Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Survey: A Few More Years Before Med Liability Market Hardens
Oct 6 2011 // According to a new annual rate survey by Medical Liability Monitor, base-rate premiums for medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) continued their downward trend for a sixth consecutive year. The current soft...
Auto Insurers’ Loss Ratios Rise in Q2: SNL Insurance
Oct 6 2011 // Tornadoes and thunderstorms in the South and Midwest made the 2011 second quarter tumultuous for U.S. property writers. The industry loss ratio, before consideration of reinsurance, climbed to 70.6 percent, marking the...
Florida Lawmakers Contemplate the Future of Citizens
Oct 6 2011 // With four months to go before Florida’s legislative session, lawmakers are already considering the future of the state’s largest homeowners’ insurer. However, there are few easy answers in sight. Citizens...
Work-Related Fatalities Decreased in Texas in 2010
Oct 3 2011 // Texas recorded a preliminary total of 456 work-related fatalities in 2010, a 5 percent decrease compared to the revised 2009 total of 482 fatalities, the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’...
Best Affirms American Southern, Parent and Subs Ratings; Outlooks Stable
Oct 3 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of American Southern Group and its members. These ratings apply to American...
Coastal Alabama Rates Going Down
Oct 3 2011 // Alabama homeowners insured by the state’s property insurer of last resort are paying less after the insurer implemented its first rate decrease in three years. The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association last...
Agriculture Losses from Texas Wildfires Adding Up
Sep 30 2011 // In addition to the $5.2 billion in agricultural losses as a result of the drought in Texas this year, an additional $150 million in losses can be attributed to wildfires, according to state agriculture experts. Dr. Andy...
Nationwide, Harleysville CEOs Reassure Agents: Merger All About Growth
Sep 30 2011 // The merger of insurer Nationwide Mutual with regional carrier Harleysville Mutual is all about growth, not only for the companies but also for their independent agents, according to the CEOs of the two...
Chubb Reports Q3 Disaster Losses Up to $475 Million
Sep 29 2011 // Property insurer Chubb Corp. Wednesday warned it would report up to $475 million in pretax catastrophe losses in the third quarter, most of it coming from late August’s Hurricane Irene. Chubb said $300 million to...
US Quake Project Aimed to ID Future Hotspots
Sep 27 2011 // Scientists have embarked on an ambitious experiment to better anticipate earthquakes by identifying the likeliest places where magnitude-4.9 quakes or stronger will occur in seismically active California over a five-year...
Best Upgrades Greenlight Re’s Ratings to ‘A’; Outlook Stable
Sep 27 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to ‘a’ from ‘a-‘ of Cayman...
Washington Workers’ Comp Overhaul Keeps Business Costs Down
Sep 23 2011 // A major overhaul of the workers’ compensation system in Washington is already helping keep costs down for businesses, state officials said Tuesday while disclosing a major rate increase isn’t needed to keep...
Marsh Advises Risk Managers As C-Suite Expectations Rise
Sep 22 2011 // Global insurance broker Marsh held a webcast on Sept. 21, where the firm’s analysts shared their views on the current business environment including the effects of Hurricane Irene and other catastrophes. The broker...
Best Affirms XL Group, P&C Subs ‘A’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Sep 22 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of ‘a’ of the property/casualty subsidiaries of the holding company, XL Group plc,...
Americans Have False Sense of Security About Catastrophes, Survey Finds
Sep 19 2011 // Even after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, most Americans have a false sense of security when it comes to their readiness for a natural disaster or major terrorist attack, according to researchers at Columbia University. A new...
Workers’ Comp Rates Advisory Rates Decrease in Illinois
Sep 19 2011 // The Illinois Department of Insurance approved an 8.8 percent decrease in voluntary advisory workers’ compensation rates. The new rate, filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, became effective on...
The Increasing Cost of Data Breaches
Sep 19 2011 // The cost of responding to data breaches is on the rise, according to a recent study. The 2010 Annual Study: U.S. Cost of a Data Breach, released in March 2011 by Symantec Corp. and privacy and information management...
Washington Prepares for Workers’ Comp Rate Increase
Sep 19 2011 // A workers’ compensation rate increase may be in store for Washington for 2012. A final decision is expecetd in December. The state’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has asked the Workers’...
Economists: Sea Level Rise Could Cost California
Sep 15 2011 // Economists say erosion from rising sea levels and storm damage could cost California hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tourism and tax revenues. A Los Angeles Times story cites the San Francisco State study released...
Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 510 and Kiln Group Ratings; Outlook Stable
Sep 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of ‘a+’ of Lloyd’s Syndicate 510, which is managed...
