Market Insights

A prolonged soft market combined with a declining economy has led to unprecedented negative premium growth throughout the U.S. property and casualty industry for two consecutive years.

The absence of a major catastrophic event in Florida in recent years has not erased memories of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons and the impact of the ensuing hard property insurance market.

The state-created reinsurance fund that is called the "backbone" of Florida's fragile property insurance market has returned to solid ground heading into the 2010 hurricane season.

Nobody wants to pay any more than they have to for anything and, unfortunately, Florida lawmakers have discovered they actually have the ability to manipulate and control the insurance industry and its rates.

An increase in U.S. business bankruptcies and the expansion of entity coverage in directors & officers (D&O) policies is having a particularly troubling, yet unintended consequence.

Non-competition clauses in contracts between producers and agencies have long been a source of controversy and differing interpretations.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced this past January that in 2009, more than 93,000 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency nationwide.

Even the most optimistic forecasters concede that the climb out of this Great Recession will continue to be steep and arduous.