Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Revises Outlook for Southern Mutual Church Insurance Co.
Apr 1 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative for the financial strength rating (FSR) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of Southern Mutual Church Insurance Co. (SMCIC) of Columbia, S.C., while affirming the...
Florida Foreclosure Rate Declines 35 Percent, Still Among Highest in Nation
Mar 31 2015 // Florida’s foreclosure activity has declined by more than a third from a year ago, but it still ranks as one of the highest in the nation. The research firm Realty Trac reported that Florida has one out of 570 homes...
Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Rate to Decline for 4th Year
Mar 28 2015 // The cost of workers’ compensation insurance is declining for the fourth consecutive year in Pennsylvania. The state departments of Insurance and Labor & Industry said on Friday, March 27, that overall rates will...
Premiums, Claims Severity on Rise in Architects & Engineers Market: Survey
Mar 27 2015 // For the third consecutive year, most insurers providing professional liability insurance for architects and engineers saw their premium rates increase modestly in 2014, as expectations of larger rate hikes were tempered by...
Erie Survey Finds Wide Range of Distracted Behaviors Behind Wheel
Mar 27 2015 // To discourage distracted driving in conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Erie Insurance, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, recently asked drivers what they do behind the wheel. The online...
Regulators: Auto Insurance Rates Continue Downward Trend in Missouri
Mar 26 2015 // Auto insurance premiums have declined significantly since 2000, according to figures released by the Missouri Department of Insurance. The average annual cost for full coverage peaked in 2003 at $740 — it dipped to $726...
Shipping Losses Down in 2014 But New Threats Loom: Allianz
Mar 26 2015 // Shipping losses declined to 75 during 2014, a 32 percent drop from the previous year and well below the 10-year loss average of 127, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) third annual...
Michigan Workers’ Comp Costs Drop, Employment Rises
Mar 25 2015 // Michigan has had some positive developments on the employment and workers’ compensation fronts lately and state officials are eager to share the news. Workers’ comp costs for employers in Michigan have dropped...
2014 Insured Cat Losses below Average at $35 Bn: Swiss Re Sigma Report
Mar 25 2015 // Swiss Re has just released its sigma report on catastrophe losses for 2014, which confirms that total global economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters were around $110 billion, compared to global...
A.M. Best: India Law to Raise Foreign Investment Interest in Insurance Sector
Mar 24 2015 // There will be heavy interest fromforeign investors in India’s insurance sector now that global insurers are permitted to increase their stakes in Indian companies, according to a new briefing from A.M. Best. The...
Nevada’s Captive Domicile Growth Rises by $3.8B in Premium
Mar 23 2015 // The captive insurance program in Nevada outperformed growth and speed expectations by approving 26 captives in 2014, which resulted in a captive premium increase of $3.8 billion, Insurance Commissioner Scott J. Kipper...
FEMA Sets Up Review Process for Sandy Flood Claims
Mar 23 2015 // In wake of allegations that some insurers in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may have denied or underpaid Superstorm Sandy flood claims based on falsified engineering reports, the Federal Emergency Management...
Increased Chance of Big One in Long-Term Quake Forecast for California
Mar 23 2015 // Chances that California will experience a magnitude 8 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years has increased from 4.7 to 7.0 percent, according to an earthquake forecast by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners. The...
Willis Re Introduces Suite of Flood Analytics for Canada Insurance Market
Mar 20 2015 // Willis Re, the reinsurance division of Willis Group Holdings plc, has unveiled a new suite of flood solutions offering analytical capabilities that will enable insurers to proactively manage Canada flood...
Hallmark Insurance Group Ratings Affirmed, Outlook Still Negative
Mar 19 2015 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the members of Fort Worth, Texas-based Hallmark Insurance Group (Hallmark...
Natural Disasters Could Cost $750 Billion Annually in 15 Years: AIR Study
Mar 19 2015 // Economic losses from global natural catastrophes likely will triple over the next 15 years, unless steps are taken to reduce bad development choices, according to preliminary results of a catastrophe modeling study...
Highway Fatalities in West Virginia Down 18 percent in 2014
Mar 16 2015 // Highway fatalities in West Virginia dropped from 332 in 2013 to 271 in 2014, according to a statement by the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Pat Reed. The decline shows the state is moving in the...
Driving-Related Fatalities in Rhode Island Decreased 20% in 2014
Mar 13 2015 // Rhode Island’s attorney general says the number of driving-related fatalities in Rhode Island decreased 20 percent in 2014, to the lowest number in a decade. Attorney General Peter Kilmartin says there were 65...
FEMA Sets Up Review Process for Sandy Flood Claims
Mar 12 2015 // In light of recent allegations that some insurers in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may have denied or rejected Superstorm Sandy flood damage claims based on falsified reports, the Federal Emergency Management...
Increased Chance of Big One in Long-Term Quake Forecast for California
Mar 11 2015 // Chances that California will experience a magnitude 8 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years has increased from 4.7 to 7.0 percent, according to an earthquake forecast by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners. The...
