Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Commercial Insurance Prices Still Flat But Workers’ Comp Moving Up
Jun 13 2011 // Commercial insurance prices were relatively flat for the ninth consecutive quarter, and new data confirm the deterioration of loss ratios in accident-year 2010. Price reductions continued for commercial property and...
Louisiana Insurance Fraud Investigators May Carry Guns in Future
Jun 10 2011 // A day after two unarmed Louisiana insurance fraud investigators were gunned down while looking into a case, the state insurance commissioner said that his department may have their agents carry weapons. Kim Sledge and...
Best Revises Universal North America’s Outlook to Stable; Affirms Ratings
Jun 10 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of Texas-based Universal...
Calif. Workers’ Comp Total Temporary Disability Rates to Increase
Jun 8 2011 // New U.S. Department of Labor data shows California’s State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) rose more than 2.4% from $979.90 to $1003.55 in the 12 months ending March 31, 2011, which the California Workers’...
Will New Legislation Help Florida’s Property Insurance Market?
Jun 7 2011 // Florida hasn’t been hit by a hurricane since the disastrous years of 2004 and 2005, but the state’s property insurance companies say they are still losing money despite collecting billions in premiums. That has...
Late May Storms to Cost Insurers Up to $7 Billion: AIR
Jun 6 2011 // The severe thunderstorms that struck the United States from May 20 to the 27 will result in insured losses to residential, commercial, and industrial properties and their contents, and to automobiles of between $4 billion...
Catastrophes Issue Wake-Up Call on Supply Chain Risks
Jun 6 2011 // The Japanese earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011 served as a wake-up call of sorts for businesses vulnerable to supply chain exposures. Subsequent intense weather events in the United States during April and...
Corporate Governance Perspective: Current Bearings, Future Directions
Jun 6 2011 // Due to last summer’s enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, we are now in a watershed period of corporate governance reform. Processes now underway have transformed the relations between corporate boards and corporate...
Catastrophes Issue Wake-Up Call on Supply Chain Risks
Jun 6 2011 // The Japanese earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011, as well as intense spring weather, served as a wakeup call of sorts for businesses vulnerable to supply chain exposures: It’s important to prepare for...
Mobile Food Vendor Market Explodes as Insurance Market Evolves
Jun 6 2011 // In just about every metropolitan area nationwide hungry customers can appease their appetites by visiting the neighborhood taco truck. The traditional taco truck sells more than just tacos these days – a lot more....
Catastrophes Issue Wake-Up Call on Supply Chain Risks
Jun 6 2011 // The Japanese earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011, as well as intense spring weather, served as a wakeup call of sorts for businesses vulnerable to supply chain exposures: It’s important to prepare for...
Risk of Cyber Attacks Escalation Rises as Technology Outpaces Policy
Jun 3 2011 // From the satellite pictures on Google Earth, Jinan looks like any other Chinese city — sprawling construction sites, massive factory blocks, apartment buildings, a university, dozens of railway lines and wide-open...
Best Revises Tower Group and Subs Outlook to Positive; Affirms Ratings
Jun 3 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the Tower US Pool and...
ICC Denounces Growing Protectionist Trend in G20 Countries
Jun 2 2011 // The Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has issued a statement urging G20 leaders to “keep markets open to trade, following worrying results from a recently released WTO-OECD-UNCTAD report that G20...
United Fire Anticipates Up to $35M in Q2 Losses from Spring Storms
Jun 1 2011 // Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based United Fire & Casualty Co. announced that it expects its second quarter results through May to include pre-tax catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance, of approximately $30 million to 35...
Ariz. Insurance Premiums Written Decline
May 31 2011 // Property/casualty insurance premiums written in Arizona have declined in 2009 to $7.6 billion, down from $8.1 billion in 2008, according to a recent economic impact report. According to the Arizona Insurance Council, which...
Study Forecasts Ice Melt Will Close off Arctic’s Interior Riches
May 31 2011 // Global warming will likely open up coastal areas in the Arctic to development but close vast regions of the northern interior to forestry and mining by mid-century as ice and frozen soil under temporary winter roads melt,...
Insurers Eye Rate Increases as Hurricane Season Approaches
May 26 2011 // Property and casualty insurers craving respite from a long-running drop in prices are eyeing the start of the U.S. hurricane season next week in the hope that summer windstorms will finally turn the market. The June 1 to...
West Virginia Reports Rise in Claims Awarded Against State
May 26 2011 // Monetary claims awarded against the state of West Virginia more than doubled in the past year. The state Court of Claims says in its 2011 annual report that it approved $8.4 million worth of awards, compared to $3.8...
