Summit Commercial Solutions is a Canadian commercial brokerage. This page explains, in plain English, how Summit is compensated on a commercial insurance placement in Canada and how that compensation is disclosed. It is buyer guidance, not legal or tax advice.

The three ways a Canadian commercial broker can be paid

Most Canadian commercial brokerages earn revenue through some combination of the following. Summit uses the first two and will use the third only when the client asks for a fee-based arrangement in place of commission.

Commission from the insurer. A percentage of the premium, paid by the insurer to the brokerage when a policy binds or renews. The rate varies by insurer, product line, and program.
Contingent commission / profit-share / override. An additional amount some insurers pay brokerages based on the overall book of business placed with that insurer (volume, growth, loss ratio). It is not tied to any one client's policy.
Broker fees. A fee agreed with the client, typically in place of or in addition to commission on specialty or fee-for-service work. Any such fee is disclosed and agreed in writing before it is charged.

Summit does not publish fixed commission percentages on this page because rates vary by insurer and line. The actual figures for a specific placement are disclosed in writing on that placement — see below.

What Summit discloses, and when

On each commercial placement, Summit's disclosure practice is to provide, in writing:

The commission rate the insurer is paying Summit on that policy.
Whether that insurer pays Summit any contingent / profit-share / override, and the general basis (volume, growth, loss ratio).
Any broker fee agreed with the client for that engagement.
Any material conflict of interest — for example, if only a small number of markets could quote a given risk and why.

This is the disclosure clients should expect at new business and at every renewal, not only on request.

What you will see before you buy

Before you bind a commercial policy through Summit, you should expect to see, in writing:

The premium and how it is structured (base premium, taxes, any surcharges).
The commission rate the insurer will pay Summit on the policy.
Whether that insurer pays Summit any contingent / profit-share / override, and the general basis.
Any broker fee, if a fee-based arrangement has been agreed in place of or in addition to commission.
A summary of coverage: limits, deductibles, key exclusions, and any subjectivities that must be resolved before binding.

When both commissions and client-paid fees apply on the same engagement, Summit's practice is to disclose this in writing in advance and again in the proposal.

Why disclosure matters (and the standard Summit works to)

The Canadian Insurance Services Regulatory Organisations (CISRO) publish Principles of Conduct for Insurance Intermediaries. Two of those principles are directly relevant to compensation:

Intermediaries are expected to provide clear, adequate information so customers can make informed decisions.
Intermediaries are expected to treat customers fairly, including identifying and managing conflicts of interest.

Summit's compensation disclosure is designed to meet that standard in writing on every placement, rather than only when a client asks.

What Summit is not

Summit is not owned by an insurer and does not have carrier quotas that would steer placement decisions.
Summit does not receive undisclosed payments from insurers on client placements.
Summit does not gate commission disclosure behind a signed engagement — clients can ask for the compensation structure before binding.

Questions to ask any broker about compensation

Copy/paste these to any broker (including Summit) at quote or renewal:

"What commission rate is the insurer paying you on this policy?"
"Does this insurer pay you a contingent / profit-share / override, and on what basis?"
"Are there any broker fees on this engagement, and are they in place of or in addition to commission?"
"Are you owned by, or contractually tied to, any insurer?"
"Where will this be documented in writing?"

If a broker cannot answer these in writing, that is a broker-fit signal — see Switching commercial brokers in Canada and How Summit explains a commercial renewal.

Service area: Canada (subject to licensing and market availability).

How Summit gets paid: commission disclosure (Canada)