Benson Young & Downs Insurance

What Benson Young & Downs Insurance does

Benson, Young & Downs (BY&D) is an independent insurance agency founded in 1902 and headquartered in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with two additional offices in Wellfleet and Harwich Port, serving individuals, families, businesses, governmental groups, and civic associations across Cape Cod. The agency distributes both personal lines (auto, home, condominium, flood, life, rental property, recreational, umbrella, watercraft) and commercial lines (business owners policy, general liability, workers compensation, commercial auto, marine, cyber risk, professional liability, D&O, bonds, builders risk, technology, and condominium master policies) on behalf of 17+ carrier partners.

The agency operates a commission-based revenue model, earning commissions on new business and renewals placed with carriers including Arbella, The Barnstable, Bunker Hill, CNA Surety, The Hartford, Hartford Flood, Hingham Group, Kingstone, Main Street America, MAPFRE, Mass Property (MPIUA), Norfolk & Dedham, Openly, Plymouth Rock, Safety, Travelers, and USLI. Technology consists of standard independent-agency CRM and policy management systems, supplemented by web-based quote forms, online claims submission, and ePayPolicy-powered online payments. The go-to-market motion is consultative and relationship-led, combining three physical offices (open Monday-Friday, 8AM-4PM), phone/email outreach, an informational blog, and local community presence. BY&D is privately held, employee-focused, led by President Julee Gianoulis with Christine Comfort as Director of Client Services, and has no disclosed parent company, investors, or external capital.

Name

Benson Young & Downs Insurance

Legal name

Benson, Young & Downs, LLC

Website

https://byandd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Benson, Young & Downs is an independent insurance agency founded in 1902, distributing personal and commercial lines through three Cape Cod offices on behalf of 17+ carrier partners, serving individuals, families, businesses, and civic associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Provincetown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: BY&D operates as an independent insurance agency earning commissions from multiple insurance carriers including Arbella, The Hartford, MAPFRE Insurance, Plymouth Rock, Safety, Travelers, and others. Commissions are earned on new policies placed and renewals maintained.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Benson, Young & Downs is an independent insurance agency that places personal and commercial insurance policies on behalf of clients by shopping multiple carriers. Core personal offerings include auto, home, condominium, flood, life, rental property, recreational, umbrella, and watercraft coverage, while commercial offerings span business owners policy, general liability, workers compensation, commercial auto, bonds, cyber risk, professional liability, and other specialized lines. The agency is paid via commissions from the issuing carriers and supplements distribution with claims, certificate, and online payment services.

Product overview

Benson, Young & Downs is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services. The core offerings include Personal Insurance (auto, home, condominium, flood, life, rental property, recreational, umbrella, and watercraft coverage) and Business Insurance (business owners policies, general liability, workers compensation, commercial auto, and specialized coverages). The agency provides additional services including claims submission, certificate of insurance issuance, and online payment processing. Business coverage options span across 30+ specialized areas including bonds, builders risk, cyber risk, directors & officers, environmental liability, marine, professional liability, technology, terrorism, and workers compensation. As an independent agency, BY&D leverages relationships with multiple insurance carriers including Arbella, The Hartford, Plymouth Rock, MAPFRE Insurance, and Travelers to offer tailored coverage solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Insurance
• Business Insurance
• Online Payment Services
• Claims Submission
• Certificate of Insurance

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ArbellacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner enabling BY&D to offer personal and commercial insurance products. Customers can make payments and report claims through Arbella's platform.
• The BarnstablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional insurance carrier partner serving Massachusetts. Listed on BY&D payment and claims platforms.
• The HartfordcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor national insurance carrier providing personal and commercial lines. Available through BY&D for quotes, payments, and claims.
• MAPFRE InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional carrier serving Massachusetts and New England. Listed as payment and claims partner on BY&D website.
• Plymouth RockcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassachusetts-based insurance carrier offering auto, home, and business coverage. Payment and claims processing through Plymouth Rock portal.
• TravelerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor national insurance carrier available through BY&D for comprehensive personal and commercial coverage.
• Safety InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassachusetts-focused insurance carrier partner. Available for payments and claims through BY&D platform.
• Bunker HillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner listed for payment and claims processing through BY&D.
• CNA SuretyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSurety bond carrier partner enabling BY&D to offer bond products to commercial clients.
• Hartford FloodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlood insurance carrier partner through The Hartford, addressing specific Cape Cod flood risk concerns.
• The Hingham GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional insurance carrier partner serving Massachusetts communities.
• KingstoneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner available for quotes and claims processing.
• Main Street AmericaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional carrier offering insurance products through BY&D agency.
• Mass Property (MPIUA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association serving high-risk property coverage needs.
• Norfolk & DedhamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Massachusetts mutual insurance carrier partner.
• OpenlyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorModern insurance carrier partner offering policy management and payment options.
• USLIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty insurance carrier partner for commercial lines products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Insurify: Digital insurance comparison and brokerage platform for personal lines. Adjacent threat and partial peer to BY&D's personal lines distribution, illustrating the insurtech model competing with traditional independent agencies.
• Lemonade: Digital-first insurance carrier using AI-driven direct distribution for personal lines. Represents the disintermediation threat to traditional agencies like BY&D, particularly on auto, home, and renters products.

Direct peers

• Fred C. Church Insurance: Independent insurance agency serving Massachusetts and New England with personal, commercial, and specialty lines. Closely comparable to BY&D on geography, customer mix, and independent carrier relationships.
• Brown & Riding: Specialty commercial insurance brokerage placing complex and niche risks across multiple carriers. Comparable to BY&D's specialty commercial work (marine, cyber, D&O, professional liability) under a multi-carrier independent model.
• Goosehead Insurance: Public independent insurance agency distributing personal and commercial lines through a multi-carrier model. Highly comparable operating model to BY&D's independent agency structure, though at vastly greater scale and with technology and franchise differentiation.
• Cross Insurance: New England regional independent insurance agency offering personal and commercial lines via a multi-carrier model. Directly comparable to BY&D on regional focus, line-of-business breadth, and independent agency economics.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with deep personal and commercial lines capabilities. Comparable in business model and product breadth to BY&D's commercial practice, though much larger and more diversified.
• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage distributing personal and commercial lines across many carrier partners. Overlaps with BY&D's independent agency model but at significantly greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm with Marsh brokerage providing commercial insurance placement across multiple carriers. Comparable to BY&D's commercial intermediation role, particularly on specialty and large commercial risks.
• Lockton Companies: Largest privately held independent insurance brokerage globally, distributing commercial and personal lines through multi-carrier relationships. Comparable independent distribution model to BY&D, scaled up materially.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BYandDInsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benson-young-downs-insurance-agency-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Benson Young & Downs Insurance