HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Expense management is one of the few areas within the control of insurers to improve performance; yet as they review expenses, insurers must consider associated risks, according to a new study by Conning Research & Consulting.

"Property-casualty insurers today face compressed underwriting and investment returns, and understandably look to expense control to improve performance," said Clint Harris, analyst at Conning Research & Consulting. "Yet there are many levels of risk associated with seeking expense efficiency for the insurer, particularly in loss control and in meeting ever-changing customer expectations. In fact, our analysis indicates a significant relationship between higher expense ratios and lower loss ratios in superior performers."

The Conning Research study, "Property-Casualty Expense Management: Trends and Guiding Principles for Holistic Benchmarking" examines expense trends over time, among defined peer groupings, and isolates drivers of superior performance.

"In the current underwriting and investment environment, it is critical for insurers to develop and work within a set of guiding principles," said Stephan Christiansen, director of research at Conning. "In our view, to be successful in expense control, ongoing expense measurement against both competitors and customer value considerations are crucial, as both are a moving target. Underwriting and claims expenses must be managed with an eye to the impact on losses and loss ratios to ensure adequate loss controls."

"Property-Casualty Expense Management: Trends and Guiding Principles for Holistic Benchmarking" is available for purchase from Conning Research & Consulting by calling (888) 707-1177 or by visiting the company's web site at www.conningresearch.com.

About Conning Research & Consulting

Conning Research & Consulting is a division of Conning, a provider of asset management and insurance industry research and consulting services to insurers. Conning Research & Consulting has published independent insurance industry research for 50 years, including market coverage of 30 segments of the industry in addition to industry forecasting and identification and analysis of major strategic issues. As a result of its wealth of experience and intimate knowledge of the insurance industry, Conning understands industry challenges and opportunities and provides in-depth analyses on a wide range of industry products and issues. Conning is headquartered in Hartford, CT.

SOURCE Conning Research & Consulting

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