Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Overcapacity in P/C Insurance Keeping Commercial Prices Down
Apr 26 2011 // Most commercial lines insurance prices continued their downward trend in the first quarter, as underwriters’ efforts to hold the line on premiums buckled under the pressure of a highly overcapitalized market. Three...
P/C Premium Growth Not Enough for Market Turnaround: Conning
Apr 25 2011 // The property/casualty insurance industry can expect premium growth of between 3 and 4 percent in 2011, and about 5 percent for the following two years, according to a forecast from analysts at Conning Research &...
Young Agents look for opportunity… and a future
Apr 20 2011 // Come along for a ride with me… or better yet, join me for a cup of coffee in my office, as we discuss articles from the April 4th issue of Insurance Journal magazine about Young Agents and the industry’s...
Fitch Affirms ACE Limited’s and Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable
Apr 20 2011 // Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ratings of ACE Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively, ACE), and has assigned an ‘AA-‘ Insurer Financial Strength rating (IFS) to Agri General Insurance Company (AGIC). Fitch...
U.S. Credit Outlook Cut by S&P on Deficit Concerns
Apr 18 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Monday downgraded its credit outlook for the United States, citing a risk that policymakers may not reach agreement on a plan to slash the huge federal budget deficit. While the credit rating...
Best Affirms Ariel Re, Ariel Holdings Ratings; Outlook Stable
Apr 18 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of’ ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of Bermuda-based Ariel Reinsurance Company Ltd., as well as the ICR...
Best Affirms Flagstone Re’s Ratings; Outlook Revised to Negative
Apr 18 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of Flagstone Reassurance Suisse S.A. and Flagstone Alliance Insurance and...
Texas Sees Rise in Workers’ Comp Medical Cost per Claim
Apr 18 2011 // Medical costs per claim in Texas rose 8 percent in 2008, after a period of declining costs following reforms enacted in 2001 and 2005, and increased payor focus on managing medical care, according to a study by the Workers...
Health Care Market’s Explosive Growth Offers Agents New Professional Liability Opportunities
Apr 18 2011 // The world of professional liability can be a foreign place for many agents and brokers alike. The policies vary from carrier to carrier so no universal form is used as the standard insuring agreement. Terminology such as:...
Reinsurance Rates Up, But Few Agree How Much
Apr 18 2011 // Reinsurance rates may be edging higher only now, but the companies’ shares could still surge amid investor hopes that disasters, including Japan’s earthquake, will result in much higher rates in the...
California Suspicious Insurance Claims Rise by 9% Since 2008
Apr 15 2011 // California has seen a 9 percent increase in suspicious insurance claims since 2008, according to a new report. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) said questionable claims originating in California and referred to...
As Insurance Rates Rise, Missisippians Urged to Take Mitigation Seriously
Apr 15 2011 // Mississippi Gulf Coast residents have been told mitigation is the answer to the region’s high insurance rates. “What do you do to lower rates? It is pretty simple. If you want to lower rates on the Gulf Coast,...
Survey Shows Opportunity for Carriers to Support Agents in Social Media
Apr 14 2011 // The majority of agents and brokers say using social media is important for business, yet many report not using social media tools in their business today. Seven of 10 independent agents and brokers believe it is important...
U.S. Shuts Down Massive Cyber Theft Ring
Apr 14 2011 // U.S. authorities claimed one of their biggest victories against cyber crime as they shut down a ring they said used malicious software to take control of more than 2 million PCs around the world, and may have led to theft...
Insurance Fraud Claims on Rise in New York
Apr 13 2011 // Suspicious insurance claims in New York were up about 4.5 percent in 2010, an industry report shows. In 2010, insurers reported a total of 7,026 questionable claims in the state, compared with 6,726 in 2009, according to...
Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Rates Not Going Up
Apr 13 2011 // Massachusetts regulators and insurers have agreed that workers’ compensation rates will not rise. Last month, the industry filed for a 6.6 percent average increase effective Sept. 1 but insurers have agreed to hold...
Japan Insured Losses Up to $34 Billion: RMS
Apr 12 2011 // The March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami are likely to have caused up to $34 billion in losses for the global insurance industry, catastrophe modeling company RMS said Tuesday. RMS said the magnitude 9.0 quake and...
A.M. Best Revises Outlook for The Hartford
Apr 12 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb+” of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. A.M. Best also has affirmed the financial...
Florida Approves 18.8% State Farm Rate Increase
Apr 12 2011 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has approved a statewide average 18.8 percent rate increase in State Farm’s homeowners’ policies, which is roughly 10 percent below the 27.9 percent it initially...
How Rising Energy Prices Affect P/C Insurance
Apr 11 2011 // The leveling off of the world’s oil supply and the resulting rising gasoline prices and their economic impact carry implications for property/casualty insurance rates. Oil spikes have been known to precede...
