Downs Insurance Solutions

What Downs Insurance Solutions does

Downs Insurance Solutions (legal entity: Debra Downs Insurance Solutions, Inc.) is an independent insurance agency founded in 1989 by Debra Downs and headquartered at 35 Mitchell Blvd., Suite 4A, San Rafael, California (California Insurance License OM01357). The agency distributes life insurance, group health benefits (medical, dental, vision), group life and disability, long-term care, and related voluntary lines for small and mid-sized employer clients (2–350 employees) and individual consumers. Distribution is built on direct, consultative sales to a primarily Bay Area and broader California client base, with clients also served across multiple other states via remote engagement. Named customers include Stemple Creek Ranch, Alouis Auto Radiator, R & M Vavuris, Valucci Restaurants, and Alioto Fish Company, spanning agriculture, automotive, and food service verticals.

The agency operates a traditional commission-based revenue model with no proprietary technology stack disclosed. Its competitive position rests on carrier breadth — contracts with 20+ carriers including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, United Healthcare, Guardian, MetLife, Prudential, John Hancock, Lincoln Financial, Transamerica, Delta Dental, VSP, The Standard, and Mutual of Omaha, among others — and on personal-client relationships accumulated over 30+ years. Services beyond placement include annual policy reviews, ownership/beneficiary reviews, enrollment and eligibility processing, COBRA handling, claims assistance, and regulatory compliance guidance (ACA, HCSO). The agency reports a 98% retention rate on group health clients and 100% retention on life insurance clients, and CEO/founder Debra Downs characterizes her referral-based clientele as the agency's greatest accomplishment.

Go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven: word-of-mouth from existing clients, professional network referrals from Bay Area estate planning attorneys, business attorneys, and accountants/CPAs, a Squarespace-hosted marketing website, and community involvement (e.g., Debra Downs's board seat at nonprofit Ranchin' Vets). Management is a small team led by founder Debra Downs and her daughter Kelle Downs, a licensed agent who joined the agency in 2019 after holding account-management roles at a Fortune 500 tech company, a venture-backed startup, and a small business. The agency is privately held with no institutional investors, no funding history, and no parent company, operating as a family-owned independent agency whose recurring commission economics depend on sustained client retention and carrier relationships rather than product technology or venture-backed growth.

Name

Downs Insurance Solutions

Legal name

Debra Downs Insurance Solutions, Inc

Website

https://downsinsurancesolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Downs Insurance Solutions is an independent insurance agency founded in 1989 in San Rafael, California, distributing life insurance, group health/dental/vision/disability benefits, and long-term care products to small and mid-sized employers (2–350 employees) and individual clients across the San Francisco Bay Area and broader California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Disability Income Insurance (Employer-Sponsored) (FSAIAIAB), Disability Buy-Sell / Business Continuation Insurance (FSAIAIAL), Individual Supplemental Health (Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident) (FSAIAEAD)

Keywords

• Life insurance
• Group health benefits
• Disability insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Independent insurance agency

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission: The agency earns commission on every premium payment made by clients on their group benefits and insurance policies. This is a standard independent insurance agency commission model where agents receive ongoing renewal commissions throughout the plan year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Downs Insurance Solutions is an independent insurance agency that advises individuals and employers on life insurance, group health benefits, disability, and long-term care coverage. It represents multiple carriers to source competitive policies and provides ongoing service including plan design, enrollment, claims assistance, and compliance support.

