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2Q Sees 2.5% Average P&C Rate Increase

Property and Casualty rates in the United States were up 2.5% on average in the second quarter of 2018, with continued tough conditions for trucking and auto, MarketScout reports.

“Insurers seem to have a longer memory these days. It’s hard to find a commercial insurer who hasn’t suffered from a book of auto/trucking risks in the past 10 years,” Richard Kerr, MarketScout chief executive officer said in a statement. He noted that  previous bad experiences and challenges have meant that fewer insurers are willing to write auto or trucking risks. “The demand is exceeding the supply so rates continue to trend upward,” he said.

Compared to the first quarter of 2018, property, auto, directors & officers and employment practices liability rates saw increases. Business Interruption and general liability rates moderated. Workers compensation rates dropped from minus 2% to minus 3%. All other coverage classifications held steady.
Transportation risks saw a notable rate increase, up 6% in the second quarter of 2018 compared to up 4% in the first quarter. Habitation, service, contracting and manufacturing risks saw a slight rate increase from the first quarter of 2018 to the second. All other industry groups remained unchanged, MarketScout said.
Small accounts saw a slight rate increase while all other accounts were unchanged from the first to the second quarter of 2018, according to MarketScout.

P&C Rates Continue Upward Trend

The U.S. property and casualty industry continues to show rate increases, with a first quarter composite rate of plus 2%, according to MarketScout. The increase is in all lines except workers compensation, which had a rate decrease of 2%. The trend follows a 2% increase in the fourth quarter of 2017.

By coverage classification, business interruption, inland marine and professional lines all raised rates 1% higher than in the last quarter of 2017. Only EPLI rates moderated.
By account size, rates for medium accounts ($25,001 to $250,000 premium) increased from plus 2% in the final quarter of 2017 to plus 3% in the first quarter of 2018.
By industry group, service contractors, public entities, and energy accounts were assessed larger rate increases in the first quarter of 2018 than in last quarter of 2017. Transportation accounts had a quarter-over-quarter price decrease from plus 5 to plus 4%.
Richard Kerr, chief executive officer of MarketScout noted, “Automobile and transportation exposures continued to experience the greatest rate increases due to increasing expenses and adverse claim development. Insurers are struggling with this segment of our industry. Part of the problem is actual underwriting results, part is expense ratios, and in our view, a larger part is the uncertainty of the long-term prospects for the auto insurance industry.”

He noted that the questionable future of auto insurance could be impacting insurers’ willingness to invest in new safety concepts, pricing models and distribution alternatives. “Autonomous vehicles are going to change the auto insurance industry forever. Many tech firms are working hard to deploy new insurance alternatives, which reflect the lower claims frequency and severity anticipated by driverless or driver assisted trucking exposures. Traditional auto insurer opportunities will shrink unless they adapt their business model to get in the middle of the autonomous vehicle parade,” Kerr said.

 

P&C Composite Rate Up 2% in Fourth Quarter

Rate adjustments for property and casualty insurance in the United States for fourth quarter 2017 were plus 2% compared to plus 1% in the third quarter of 2017, with automobile and transportation seeing the largest increases, MarketScout reported.

Richard Kerr, MarketScout CEO commented that insurers were prepared for their losses. “Underwriters are rarely surprised by aggregate losses because they have so many pricing and modeling tools. Most insurers are assessing rate increases at a moderate pace. Automobile and transportation accounts incurred the largest rate increases at plus 5% over prior year pricing.”

In the reinsurance sector, William Hawkins, director of European insurance research at KBW made a similar observation of P&C Jan. 1, 2018 renewal pricing, stating in a podcast that, “the big four European reinsurers will have achieved 2% rate increases this [renewal] season.” He added that “the message from Monte Carlo, that the 2H 2017 natural catastrophes should draw a line under rate cuts across the board, has been delivered. But we think the upside for property catastrophe has been capped by the ongoing plentiful supply of capital.”

By coverage classification, MarketScount noted that all coverages except D&O, professional liability and auto had rate increases from the third quarter of 2017 to fourth quarter 2017. Property increased the most, from plus 1% to plus 3%.
On average, underwriters assessed rate increases for all industry groups except transportation and public entities. “Keep in mind, rates are calculated on a composite basis and represent exposures from businesses across the U.S. Insureds in catastrophe exposed areas incurred higher rates/premiums,” Kerr said.
MarketScout also noted that large accounts were seeing increases averaging 1%, while others saw 2% increases.

Second Quarter Sees 1% Rise in Commercial Lines Rates

Closer attention to underwriting and losses has led to premium increases averaging 1% in the second quarter of 2017, continuing an upward trend this year.

The transportation sector, most notably auto-related exposures, is seeing the highest increases, up to 4%, according to a report released today by MarketScout.

“We now have two consecutive quarters of composite rate premium increases. Insurers are adjusting pricing as they should, based upon losses incurred, expense loads and targeted returns on equity,” Richard Kerr, CEO and Founder of MarketScout said in a statement.

By account size, organizations smaller to medium-size saw the highest premium increases.

Small accounts (under $25,000 premium) increased from up 1% to up 2%, medium accounts ($25,001 – $250,000) went from flat to plus 1%, large accounts ($250,001 – $1 million) were unchanged and jumbo accounts (more than $1 million) were down 1% compared to a drop of 2% the prior quarter.
By coverage class, commercial property and inland marine adjusted from down 1% in the first quarter, to up 1% in the second quarter. Commercial auto rates rose from up 3% to up 4%. EPLI also went from up 1% to up 2%. Fiduciary adjusted downward to flat or no increase compared to up 1% in the prior quarter. All other coverage classifications were unchanged from the previous quarter, according to the report.
By industry class, public entity rates moderated from up 1% to flat. Transportation risks experienced slightly lower rate increases with second quarter rates up 4% compared to 5% first quarter.