Astara Insurance Solutions, LLC (herein Astara) is a fifty/fifty partnership between Joan Schmalz and a consortium of business professionals that have both insurance and non-insurance experience and provide the backroom (accounting and computer) resources to Astara. Astara is a Managing General Agency (herein MGA) that currently specializes in Real Estate Professional Liability.
We provide competitive commissions to our retail producers and unlike some of our competitors we do not reduce the commission on renewal business. We do not write Real Estate Professional Liability on a direct basis so retail agents do not have to worry that we will be competing against them on their business. Every year Astara performs co-marketing campaigns in various states with our retail producers. These campaigns allow our retail producers to grow their books of business and all we ask is first and last look at the business generated by the campaign.
As Astara grows we will be introducing a variety of professional and non-professional liability programs to the marketplace in the next few years. These new opportunities will always be available to our existing producers based upon their interest.
Joan Schmalz has over 20 years in the insurance industry ranging from underwriting business for various carriers, developing programs for a variety of classes including package programs for nursing homes, carwashes, restaurant/taverns and designing professional lines programs including real estate and mortgage brokering.
Joan Schmalz has a proven track record managing all aspects of the MGA business. Throughout her career, she has successfully developed, grown and managed numerous professional and non-professional insurance programs. She has excellent relationships with both insurance carriers and Reinsurance companies who are always willing to discuss new programs. Joan has successfully managed all programs to an acceptable loss ratio while increasing the size of each book substantially.
Joan has strong relationships with most of the retail agents that write Real Estate Professional Liability and has proven herself to be ever responsive to their needs. She has designed the Astara Real Estate Professional Liability program to respond to the needs of the Real Estate industry. The program not only meets but also beats the other products in the marketplace.
Ruby has worked in the insurance industry for over 15 years in a variety of positions on the carrier, retail agency and MGA sides of the insurance industry. She has been a licensed producer for both Property
and Casualty for over 14 years and developed strong relationships with both insureds and retail producers.
For over 10 years, Ruby successfully underwrote Real Estate Professional Liability for numerous carriers and developed marvelous working relationships with both the carriers and the insurance producers specializing in Real Estate E&O. Ruby brings many of these same producer relationships to Astara.
She takes great pride in working with retail producers by providing the highest level of service, knowledge of the program and a friendly attitude.
Ruby graduated from Robert Morris College with a degree in Business Administration. She enjoys spending time with her husband Freddy and 6-year-old daughter Yaretzi. Her hobbies include dancing, bowling, volleyball, and long active walks.
