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This PowerPoint report, presented by Robert Hartwig, president of the insurance Information Institute, before the South Carolina ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ News Service and South Carolina Legislative Conference Annual Meeting, focuses on the state of the property/casualty insurance market nationwide, with an emphasis on South Carolina. The presentation discusses declining profitability, with the industry now past its cyclical peak; the impact of the subprime lending crisis on insurers; ratings and financial strength; and deteriorating underwriting trends. The report includes a key personal and commercial lines review, along with a discussion of other challenges facing the industry such as vanishing premium growth, weak pricing, rising prices, overcapacity and investment volatility. Special sections focus on profitability comparisons for key lines of insurance in South Carolina and nearby states as well as catastrophic hurricane and earthquake risk in the state. Charts showing hurricane strikes and population growth by county in South Carolina are also included.

The following presentation is called "What Keeps ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ CEOs Awake at Night? Especially in South Carolina". It was presented by Dr. Robert P. Hartwig, the Institute's Chief Economist, at the annual meeting of the South Carolina ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ News Service in October 18, 2007.