Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Minnesota Traffic Deaths Rise in 2012
Jun 20 2013 // Traffic safety officials say Minnesota last year saw its first increase in traffic deaths since 2007. The final crash report shows Minnesota had 395 traffic deaths in 2012. That’s a 7 percent increase from 2011, when...
Survey: Specialty Carriers Look to Grow Through Program Business in 2013
Jun 20 2013 // Guy Carpenter & Co., LLC, a global risk and reinsurance specialist and member of Marsh & McLennan Cos., has released the findings of its eighth annual Specialty Insurance Program Issuing Carrier Survey. The survey,...
Best Upgrades ProAssurance and Some Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jun 20 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A+’ (Superior) from ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “aa-” from “a+” of the...
Insurance Journal Co-Sponsors MarshBerry Market & Financial Survey
Jun 18 2013 // MarshBerry, in partnership with Insurance Journal, has launched its 28th Annual Market & Financial Outlook Survey. This exclusive survey compiles anonymous general agency information along with financial, market,...
A.M. Best: Outlook Negative for Imperial Fire and Casualty Insurance
Jun 18 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of Opelousas, La.-based Imperial Fire and Casualty...
West Africa Piracy Endangering Commodities Shipping, Increasing Rates
Jun 18 2013 // Pirate attacks off West Africa’s mineral-rich Gulf of Guinea have almost doubled from last year and threaten to increase the costs and jeopardize the shipping of commodities from the region. The Gulf of Guinea, which...
Survey: Michigan Businesses Confident About Growth
Jun 17 2013 // The latest Michigan Future Business Index survey of small and midsize business leaders shows unequalled confidence in the state’s business economy and a rekindled desire to reinvest in their own future, according to...
Best Revises Outlook to Positive, Affirms Ratings of ACE European Group Ltd.
Jun 17 2013 // Following its ratings report for the ACE Ltd. Group, A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior)...
Best Revises Outlook to Positive for ACE Ltd., Most Subs; Affirms Ratings
Jun 17 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa” of the North America...
Survey: Nonprofits Unprepared, Under-Insured Against Risks
Jun 17 2013 // Crystal & Co., a worldwide risk and insurance advisor, has released the results of its Nonprofit Risk Survey, presenting a snapshot of risk awareness and exposure among U.S. nonprofit organizations, including human...
Deadly Oklahoma Tornado Widest on Record, Rare EF5
Jun 17 2013 // The deadly tornado that struck near Oklahoma City at the end of May had a record-breaking width of 2.6 miles and was the second top-of-the-scale EF5 twister to hit the area in less than two weeks, the National Weather...
Homeowners Struggle with Rising Insurance Costs
Jun 17 2013 // When Stan Virden moved into his 2,400-square-foot house overlooking a rock-lined canal in 1996, he paid less than $1,000 a year for homeowners insurance. Now, as he seeks to move to Atlanta to be near family, Virden says...
Commercial Insurance Rates Up 5% Again in May: MarketScout
Jun 17 2013 // The average composite rate for commercial property/casualty insurance in the U.S. was up 5 percent for May 2013. This marks the third month in a row for a 5 percent increase, according to MarketScout’s analysis. By...
Solar Storm Threats Pose Emerging Risk for Industry: Lloyd’s
Jun 17 2013 // A large solar storm could leave tens of millions of people in North America without electrical power for several months, if not years, potentially costing trillions of dollars. That’s according to Lloyd’s...
Property Crime Down, Violent Crime Up in 2012: FBI
Jun 17 2013 // The nation experienced a 1.2 percent increase in the number of violent crimes and a 0.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes in 2012 when compared with data from 2011, the FBI said. Violent crime increased in...
Survey: Texting While Driving Common Among N.J. Drivers
Jun 17 2013 // New Jersey auto insurance group Plymouth Rock Assurance released a distracted driving study that found nearly 50 percent of those polled said they have in the past asked a driver to stop texting while the car was in...
Most Insurance Agencies Say Technology Helped Fiscal Growth: Survey
Jun 14 2013 // The majority of insurance agencies (77 percent) directly attribute their fiscal growth during 2012-2013 to the use of technology, according to a new industry survey. The survey, conducted by Vertafore at this year’s...
Alabama Officials Question Roadblock Surveys
Jun 13 2013 // Alabama’s governor and attorney general are reviewing weekend roadblocks in St. Clair and Bibb counties where motorists were asked for breath, blood and saliva samples. Gov. Robert Bentley said Tuesday he has asked...
Best Affirms RenaissanceRe; Top Layer Re Ratings; Outlooks Stable
Jun 13 2013 // RenRe and Affiliates A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. (RenRe) and...
Ohio Regulators: Health Insurance Costs to Increase Under Exchange
Jun 12 2013 // The Ohio Department of Insurance said insurers’ health insurance plans for the federal insurance exchange for Ohio show that expenses for consumers will significantly increase. Based on a report released by the...
