With fall approaching, small business owners are managing shifting seasonal needs while buckling down in the face of economic uncertainty -- creating an opportunity for agents.

Tropical cyclone activity continues to heat up in the Atlantic as Hurricane Igor becomes one of the most potent storms in three years and Julia becomes the fifth hurricane of the season.

Rating agencies, carriers and brokers spent the week at the annual Monte Carlo Reinsurance Rendezvous speculating about how long the currently soft but stable market can be sustained, given the looming threats on the horizon.

Regulation is one of the biggest issues now facing the insurance and reinsurance industry, Lloyd's chief executive said at a breakfast meeting here.