Latest Market Headlines

All the headlines from our Market Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Congressional Hearing Meets on ‘Terrorism and the Insurance Market’

Jul 25 2006 // Two U.S. House subcommittees — the Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigation, and the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk...

Riding out soft and hard market cycles with quality relationships

Jul 24 2006 // Analyzing the economic rhymes and reasons of soft and hard market cycles in the insurance industry would make for a challenging university-level business course. Theories abound on why and when these cycles occur, but no...

Editor’s Note: To be, or not be Florida’s governor

Jul 24 2006 // Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rod Smith, of Alachua, Fla., has suggested a four-point plan he believes will fix Florida’s insurance woes. He has to be applauded for publicly acknowledging the...

To be, or not be Florida’s governor

Jul 24 2006 // Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rod Smith, of Alachua, Fla., has suggested a four-point plan he believes will fix Florida’s insurance woes. He has to be applauded for publicly acknowledging the...

U.S. property/casualty industry posts record 1Q profits

Jul 24 2006 // The U.S. property/casualty industry’s net gain on underwriting rose $1.4 billion, or 20.8 percent, to $8.4 billion in first-quarter 2006 from $6.9 billion in first-quarter 2005. The combined ratio–a key measure...

Sen. Smith unveils ‘comprehensive plan’ to fix Florida’s insurance woes

Jul 24 2006 // Unless the state adopts a comprehensive and workable plan, accumulating financial stress could destroy the viability of the Florida insurance market and leave millions of Floridians without affordable and reliable...

Riding out soft and hard market cycles with quality relationships

Jul 24 2006 // Having quality relationships with clients takes commitment and discipline, but it pays off in reliability and client retention. Analyzing the economic rhymes and reasons of soft and hard market cycles in the insurance...

N.J. auto restrictions: a troubling turn

Jul 24 2006 // You don’t need to conduct any kind of sophisticated market research in order to understand the effects of New Jersey’s 2003 auto insurance reform law. Just drive down the New Jersey Turnpike, where you...

Insurance and the World Trade Organization negotiations

Jul 24 2006 // The Doha Round at the World Trade Organization has been a serious failure for the insurance sector, despite strong efforts by many parties. Instead of increasing the consensus for free trade, the Round has served to divide...

Insurance and the World Trade Organization negotiations

Jul 24 2006 // The Doha Round at the World Trade Organization has been a serious failure for the insurance sector, despite strong efforts by many parties. Instead of increasing the consensus for free trade, the Round has served to divide...

U.S. property/casualty industry posts record 1Q profits

Jul 24 2006 // News Currents The U.S. property/casualty industry’s net gain on underwriting rose $1.4 billion, or 20.8 percent, to $8.4 billion in first-quarter 2006 from $6.9 billion in first-quarter 2005. The combined...

Riding out soft and hard market cycles with quality relationships

Jul 24 2006 // Analyzing the economic rhymes and reasons of soft and hard market cycles in the insurance industry would make for a challenging university-level business course. Theories abound on why and when these cycles occur, but no...

Oregon Activitst Tries to Prohibit Insurers from Raising Rates

Jul 18 2006 // Sidelined for the past four years because of legal troubles brought on by a racketeering lawsuit, Oregon’s most prolific initiative author — Bill Sizemore — is getting back into the fight. Sizemore is...

La. Authority May Go After Insurance Claims of ‘Road Home’ Participants

Jul 17 2006 // Louisiana’s program to help storm-damaged homeowners rebuild or relocate may take over insurance claims and sue for additional insurance payments on behalf of recipients, a top official with the Louisiana Recovery...

Acquisition Broadens Ebix’s Insurance Market Presence

Jul 14 2006 // Ebix Inc., an Atlanta based software developer and supplier of e-commerce software has announced that effective May 1, 2006, it completed the acquisition of substantially all the operating assets of Reston, Va. and...

Sen. Smith Unveils ‘Comprehensive Plan’ to Fix Florida’s Insurance Woes

Jul 11 2006 // Without a real, comprehensive and workable plan, accumulating financial stress could destroy the viability of the Florida’s insurance market and leave millions of Floridians without affordable and reliable insurance...

III”s Stewart to Retire; Hartwig to Succeed

Jul 11 2006 // Gordon Stewart will retire December 31, 2006 from the Insurance Information Institute after 15 years as president of the organization. Dr. Robert P. Hartwig, senior vice president and chief economist of the I.I.I., was...

Insurer Group Supports State Regulation at Senate Hearing

Jul 11 2006 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) is convinced that insurance regulatory reform at the state level is the best and safest course for consumers and insurers alike, said a Namic witness in...

Storms Prove Costly for Insurance Industry, Wis. Company Says

Jul 10 2006 // While storms such as Hurricane Katrina grab the headlines, a string of smaller storms over the past few years has been taking a toll on insurance companies, industry officials said. Storm claim losses have been running...

California Connects Workers to Insurance Careers

Jul 7 2006 // A coalition of insurance companies, community colleges and workforce development specialists have started a statewide insurance education program, called the California Insurance Careers Program, aimed at preparing...