Latest Market Headlines
All the headlines from our Market Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P’s Maintains Negative Outlook for European Reinsurers
Aug 16 2002 // Standard & Poor’s said that although the European reinsurance market is expected to remain hard beyond 2003, it maintains its negative outlook for the industry for the fifth year running, due to uncertainty over...
XML Provides the Missing Link for SEMCI
Aug 13 2002 // Agents have faced the problem ever since insurance companies first introduced applications. Each company had its own form, so the agent who wanted to submit the same account to several underwriters had to write the same...
Community Investment Reporting and theIndustry – “CRA” California Style
Aug 5 2002 // With the recent spotlight being placed on the 25th anniversary of the federal Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), legislation enacted in 1977 which requires banks to increase their investments and loans to low income...
Risk Retention-The Growing Role of the Alternative Market
Aug 5 2002 // How do I insure thee? Let me count the ways.” With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, that question’s become increasingly meaningful for risk managers, insurers, agents, brokers, consultants and...
Marine Market Sees Favorable Future Despite Hard Market
Aug 5 2002 // While many markets in the insurance industry continue to see adverse effects due to the hard market and recourse from 9/11, the marine market is one of the few that has a good view of the light at the end of the tunnel....
Safeguarding Customer Privacy Creates New Issue for States
Aug 5 2002 // Insurance associations have been abuzz the past couple of weeks with regard to impending changes and new proposals to privacy regulations under Congress’ Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act (GLB). Each...
New Fitch Report Estimates Billions in Asbestos Liability Costs
Aug 5 2002 // Fitch Ratings released a special report, “Asbestos: Impact on the U.S. Insurance Industry,” describing how future claims will affect property and casualty insurers. The report includes estimates of...
Community Investment Reporting and theIndustry – “CRA” California Style
Aug 5 2002 // With the recent spotlight being placed on the 25th anniversary of the federal Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), legislation enacted in 1977 which requires banks to increase their investments and loans to low income...
Alternative Markets Offer a Variety of Risk Management Options
Aug 5 2002 // How do I insure thee? Let me count the ways.” With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, that question’s become increasingly meaningful for risk managers, insurers, agents, brokers, consultants and...
Capital Push Triggers Mid-Year Growth for Lloyd’s
Aug 1 2002 // Demand to put new capital into Lloyd’s of London is triggering one of the London- based insurance market’s most significant periods of mid-year growth. Speaking in Canada last weekend, Lloyd’s Director of...
Fitch Lowers Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society
Jul 24 2002 // Fitch Ratings lowered its insurer financial strength rating on Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society Ltd. (ALAS) of Bermuda to “AA-” from “AA”. The rating outlook is stable. Fitch’s...
Surveying the E&S Market with Swett & Crawford’s Hartoch
Jul 22 2002 // Swett & Crawford chairman David Hartoch has seen a number of changes in the excess and surplus industry during his decades in the business. As he approaches retirement in December, Hartoch took time out to talk with...
Surplus Lines, The Industry’s Safety Valve
Jul 22 2002 // It is a rare occurrence today, but not so long ago tying down the safety valve was viewed as an acceptable way to improve a steam boiler’s performance when demand peaked. The objective was to increase the...
Profits Fell, Losses Climbed for P/C Industry
Jul 22 2002 // It’s pretty much common knowledge by now that the property and casualty insurance industry suffered tremendous losses in 2001, and although the tragedies of September 11 can be blamed for much of the economic...
Surplus Lines Industry Continues to Play its Role
Jul 22 2002 // Since it’s inception in the early 19th century, the surplus lines industry has played a significant role in the insurance world: providing the buyer with insurance not available in the standard, admitted markets. As...
Surveying the E&S Market with Swett & Crawford’s Hartoch
Jul 22 2002 // Swett & Crawford chairman David Hartoch has seen a number of changes in the excess and surplus industry during his decades in the business. As he approaches retirement in December, Hartoch took time out to talk with...
Ohio Department to Join National Task Force
Jul 12 2002 // The Ohio Department of Insurance has accepted an invitation to join NeighborWorks® National Insurance Task Force (NITF) as part of its mission to expand its role to increase accessibility and affordability of insurance...
ISO Reports Record 2001 Underwriting Losses, Poor Investment Results behind PnC Industry’s First-Ev
Jul 10 2002 // The property/casualty insurance industry recorded its first-ever net loss after taxes in 2001, stemming from sharply higher underwriting losses and substantial deterioration in investment results, according to Insurance...
As Hard Market Persists, E&S Brokers Wait For The Right Opportunity
Jul 8 2002 // Last January separate panels of analysts who follow the insurance industry and CEO’s of insurance companies predicted a “foreshortened” cycle, a brief hard market that would give insurers little relief...
LLOYD’S OF LONDON NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN:
Jul 8 2002 // The next chairman of the Lloyd’s of London insurance market was named as Lord Levene of Portsoken. He is presently vice chairman of Deutsche Bank London. Lord Levene will be the first chairman of Lloyd’s in its...