Markets

There's been a lot of talk on the acquisition front by excess and surplus lines insurance companies, but little action to date--even in a year that followed back-to-back declines in organic growth for the segment overall.

With U.S. tax and regulatory legislation up in the air for insurers and reinsurers, even if offshore moves adversely affect Bermuda's longtime insurance supremacy, don't expect carriers to abandon the island in droves anytime soon, analysts suggest.

Marshall Kath of Dallas has been elected president of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, Ltd.

Most program business insurers believe gross premiums for the segment total at least $20 billion, but a growing number now have doubts they are doing that much volume, a survey reported.

Property and casualty insurers' current investment portfolios are well positioned to deal with continued investment market volatility, according to the latest analysis from Moody's Investors Service.

Nudging the workers' compensation marketplace into the twenty-first century, state regulators have either moved forward with or are developing mandates for electronic reporting of medical claims data.

American International Group's financial problems should not be a factor in a decision whether to establish optional or mandatory federal chartering of insurance companies, congressional staff were advised at a briefing.

Excess and surplus lines insurance executives at a meeting here expressed worries that pending federal legislation for their sector could be a precursor to U.S. regulation for all insurance activity.