Latest Market Headlines

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

By George Rothert

Jul 18 2005 // Working With Your E&S Wholesaler: Be Nice You’ll Need Them Again! The surplus lines industry pendulum is now on its backswing into a soft market. A couple years of market restriction and firm pricing brought a...

The Threat Remains: With or Without TRIA, Terrorism Still a Top Concern

Jul 18 2005 // The insurance industry expressed its disappointment over the June 30 release of the Treasury Department’s report announcing its opposition to the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act by Congress in its current...

War of the Worlds: Treasury Sees TRIA as More Hindrance Than Help

Jul 18 2005 // Asked what the world would be like if there were no federal terrorism insurance backstop, the Treasury Department simply shrugged. The loss of the current federal backstop, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which expires...

How to Use Alternative Markets

Jul 18 2005 // The “hard market” conditions have been gone now for a couple of years. So, usually during “soft market” conditions one expects a lot of competition from the standard markets. This, however, is not...

Working With E&S Wholesalers: Be Nice … You’ll Need Them Again!

Jul 18 2005 // The surplus lines industry pendulum is now on its backswing into a soft market. A couple years of market restriction and firm pricing brought a temporary prosperity to the industry. The so-called “standard”...

The Industry Goes to School: Universities That Offer Insurance Degrees

Jul 18 2005 // Twenty years ago, it was nearly impossible to find colleges and universities offering degrees in insurance. Now there are many programs across the nation that offer bachelor’s degrees, concentrations, certifications...

How to Use Alternative Markets

Jul 18 2005 // The “hard market” conditions have been gone now for a couple of years. So, usually during “soft market” conditions one expects a lot of competition from the standard markets. This, however, is not...

Principles and Politics: The Long and Short of Terrorism Insurance

Jul 18 2005 // The powerful House Committee on Financial Services could have a federal terrorism reinsurance proposal to consider next month although many politicians and observers are skeptical that Congress will actually replace or...

War of the Worlds: Treasury Sees TRIA as More Hindrance Than Help

Jul 18 2005 // Bush Administration Policy Questions Need for Renewal of Federal Backstop Asked what the world would be like if there were no federal terrorism insurance backstop, the Treasury Department simply shrugged. The loss of the...

Education Essential

Jul 18 2005 // Frequent CE Classes Keep Agents Informed Efforts to provide first-quality education at its annual convention, insurance day programs and at regular errors and omissions education programs puts the Professional Independent...

Silly Business Suits Back in Style

Jul 18 2005 // Saying complimentary things about trial attorneys is not exactly the surest way to win friends in the insurance industry. Yet even in the heated debate over tort reform, it should be acceptable to acknowledge when the...

The Threat Remains: With or Without TRIA, Terrorism Still a Top Concern

Jul 18 2005 // The insurance industry expressed its disappointment over the June 30 release of the Treasury Department’s report announcing its opposition to the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act by Congress in its current...

Who’s Afraid of a Little Competition?

Jul 18 2005 // Five or fewer insurers control at least three-quarters of the small-group insurance market. This lack of competition contributes to double-digit premium increases for many small businesses and forces an increase in the...

Working With Your E&S Wholesaler: Be Nice … You’ll Need Them Again!

Jul 18 2005 // The surplus lines industry pendulum is now on its backswing into a soft market. A couple years of market restriction and firm pricing brought a temporary prosperity to the industry. The so-called “standard”...

Drawert Honored with ICT’s Raymond Mauk Award

Jul 15 2005 // Jim Drawert, vice president and chief underwriting officer for The Republic Group, was presented the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award on July 14, at the Insurance Council of Texas’ 13th Annual Mid-Year Property and...

ISO: U.S. P/C Industry’s First Net Gain on Underwriting Since ’78 Moves Surplus to Record High

Jul 14 2005 // Ending a 26-year drought, insurers posted a $5 billion net profit on underwriting in 2004, despite slowing premium growth and a deluge of catastrophe losses. Powered by the best underwriting results in almost three...

Time’s a Wastin’ in Insurance Industry, Says Workplace Survey

Jul 12 2005 // The insurance industry has come out on top but unfortunately it’s in a survey of about 10,000 respondents that looked at wasting time in the workplace. Data was gathered by America Online and Salary.com, where...

Research and Markets Says Irish Sector Dependent on IT Infrastructure

Jul 12 2005 // Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c20610) announced the addition of Irish IT Trends – Insurance Industry to their offering. This report provides an insight into the Irish insurance...

Fitch Reports Hurricane Dennis Could Have Implications for Fla. Market

Jul 12 2005 // Chicago-based Fitch Ratings states that Hurricane Dennis is expected to represent a material loss to the insurance industry. Dennis came ashore on Sunday, July 10, at 3:25 p.m., on Santa Rosa Island, Fla., as a Category 3...

Sens. Schumer, Clinton Blast Treasury Report; Call for TRIA Renewal

Jul 5 2005 // New York Senators Charles E. Schumer, D, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D, have blasted the Treasury Department’s report, submitted to the Senate Banking Committee, which urged Congress not to renew the Terrorism...