The percentage of businesses purchasing commercial insurance increased in the second quarter of 2015, according to the latest Commercial P/C Market Index survey from the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB).
An overwhelming 90 percent of brokers responding to the survey said that take-up rates had increased, in part as premium savings drove interest in new lines of coverage and/or higher limits.
Cyber liability continues to gain traction, brokers noted, and this trend is expected to continue as the cyber insurance market matures, new insurers, products and capacity come to market and as companies realize the true extent of their cyber exposure.
Broker comments came as The Council’s analysis shows that rates declined across all commercial lines in the second quarter, continuing the downward trend from the first three months of 2015.
Premium rates across all size accounts fell by an average of 3.3 percent compared with a 2.3 percent decrease in the first quarter of 2015.
Large accounts once again saw the steepest drop in prices of 5.2 percent, while medium sized accounts fell 3.5 percent and small accounts fell 1.3 percent.
Commercial property, general liability and workers’ compensation premiums were most frequently reported down across all regions, with a slight uptick in commercial auto.
Ken Crerar, president and CEO of The Council said:
Meanwhile, average flood insurance rates saw an uptick across all regions, most frequently in the Southeast and Southwest regions, the Council noted.
This increase is likely due to premium increases, assessments, and surcharges, mandated by both the Biggert Waters Act and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA), which went into effect April 1.
Find out more about business insurance from the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
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