---
title: "What Is a Managing General Agent (MGA) in Insurance?"
description: "An MGA is a wholesale insurance intermediary with binding authority. Here's how MGAs differ from FMOs, IMOs, and retail agencies."
url: https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/what-is-an-mga-managing-general-agent
canonical: https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/what-is-an-mga-managing-general-agent
category: "Glossary"
published: 2026-04-16
author: "Jacob Lock"
source: unLocked CRM — AI CRM for insurance agents
---

# What Is a Managing General Agent (MGA) in Insurance?

## TL;DR

A Managing General Agent (MGA) is a wholesale insurance intermediary that has binding authority from one or more carriers — meaning it can underwrite and bind policies on the carrier's behalf.

## Definition

**Managing General Agent (MGA):** A Managing General Agent (MGA) is a wholesale insurance intermediary that has binding authority from one or more carriers — meaning it can underwrite and bind policies on the carrier's behalf.

## In Depth

MGAs sit between carriers and retail agents, often specializing in a niche (transportation, professional liability, surplus lines). They handle underwriting, policy issuance, and sometimes claims, in exchange for an override on premium.

## Why It Matters for Insurance Agents

Independent agents work with MGAs to access carriers, products, and program business they couldn't reach directly. Tracking MGA relationships, commissions, and overrides is essential for accurate revenue accounting.

## Real-World Examples

1. An MGA writing transportation insurance for an admitted carrier
2. Surplus lines MGAs underwriting non-admitted business
3. Program MGAs running niche affinity programs
4. Wholesale MGAs distributing through retail agency networks

## How unLocked CRM Handles Managing General Agent (MGA)

unLocked CRM is built insurance-native, so concepts like managing general agent (mga) aren't bolt-ons — they're core to the data model. The platform ships with 1,252 carrier integrations, 332 commission feeds, and pre-built workflows that operationalize managing general agent (mga) from day one.

## Bottom Line

A Managing General Agent (MGA) is a wholesale insurance intermediary that has binding authority from one or more carriers — meaning it can underwrite and bind policies on the carrier's behalf. Insurance agents who understand and operationalize managing general agent (mga) retain more business, recover more revenue, and scale faster.

## FAQ

### undefined



### undefined



### undefined



---

Source: [What Is a Managing General Agent (MGA) in Insurance?](https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/what-is-an-mga-managing-general-agent) — unLocked CRM, the AI CRM built for insurance agents. Citation permitted with attribution and a link to https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/what-is-an-mga-managing-general-agent.