Insurance;

 

It may be time to start looking for directors and officers insurance again, especially if your company has been around for a few years, if your track record is good in your industry, and if your financials are sound. Granted, those are three big ifs, but at least D&O coverage is available, thanks mainly to market shrinkage as more large corporations have begun to self-insure. "Within another year, there could be a scramble for smaller accounts," says Warren Brockmeier of The Wyatt Co.

The Home Insurance Co., in New York City, for one, is now writing D&O insurance for "nonstandard risk" categories, including start-ups, companies going public, high-tech manufacturers, and businesses in the energy, real estate, and health-related fields. The Chubb Group also offers D&O, focusing "more on the quality or type of business than the size," according to senior vice-president Terry Vangilder.

But don't expect any bargains. While premiums may level off in the coming months, nobody expects them to drop significantly in the near future.