Will premiums increase? Are terms and conditions changing? What lines of business have limited markets? Which lines of business have excess capacity? Here’s what clients can expect in the marketplace for 2020 in a quick and easy to read reference guide.

Commercial trucking serves as a barometer for the economy. It represented nearly 71% of the tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation in 2017, including manufactured and retail goods. With more trucks on the road, there were also more accidents, including a rise in fatalities. Trucks were involved in 59% more accidents per mile than in 2010, despite the new technologies and the best efforts of regulators, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA). Further, the number of people who died in large truck crashes was also 30% higher than in 2009, when it was the lowest it has been since the collection of fatal crash data began in 1975.

Much like energy resources themselves, the insurance marketplace for energy-sector businesses has abundant capacity. There is, however, upward pressure generally on rates in 2019, and some tightening in excess liability coverages specifically. To obtain the broadest coverage at optimal pricing, retail agents and their insureds should approach the marketplace in a strategic way and explore options for structuring their energy insurance programs.

It’s a frightening scenario for any organization—an employee is kidnapped while traveling or working abroad and held for ransom. Faced with a potentially life-and-death situation, family members and corporate managers have little time to decide how best to respond to the kidnappers’ demands and maximize the chances of a safe return. In such situations, kidnap and ransom insurance proves its worth. Kidnap and Ransom policies provide timely access to crisis and security experts to quickly deploy the most appropriate strategies for these dangerous situations. While the policies indemnify insureds for ransom and other expenses associated with a kidnapping, the accompanying crisis management services are among the strongest reasons for purchasing the coverage.

Earthquakes get the headlines, but the ground moves for many reasons. Whether a property loss is covered when the ground shakes, shifts or sinks depends on what the policy says. Earthquake coverage is a very well known, but relatively narrow coverage limited to damage caused by naturally occurring seismic activity. Few buyers are aware of earth movement coverage, which offers broader protection for a wider scope of perils. While most clients choose earthquake coverage, they may want to consider whether earth movement policies make sense, given their specific risks and how it fits into their overall property program.