While risk-retention groups (RRGs) saw premiums decline in 2010, RRG domiciles last year experienced marked overall growth—and for the first time ever, surplus surpassed total premiums. 

Premiums for the RRG industry in 2010 dropped 3.5 percent to $2.48 billion. But industry assets grew by 8 percent to $7.15 billion and industry surplus grew by 11.9 percent to $2.84 billion.

During the early part of the last decade, premiums, total assets and surplus all climbed exponentially. When the economy stalled, however, RRG premiums began to falter. But both assets and surplus continued to increase steadily, never seeing a decline.