Insurance prices continued their downward slide with mostinsurance brokers reporting no dramatic changes over the past threemonths, according to a broker association survey.

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers' fourth-quarter"Commercial Property-Casualty Market Survey" includes anecdotalevidence suggesting some carriers are beginning to abandonunderwriting discipline in pursuit of market share.

CIAB said an analysis of the data by Lehman Brothers EquityResearch found the average rate of decline to be 12 percent,slightly improved from the negative 13.3 percent experienced in thethird quarter of 2007.

The survey found 70 percent of brokers' small account (definedas commission and fees of less than $25,000) premiums dropped1-to-20 percent on renewals, while 77 percent of brokers saidmedium-size accounts (between $25,000 and $100,000 in commissionand fees) saw premiums fall 1-to-20 percent. Sixty-four percent ofthe brokers said premium on their large accounts (commissions andfees over $100,000) dropped by the same percentage.

According to the Lehman analysis, small accounts dropped 8.4percent, a 0.5-point decrease from the third-quarter survey's 8.9percent. Medium accounts dropped 13.8 percent, a 1.2-pointimprovement from the third quarter's 15 percent.

The biggest quarter-to-quarter change in rates was in largeaccounts, with an average decrease of 13.8 percent in the fourthquarter, which improved 2.1 points over the third quarter's 15.9percent decrease.

By line of business, commercial property and general liabilityhad the highest fourth-quarter decreases at 13 percent. However,this was a 0.3-point increase over the third quarter's results forgeneral liability of 12.7 percent decrease. Commercial propertyimproved by 2 points from the third quarter's 15 percent decreaseto a decrease of 13 percent in the fourth quarter.

Rounding out the top four were commercial auto with an 11percent decrease and workers' compensation showing an 11.9 percentaverage decrease in this quarter's survey. Surety bonds showed theslightest change overall with an average 1.7 percent decrease.

The Washington, D.C.-based CIAB said that anecdotal evidenceprovided by the 120 brokers who answered the survey showed somecarriers exhibited signs of abandoning underwriting discipline.

Brokers said some companies are beginning to write lines ofbusiness they have not touched in years, the CIAB noted, whileother brokers pointed to loosening terms and conditions in the faceof increased competition.