Latest Trends Headlines

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

Personal Lines Insurance Prices Inched Up in April

May 9 2016 // Auto and home insurance buyers in the U.S. paid slightly more for their insurance in April compared to the prior six months. It’s not clear whether a pricing trend is starting or catastrophe losses drove a temporary...

AXA Plans Additional Acquisitions in Brazil’s Expanding Insurance Market

May 9 2016 // AXA SA, France’s largest insurer, is open to more acquisitions to keep expanding in Brazil even as Latin America’s largest economy suffers its deepest recession on record. AXA expects Brazil’s 360...

Report: 63 Workers in Massachusetts Died on the Job in 2015

May 6 2016 // A new report says more than 60 Massachusetts workers died on the job in 2015 — a number that soars when deaths by occupational injuries and illnesses are included. The report released last week by the Massachusetts...

Workers’ Compensation Market Improved, Grew Premium in 2015: NCCI

May 6 2016 // The workers’ compensation market is healthy and profitable. This year’s “State of the Line” report, published by the National Council of Compensation Insurance (NCCI), indicates that the...

As Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Sites Grow, So Do Concerns

May 6 2016 // Minnesota is expected to have eight medical marijuana clinics open this summer, but some observers are wondering whether there’s enough patient demand. Minnesota Public Radio News reported that the state had...

Fosun to Focus Investments in Emerging Markets, Backing Off from U.S., Europe

May 6 2016 // Guo Guangchang, the Chinese billionaire and self-styled disciple of Warren Buffett, is looking to invest in emerging markets for the first time as his conglomerate backs off from its buying spree in developed...

JLT Re Enters U.S Mortgage Insurance Market

May 5 2016 // Reinsurance broker JLT Re has launched a new operation in North America – JLT Re Global Mortgage Solutions — to offer insurance and reinsurance to government-sponsored entities, mortgage insurers, mortgage lenders and...

Natural Disaster Losses Hit Five-Year High in April: Aon Catastrophe Report

May 5 2016 // The global economy suffered the worst April natural disaster losses for five years, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team. Earthquakes, convective storms and flooding...

U.S. Insured Catastrophe Losses from 13 Events in Q1 Add Up to Worst in Decade

May 5 2016 // Catastrophe activity in the U.S. led to $3.8 billion in insured losses in 29 states during the 2016 first quarter, with much of the damage hitting Texas. Those events were the worst in a decade in terms of frequency and...

Arraignment Set for Former California Agent in Decade-Long Scheme

May 4 2016 // Valerie Ann Verdugo, 38, of Bakersfield, Calif., is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on felony insurance fraud charges for obtaining insurance coverage without paying the carrier on those policies for more than a...

AXA’s Q1 Revenue Rises 1% on Higher P&C Premiums

May 4 2016 // AXA SA, France’s largest insurer, said first-quarter revenue gained 1 percent, helped by higher prices and volumes from property & casualty operations especially in Germany, the U.K. and faster-developing nations...

Q1 Saw Rate Decreases Continue in Commercial P/C: The Council

May 4 2016 // Commercial property/casualty rates decreased across all size accounts in the first quarter of 2016, continuing a trend that has been evident since the first quarter of 2015. This year, first quarter rates decreased by an...

Public, Private Insurers Picking Up More of Opioid Drug Costs

May 3 2016 // According to a study released by Centers for Disease Control (CDC), consumer out-of-pocket spending on opioids has declined, with insurers picking up more of the tab. The study found that consumer out-of-pocket spending on...

State Auto Financial Q1 2016 Results Fall, Combined Ratio Rises

May 2 2016 // Ohio-based State Auto Financial Corp. announced first quarter 2016 net income of $3.0 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, versus net income of $24.7 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2015. Net...

Texas-Based Agency Partnership Reports Solid Growth in 2015

May 2 2016 // The Texas-based agency partnership Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA) announced that it produced $96.3 million in total property and casualty revenue in 2015, compared to the $92.2 million in total revenue produced in...

NCCI Sees Stable Trends in New England

May 2 2016 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance says it is seeing generally stable trends in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — five New England states where NCCI serves as a licensed rating...

Massachusetts Workers’ Comp Rates to Rise 1.5%

May 2 2016 // Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration announced on April 20 that the state’s workers’ compensation rates will rise an average 1.5 percent beginning July 1. It’s the first state-approved...

Large Insurers Eager But Cautious About Drone Insurance Market

Apr 29 2016 // A growing number of insurance companies envision a large, robust insurance market for liability and property coverage associated with drone use. However, many insurers currently are proceeding with caution in light of...

NCCI Sees Stable Trends in New England

Apr 28 2016 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance says it is seeing generally stable trends in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — five New England states where NCCI serves as a licensed rating and...

Global Insurance Fintech Investment Grew by 237% in 2015: Accenture Research

Apr 27 2016 // While insurance historically has been a laggard in the fintech race, it is increasingly a high-growth investment area in the fintech field, according to research from Accenture. Accenture’s fintech research reveals...