What a Director (or Officer) Wants: A Guide for Insureds to the Wordings of D&O Policies

• Posted by Geoffrey G. Gussis on February 13th, 2006


• Filed in Insurance

"Claim frequency and claim values are going up for directors and officers of corporations, but insurance premiums are going down, coverage terms are getting broader, limits are increasing, and retentions are constant or decreasing. This is one of the findings in the most recent report from Tillinghast/Towers Perrin. As the report states, it “seems counterintuitive that there is a decrease in the excess premium given the increase in excess limits and increasing claim severity.” Premiums decreased by 8 percent in Tillinghast’s survey (downward pressures confirmed by others) compared to last year’s survey of some 2000 survey participants, with average limits being $14.3 million. And 25 percent of US participants reported increased enhancements to their coverage terms and another 10 percent reported narrowing of exclusions. The principal markets for this insurance in the US are provided by Chubb and AIG, with other players trying to gain market share in different segments, such as Beazley."

Link: Insurance Scrawl: What a Director (or Officer) Wants: A Guide for Insureds to the Wordings of D&O Policies.