Latest Market Headlines

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

News Currents

Sep 24 2007 // Industry skeptical, while Treasury opposes natural disaster pool Federal legislation that encourages states to pool their catastrophe pool risks and then transfer them to the private market has been greeted with a lukewarm...

Industry skeptical, while Treasury opposes natural disaster pool

Sep 24 2007 // Federal legislation that encourages states to pool their catastrophe pool risks and then transfer them to the private market has been greeted with a lukewarm insurance industry reaction at best and outright opposition from...

The subprime mortgage mess and the professional liability market

Sep 24 2007 // The collapse of the subprime mortgage lending industry has dominated the headlines, led to turmoil in the credit and financial markets, and left the residential real estate marketplace in disarray. It has already generated...

Catastrophes: The time to act is now

Sep 24 2007 // Two years have passed since America’s most shocking wake-up call regarding the devastation that follows the force and fury of Mother Nature. Since that time, a variety of legislative proposals have been offered at...

Catastrophes: The time to act is now

Sep 24 2007 // Reports show that the typical taxpaying American family paid more than $800 to cover costs associated with Hurricane Katrina. That is an enormous nationwide catastrophe tax. Two years have passed since America’s most...

Insurance industry bullish on coming year’s consolidation

Sep 24 2007 // Insurance executives expect to see a significant increase in mergers and acquisitions in the next 12 months, according to a survey conducted by KMPG LLP. In the next one to three years, most respondents believe the...

Making sense of the subprime mortgage mess

Sep 24 2007 // The collapse of the subprime mortgage lending industry has dominated the headlines, led to turmoil in the credit and financial markets, and left the residential real estate marketplace in disarray. It also has already...

Thriving in today’s challenging insurance environment

Sep 24 2007 // The insurance industry has witnessed a reduction in the number of markets, agents and brokers, and overall industry personnel in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, many markets continue to soften, competition has increased with...

Subprime Lending Crisis May Affect Industry After All

Sep 24 2007 // If terrorism presents some “uncertain” aspects, the subprime lending crisis does so in spades. Financial markets react negatively to uncertainty more than anything else, as no one knows what may happen. Why has...

Mass. Warned About Coastal Development and Insurance

Sep 20 2007 // A major hurricane making landfall in Massachusetts could cause billions of dollars worth of property damage while also severely straining the resources of the state’s residual homeowners’ insurance market, the...

Industry Confident in Terror Reinsurance Renewal Despite White House Veto Threat

Sep 20 2007 // Insurance industry lobbyists are confident there is enough backing in Congress for renewal of the federal terrorism reinsurance program and enough support to override a threatened presidential veto if necessary. The...

Canada Market ‘Solid’ Says Best Report; But Beware ‘Soft Market Cycle’

Sep 19 2007 // A.M. Best has just released a study of the Canadian insurance market, which found that the country’s P/C insurers enjoyed “another solid year,” from profitable underwriting aided by investment income and...

Bush Signals Veto of Terrorism Reinsurance Program

Sep 18 2007 // The Bush Administration believes that the federal backup for terrorism reinsurance should be phased out in favor of a private market for terrorism insurance and “strongly opposes efforts to expand the federal...

S&P Forecasts ‘Healthy Growth’ for Latin America Reinsurance

Sep 13 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has issued a new report in its current series analyzing global reinsurance. The study – “Reinsurance In Latin America, Especially Brazil, Shows Growth Potential...

Aon Re Global Releases Reinsurance Market Update

Sep 11 2007 // Aon Re Global announced from the Reinsurance Rendezvous in Monte Carlo that it has released its sixth annual Reinsurance Market Update. Among the highlights included in the publication, Aon cited the following: —...

Maine Governor Forecasts Increased Competition for Health Plans

Sep 11 2007 // The Baldacci administration is anticipating heightened competition in Maine’s health insurance market as Harvard Pilgrim Health Care becomes the state’s partner in administering Dirigo policies, saying...

Best Affirms Munich Re ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Raised to Stable

Sep 10 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of “A+” (Superior) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “aa-” of Germany’s Munich Reinsurance Company and its rated...

Guy Carp Issues Annual Cat Report; Rates Down by 6%

Sep 6 2007 // Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC has published its annual, comprehensive study of the global property catastrophe reinsurance market – “The World Catastrophe Reinsurance Market: New Capital Stabilizes...

Industry Skeptical, While Treasury Opposes, Natural Disaster Pool

Sep 6 2007 // Federal legislation that encourages states to pool their catastrophe pool risks and then transfer them to the private market as been greeted with a lukewarm insurance industry reaction at best and outright opposition from...

La. Insurance Market Outlook Brighter Some Predict

Sep 5 2007 // Two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the insurance market in Louisiana may have hit bottom and could be ready for a rebound as levees are strengthened and the state undertakes regulatory changes, the state’s...