Reinsurance

Add Bermuda's Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. to the list of foreign reinsurers taking advantage of Florida's reduced collateral requirements.

One thing is clear going into 2011. While there are signs of economic improvement there is no doubt that there are plenty of challenges that lie ahead for the year.

Local reinsurers are expected to benefit from new regulations in Brazil that require local insurance companies to cede 40 percent of reinsured risk to local reinsurers, according to Moody's Credit Outlook.

Regulatory initiatives dealing with implementation of the financial services reform law, and such old business as providing certainty to the NFIP will keep p&c insurance industry lobbyists extremely busy this year.

In Florida, when selling excess of loss coverage for residential risks, incorporating the effect of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund adds complexity to otherwise straightforward deals. This makes underwriting property catastrophe reinsurance in the Sunshine State a uniquely difficult undertaking.

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies is urging the Obama administration to reform--but not privatize--the National Flood Insurance Program.