Latest Market Headlines

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

Guy Carpenter Publishes Reinsurance Review

Jan 3 2008 // Guy Carpenter greeted the new year with the publication of “Near Misses, Plentiful Reminders: Global Reinsurance Review January 2008,” which it describes as a “briefing on the major trends driving pricing...

Fitch Analyzes Brazil’s Overhaul of Reinsurance Rules

Jan 3 2008 // Fitch Ratings said it has “reviewed the main changes introduced by Resolutions 168, 169, 170, 171 and 172 of Brazil’s National Private Insurance Board, published in December 2007.” See also IJ web site:...

Top Insurance Stories in 2007

Dec 31 2007 // The debate over climate change captured the world’s attention, including the insurance industry’s, in 2007, while major hurricanes spared the United States’ coastline. The soft market took hold of...

Conn. Private Coastal Insurance Market Works, Say Commissioner and Insurers

Dec 27 2007 // Acknowledging the ongoing concern over coastal property insurance in his state, Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Thomas Sullivan maintained that the state’s coastal property insurance market is in pretty good shape...

P/C Insurers’ Net Income, Surplus Rose But Profitability Dropped

Dec 27 2007 // The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry’s net income after taxes rose 7.1 percent to $49.4 billion through nine-months 2007 from $46.1 billion through nine-months 2006. Fueled by the industry’s net...

Natural Disasters, Fires, Floods, Fair Conduct Fueled Insurance Industry Discussions in 2007

Dec 23 2007 // While 2007 was surprisingly calm year for hurricanes, that doesn’t mean Mother Nature didn’t have a tantrum or two. In the past year, the West faced its share of disasters, with freezes, floods and fires making...

Agents Wish for More Stability, But Predict Soft Market Will Continue in 2008

Dec 23 2007 // Industry hopes for disaster solutions, federal terrorism insurance extension, regulation reform and more In 2007, buyers of insurance reaped in the rewards of a soft insurance market. But for agents and brokers the soft...

2007: Climate Change Dominates Debate While Soft Market Hits Entire P/C Market

Dec 23 2007 // The debate over climate change captured the world’s attention, including the insurance industry’s, in 2007, while major hurricanes spared the United States’ coastline. The soft market took hold of...

Survey of Analysts Projects Healthy Underwriting Profits

Dec 23 2007 // I.I.I.’s Earlybird Forecast predicts negative premium growth but continued profitability in 2008 Next year may go down on record as one of the best insurance industry underwriting performances in the past 80 years,...

Airline Insurance Market to Post Loss for Year; First Since 2000

Dec 20 2007 // The airline insurance market this year is expected to post its first loss since 2000, according to preliminary data collected by the Aviation & Aerospace division of Aon Corporation. Aon reported that forecasts...

Survey of Analysts Projects Healthy Underwriting Profits

Dec 17 2007 // Next year may just go down on record as one of the best insurance industry underwriting performances in the past 80 years, according to an industry survey of Wall Street stock analysts and industry professionals. Analysts...

Lloyd’s Nanotechnology Conference and Report Examines New Risks

Dec 11 2007 // Lloyd’s held its first ever seminar on nanotechnology on Monday, Dec. 10. The conference was organized in cooperation with the Lighthill Risk Network, (http://www.lighthillrisknetwork.org), a non-profit organization...

Research & Markets Releases ‘Snapdata’ Reports on India, Netherlands

Dec 7 2007 // Dublin-based Research and Markets announced the addition of “Snapshots India Non-Life Insurance 2007” and “Snapshots Netherlands Non-Life Insurance 2007” to their offering. The report on the Indian...

Coastal Flood Peril Study: $3 Trillion Today – $35 Trillion by 2070

Dec 6 2007 // An exhaustive study of the threat posed by coastal flooding warns that “as many as 150 million people in the world’s major cities could be reliant on flood defenses by 2070 – more than three times the 40...

e2Value, Inc. Introduces Annual “Prevedere Award” Honoring Courage in Insurance Industry

Dec 6 2007 // ————– Steve Arcia of Fireman’s Fund is First Winner ————– STAMFORD, Conn., December 6, 2007 — e2Value Inc. today presented its inaugural Prevedere...

N.Y. Insurance Charitable Fund’s First Grants Help Injured Soldiers, Urban Poor, Environment

Dec 6 2007 // Wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and looking for jobs will be among those helped by contributions from a new tri-state insurance industry charitable foundation. The foundation also announced awards to a New York City...

Banks in Insurance Advance Despite Soft Market, Study Reports

Dec 4 2007 // Despite a soft property and casualty (P/C) insurance market, the top 100 banks in insurance made substantial gains in the past year, says a new report distributed by the Bank Insurance & Securities Association The...

Conn. Consumers to Get ‘Mints on Pillows’ Treatment

Dec 2 2007 // Commissioner Sullivan vows departmental changes; also contends private coastal insurance market is working Connecticut consumers dealing with the state’s insurance regulatory agency should be left feeling they were...

Five Trends for Agents to Track

Dec 2 2007 // In a poem written 2,000 years ago by Horace, he used the phrase “carpe diem,” which is commonly translated as “seize the day.” Although interpretations of this phrase vary, one interpretation can...

Watson Wyatt: Property/Casualty Insurance Market to Remain Soft in 2008

Dec 2 2007 // The market for property and casualty insurance will stay soft in 2008, as premiums are expected to either decline or remain flat, according to actuarial and risk management experts at global consulting firm, Watson Wyatt...