The Council's Q4 2019 P/C Market Survey confirmed a firmly established hard market with broad premium increases across commercial property, umbrella, D&O, and commercial auto. The hardening cycle that began in mid-2018 accelerated through year-end 2019 as carriers reacted to years of adverse loss development. The results signaled a challenging 2020 renewal environment for commercial insurance buyers.
February 26, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The following are key takeaways from The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers’ Commercial Property/Casualty Market Report Q4 2019 (October 1 – December 31):
- Premium pricing across all-sized accounts increased by an average of 7.5% in Q4 2019, the ninth consecutive quarter of rate increases. Large and medium-sized accounts experienced significant increases, at 9.4% and 8.0%, respectively.
- The market continued to harden in Q4 2019, with all major lines except for Workers’Compensation reporting moderate-to-significant increases. Umbrella pricing was impacted the most, with premiums increasing by an average of 13.6%, alongside the perennially problematic Commercial Auto, which saw an increase of 10.5%. Overall, the average increase across all lines was 7.6%.
- More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents noted they saw an increase in demand for cyber insurance in Q4 2019, suggesting that brokers’ clients believe in the importance of having insurance to insulate a firm from the effects of a cyber breach or attack.
- “Future premium increases” was one of the top concerns 82% of respondents said they heard from their clients, followed by “limitations on coverage” and “high current premium,” reflecting the trend of carriers reducing limits and increasing pricing for lines such as Commercial Auto seen in previous survey results.
- Premium pricing across all-sized accounts increased by an average of 7.5% in Q4 2019, the ninth consecutive quarter of rate increases. Large and medium-sized accounts experienced significant increases, at 9.4% and 8.0%, respectively.
- The market continued to harden in Q4 2019, with all major lines except for Workers’Compensation reporting moderate-to-significant increases. Umbrella pricing was impacted the most, with premiums increasing by an average of 13.6%, alongside the perennially problematic Commercial Auto, which saw an increase of 10.5%. Overall, the average increase across all lines was 7.6%.
- More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents noted they saw an increase in demand for cyber insurance in Q4 2019, suggesting that brokers’ clients believe in the importance of having insurance to insulate a firm from the effects of a cyber breach or attack.
- “Future premium increases” was one of the top concerns 82% of respondents said they heard from their clients, followed by “limitations on coverage” and “high current premium,” reflecting the trend of carriers reducing limits and increasing pricing for lines such as Commercial Auto seen in previous survey results.
Click here to download the full Commercial Property/Casualty Market Report Q4 2019.
The Council relies on data from broker members to create this report. To participate in future surveys or for questions/comments, please contact The Council’s Rob Boyce at [email protected].
