Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Banker Survey Suggests Midwest, Plains Economy Still Lags in Rural Areas
Jan 22 2018 // Declining numbers in a new monthly survey of bankers suggests the economy remains weak in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states. The overall economic index for the region dropped to 46.8 this month, compared with the...
California Wholesaler Conference Questions: Rising Premiums, Disruption, Disasters?
Jan 22 2018 // Surplus lines in California had a great year with more premium and more items, such as policies and endorsements sold. However, surplus lines brokers had to work harder for all that premium. That’s according to Ben...
Texas Surplus Lines Premium Up by 66% in 10 Years
Jan 22 2018 // Surplus lines premium in Texas increased to $5.46 billion in 2017, up from $5.12 billion in 2016, according to data collected by the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX). The numbers represent a 6.5 percent growth...
Rates for Commercial Lines Up Slightly in Q4: IVANS
Jan 22 2018 // The IVANS Index of premium rate renewals for the fourth quarter showed a slight rise in the average rate change across commercial auto, business owners, general liability, and commercial property compared to Q3, but a drop...
For First Time in 7 Years, Outlook Improves for Commercial Lines: A.M. Best
Jan 22 2018 // Analysts at A.M. Best have been sufficiently impressed by commercial lines insurers’ pricing, underwriting and resilience in recent years to boost their outlook on this segment of the U.S. property/casualty industry...
U.S. Reinsurance Outlook Remains Negative for 2018, Says A.M. Best
Jan 22 2018 // Ratings firm A.M. Best said it is maintaining its 2018 outlook for the U.S. property/casualty reinsurance sector at negative, citing the “pronounced pressure on U.S. property catastrophe rates as the alternative...
North Carolina Rejects Proposed 18.7% Homeowners Rate Increase
Jan 22 2018 // The Commissioner of Insurance for North Carolina says a recent rate increase of 18.7 percent proposed by North Carolina insurers is unwarranted and has set a hearing date for later this year to resolve the...
Kentucky Highway Deaths Decreased in 2017
Jan 19 2018 // Kentucky has recorded a decrease in highway fatalities for the first time since 2013. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says initial numbers show 770 highway-related deaths in...
A.M. Best: Ratings Outlooks Negative for Texas-Based Standard Casualty
Jan 18 2018 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of Standard Casualty Co. (Standard...
Business, Political Leaders List Cyber Attacks, Geopolitical Tensions as Top Concerns: WEF Survey
Jan 18 2018 // The threat of large-scale cyber attacks and a “deteriorating geopolitical landscape” since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump have jumped to the top of the global elite’s list of concerns, the...
BP Still Paying Gulf Oil Spill Claims as Court Battles Wind Down
Jan 16 2018 // BP Plc raised the amount it will pay this year for the Deepwater Horizon accident as thousands of lawsuits related to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history start to wind down. The 2010 explosion at a well in the Gulf of...
India’s Tata Consultancy Expects Growth in Insurance Sector
Jan 12 2018 // Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd, India’s top IT services firm, said its insurance services business would soon post faster growth thanks to higher client spending but remained cautious on a turnaround in its key...
Verisk’s ISO Personal Lines Program Targets $40 Billion Private Flood Insurance Market
Jan 11 2018 // Things just got a bit easier for private personal lines insurance carriers wanting to enter the flood insurance market. Through its ISO subsidiary, data analytics firm Verisk has launched a new personal lines flood...
Most Commercial Insurance Rates Were Up Slightly in Q4: IVANS Index
Jan 11 2018 // The IVANS Index of premium rate renewals for the fourth quarter showed a slight rise in the average rate change across commercial auto, business owners, general liability, and commercial property compared to Q3, but a drop...
U.S. Reinsurance Outlook Remains Negative for 2018, Says A.M. Best
Jan 10 2018 // Ratings firm A.M. Best said it is maintaining its 2018 outlook for the U.S. property/casualty reinsurance sector at negative, citing the “pronounced pressure on U.S. property catastrophe rates as the alternative...
California Wholesaler Conference Questions: Rising Premiums, Disruption, Disasters?
Jan 9 2018 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tv Surplus lines in California had a great year with more premium and more items, such as policies and endorsements sold. However, surplus lines brokers had to work harder for all that...
Commercial Lines Insurance Outlook Improves for 2018, Says A.M. Best
Jan 8 2018 // Analysts at A.M. Best have been sufficiently impressed by commercial lines insurers’ pricing, underwriting and resilience in recent years to boost their outlook on this segment of the U.S. property/casualty industry...
North Carolina Insurance Regulator Denies 18.7% Homeowners Rate Increase
Jan 8 2018 // The Commissioner of Insurance for North Carolina says a recent rate increase of 18.7 percent proposed by North Carolina insurers is unwarranted and has set a hearing date for later this year to resolve the...
The Competitive Advantage: A Scary Trend
Jan 8 2018 // Maybe “trend” is inaccurate because the data is scant, or maybe “trend” is a presage. The “trend” does not yet exist, but it will. The “trend” is companies taking drastic...
Top Insurtech Predictions for 2018
Jan 8 2018 // Insurtech is often framed as a force of disruption in the insurance industry. But technology doesn’t disrupt the industry – it enhances the way carriers and customers interact. In 2018, I predict we will...
