E&S/Specialty

Peoria, Ill.-based specialty insurer RLI Corp. says second quarter net earnings rose 21 percent due to spring storm losses costing $3 million less than last year.

For an insurance segment highly coveted by producers and major carriers alike, the high net worth insurance business can often lack one major asset: an abundance of clients. Many wealthy Americans may be unaware that a specialty insurance market geared toward their unique exposures exists, executives say.

The governing board of the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has agreed to increase the companys line of credit by $50 million.

The Wards 50 added six new P&C companies to its list of top performers as the group once again substantially out classed the total industry in return on equity and other metrics.

As Italian courts consider a plea deal from the captain of the Costa Concordia, and salvage crews engineer the removal of the cruise ship, U.S. Ocean Marine insurers say the operation could cost up to $2 billion.

The Treasury Department is asking the public to comment on the long-term availability and affordability of terrorism risk insurance.