The standalone personal umbrella specialist. When your core home and auto carrier won't write the umbrella because of a powersport, a secondary cabin, or a rental property — PersonalUmbrella.com fills the gap.
PersonalUmbrella.com Insurance Services, Inc. is a managing underwriter — not a direct carrier — that has operated since 1999 and specializes in one product: personal umbrella liability insurance. The underlying carrier is Markel Insurance Company, rated A Excellent by AM Best with a financial size category of XV (over $2 billion), making the financial backing behind every PersonalUmbrella.com policy genuinely strong. PersonalUmbrella.com holds a California insurance license (#6006333) and serves independent agents and brokers nationwide.
The platform offers limits from $1 million to $10 million, a $0 self-insured retention, no application form, no MVR required for most risks, quotes in three minutes, and policy issuance within 72 hours. Those operational features make it among the fastest and most frictionless umbrella placement tools available to independent agents. What makes PersonalUmbrella.com genuinely valuable for Options Insurance clients is its expanded appetite for underlying risks that core carriers exclude from their umbrella programs — powersports, ATVs, jet skis, secondary cabins, rental properties, and apartments can all be included as underlying interests.
Jess Todd places standalone umbrella coverage with PersonalUmbrella.com for clients whose core home and auto carrier either won't write an umbrella at all, or won't extend the umbrella over a specific underlying risk. The scenario is common: a client has home and auto with Travelers but also owns a cabin, a side-by-side, or a rental unit — and Travelers won't extend their umbrella over those assets. PersonalUmbrella.com fills that gap cleanly with a standalone umbrella that covers all qualifying underlying risks in a single policy.
Here's what makes PersonalUmbrella.com the right tool when core carriers fall short on umbrella coverage.
Most personal umbrella products from major carriers require the underlying home and auto to be with the same company — or at minimum, with an approved carrier list. PersonalUmbrella.com accepts underlying policies from any admitted insurer rated AM Best B+ (VII) or higher with minimum $300,000 liability limits. That means a client can have their home with Travelers, their auto with Progressive, and their umbrella with PersonalUmbrella.com — with all three carriers doing what they do best. The standalone nature is the entire value proposition.
This is the gap PersonalUmbrella.com fills most often for Jess's clients. Core carriers like Travelers, CNA, and The Hartford typically require all underlying interests to be placed with them before they'll write the umbrella. But those carriers often don't write powersports (ATVs, jet skis, dirt bikes, snowmobiles), secondary cabins in remote locations, or rental properties with certain characteristics. PersonalUmbrella.com accepts all of these as underlying interests — as long as the primary coverage meets their minimum requirements — making it possible to get a single umbrella over a complex asset profile.
PersonalUmbrella.com requires no application form and no motor vehicle records for most risks. Agents quote directly through their online platform in approximately three minutes. Policies are issued within 72 hours of order. For clients who need umbrella coverage quickly — often discovered during the home or auto placement process — this speed removes a significant friction point. The platform has been operating since 1999 with a deliberate focus on agent efficiency.
PersonalUmbrella.com offers umbrella limits from $1 million up to $10 million. The $0 self-insured retention means coverage picks up immediately where the underlying policy leaves off — there is no gap between the primary liability limit and the umbrella coverage. This is the standard for personal umbrella products, but worth confirming clearly. Both personal and business umbrella coverage is available, with business umbrella covering habitational properties, professional offices, and qualifying business autos.
PersonalUmbrella.com is a managing underwriter — but the actual carrier is Markel Insurance Company, rated A Excellent by AM Best with a financial size category of XV (over $2 billion in surplus). Markel is a well-respected specialty insurer with a long track record. For clients who want to know who is actually standing behind their umbrella policy, the answer is Markel — not a small or unfamiliar carrier. The strength of the underlying carrier is an important consideration for a policy that may never be used but needs to be there when it matters most.
In addition to personal umbrella, PersonalUmbrella.com offers a Business Owner's Umbrella that covers habitational properties (apartments, condominiums, flats, dwellings up to 30 total units), commercial or mercantile premises rented to others, and professional or service sector offices. This is useful for clients who own rental properties or small offices and need excess liability coverage over their commercial GL — without triggering a full commercial umbrella underwriting process.
