According to global insurance and reinsurance broker WTW’s latest Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey (CLIPS), commercial insurance rates across the US increased 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026, the third consecutive quarter of moderating rate rises.
Year-on-year, US commercial insurance rates fell from the aggregate price increase of 5.3% seen in Q1’25, reflecting that pricing trends have continued to soften across most commercial lines, including small commercial, mid-market commercial, and large account commercial accounts.
The line of business with the highest increases was again excess/umbrella liability in the opening quarter of 2026, though it did decline from the previous quarter.
For the first time since the third quarter of 2023, commercial auto rate increases fell below double digits, as WTW reports that pricing trends across all other lines were largely unchanged or slightly lower than the prior quarter.
Yi Jing, Managing Director, Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT), WTW, commented, “The first quarter results reflect a continuation of the moderating pricing environment observed over recent quarters.
“While Commercial Auto and Excess/Umbrella Liability continue to experience the largest increases, the pace of those increases has eased, with pricing trends across much of the market remaining stable.”
WTW’s CLIPS is a survey that measures changes in commercial insurance pricing by comparing premiums for policies underwritten during the quarter with those for the same coverage lines in the prior year.
