Latest Reinsurance Headlines

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

Superstorm Sandy-Related Loss Estimates Pile Up

Jan 28 2013 // Since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline on Oct. 29, 2012, dozens of insurers and reinsurers have publicly announced their Sandy-related preliminary loss estimates. The following are loss estimates for...

Best Affirms Balboa Insurance Co., Subs Ratings, as Transfer to QBE Continues

Jan 25 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings of “a” of California-based Balboa Insurance Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries,...

Best Affirms Arch Re and Operating Affiliates’ ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable

Jan 25 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Bermuda-based Arch Reinsurance Ltd. and its strategic affiliates....

Swiss Re Announces Aviation, Agriculture Management Changes

Jan 24 2013 // Swiss Re announced that its reinsurance business unit is undertaking changes in its organizational set-up of special lines. “Agriculture and Aviation Reinsurance will be no longer under the same roof and will be...

Insurance Associations Welcome IMF Report on Brazil Reinsurance Market

Jan 24 2013 // A group of insurance trade organizations – American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), American Insurance Association (AIA), Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers (ABIR), General Insurance Association of...

Best Affirms Swiss Re and Sub’s ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable

Jan 24 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd and its subsidiaries. Best also affirmed...

Aon Benfield Launches WExcess for Weather Reinsurance in UK

Jan 23 2013 // Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, has launched its new weather reinsurance product that offers insurers protection against adverse weather losses in the UK. The new coverage,...

Florida Looks to Restructure Its Hurricane Fund; Federal Option Proposed

Jan 18 2013 // Florida lawmakers are poised to consider restructuring the state-run property reinsurance facility by possibly lowering its mandatory annual capacity by billions due to concerns that one major storm could exhaust its...

Goldman Looks to Sell Major Stake in Reinsurance Group

Jan 16 2013 // In preparation for rules requiring the bank to hold more capital, Goldman Sachs Group is looking to sell a majority stake in its $1.4 billion reinsurance group, the firm’s incoming chief financial officer, Harvey...

Louisiana Citizens Insurance Proposes 7.7% Rate Hike

Jan 14 2013 // Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort has proposed raising homeowner’s rates an average of 7.7 percent statewide this year. The Advocate reports the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s...

Latest Sandy Loss Estimates Reported by Companies

Jan 14 2013 // Since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the U.S. East Coast two and a half months ago, dozens of insurers and reinsurers have publicly announced their Sandy-related preliminary loss estimates. The following are the latest...

Governments Struggle with Financial Crisis as the Planet Warms up

Jan 11 2013 // The global economy has been through economic recessions before, and has eventually recovered from them. This time around, however, it must do so while coping with the ever increasing menace of climate change – that makes...

A.M. Best Upgrades Ratings of Minnesota’s Austin Mutual Insurance

Jan 10 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “a+” from “bb+” of Austin Mutual Insurance Co. (Austin) in Maple Grove, Minn....

List of Company-Specific Sandy-Related Loss Estimates

Jan 10 2013 // Since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline on Oct. 29, 2012, dozens of insurers and reinsurers have publicly announced their Sandy-related preliminary loss estimates. The following are the latest...

Peak Re Launched in Hong Kong for ‘Underserved’ Asia Pacific Markets

Jan 10 2013 // Peak Reinsurance Company Limited formally announced that it has opened for business. The new reinsurer, established to capture the growing demand for modernized reinsurance solutions in Asia Pacific, said it has...

Argo Group Establishes New Sidecar, Harambee Re

Jan 8 2013 // Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. has established Harambee Re 2013-1 Ltd for the 2013 accident year. This is the first sidecar established by Argo Group. Unlike other sidecars, which typically write either...

Zurich, Swiss Re in $270 Million Excess of Loss Deal for No. Am. Quake Coverage

Jan 4 2013 // Zurich Insurance Group and Swiss Re have announced that Zurich has obtained, through its subsidiaries Zurich American Insurance Company and Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, a 3-year $270 million catastrophe excess of loss...

Condon Joins Miller’s Reinsurance Team

Jan 2 2013 // UK-based broker Miller Insurance Services LLP announced that Charlotte Condon, an experienced producer and broker of facultative reinsurance, has joined Miller’s reinsurance team in London. This is the latest in a...

Willis Re Sees No Rate Increases for Jan. 1 Renewals despite Sandy Impact

Dec 31 2012 // Willis Re’s Jan. 1 renewal report points out that 2012 natural catastrophe losses are estimated to be “50 percent less than last year’s losses of $120 billion.” As a result the report concludes that...

Events that Topped World Insurance News in 2012

Dec 28 2012 // While 2012 wasn’t as tumultuous as 2011, it had its share of insurance shaking trends and events. Here in roughly chronological order are some of them: 1) The costs of the flooding in Thailand in 2011, wasn’t...