Markel (MKL -0.50%), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B 0.04%), and RLI (RLI -0.64%) are all very different businesses, but all of these companies have five things in common. In this segment of The Motley Fool's financials-focused show, Where the Money Is, banking analyst David Hanson is joined by Stock Advisor analyst Brendan Mathews to discuss his checklist of things to look for before you buy shares of a P&C insurer. This five key areas are:

  • Management
  • Underwriting
  • Reserves
  • Investments
  • Valuation