Premium renewal rate increases softened for most major US commercial lines in October, with commercial property the only line to rise from September, according to the latest Ivans Index.
Ivans, part of Applied Systems, announced the October 2026 results Thursday. Year over year, average premium renewal rates increased for commercial auto, business owner’s policy (BOP), general liability, commercial property and umbrella, and decreased for workers’ compensation.
Month over month, commercial auto, BOP, general liability, umbrella and workers’ compensation recorded decreases, while commercial property recorded an increase.
Average premium renewal rate changes for October were:
Umbrella remained the line with the highest average renewal rate change in October, at 6.08%, followed by commercial property at 5.37% and BOP at 5.21%.
The October figures follow a third quarter in which renewal increases slowed in every major commercial line except workers’ compensation, Insurance Business reported. General liability saw the sharpest slowdown, with its average renewal increase falling to 4.12% in the third quarter from 5.44% in the second.
Ivans data show the pace of increases has eased through the year. Commercial auto averaged 5.28% in the first quarter, 4.93% in the second and 3.63% in the third. Commercial property averaged 6.83%, 6.40% and 5.65% over the same periods.
Commercial auto renewal rate increases have slowed every month from July through October: 4.03% in July, 3.58% in August, 3.29% in September and 2.80% in October. General liability followed a similar path, from 4.99% in July to 3.10% in October. Commercial property moved from 5.69% in August to 5.11% in September before rising to 5.37% in October.
A year earlier, in October 2025, commercial auto renewal rates averaged 7.57% and BOP 7.04%, according to Ivans’ fourth-quarter 2025 data.
“Commercial renewal rate change eased across most lines this quarter as the market continues to soften,” said Michael Streit, president of Applied Carrier, discussing third-quarter results.
Streit said agencies and brokers are trying to consolidate their business with preferred carrier partners, Insurance Business reported.
Separately, a forecast from the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and Milliman expects net combined ratios in general liability and commercial auto to stay above 100 this year because of persistent claims cost pressure, Insurance Business reported.
The Ivans Index measures the premium difference year over year for a single consistent policy, analyzing more than 120 million data transactions. Ivans said the index includes more than 38,000 agencies and 700 carriers and MGAs and is reflective of premium rate change trends across the US insurance market. It is released monthly and is available to agencies and insurers through Market Insights.
Ivans offers the complete Q3 2026 Ivans Index report for download.
