The hardening market predicted to arrive by the end of 2009 failed to materialize for insurers writing services industry risks as competition remains fierce, forcing carriers to cut the prices on their coverage menus.

The struggling economy and excess capacity among insurers have combined to create a situation that has carriers in the standard and excess and surplus lines markets competing hard for less available premiums among struggling services industry buyers, and experts do not all agree on when rates are expected to harden.

Generally, those who spoke with National Underwriter expect to see some improvement in rates by the end of 2010, which would bring to an end what all agree has been an unusually long soft market for the property and casualty industry in general.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

  • All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
  • Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
  • Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.