go Wrong?)

00:18:39 - Fraud, Roof Photos, and Why Your Neighbor’s House Matters

00:20:32 - Fender Benders, Fake Damage, and the Serpentine Belt Incident

00:23:28 - When AI Should Flag Claims (But Not Decide Them)

00:26:19 - Chat Bots, Phone Bots, and Dennis’ Deep Hatred of All Bots

00:29:48 - Underwriting Appetite: Restaurants, Alcohol, and Dance Floors

00:33:56 - Calling Back Until You Get the “Right” Answer

00:38:54 - Human Error vs Automation (The Real Problem)

00:41:12 - Stephanie Accidentally Defends AI

00:42:40 - The Future of AI, Human Touch, and Why This Argument Isn’t Over

It’s the Christmas edition of Insurance Gone Wild, which means Dennis and Stephanie are festive, tired, and absolutely done with “quick questions” that are definitely claims.From a brutally accurate insurance-themed Christmas poem to breaking down the absurd amount of coverage Santa would actually need to operate the North Pole, this episode hits all the holiday chaos agents know too well. Frozen pipes, last-minute coverage regrets, RV winterization fails, uninsured December gambles, and why nobody should ever say “hypothetically” to an insurance agent.It’s funny, painfully real, slightly unhinged, and exactly what happens when holiday cheer meets deductibles, exclusions, and reality. Merry Christmas… now what are your limits again?⏱️ Chapters00:00:00 – Christmas at the Agency (Yes, We’re Still Working)00:01:26 – ’Twas the Night Before Christmas… Insurance Edition00:04:04 – “Just a Quick Question” (It’s Never Quick)00:06:31 – What Insurance Does Santa Actually Need?00:09:28 – Naughty vs. Nice: HR Problems at the North Pole00:11:19 – Liquor Liability, Eggnog & Bad Decisions00:12:16 – Holiday Claims: Fire, Water & Theft Season00:14:10 – Why Winter Damage Hits the South Differently00:16:08 – RV Winterization Mistakes You’ll Regret00:20:04 – One Freeze Is All It Takes00:24:26 – Traveling for the Holidays? Protect Your House00:26:13 – December & January: The Worst Months to Be Uninsured00:29:08 – Health Insurance While Traveling (Read the Fine Print)00:31:08 – Final Holiday Advice & Reality CheckEmail: Contact@IGWpodcast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWildGet a Quote!Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/Call: 817-753-0093