Despite a 67 percent drop in net income in 2008, excess and surplus lines insurers are still strong, according to a rating agency report prepared for NAPSLO.

A diversified underwriting portfolio might seem like a good strategy for riding out the ebbs and flows of property and casualty insurance cycles.

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

ALEXANDRIA, VA.--A diversified underwriting portfolio might seem like a good strategy for riding out property and casualty insurance cycles, but carriers ranking among the best cycle managers have the least diversified books of business.

In July, Tracey Sharis, who manages health care, higher education and financial institution businesses for Lexington Insurance, provided some details of Pandemic Rx.

Putting a new label on CNA's excess-and-surplus lines business is just one small step in a building process being led by industry veteran John Angerami, the new head of CNA Select Risk.

Lexington Insurance Company has retained its dominant position among U.S. excess and surplus lines insurers going into this year's biggest meeting of E&S insurance market participants.

While networking activities between specialty insurers and brokers remain the centerpiece of the annual meeting of NAPSLO, one new item on this year's schedule promises to bring two generations of NAPSLO members together.