National
Under writer
GOOD NAMES ON THE LINE
Social media’s influence
fuels greater demand for
Reputational Risk products
Page 19
TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK
Survey: Independent Agencies
on the Rise Again
The independent-agency system is alive
and well, a new survey says, noting that the
number of agencies has grown to 38,500—
and 60 percent of agents report increased
revenues. E Page 6
Reserve Shortages Driving Market
Rate Hikes, Says W.R. Berkley
CEO William R. Berkley says reserve
deficiencies are driving the need for the
marketplace to increase rates, calling
prior-year reserve deficits a “snowball going
downhill” that will lead to solvency issues for
its small and midsize competitors. E Page 6
A growing number of
insurers are entering
the market and dropping
rates for a smaller base
of vanilla Construction
risks; plenty of capacity
is available even for cat-
exposed projects
See page 12
personal-Lines Insurers See Big
Turnaround in 2012’s First Half
New analysis from A.M. Best shows a $6
billion favorable swing in net income for
personal-lines carriers thanks to increasing
rates and fewer cats, but insurers aren’t out
of the woods just yet. E Page 10
Using ‘Gecko Tools’ on
Commercial Customers
Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. launches
BizInsure, a commercial-insurance
website designed for small businesses and
professionals to price and buy coverage
online. Will it prove to be a gimmick or a
game-changer? E Page 25
BUILDER'S BARGAIN
DESIGNING
FINE FORMS
Stunning insurance
headquarters from
Boston to Milan
Page 16
