Latest Reinsurance Headlines

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

Hannover Re Sees Higher Rates in Germany on Floods, Hailstorms

Oct 23 2013 // Hannover Re, the world’s third largest reinsurer, said it expects higher rates for insurance and reinsurance in Germany following this year’s flooding and hailstorms, which led to the most costly claims in 30...

Travelers Posts $864M Q3 Profit, Consistent With Prior Year Quarter

Oct 22 2013 // The Travelers Companies Inc. today reported its third-quarter net income of $864 million, unchanged from the same period a year ago. Travelers showed a larger underwriting gain compared to last year, but the results were...

Europe a Reinsurance Buyer’s Market Says Willis Re; Rates Down 5-10%

Oct 22 2013 // In a report from Baden-Baden, Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of Willis Group Holdings plc, notes that “increased capacity, competition and changing market dynamics have created a buyer’s market for European...

Reinsurers Get Down to Business in Baden-Baden; Willis Re Chairman Comments

Oct 21 2013 // “I don’t think there have been any big changes between Monte Carlo and Baden-Baden,” said James Vickers, chairman of Willis Re International. This isn’t that surprising, given that the two...

Members of Aon Benfield’s Analytics Team Explain Cat Models

Oct 18 2013 // “Our remit at Aon Benfield Analytics is really to do the risk quantification part of reinsurance transactions,” said John Moore, the head of International Analytics operations. He’s responsible for...

A.M. Best, Fitch Explain Recent Downgrades of Tower Group

Oct 16 2013 // Rating agencies have downgraded Tower Group following the insurer’s announcement of loss reserve and goodwill charges in excess of what was expected. Tower has said that the company’s board of directors is...

IAIS Plan for Re/Insurers’ Systemic Risks ‘Debatable’ Says UK Expert

Oct 15 2013 // “The IAIS, with its proposal for additional risk-adjusted capital rules for major re/insurers, seems to be joining the regulatory bandwagon for seeing these as a potential source of threat to the global financial...

Best Report: European Insurers See Improvements; Challenges Remain

Oct 15 2013 // European non-life and life insurers “are benefitting from a more stable economic environment, although they continue to adjust product offerings and adapt reinsurance purchasing in response to the low-yield...

EQECAT President Paul Little on Cat Models – from the General to the Specific

Oct 11 2013 // EQECAT’s President Paul Little explains how cat models have evolved from the general to the specific and what’s now required to create good ones. He also foresees cellular technology – iPhones, Androids,...

Best Europe Affirms SCOR and Main Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable

Oct 11 2013 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of French reinsurer SCOR SE and its main...

Best Affirms China Re and Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable

Oct 11 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings of “a” of China Reinsurance (Group) Corporation and its subsidiaries, China Property &...

Swiss Re’s Head of Casualty Jayne Plunkett Explains Why It’s a ‘Social Science’

Oct 8 2013 // Jayne Plunkett, possibly the second most well-known person from Iowa after Bill Bryson, heads Swiss Re’s International casualty reinsurance operations. In the interview she explains that, as you’re dealing with...

Montpelier Re Sub Blue Capital Re Files for IPO

Oct 8 2013 // Bermuda-based Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary Blue Capital Reinsurance Holdings Ltd. have announced that Blue Capital Re “has publicly filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the...

Lloyd’s CEO Richard Ward Reflects on ‘Nearly 8’ Eventful Years

Oct 6 2013 // Lloyd’s CEO Richard Ward is stepping down from the post at the end of the year. Despite the catastrophes of 2005 and 2011, the two costliest years in the industry’s history, as well as the financial crisis, he...

Insurers Respond to Risk Managers at FERMA Forum – Part 2

Oct 4 2013 // After the risk managers expressed their views on how re/insurance carriers were handling such matters as innovation, new policies and claims handling at the Federation of European Risk Management Associations’...

FERMA Offers Trialogue between Risk Managers, Carriers and Brokers – Part 1

Oct 4 2013 // The insurance industry may have given the world a new word – “trialogue,” meaning a three way conversation. Oddly enough the first person to use it at the Federation of European Risk Management...

Bill Would Take the Florida Cat Fund in the Wrong Direction

Oct 3 2013 // Florida state Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, has filed Senate Bill 228 to maintain the current statutory requirement that the state-run Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, better known as the Cat Fund, sell $17 billion in...

Improving Meadowbrook Ends Reinsurance Deal with Swiss Re

Oct 3 2013 // Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc. and Swiss Re have mutually agreed to terminate a quota-share reinsurance agreement that was put in place late last year, Meadowbrook said Wednesday. The insurer said it has bolstered its...

U.K. Regulator Scrutinizes Impact of Capital Influx on Insurers

Oct 3 2013 // British regulators are scrutinizing the impact of the wave of capital from investors such as hedge and pension funds on the insurance industry. “The availability of this additional capital inevitably affects the...

Aspen Re Appoints Lewis to Head London Casualty Unit

Oct 2 2013 // Aspen Reinsurance has appointed Jamie Lewis as head of its casualty reinsurance business in London. Lewis will be responsible for developing Aspen Re’s book of casualty reinsurance treaty and facultative business...