California Insurance

Insurance Journal recently interviewed several associations surplus line with regard to their thoughts on the current atmosphere of the surplus lines market and their expectations in 2005. Executive Director Ted Pierce of Surplus Line Association of California, director of the surplus Kendal Lyman Line Association of Washington, money and Gerry, director of Surplus Line Association of Arizona, took some time, their schedule d ‘activity to answer some questions regarding the surplus lines News in their respective countries.

Insurance-Journal: What are the problems of surplus lines wholesaler at the moment, as both common law?

Ted Pierce: Surplus Line Association of California California law to monitor and follow only the law on this tangent with the California Department of Insurance. This year, the Commission provides for the introduction of legislation, penalties for late payment of the premium surplus mainly a tax surplus of online brokerage.

On another front, we arewatchingwith great interest the initiatives of the State foruniform federal regulation based on insurance-lationthat May besought by the Congress of USA. If the United States Congress decides to deregulate commercial insurance under the guise of “Federal Republic of standards,” we agree that NAPSLO deregulated insurance business transactions should be taken into consideration for ‘export to the nonadmitted market, with agents and brokers on a thorough research reports licensed in the markets. This would allow consumers insurance ofobtainingneeded the best chance of coverage in a competitive market, offers parityin access to all two properly licensed and nonadmitted insurer.

Another area in which the U.S. Congress could play a positive role insupport of the State based on the regulation of insurance would be the creation of auniform standard for the allocation of surplus taxes online Premium stategovernment on the multi risk.

Gerry Silver: The legislature, including Arizona, DOI and Surplus Lines Association “clean-up” in nature. We have some new interpretations in relation to the surplus line licenses, and we are currently looking for a bill to clarify misconceptions. They apply exactly to obtain a license, how many licenses are needed in each office, and other states that Wortschwall Courtesy Filings are illegally in Arizona.

The dominant themes of great importance are the same that we all face. The revolt brokerage on compensation and the proposed language advertising NAIC. The continuing difficult market with regard to certain sectors such as medical mischief, general liability on both residential and industrial areas in general, and certain classes of product liability.

Kendal Lyman: [Our legislators] was present at the meeting for a month. We are not in one of the bills of legislative power. What we do is monitoring the legislative power, that the bills were dropped, or before, I hope, and see if they exist, that perhaps inadvertently or intentionally, the surplus lines issues there, especially for surplus lines brokerage. There were some accounts that we have a surplus lines or exclude. We launched a few bills to come, because we must ensure that markets remain open on the integration of the surplus lines of the mechanism.

I think in general the entire surplus lines industry is still radically and totally misunderstood by most legislators and, most importantly, insurance services, because it has no real knowledge, how it works , And a lot of times they accidentally something that will harm the buyer of insurance at the end of the day by trying to resolve or truncated, the surplus lines industry.

TS: Is there a surplus of concern for insurers lines on the issue of compensation for brokerage fees of advertising?

Lyman: No, for some reasons. In this state, we have the question of compensation brokerage, which means that the costs and the Commission during the year 1994. The state legislature a very good concise Act brokers and agents, this would be the treatment of commissions and / or business tax for their customers. Very particular, it excludes wholesalers because it does not conform to the general public. And if the law requires full disclosure in writing, signed by both brokers and policyholders remain for a period of five years. The law determines the brokers directly with policyholders, which means that the law is encumbent on retailers.

Lines surplus is not in the first line, as it relates to a policy of politics. If a retailer is the surplus lines brokerage, it is already under its license to broker advertising, wholesalers not involved with the client, or road. ”

Silver: I am afraid that any dialogue continues for the industry in a very low light with the public, most do not understand that the industry in general, at least all Excess Line market. Condones While the law breakers, it is also unfair vis-à-vis a branch of painting with the same brush as a right of power.

TS: What is your prognosis for the injury market in 2005?

Pierce: more confrontational time the green light for industry theinsurance obsolete following questions, including: continued market Enthärtung to continue to reserve deficiencies, increased control of insurance practices on the part of regulators and the possibility that theTerrorism Risk Insurance Act are not extended when it expires at the end of 2005.

Last year, we saw a sharp slowdown in the pace of increase in the volume of premiums in line surplus of California. While the total number of lines of policy in the surplus has increased by over 18 per cent 441,221th The whole volume of premiums increased by only 8.24 percent. Compare them on the increase of 43.1 percent in 2003 and an increase of 104.5 percent in 2003. In addition, the average premium based on politics in 2004, only $ 12508 $ 13718 compared to the year 2003. This confirms the trends of market data published indicate that the rise in commercial insurance rates have been declining since the first quarter of 2004 and will continue to do so until 2005.

The most difficult to place the risks of continuing terrorism, professional liability, both Med and construction.