Viewpoint: Wheels are falling off the rollercoaster

The question of whether we are heading for a hard market, and if so when, appears to be exercising plenty of minds in the insurance industry at present.

There is certainly evidence that some major insurers are working tirelessly at getting across the message to their teams that rates must inevitably rise in 2009 and 2010. These internal pressures are further fuelled by rumours that one or two insurers are starting to take some underwriting authority away from branches who flout the rules. Losses