Our next FIA Surety Free CE Zoom webinar is coming up on Monday, 12/1/25, 1:00-4:00pm eastern. We’re presenting “Advanced Surety Bonding Solutions,” worth 3 free CE credits. This is great stuff! Even if you are a bond pro, you may still have a few AHA! moments with this webinar.

Click for more info and our “once and done” registration form or paste this address into a browser: https://fiasurety.blog/2020/08/16/free-ce/

(We’ll be announcing our newest additional state soon!)

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Ins. Co., a Palomar Company
2740 Rt. 10 West, Suite 205
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Office: 973-541-3417

A Carrier Providing Contract, Site and Subdivision Bonds up to $10,000,000!

Here is your best surety carrier solving the CE problem: the FIA Surety Free CE School – interesting, convenient, free Zoom webinars you can attend from home or office. What’s not to love?!

Our next monthly webinar is on Monday, 12/1/25 “Advanced Surety Bonding Solutions” 1:00-4:00 pm eastern. This is a game changer for surety producers. Solving problems for your clients is how you win new business. We’re here to help!

Register once and you are entitled to attend all our future monthly webinars. Fun, free gifts, great info and delicious snacks you provide. You’ll love it. Plus 3 free CE credits with no exam. You in?

Click for info and to register or copy and paste this address: https://fiasurety.blog/2020/08/16/free-ce/

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Ins. Co., a Palomar Company
2740 Rt. 10 West, Suite 205
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Office: 973-402-1200
A Carrier Providing Contract, Site and Subdivision Bonds up to $10,000,000!

Correct identification is important when browsing the forest for edibles – maybe even crucial!

What about in bonding? Not being able to identify a bond may not be life threatening, but it won’t improve your career health either.

Here’s one that can be challenging, but we’ll give you the keys!

Contract / Performance & Payment Bond vs. Site or Subdivision Bond

Identify a Site or Subdivision Bond:

• The obligee / party requiring the bond is always the local municipality
• There is never a written construction contract between the municipality and the bond applicant
• The bond applicant is not being paid to perform the work guaranteed by the bond. The applicant is self-funding the project (may have obtained a construction loan.)
• The subject of the bond is always site work such as installing water and sewer lines, stormwater management, roads and sidewalks, landscaping, traffic & safety, signage, parks, etc.
• “Vertical construction,” such as residential structures, are never the subject of the bond.
• There is often no specifiied completion timetable
• Bond amount can be reduced as work proceeds
• Typically, bond does not cover claims by suppliers of labor or materials

With this expertise you can guide your client appropriately and select a responsive surety carrier – one that has aggressively pursued this business for more than 46 years: FIA Surety.

Brilliant!

Take your chances, or make the smart move – 

call the EXPERTS! It’s that easy…

Oh wait, there’s more: Check out our accredited Free CE courses, Zoom webinars you can attend from home or office. Our webinars are wildly popular, free and there are no exams. 3 credits each. Click for info and to register.

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Ins. Co., a Palomar Company
2740 Rt. 10 West, Suite 205
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Office: 973-402-1200
A Carrier Providing Contract, Site and Subdivision Bonds up to $10,000,000!

Processing bond opportunities may be easy. But sometimes we get a…

Tough Nut!!!

Let’s face it, MOST surety opportunites exist because a problem needs solving. Agents and their carriers known as Problem Solvers are a magnet for new business. That’s why this most recent FIA Surety Success Story is relevant.

What does a tough nut look like when underwriting surety?

Details:

• The applicant is a site contractor in business over 10 years.
• They have negotiated a sizeable new private contract with a repeat customer.
• The contractor has a surety program through another agent, but is seeking better terms. They have a high premium rate and also pay for funds control.
• Personal and company credit reports are weak.
• Most recent fiscal year end: Profitable with low net quick and negative net worth.
• 2025 recent interim company financial statement shows profitable operations with low net quick and negative net worth.
• $10 million work program needed. Internally prepared financial statements.
• Current work on hand includes two large contracts less than 50% complete.
• No indication of available bank credit.

How can we enable our agent to win this client’s business? What would YOU do?

The applicant has a good track record, but is obviously under stress at the moment. The file does not justify a low rate – so that’s not the hook.

In order to support our agent and this client we need an element of financial control on the contract funds.

The FIA Surety solution:    

1. Joint checks    2. An adjustment to the contract retainage clause, and    3. A condition in the bond regarding the release of funds!    The client will also engage a CPA.

These procedures eliminate the escrow fee while protecting the surety and help prevent payment bond claims.

Brilliant!

Call us when your next bond pops up! It’s that easy…

Oh wait, there’s more: Check out our accredited Free CE courses, Zoom webinars you can attend from home or office. Our webinars are wildly popular, free and there are no exams. 3 credits each.

Click for info and to register.

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Ins. Co., a Palomar Company
2740 Rt. 10 West, Suite 205
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Office: 973-402-1200

A Carrier Providing Contract, Site and Subdivision Bonds up to $10,000,000!