The cost of commercial insurance coverage continued to soften during the first quarter, according to a couple of recent surveys. Premiums fell for every type of insurance tracked in the benchmark survey conducted by the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and Advisen, with the average property premium down 2.9% and the average liability premium off 4.4%. Even directors and officers liability coverage, which inched up last year, was off 1.1%.

A separate survey by the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers also showed uniform softness.

RIMS points out, though, that insurance premiums could begin to rise if forecasts for an unusually severe hurricane season this year pan out.