In his short story, "The Rich Boy," F. Scott Fitzgerald summed up the challenge facing insurers and independent agents who target elite personal lines clients–those with mansions, fancy cars, yachts, fine art, expensive jewelry and other trappings of wealth. He said: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me." That observation is no less true for those carriers and producers who warn that rich prospects can be high maintenance, demanding extensive services.

The insurance professional's job is to understand and provide coverage and specialized risk management services to this growing and often underinsured market, carriers in the field contend.

Insurance company executives who specialize in catering to high-net-worth clientele make no bones about it. There is a significant market out there for the personal insurance business of millionaires–which, right now, is largely claimed by the direct writer market.