Product overview

Downs Insurance Solutions is an independent insurance agency founded in 1989, offering a unified advisory service model rather than a software platform. The agency's product portfolio centers on four core insurance products: Life Insurance for individual clients (covering income replacement, estate planning, and legacy planning needs), Group Benefits for employer-sponsored coverage (health, dental, vision, life, and disability for 2-350 employee businesses), Long Term Care Insurance as riders on life insurance contracts, and Disability Insurance for income protection. Additional service offerings include annual policy reviews, beneficiary reviews, claims processing assistance, enrollment support, and compliance guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Insurance Individual life insurance policies providing tax-free death benefits for income replacement, estate tax planning, and legacy planning. Includes pre-application insurability inquiries with access to multiple carriers (Aviva, American General, Guardian, John Hancock, Lincoln Financial, MetLife, Prudential, Transamerica).
• Group Benefits Employer-sponsored group benefit programs including health, dental, vision, group life, and group disability insurance for businesses with 2-350 employees. Carriers include Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, United Healthcare, Guardian, Delta Dental, and VSP, with annual policy reviews and enrollment support.
• Long Term Care Insurance Long-term care insurance riders attached to life insurance contracts, providing living benefits that cover potential long-term care needs; unused benefits pass to beneficiaries.
• Disability Insurance Disability insurance policies protecting business owners and families by providing income replacement if the policyholder becomes unable to earn income due to a diagnosed disability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% retention rate of group health insurance clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ranchin' VetsminorOthersDebra sits on the board of directors for Ranchin' Vets, a nonprofit organization serving post 9/11 veterans. This is a community involvement and board position rather than a commercial partnership.
• Bay Area Estate Planning AttorneyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency maintains excellent rapport with Bay Area estate planning and business attorneys who provide referrals and collaborate on client planning needs including wills, trusts, and succession planning.
• Bay Area Accountants and CPAscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency works with accountants and CPAs for comprehensive financial and estate planning solutions for clients. Referrals flow between the agencies for mutual clients needing coordinated planning.
• Anthem Blue CrosscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing health insurance products offered through the agency to group benefit clients and individuals.
• Blue Shield of CaliforniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing health insurance products offered through the agency.
• GuardiancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing life insurance and group benefit products offered through the agency.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth insurance carrier partner providing HMO and healthcare coverage options offered through the agency.
• United HealthcarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing health insurance and related products offered through the agency.
• MetLifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing life insurance, dental, and group benefit products offered through the agency.
• Delta DentalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDental insurance carrier partner providing dental coverage options offered through the agency.
• Vision Service Plan (VSP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVision insurance carrier partner providing vision coverage options offered through the agency.
• The StandardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing group life and disability insurance products offered through the agency.
• California ChoicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalifornia-specific health insurance carrier partner providing coverage options through the agency.
• HealthNetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth insurance carrier partner providing coverage options offered through the agency.
• TASC (HRA and Flex Spending)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party administrator partner providing HRA and Flexible Spending Account services offered through the agency.
• AvivacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• American GeneralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• John HancockcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Lincoln FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Lincoln Benefit LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Minnesota LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Mutual of OmahacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Principal FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• Protective LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• PrudentialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• SymetracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.
• TransamericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance carrier partner offering products through the agency.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Large independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering group benefits, commercial, and personal lines through a multi-carrier model. Highly comparable as a California-based independent agency with overlapping SMB and mid-market group benefits practice.
• Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. Bay Area independent insurance brokerage providing commercial, personal, and employee benefits solutions to mid-market and SMB clients. Comparable due to similar independent agency model, California footprint, and benefits-advisory focus.
• EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants: National independent insurance brokerage and consulting firm with significant California operations serving mid-market clients across property/casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines. Comparable as an independent, multi-carrier agency competing for similar group benefits business.
• Higginbotham: Large independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, employee benefits, and personal lines to SMB and mid-market clients nationwide. Comparable for its independent, multi-carrier model and SMB benefits practice.

Broad incumbents

• Brown & Brown Insurance: National insurance brokerage and consulting firm offering a broad portfolio of insurance and risk-management products across commercial, employee benefits, and personal lines. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same independent brokerage channel pursuing organic and roll-up growth.
• Marsh McLennan Agency: Middle-market-focused arm of global brokerage Marsh McLennan, offering employee benefits, commercial insurance, and risk management. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping group benefits capabilities and SMB/mid-market client base.
• Aon: Global professional services firm offering a full suite of insurance brokerage, reinsurance, and human capital solutions including health and benefits. Comparable as a broad incumbent shaping the competitive backdrop in the benefits brokerage channel.

Regional players

• B&P Group Insurance Services: California-focused independent insurance agency providing commercial and personal lines, including group benefits. Comparable as a regional independent agency serving SMB clients in overlapping California markets.

Emerging players

• Insureon: Digital insurance marketplace focused on small business insurance, including group health and benefits. Comparable as an emerging, technology-enabled distribution channel competing for the same small-group employer customer that Downs serves.
• Simply Business: Online insurance platform connecting small businesses with carrier quotes across commercial and benefits lines. Comparable as a digital-first entrant taking share from traditional independent agencies in the SMB segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Downs Insurance Solutions