WTW, Ivans Reports Signal More Commercial Rate Moderation

U.S. commercial insurance rates increased 0.5% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest WTW Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey (CLIPS).

“Commercial insurance pricing is continuing to move toward a more balanced market, with overall price increases moderating across many lines,” said Yi Jing, managing director, insurance consulting and technology, WTW. “While there are still areas of the market experiencing upward pricing pressure, the pace of change has slowed considerably. This quarter’s results reinforce the trend we’ve been seeing toward greater stability in commercial insurance pricing.”

WTW said the result of the second quarter marks a continued moderation in commercial insurance pricing, down from a 2.5% increase for Q1 and a 3.8% increase during Q2 last year.

The largest price increases keep coming from excess/umbrella liability, said WTW, but they dropped to a high-single-digit increase in Q2 2026. The largest price decrease was in commercial property.

The survey compared price changes on policies underwritten in Q2 2026 with policies with the same coverage in Q2 2025.

According to the survey, price increases moderated for small commercial and mid-market. For large accounts, an overall price decrease was seen for the first time since the end of 2017, said WTW.

Year over year, average U.S. commercial premium renewals for July increased in all lines except workers’ compensation, according to the Ivans Index.

Month over month, commercial auto, business owners policy, general liability, commercial property, and umbrella saw a decrease, while workers’ compensation experienced an increase, said Chicago-based Ivans.

Results follow those from July 2026, when rates were down from the previous month.

Premium renewal rate change by line of business for August 2026 include:

• Commercial Auto: 3.58%, down from 4.03% last month.
• BOP: 5.44%, down from 5.94% at the end of July.
• General Liability: 4.18%, down from 4.99% last month.
• Commercial Property: 5.69%, down from 6.16% in July.
• Umbrella: 6.82%, down from 7.42% in July.
• Workers’ Compensation: -1.1%, up slightly from -1.26% for the previous month.