Soft Commercial Lines Market to Persist: Marsh

Soft U.S. commercial insurance market conditions are expected to persist through the fourth quarter of 2010, according to preliminary rate information published by Marsh.

So far in the fourth quarter, Marsh said its clients renewing their programs have experienced average rate reductions across all major lines of business compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. Marsh’s preliminary fourth quarter figures, the most current available to risk managers, indicate that:

• Property rates declined an average of 4.4 percent;
• General liability rates declined an average of 6.9 percent;
• Workers’ compensation rates declined an average of 3.7 percent;
• Directors and officers liability (D&O) rates for public companies declined an average of 7 percent for primary programs, and 10.3 percent for total programs; and
• Employment practices liability (EPL) rates declined an average of 4.6 percent for primary programs, and 4.7 percent for total programs.

“Marsh’s preliminary data indicates that rates are continuing to trend downward, which is good news for our clients,” said Dean Klisura, U.S. Risk Practices Leader, Marsh. “Barring a market-changing event, we do not expect this trend to reverse in the near future.”

Marsh’s fourth quarter rate update reflects transactions brokered by Marsh through early November 2010.