No carrier is perfect. Here are the honest trade-offs to know before placing with PersonalUmbrella.com.
PersonalUmbrella.com writes personal umbrella exclusively. All underlying coverage must be placed with other carriers. Jess coordinates the underlying placements and layers PersonalUmbrella.com on top — it works well but requires more moving parts than a bundled umbrella.
Professional entertainers, professional athletes, NCAA Division I coaches on television, elected officials in large jurisdictions, and Fortune 500 executives are excluded from standard placement. A specialized high-profile umbrella program is available through PersonalUmbrella.com's high-profile underwriters at 510-903-3311.
The underlying primary carrier must be admitted with AM Best B+ (VII) or higher and minimum $300K liability limits. Non-standard or surplus lines underlying carriers require special acceptance. Clients with Bristol West or other non-standard auto underlying may need review before the umbrella can extend over that policy.
PersonalUmbrella.com has operated since 1999 and the platform reflects that — functional and fast, but not a modern InsurTech experience. For agents who prioritize speed and accuracy over polish, it gets the job done well.
Here's an honest picture of when PersonalUmbrella.com is the right tool — and when we'd use a bundled umbrella from a core carrier instead.
"PersonalUmbrella.com lets us write an umbrella with expanded appetite when core carriers fall short. Some of our core carriers will only write an umbrella when they have all the underlying risks — but that's not always possible when a client has a powersport, a secondary cabin, or a rental property that the core carrier won't touch. PersonalUmbrella.com fills that gap. When the bundled umbrella isn't available, this is the answer."
— Jess Todd, Personal Lines Agent, Options Insurance
Already a PersonalUmbrella.com client through Options Insurance? Here are the resources you need.
PersonalUmbrella.com's main line for claims and service. Since underlying claims are handled by the primary carrier first, the umbrella claim process typically begins only after primary limits are exhausted. Your Options Insurance agent can help coordinate.
Mon–Fri during business hours. For policy changes and most service questions, Jess manages PersonalUmbrella.com relationships directly through the agent portal and can resolve most issues without routing through the main line.
The insured portal for PersonalUmbrella.com policyholders — pay your bill, view your policy, and manage your account online. For most policy questions and changes, your Options Insurance agent is the fastest route.
PersonalUmbrella.com's underwriting guide details eligible underlying risks, minimum liability requirements, driver surcharges, and watercraft classifications. Your Options Insurance agent reviews this before placement to confirm your specific underlying assets qualify.
Jess is Options Insurance's primary placement agent for PersonalUmbrella.com. She reaches for this carrier when a client needs umbrella coverage that their core carrier won't provide — powersports, secondary properties, rental units, or multi-carrier underlying situations. "PersonalUmbrella.com lets us write an umbrella with expanded appetite when core carriers fall short."
Tell us a little about what you need. One of our agents will follow up — usually same business day.
No obligation. We'll review your underlying assets and confirm the right umbrella fit.
We'll review your underlying assets and confirm PersonalUmbrella.com can extend the umbrella over everything you own.
Start Your Free Quote →The opinions expressed on this page reflect the experience of Options Insurance agents based on policies placed and client feedback received over 15 years. Individual results may vary. Options Insurance is appointed with PersonalUmbrella.com Insurance Services, Inc. as an independent agent. This review is not sponsored, approved, or endorsed by PersonalUmbrella.com or Markel Insurance Company. AM Best, J.D. Power, and NAIC data are sourced from publicly available reports and are cited for informational purposes. Ratings are subject to change. PersonalUmbrella.com Insurance Services, Inc. is a managing underwriter. Coverage is underwritten by Markel Insurance Company, AM Best A Excellent, financial size XV. Underlying primary policies must be with admitted carriers rated AM Best B+ (VII) or higher with minimum $300,000 liability limits. High-profile individuals are not eligible for standard placement. Comparison data is based on publicly available third-party research. Coverage availability and terms vary by state, risk profile, and underwriting criteria. This page does not constitute a coverage guarantee or binding commitment.