Remember watching The Jetsons television episodes in the 1960s and then the newer versions in the 1980s? George, the loving head of the family, commutes to work in an aerocar that resembles a flying saucer with a transparent bubble top complete with navigational aids and traffic alert systems, not unlike those in many American cars today.

Jane, dutiful wife and mother, always tries to create a happy life for her family using a variety of labor-saving devices with lots of buttons to push. The much-loved household robot, Rosie, is an outdated model and frequently spurts and sputters, but the Jetsons would never consider replacing her. Jane is in constant touch with her mother via a video phone. That same video technology keeps George consumed responding to an endless stream of brilliant new ideas presented by his boss at Spacely Space Sprockets.

So what do The Jetsons have to do with underwriting? The point lies in the technology, how it is used, and the resulting impact. While the Jetson family was surrounded with time- and labor-saving inventions, they did not change the way they worked and lived. George still drove to and from work on a regular schedule. He didn't consult the traffic report until after he found himself stuck in a jam. Life was lived in react mode rather than the anticipatory mode that should have been possible with all of the “modern” conveniences and devices.