Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
U.S. P/C Reinsurers’ Premiums Decrease $12.8B in First Half of 2010
Sep 1 2010 // A group of 19 U.S.-based property/casualty reinsurers wrote $12.3 billion of net premiums during the six-months ended June 30, 2010, a decrease from the $12.8 billion net premiums written in the first six months of...
A Stronger Property Insurance Market in Louisiana Post-Katrina
Sep 1 2010 // Despite the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the state’s insurance market is stronger now and that the “outlook for continued market recovery is...
Study: Compound Drugs, Co-Packs Increase Calif. Workers’ Comp Costs
Aug 31 2010 // The use of compound drugs, medical foods, and so-called convenience packs that combine prescription drugs and medical foods, increased dramatically in the second quarter of 2007 — driving up costs in the...
S&P Affirms Markel’s ‘BBB’ Ratings; Outlook Negative
Aug 26 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB’ unsolicited counterparty credit rating on Markel Corp. However, S&P said the “outlook on Markel remains negative.” Credit...
Fitch: Profits Decline for Most U.S. P/C Insurers in First-Half of 2010
Aug 26 2010 // First-half 2010 operating profits declined for most publicly traded property/casualty insurance companies that Fitch Rating follows, according to a new report. However, the $16.2 billion of aggregate net earnings reported...
Best Affirms Allied World, Operating Affiliates ‘A’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Aug 25 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Bermuda-based Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd. and its operating...
Kentucky’s WC Loss Costs Down for Fifth Time
Aug 24 2010 // An annual filing most insurance carriers will use to develop rates for workers’ compensation coverage in Kentucky shows the fifth consecutive overall decrease in loss costs, Department of Insurance Commissioner...
Florida Insurance Department to Survey on Sinkholes
Aug 23 2010 // Starting this month, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is going to begin surveying Florida property insurers about their experience with sinkhole claims, in an effort to get to the bottom of the simmering...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Seeks 5% Rate Increase
Aug 20 2010 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has filed for 5 percent increases in both its residential and commercial rates, effective Jan. 1, 2011. The state’s insurer of last resort provides wind and hail coverage in...
Workplace Fatalities Decline in 2009 Over 2008
Aug 20 2010 // Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared with 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from...
Calif. Workers’ Comp Insurance Rating Bureau Wants 30% Rate Increase
Aug 20 2010 // As expected, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has submitted a pure premium rate filing to the California Insurance Commissioner recommending among other things a 29.6 percent increase...
P/C Industry Shows Slight Premium Growth in Q2, But No Gain in Profits
Aug 19 2010 // The U.S. property and casualty industry experienced modest growth in premiums written but overall the industry saw deterioration in underwriting profitability in second-quarter 2010, fueled by trends among personal lines...
ICC Survey Concludes Economy is Rebounding ‘at a Slower Pace’
Aug 18 2010 // The world economy continued its rebound from the worst recession in decades, according to the quarterly ICC/Ifo World Economic Survey released today, but at a slower pace. The survey concluded that “some regions,...
Survey: Health Reform Leading to Changes for Large Employers
Aug 18 2010 // Many of the biggest U.S. companies are removing spending limits from their employees’ health plans and taking other steps to comply with the new healthcare law, according to a report released on Wednesday. Most of...
Dog Bite Claims Top $400M in 2009; Rise 30% in Last 6 Years
Aug 18 2010 // Dog bite claims cost the insurance industry $412 million in 2009, an increase of 6.4 percent from 2008. Dog bites account for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims paid out in 2009, says the...
Best Affirms MAPFRE RE’s A+ Ratings; Outlook Negative
Aug 17 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit rating of “aa-” of Spain’s MAPFRE RE, Compania de Reaseguros, S.A., but bothratings have negative...
Ohio Highway Patrol: ID Theft Increase ‘Alarming’
Aug 16 2010 // Ohio Highway Patrol troopers say they’re seeing an “alarming” increase in cases of identity theft. The patrol says it has investigated 248 cases so far this year, compared to 114 by this time in 2009. The...
Florida Citizens’ Rate Increases Way Below Actuaries’ Indications
Aug 16 2010 // If insurance actuaries had their way, rates for homeowners insured through Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance would be going up 55.9 percent on average. But there’s a cap on how much state-backed Citizens...
Despite Claims, Utilities’ Insurance Market Still Softening
Aug 16 2010 // Insurance rates in the power sector are expected to soften further in 2010, despite the existence of many of the conditions that would normally presage a hardening market, according to the latest Power Market Review from...
Rise in Questionable Claims Led by Hail, Auto Glass
Aug 16 2010 // Property/casualty insurance companies are reporting that the number of claims requiring more scrutiny than normal rose again in the first half of this year compared to 2009. The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s...
