One national relationship.
Hedge serves eligible difficult commercial risks across the U.S. through one consistent relationship.
Why agencies choose Hedge over Novatae Risk Group
Hedge vs Novatae Risk Group
Consider Hedge when you want a clearly bounded wholesale brokerage relationship and direct team ownership. Novatae Risk Group may fit better when a Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class. Confirm the proposed team, market route, and quoted terms for the account.
National reachResponsive serviceNo Hedge wholesale feeSame four-person team
Named-team wholesale optionHedgeResponsive service. No wholesale fee.
VS
Alternative service modelNovatae Risk GroupMulti-brand platform
NationalOne Hedge relationship for eligible difficult commercial risks across the U.S.
Quote supportPrompt review and clear updates as we pursue market quotes
Wholesale feeNo Hedge wholesale fee, no sub-brokering, and no layered commission stacks
Account teamThe same four people through intake, bind, renewal, and service
Why agencies choose Hedge
National reach. Responsive service. No Hedge wholesale fee.
These differences affect the next hard account.
Review by the team that owns the account.
Hedge reviews the file, identifies what is missing, and tells you whether there is a credible next step.
No Hedge wholesale fee.
No sub-brokering and no layered commission stacks. Premium, taxes, and filing charges remain account-specific.
One team owns it.
The same four people stay through intake, quote, bind, renewal, and service.
Recommendation
Where does Hedge fit your account?
Which Novatae legal entity and transaction role is proposed?
The Hedge service model
Start here
Consider Hedge when these needs match.
- You want a clearly bounded wholesale brokerage relationship and direct team ownership.
- Your agency wants public research to say what is known, unknown, and still requires current account review.
Next step: get appointed with Hedge.
Account fit
Consider Novatae Risk Group when these needs match.
- A Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class.
- The account benefits from a platform that can choose among brokerage and delegated routes.
Ask the proposed team to confirm the specific route and service owner.
What happens after intake
With Hedge, ownership is obvious.
The same team reads the file, asks for what is missing, waits for your release authority, routes the account, and stays through service.
Where Novatae Risk Group may fit
A Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class.
Novatae Risk Group
Submit→Find brand→Confirm unit→Name owner
Hedge
Team reviews file→Same four people→You approve release→Same team services
Hedge makes the owner and the release decision explicit. Ask Novatae Risk Group to map the same path before you send.
Side by side
Seven operating questions for the agency.
Compare the proposed team, actual route, and terms for the same account. Hedge's column describes its published service commitments. Competitor sources are linked below; confirm desk-level service and total cost directly.
| Decision | Novatae Risk Group | Hedge |
|---|---|---|
| Account fit | A Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class. | You want a clearly bounded wholesale brokerage relationship and direct team ownership. |
| National reach | National specialist platform | Yes. Hedge serves eligible difficult commercial risks across the U.S. through one national service model. |
| First useful response | Ask the exact Novatae Risk Group team to commit to a response standard. | Prompt file review, clear quote updates, and market terms when available. |
| Who owns the account | Confirm the named desk, broker, handoffs, and post-bind service owner. More brands also mean more routing choices. Confirm the operating company and who stays accountable when work crosses units. | The same four-person team through intake, quote, bind, renewal, and service. |
| Brokerage-side cost | Confirm Novatae Risk Group's wholesale fees, commissions, and any intermediary layers. | No Hedge wholesale fee, no sub-brokering, and no layered commission stacks. Premium, taxes, and filing charges remain account-specific. |
| Before a market receives the file | Confirm when Novatae Risk Group treats intake as an authorized release and an actual market send. | The retail agent explicitly authorizes release. Receipt, review, release, and market send remain separate. |
| When Novatae Risk Group may win | A Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class. The account benefits from a platform that can choose among brokerage and delegated routes. | Confirm Hedge can support the required class, state, coverage structure, and market route before deciding. |
An account to work through
Check what each participant is authorized to do.
Illustrative account example. This is a decision exercise, not a customer placement or a measured comparison of providers.
The situation
An agency is offered a niche program through a familiar predecessor brand and needs to confirm the present entity and authority.
What would change the choice?
Choose the route with confirmed access and the authority needed for the next step. An MGA, MGU, broker or carrier label does not by itself establish that authority.
Read the related coverage or placement guideWhat to compare on this file
- Identify the insurer, exact program and distribution route for the proposed account.
- Ask which party may receive the submission, underwrite, quote, bind and issue; obtain confirmation for the actual product and state.
- Distinguish the agent’s request from underwriting approval and from the binder or policy that confirms the result.
Example reviewed by Hedge Specialty on . Explore verified account outcomes.
Common questions
Compare Hedge and Novatae Risk Group on speed, cost, ownership, and fit.
Review speed, fees, ownership, market release, and the cases where Novatae Risk Group may fit better.
Why choose Hedge over Novatae Risk Group?
Consider Hedge when you want a clearly bounded wholesale brokerage relationship and direct team ownership. Novatae Risk Group may fit better when a Novatae broker or program is already proven for the relevant risk class. Confirm the proposed team, market route, and quoted terms for the account. Hedge charges no wholesale fee and keeps a named four-person team on the account. These are service commitments, not a measured response-time advantage over Novatae Risk Group.
How fast does Hedge respond?
Hedge reviews the file promptly, identifies missing information, and keeps you updated while pursuing market terms. Quotes depend on account eligibility, a complete file, and market response. There is no guaranteed turnaround or quote on every risk.
How is the Hedge service model different from Novatae Risk Group?
Every Hedge account gets the same four-person team through intake, quote, bind, renewal, and service. Novatae Risk Group's experience can vary by division, office, product lane, or named broker, so confirm the exact team that would own the account.
Is Hedge cheaper to work with?
Hedge charges no wholesale fee, does not sub-broker accounts, and does not add layered commission stacks. That does not establish the lowest total cost for a particular account. Carrier premium, surplus-lines taxes, filing charges, and any other account-specific quoted costs still depend on the placement.
Will Hedge send my submission to markets immediately?
No. Hedge routes the submission to the named account team first and does not share it with markets until the retail agent authorizes a release. Receipt, release, market send, quote, bind, and issue are separate states.
Can Hedge guarantee a quote or placement?
No wholesale broker can honestly guarantee a quote from a public comparison page. Hedge reviews the class, state, coverage, facts, submission quality, and current market route before confirming what it can do.
Do I need to replace my Novatae Risk Group relationship to work with Hedge?
No. Hedge can earn a place on the difficult accounts where speed, direct ownership, and fewer handoffs matter. A productive existing Novatae Risk Group relationship can remain useful for accounts that fit its strongest lane.
How do I start with Hedge?
Licensed retail insurance professionals can request an appointment or submit a risk for review. Hedge will confirm agency fit and account fit separately; an appointment request is not approval, and a submission receipt is not a quote.
Published and reviewed by Hedge Specialty on · Novatae Risk Group facts: Novatae Risk Group · Research methodPublic information does not confirm fit, terms, access, or authority for a specific account.
Make Hedge your first call
Bring us the hard account.
Get a file review from the same team that will own the file through placement and service.