Agency Management

"I'd like my life back." Oh, my goodness. You could almost hear the collective gasp of every journalist, PR person, and blogger when BP CEO Tony Hayward uttered those words on May 30.

Insurance losses from the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil well are expected to be the largest ever for global offshore energy insurance and reinsurance markets. As claims mount, the public is saying, "Show us the money."

E&S has historically been able to move independently from other financial service sectors. A downturn in the economy often has led to strengthened pricing as insurers tightened their underwriting guidelines.

The only thing certain about the future of the employee benefits market today is uncertainty. The marketplace is a work in progress due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act recently enacted by Congress.

Independent insurance agents are blasting a decision by the U.S. Agriculture Department to impose a crop insurance contract on the industry that includes restrictive caps on agent commissions.

A recent survey by the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) showed negative movement across two critical indicators within the reinsurance marketplace.