The positive by-products of a dislocated E&S insurance market

The excess and surplus (E&S) lines insurance market in the US is in a state of flux. Ongoing challenges around capacity and historical returns on business have left many E&S players seeking opportunities to reap more profitable results across their entire portfolios. As a result, some surplus lines carriers are having trouble finding the capacity they need to meet all of the demands in the marketplace, making it more difficult for surplus lines brokers to find the efficient answers and solutions they’ve had access to in the past. “There’s an awful lot of movement going on,” explained Tony Gresham (pictured), president, access division, AmWINS Group, Inc. “The number of E&S carriers is beginning to dwindle with regards to their ability to meet the demands in the marketplace, and this is largely as a result of capacity concerns. In general, we’re seeing tighter underwriting rules, rate increases, and restrictions in the marketplace.”