Latest Market Headlines
All the headlines from our Market Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Journal’s Top 10 Southeast Region Stories of 2019
Jan 2 2020 // It was a relatively quiet year for the Southeast in terms of major catastrophes compared with 2018 when Hurricane’s Michael and Florence caused major damage in the region. This year, Hurricane Dorian sideswiped the...
Why Small Business Liability Insurance Must Be Advanced Into the Digital Age
Dec 30 2019 // Liability insurance as we know it no longer suits a large fraction of today’s and tomorrow’s small-business owners. Brokers and insurers are at a crossroads on how to serve small businesses’ changing...
IICF Raises $1.14M at Annual Benefit Dinner Honoring Markel Corporation
Dec 24 2019 // The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, raised $1.14 million at its 13th Annual Northeast Benefit Dinner held December 11 at...
Underwriters and Insureds Taking Harder Look at Commercial Property Risks
Dec 24 2019 // Commercial property underwriters are adjusting to a market defined by rising catastrophe losses and dwindling profits. From increasing rates and higher deductibles to fewer classes of business and stricter underwriting,...
Insurance Protections Expanded in California Wildfire Areas
Dec 20 2019 // More than a million California homes are now protected under a new state order that temporarily bans insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by recent wildfires, officials announced this...
Independent Insurance Agent Group Rep Calling Attention to Climate Change Dangers
Dec 19 2019 // A representative for an independent insurance agent group in one state has penned an opinion column calling attention to the dangers posed by climate change. “Going forward, our state remains vulnerable to the...
A Passion for Learning Is Driving Force for J.M. Wilson’s Galecka
Dec 16 2019 // One the things Kristy Galecka loves about the property/casualty insurance industry is there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. Like many others, Galecka “fell into” the insurance business...
City of Hope’s 2019 Efforts Raising Hope for Disease Cures
Dec 16 2019 // The City of Hope’s National Insurance Industry Council had another strong year of raising funds, holding events, and helping out people suffering from diabetes and cancer, according to Ken Birkett, director of...
Commercial Insurance Market Stable in 2020: A.M. Best
Dec 16 2019 // The market outlook on the U.S. commercial lines industry for 2020 is stable. according to analysts at ratings firm A.M. Best who cite “improved market conditions and solid levels of risk-adjusted capitalization that...
P/C Direct Premium Written Up 4.9%
Dec 16 2019 // Direct premium written (DPW) for property/casualty insurance companies continues to increase, albeit gradually. At year-end 2018, total DPW for all P/C insurers aggregately increased approximately 4% over 2017, an increase...
Driver Privacy Concerns in Auto Insurance. There’s an App for That.
Dec 13 2019 // Apps that let you book a ride to work or borrow a car for your next vacation are feeding into a revolution in auto insurance — while also raising some privacy red flags. Data on everything from how frequently a car...
Industry Representative Puts Fire Insurance Availability at Feet of Commissioner
Dec 6 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will have to choose whether he wants insurers to charge higher rates or to stop writing homeowners insurance in fire-prone areas, an industry representative said following new...
California Commissioner Calls for Statewide Non-Renewal Moratorium, More Measures to Protect Wildfire Victims
Dec 5 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders, a move he says will help at least 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster...
MetLife to Enter Pet Insurance Market with Acquisition of PetFirst Program
Dec 5 2019 // MetLife has agreed to acquire PetFirst Healthcare, a pet insurance program administrator that currently distributes its pet insurance products through animal welfare agencies, direct-to-consumer channels and...
Was It an Act of War? That’s Merck Cyber Attack’s $1.3 Billion Insurance Question.
Dec 3 2019 // By the time Deb Dellapena arrived for work at Merck & Co.’s 90-acre campus north of Philadelphia, there was a handwritten sign on the door: The computers are down. It was worse than it seemed. Some employees who...
Wildfire Crisis is Roiling California’s Insurance Market
Nov 27 2019 // Lauris Bye, a homebuilding industry veteran who moved to Southern California’s wildfire-prone hills decades ago, felt confident about the newly built house he was buying about 30 miles north of downtown Los...
Confessions of a Diehard Insurance Data Fan: Part 2
Nov 25 2019 // After Bill Pieroni, the CEO of ACORD, delivered a presentation about ACORD’s latest study, “Intelligent Growth: Intent, Decisions, Outcomes,” he sat down with Wells Media’s Andrew Simpson to talk...
Wildfires Likely to Boost California Surplus Lines Homeowners Share; FAIR Plan Expansion Questioned
Nov 22 2019 // Premium volume from homeowners polices written by California’s surplus lines industry, although still small, has doubled over the past four years, seemingly pushed by an increase in wildfires in the state. Some...
Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance Publishes Children’s Book
Nov 21 2019 // San Diego, CA, November 21, 2019 – Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance today announced the release of Popsicle Insurance, a children’s book that teaches kids about insurance in a fun and entertaining...
Florida’s New Consumer Advocate Tackles Open Hurricane Michael Claims
Nov 19 2019 // Florida’s new Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter has been busy since taking office August 1. With more than 12,000 Hurricane Michael claims still open, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation,...
