Following months of rates stuck firmly in a soft market mud, MarketScout reports the overall composite rate for U.S. property and casualty commercial insurance policies measured minus-4 percent in March after four consecutive months of minus-5 percent.

“We have finally broken out of the doldrums,” says Richard Kerr, CEO of Dallas-based MarketScout, an insurance distribution and underwriting company. “Rates are moving up.”

He adds, “Workers' compensation, property, business-interruption, small commercial, general-liability and auto rates adjusted in March.”

Kerr says workers' comp rate increases are underway in some states, as one major insurer abandoned the line, and another stopped writing new business in five states while adopting more stringent guidelines for renewals in 10 states.

The composite rate for all U.S. property is down 4 percent, as catastrophe-exposed property risks are receiving rate increases of 2-5 percent, Kerr says.

“After the Japan earthquake and RMS 11 [hurricane model revisions by Risk Management Solutions], there has been considerable speculation about property rates,” he notes.

Some trends were maintained in March. Kerr says the larger the premium of an account, the more aggressive was pricing. The rate for small accounts was minus-1 percent, while large accounts of $250,000 or more saw rate reductions of 5 percent. Each were consistent with results from the month prior.

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Commercial Rates &lsquo;Out Of The Doldrums&rsquo;

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Commercial Rates ‘Out Of The Doldrums’