Commercial Premiums Fall across All Account Sizes

News Desk: Average commercial insurance premiums fell across every account size during the second quarter of 2026, extending a softening that first appeared earlier in the year, according to the latest survey released by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.

The trade group, which tracks pricing trends through regular polls of its member firms, reported that the declines marked the second straight quarter of broad-based reductions. In the first quarter premiums had already dropped for accounts of all sizes, the first such across-the-board decrease since 2017. That pattern held through the April-to-June period, the council said.

Brokers and agents who responded to the survey described a market in which carriers continued to compete aggressively for business. Capacity remained plentiful in most lines, and underwriters showed greater willingness to offer rate cuts or more favorable terms in order to retain or win accounts.

Smaller accounts, mid-market risks and larger commercial placements all saw average premiums move lower, though the size of the reductions varied by line of business and by region.

Property coverage, which had faced sharp increases in recent years amid heavy catastrophe losses, was among the lines showing clearer signs of relief. Casualty and other liability coverages also participated in the downward movement, though some brokers noted that certain high-severity exposures continued to attract more cautious underwriting.

The shift comes after several years of hardening conditions that had driven premiums higher for many businesses. Companies that renewed policies in the second quarter often found themselves negotiating from a stronger position than they had a year earlier. Still, the council’s findings suggested the softening was not uniform everywhere. Accounts with poor loss histories or those located in high-risk catastrophe zones sometimes faced more limited options and smaller discounts.

Industry observers watching the survey results pointed to abundant reinsurance capacity and improved results at many primary carriers as factors supporting the current environment. With capital still flowing into the market, competition has intensified. At the same time, some brokers cautioned that a single severe hurricane season or a spike in liability claims could reverse the trend quickly.

For risk managers and business owners, the second-quarter numbers offered a measure of relief on budgets that had been strained by successive rate hikes.