Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Rates Aon plc. Note Exchanges ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
Dec 14 2012 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘BBB+/A-2’ counterparty credit rating to Aon plc., and a ‘BBB+’ debt rating to AON’s proposed senior debt issue. “This is...
Best Affirms Russian Re’s ‘B+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Dec 14 2012 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B+’ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of Russian Reinsurance Company JSC (Russian Re), both with...
Illinois Work Comp Medical Fee Schedule Rates to Increase 1.69%
Dec 13 2012 // Workers’ compensation medical fee schedule rates in Illinois will increase 1.69 percent in 2013, according to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC). The IWCC said the hike is less than half the...
Cost Per Workers’ Compensation Claim Rising in Indiana: Study
Dec 11 2012 // The average cost of a workers’ compensation claim in Indiana grew rapidly in recent years, mainly driven by the high price of medical care, according to a new study, Benchmarks for Indiana, CompScope 13th Edition, by...
Insurance Fraud Allegations Up in Ohio
Dec 11 2012 // Officials say the record number of insurance-fraud allegations in Ohio this year can be partly attributed to better reporting of suspected incidents and difficult economic times that push some people into illegal...
Swiss Re Study Sees Economy Improving in 2013; Casualty Lines Recover
Dec 11 2012 // Swiss Re’s latest study, “Global re/insurance review 2012 and outlook 2013/14” provides a somewhat optimistic forecast of the future state of the global economy and the insurance markets. Swiss Re said:...
South Carolina Health Insurance Market Among Least Competitive: AMA
Dec 10 2012 // An American Medical Association analysis found that South Carolina has one of the country’s least competitive health insurance markets. The country’s leading lobby group for physicians said South Carolina has...
Futures Industry Looks to Insurance After MF Global Collapse
Dec 10 2012 // Long-derided as unsuitable for sophisticated futures markets, insurance is getting a surge of attention heading into the new year as the industry works to patch itself up after the stunning collapse of brokerage MF Global...
New York Superstorm Warnings Went Unheeded for Decades, Observers Say
Dec 9 2012 // More than three decades before Superstorm Sandy, a state law and a series of legislative reports began warning New York politicians to prepare for a storm of historic proportions, spelling out scenarios eerily similar to...
Personal Lines Rates Rise 4% in November: MarketScout
Dec 7 2012 // Homeowners and automobile insurance rates are trending up, according to a new industry survey. The composite rate for insuring personal lines business in the United States increased to plus 4 percent for November 2012 as...
Washington Liquor Sales Still Up After Privatization
Dec 6 2012 // Sales of hard liquor increased in the four months after the state privatized liquor sales on June 1, compared with sales during the same four-month period a year ago, the Washington state Department of Revenue said...
Commercial Lines Rates Up 5% in November: MarketScout
Dec 6 2012 // The overall composite rate for insuring commercial accounts in the United States ticked up 5 percent in November 2012 compared to the same month in 2011. According to MarketScout’s Commercial Lines Market Barometer,...
S&P Affirms Liberty Mutual Group’s Ratings; Outlook Revised to Stable
Dec 6 2012 // Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on Liberty Mutual Group Inc. as well as its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit and financial...
Obamacare Medical Loss Ratio Saved $1.5 Billion in 2011: Report
Dec 5 2012 // Consumers saw nearly $1.5 billion in insurer rebates and overhead cost savings in 2011, due to the Affordable Care Act’s medical loss ratio provision requiring health insurers to spend at least 80 percent of premium...
Building Momentum in the Construction Market
Dec 5 2012 // After four years of one of the most challenging construction markets, construction insurance experts are beginning to see signs of a slow recovery with some of their contractor and builder accounts. The current...
Study: North Dakota Health Insurance Market Near Monopoly
Dec 5 2012 // An American Medical Association study concludes that North Dakota’s health insurance market is almost a monopoly but the state’s dominant health insurer says consumers are not getting gouged. The study says a...
Best’s Report on Bermuda Re/Insurers Sees over 10% ROE for 2012
Dec 4 2012 // There are still several weeks until the end of the year, but forecasts are unlikely to change very much as far as Bermuda’s re/insurers are concerned. A new special report from A.M. Best indicates that “2012 is...
Best Affirms Munich Re and Subs ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Dec 3 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Munich Reinsurance Company and its subsidiaries. Best also affirmed all...
Rising Cost of Sandy Damages
Dec 3 2012 // It’s been a month since Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc along the East Coast, devastating coastal towns and bringing a record storm surge and flooding and prolonged power outages. And the cost keeps rising. On Nov....
Surplus Lines Premiums on the Rise in Texas
Dec 3 2012 // The amount of surplus lines insurance premium written in Texas rose by 25 percent as of the end of October compared with the same period the year before, signaling a boost to companies operating in this sector. Texas also...
