Commercial Lines

Aspen says second-quarter net income was more than halved due to $58.7 million in catastrophe losses.

How might a direct writer of small-commercial lines get the attention of prospects and close a sale without having agents or brokers to make their case?

Flooding across Central Europe in May and June tops the list of costliest natural insured-loss events in a relatively mild first six months of 2013, according to Aon Benfields Impact Forecasting.

Citing excellent underwriting results and growth in premium rates, Ace Ltd. says second-quarter net income jumped 172 percent and its CEO predicts the industry will continue to get rate increases despite soft reinsurance market conditions.

Seven non-life insurance companies became insolvent in the second quarter of 2013--two more than the number of liquidations in 2012, shows a report by the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds.

W.R. Berkley Corp. achieved average rate increases of 6.5 percent on renewed policies during the second quarter and its CEO says nothing stands in the way of more increases throughout the rest of 2013.